Broncos add Greg Dulcich to IR, sign a rookie running back and more

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The coaching changes weren’t the only news in Dove Valley this week, as the Broncos made a handful of roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here’s what went down:

• The Broncos added tight end Greg Dulcich to injured reserve on Friday.

• The Broncos waived cornerback Michael Ojemudia on Tuesday. He was claimed off of waivers by the Chicago Bears.
  
• The Broncos cornerback Delonte Hood and tight end Dalton Keene to their practice squad on Tuesday.
  
• The Broncos released running back Devine Ozigbo from their practice squad on Tuesday.
  
• The Broncos signed rookie running back Tyler Badie off of the Ravens’ practice squad on Thursday.

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Rookie tight end Greg Dulcich’s season is over.

The Broncos placed the 22-year-old on injured reserve for the second time this season on Friday, which means he must sit out for at least four weeks. With only two games left in the season, Dulcich’s rookie year is over.

Dulcich will finish his first season with 411 yards on 33 catches with two touchdowns. He is one of five Broncos with multiple touchdowns. He currently ranks 18th in yards among NFL tight ends, a mark that will likely fall over the last two weeks of the season. He currently leads rookie tight ends in receiving yards, and ranks ninth among all rookies.

Dulcich began training camp on the physically unable to perform list because of a hamstring injury, but participated lightly in August. He opened the season on the injured reserve list with the same hamstring injury and he returned to play in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He played 10 games before landing on injured reserve again.

The Broncos brought Dalton Keene, a 23-year-old Littleton native, back to the practice squad to provide depth at tight end. He also had a stint on the Broncos’ practice squad in October.

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The Broncos added 22-year-old rookie running back Tyler Badie this week, adding a fourth option to a room in need of some excitement.

Badie was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft following a successful four-year career at Missouri. In his senior season, Badie ran for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also catcihing 54 passes. He averaged six yards per carry. Badie led the SEC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and finished second in the country in yards from scrimmage. He earned second-team All-America honors.

Badie carried the ball 23 times for 65 yards and caught a touchdown pass in the preseason. The Ravens released him before the season started and signed him to their practice squad, where he remained until Thursday. He didn’t touch the ball during the regular season.

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At 5-foot-8 and 197 pounds, Badie is slightly undersized but he fits the Broncos’ backfield well. He’s a one-cut back with enough speed to stress the edge of the defense, which makes him a perfect fit for the wide-zone running scheme the Broncos are trying to run this season.

The Broncos currently have three other backs on the roster, veteran workhorse Latavius Murray, third-down back Chase Edmonds and Marlon Mack. Only Edmonds is under contract for next season, and the Broncos could save $6 million by moving on from him before Week 1. The Broncos will also have Javonte Williams returning from a serious knee injury, but he is unlikely to return before the start of the season.

Given the situation in the backfield, the Broncos are likely to add at least three more backs over the offseason, likely attacking free agency and the draft. Badie provides a young, cost-controlled option and the Broncos may go out of their way to give him some run over the final two weeks of the season, to see if he could be part of the solution in 2023.

The Broncos carried running back Devine Ozigbo on the practice squad for most of the season, while rookie Tyreik McAllister bounced between the practice squad and free agency. For the first time this season, the Broncos opted to keep McAllister on the practice squad and drop Ozigbo this week.

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Cornerback Michael Ojemudia joined the Broncos in 2020 as a third-round draft pick. He missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL and battled injuries again in 2022. He was overtaken on the depth chart this season by rookie Damarri Mathis and only played two defensive snaps. The Bears, who have second priority in waivers, claimed Ojemudia.

The Broncos replaced Ojemudia with rookie Delonte Hood, who joins the practice squad. He spent the offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals.