Well, I know many of us were busy over the holidays, but rarely am I busy enough to not see a tweet or post or something of the like that indicates the Denver Broncos have made a roster move...
...Until Christmas 2010.
Somehow over the last week or so, I missed the roster moves the Broncos made, and I am guessing many of you did as well.
The first one I'm sure we all saw, which was the fact that the team released Kevin Alexander (who was arrested) and was awarded cornerback Chevis Jackson off of waivers. Jackson was a star cornerback at LSU when they won the National Championship a couple of years ago, and was a third round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2008.
The Broncos are Jackson's third team in 2010, having spent time with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars as well.
Jackson was largely a bust for the Falcons, who struggled at the cornerback position and yet Jackson couldn't find his way on to the field regularly. His one career interception went 95 yards for a touchdown, and he was cut from the Patriots in favor of former Bronco Tony Carter.
The Broncos also made some roster moves in the middle of last week including the promotion of offensive lineman Jeff Byers from the practice squad.
Byers was a standout guard/center at USC and has roots in the state of Colorado dating back to his high school days when he was one of the most highly touted prospects in the country.
After missing all of the 2005 and 2006 seasons with injury, Byers spent six years with the Trojans and went undrafted in 2010. At 6'3" 306 pounds, he offers the Broncos a nice young prospect along the offensive line who was once a prominent player, and one who played at a very prestigious college.
Pete Carroll said this of Byers when he was at USC:
"The attitude he brings, the work ethic he brings are perfect. He has very high expectations for himself. He won't settle for anything but the best. He's got all the ingredients to be a great player. We like his athleticism, his intensity and the intangibles that he brings. His downfield blocking sets the tone for the style of play that we like. He flies to his blocks better than anyone we've ever had, making use of his legs and his guts to finish plays. He creates such an attitude about the way we play."
The Broncos also promoted wide receiver Britt Davis (number 17) off of the practice squad, a player who was one of Tim Tebow's favorite targets in the pre-season.
Davis is a former high school quarterback from Northern Illinois who stands at 6'3" 210 pounds, and saw playing time last Sunday on special teams for Denver.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets, Davis was one of Rex Ryan's prized recruits, and a player many with the Jets thought would make a significant impact.
Undrafted free agent rookie Britt Davis has caught the eye of the organization, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking. The club has been privately raving about Davis' potential and believes he could be a pleasant surprise this season, according to the person.
The 6-3, 205-pounder from Northern Illinois has rocketed up the depth chart and looked impressive with the second-team unit. Mark Sanchez repeatedly targeted Davis in Wednesday's 11-on-11 drills.
Davis was making some big plays in the pre-season, and is yet another in a long line of talented Broncos receivers. He brings the Broncos added value in the return game, an area they have seriously lacked in recent games. Reportedly, he has 4.44 second speed in the 40 yard dash and at his size, that is not a number to be overlooked.
With those two players being promoted from the practice squad, the Broncos were able to add two more names to their scout team.
Defensive back Nick Polk, a rookie out of Indiana was signed to the practice squad for the Broncos. Polk is a big defensive back at 5'11" 218 pounds, and played safety for the Hoosiers.
Not only that, but when he started his career at Indiana, Polk was initially a starter at wide receiver and moved to defense his sophomore year. He started 40 total games in his collegiate career, and posted solid numbers overall.
The Broncos also added linebacker Dominic Douglas to the practice squad. Douglas is in his second year in the league out of Mississippi State, and was initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams.
Douglas is a 6'1" 240 pound linebacker who tried out with the team back in mid-November.
The Broncos also recently placed kicker Matt Prater on injured reserve, opening up yet another spot on their 53-man roster. It will be interesting to see whether or not they choose to fill the spot for Sunday's game against San Diego, and I'd be surprised if they didn't.