After losing right tackle Mike McGlinchey for “about a month” to a sprained MCL, the Denver Broncos must now find a replacement.
Matt Peart might be the in-house favorite to start while McGlinchey is sidelined, but the Broncos would be wise to at least bring in more depth at the position. Alex Palczewski filled in for McGlinchey for two snaps on Sunday, but those were the first two snaps of his career, and rookie Frank Crum was inactive for each of the team’s first two games this season.
Here’s a quick list of five outside players Denver could consider bringing in for workouts this week.
Free agent offensive tackles
1. Billy Turner: The 32-year-old vet had two previous stints with the Broncos and has experience at both tackle and guard.
2. Cam Fleming: Another ex-Denver tackle, the 32-year-old Fleming filled in for one game in 2023 and started 15 games in 2022.
3. D.J. Humphries: A 30-year-old former first-round pick who started 98 games for the Arizona Cardinals from 2016-2023, including 16 games last season.
4. Donovan Smith: He started 12 games for the Kansas City Chiefs last season. The 31-year-old former second-round pick won Super Bowls with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chiefs.
5. David Bakhtiari: The decorated 32-year-old veteran has struggled with injuries, playing just one game last season and one game in 2021. He was healthy for 11 games in 2022. If healthy, Bakhtiari would be an intriguing option for the Broncos.
Denver will likely bring in tackles for tryouts in the coming days. If McGlinchey is placed on injured reserve, that would free up a roster spot for a potential signing this week.