John Lynch returned to practice on Wednesday, and according to Andrew Mason's Blog over at the mothership Lynch has proclaimed himself "ready to go" --
Lynch was listed on the official injury report as having "limited participation," but left the field satisfied with his day of work.
"I was very pleased," Lynch added. "I also did a little on Friday, but I came out here, practiced a complete practice and felt good. I'm excited."
In looking back, Lynch understood why the coaches opted to shelve him at Indianapolis, even though he chafed on the sideline watching Colts runners carve the Broncos defense for 226 rushing yards -- the most permitted by the Broncos in a game since Dec. 28, 2003.
"(Sitting out) was probably the smart thing," Lynch said. "It's the last thing you want to do, but that's what makes Mike (Shanahan) a successful coach. He knew that would be a hard decision for me, so he made the decision himself.
"I didn't necessarily like it, but in retrospect it was the right thing to do, and I feel good."
The news wasn't as good regarding Travis Henry and Javon Walker who both missed practice on Wednesday with nagging leg injuries. We'll no a lot more about their status tomorrow after practice. If I were to guess I would say both Henry and Walker would be long-shots to play Sunday, though that is just a guess based on year's of watching the way Shanny massages his roster. Let's put it this way. If Walker and Henry miss Thursday's workout, they aren't playing, period.
In other moves, it didn't take long for Domenik Hixon to find work, being claimed on waivers by the New York Giants. Hixon, who was released by the Broncos on Tuesday, didn't get much of an opportunity, being released after only 4 games. That is the thing about Shanny, though. Once he turns the page on ya, the book usually gets closed as well. Shanahan is fiercely loyal to his veterans, but has little patience for under-performing younger players and has little trouble cutting them.
Hixon's departure will give Andre Hall an opportunity to return kicks, which has me excited to be sure. Hall kind of reminds me of Reuben Droughns back returning kick-offs, and Droughns did a solid job, one that he continues to do for the Giants today.
Also benefiting from Hixon's ouster is Glenn Martinez, who will become the punt return option, for now. Martinez was signed from the practice squad before the Colts game and will get a shot to make a difference on special teams. Martinez could see some action in 3-wide sets as weel, though first choice for that will likely be Brian Clark. The Broncos also brought WR Marquay McDaniel back to the practice squad. McDaniel was released in August.
Phew, that's alot of activity, and if the Broncos don't show some semblance of defense on Sunday, the BYE week is sure to see even more....