ENGLEWOOD Connor McGovern Jersey , Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are getting some healthy bodies back at cornerback as they try to win their final two games and avoid the franchise’s first back-to-back losing seasons in 48 years.With Denver out of playoff contention and facing a slew of injuries at the position, the Broncos placed star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. on injured reserve and signed free agent Craig Mager, who was released by the Chargers earlier this season.Harris sustained a chip fracture in his lower right leg two weeks ago and was hoping to return for the Broncos’ final game, Dec. 30 against the Chargers, but that was only if Denver remained in playoff contention.The Broncos (6-8) were eliminated last weekend when they lost 17-16 to the Browns.The Broncos also expect to get Brendan Langley and Isaac Yiadom back from concussions when they visit Oakland (3-11) on Christmas Eve, and they’ll have Bradley Roby back.Roby required five stitches last week after lacerating his chin tackling Nick Chubb.“I could put my tongue through my face, so it was crazy,” Roby said Wednesday. “I’d never seen anything like that. And I was spitting up a lot of blood. It was one of those freak accidents. It’s football. I signed up for it. So, stitched it back up and get back out there.”They’ll also have cornerback Jamar Taylor back. His ejection last weekend left them with only one healthy cornerback in Tremaine Brock, and Cleveland scored its game-winning TD with safeties Justin Simmons and Dymonte Harris forced into route coverage in the fourth quarter.Mager was a third-round pick from Texas State in 2015 who played in 24 career games, 10 starts, with one interception for the Chargers before he was released with an injury settlement in September.“He’s got some physical tools we like. He’s a pretty good (special) teams player,” coach Vance Joseph said. “He was actually in the mix to start for the Chargers before having a major hamstring injury. So, we’ll see. It’s just one more good, young corner that we’ve added to the mix.”Harris, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate this week, moved into the No. 1 cornerback role following Aqib Talib’s trade to the Rams last spring and had another spectacular season before getting hurt two weeks ago.“He had a great year,” Joseph said. “Obviously, his role changed with Aqib leaving Ja’Wuan James Jersey , I mean, he was the No. 1 guy all year. Toward the end of the season, he matched the best receiver each week. But he had a great year, leading and playing good football. We’ve missed him, obviously. He’s a great player.”For the first time this season, Roby said he hopes the Broncos re-sign him in the offseason. Roby, who’s making $8.536 million this season, struggled early on in moving from nickel back to starter but came on strong as the season went along.“I want to be here. This is the team that drafted me,” Roby said. “I bought a house here. I love the organization. Why would I want to go anywhere else?”If the Broncos move on, they’re likely to target cornerback in the first or second round of next year’s draft.So, Roby has two more weeks to state his case, beginning with what could be the last NFL game in Oakland.“It’s going to be live out there,” Roby said. “The fans are going to be into it. They’re always into it, especially when they play us. It being Monday night, last game there, I’m sure it’s going to be like a playoff game.”The city of Oakland recently sued the Raiders and the NFL in federal court, asking for damages that will help pay off the approximately $80 million in debt remaining from renovations on the Coliseum. The antitrust lawsuit could push the Raiders to play somewhere else next season before they move to Las Vegas in 2020.Roby, for one, isn’t melancholy about never having to play on the stadium’s dirt baseball infield again.“I hate playing there. Their field is terrible. I’m glad they’re moving Kareem Jackson Jersey ,” Roby said. “I’m not sad to see them go at all.”Former Broncos quarterback Kyle Sloter appears to be passing former Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian on the Vikings depth chart Let us check in on two former Broncos quarterbacks who both ended up on the Minnesota Vikings roster after being fan favorites for the Broncos just one season ago. Those two quarterbacks obviously being Trevor Siemian and Kyle Sloter. First, let us do a quick rewind on these two players. Trevor Siemian is a former seventh-round pick for the Broncos and he started 24 games for them during that time including being the week one starter twice for them. He was hyped up by the media and a segment of the fan base but never lived up to that potential and was eventually benched in 2017 because of poor play. The Broncos ended up trading him to Minnesota for a 5th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.As for Sloter, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Broncos in 2017 and served as the teams, third-string quarterback. During the preseason in 2017, he played sparingly because the Broncos were evaluating Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian, but when he did play, he looked better than both quarterbacks. He quickly became a fan favorite, but he was waived by the Broncos during the cuts period. They hoped to stash him on their Practice Squad, but he was claimed by the Minnesota Vikings. Now, both quarterbacks are fighting to be the backup to Kirk Cousins who the Vikings signed to a mega-deal this past winter and it appears things are going well for quarterback, Kyle Sloter.Trevor Siemian was absolutely dreadful for the Vikings on Friday night. The former Broncos starting quarterback went 4 of 8 for 3 yards. This performance by Siemian led to this observation from our friends at the Daily Norseman.We all this Siemian a lot during the two forgettable seasons he started for the Broncos.Much like last season for the Broncos during the preseason, Kyle Sloter came in after Siemian(or Lynch) and cleaned up the mess they made. Sloter finished the game by going 11 of 15 for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns and to the victory. Here is the assessment our friends at the Daily Norseman made of Sloter after he led another game winning comeback. Now the Vikings have a decision to make. Do they make the same mistake the Broncos did and overlook Kyle Sloter and stick with Siemian or do they give him the much-deserved promotion? This also gives us one more example of just how bad the quarterback position was for the Broncos the past two seasons. The guy who started back to back week one games and started 24 games at quarterback for them is in danger of being demoted to third-string or potentially being cut by the Vikings. Meanwhile, we all know the days for Paxton Lynch are likely numbered in Denver and Brock Osweiler is somewhere being tall and mediocre in Miami. This is why we need to give Head Coach Vance Joseph a fresh start in 2018. Yes, he had his issues in 2017, but the quarterback position is the most important position in all of sports and his options last season were downright awful. This all led to the downward spiral and a shit of a season that we all witnessed last year. So let us be thankful that we have moved past these awful times and can find success again with Case Keenum under center. Also, let us hope that Kyle Sloter finally gets the opportunity he really deserves. I was dismissive of his play last year because the Broncos clearly never had him in their future plans, but he should be the Vikings backup quarterback behind Kirk Cousins in 2018.
