Broncos Vs. Cardinals: Denver Wins Preseason Finale In Arizona

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Drayton Florence Signs With Lions, According To Report

Cornerback Drayton Florence was one of the many players that didn't make the cut into the 53 man roster for the Denver Broncos, but he reportedly won't remain unemployed for very long. According to a tweet from ProFootballTalk, Florence signed with the Detroit Lions, a team currently suffering from a somewhat banged up secondary, on Sunday.

As expected, CB Drayton Florence will sign with the Lions today.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 2, 2012

Florence originally joined the Broncos before training camp after being cut by the Buffalo Bills. The veteran cornerback will be on his fifth career team with the Lions after spending time with the San Diego Chargers -- the team who originally drafted him back in 2003 -- and the Jacksonville Jaguars along with the Bills, Broncos and now the Lions.

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Adam Weber Signs With Buccaneers

Quarterback Adam Weber signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, just days after being cut from the Denver Broncos.

Weber was playing the numbers game when it came to making his decision, as the Bucs only have two quarterbacks on their active roster.

"It seems like a better situation when it comes to numbers," Weber said before flying to Tampa, Fla. "It's all about finding the best situation that allows me to eventually play for real on Sundays. I think there's a good opportunity to compete."

Weber faced an uphill battle with the Denver Broncos, as Peyton Manning, Caleb Hanie and Brock Osweiler would all have been ahead of him on the depth chart. In Tampa Bay, only Josh Freeman and Dan Orlovsky will be ahead of him.

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Denver Broncos Roster Cuts: Jeremy Beal To Injured Reserve

The Denver Broncos are in the process of cutting down their roster to 53 players by Friday night's deadline, and their latest move is sending defensive end Jeremy Beal to the injured reserve list, ending his season before it even began.

Beal suffered a left knee injury against the Arizona Cardinals in the team's final preseason game on Thursday night. A 2011 draft pick, Beal spent the last two seasons on the practice squad. During this year's preseason he was playing well as he recorded five tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

This move puts the Broncos roster to 74 players, and a final decision on the 53-man roster must be made by 7 p.m. MT.

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Broncos Vs. Cardinals Reaction: Jim Leonhard 'Sewed Up' A Roster Spot

Heading into the final preseason game, it was still anyone's guess who would earn the final roster spots at the defensive back position. With eight players competing for four final spots at the position, the performances in the final game of the preseason against the Cardinals were crucial for determining the final team.

According to Jeremy Bolander of Mile High Report, one player solidified his roster spot while another boosted his chances:

Overall, only Leonhard turned in consistently solid work on the evening, and he likely sewed up his roster spot. Out of the rest, inconsistency was the word of the day, however, several still managed to standout. Bolden struggled early but came on strong late, including capitalizing on his chances in the return game with a 103 yard TD return on a kickoff. He was 50-50 in coverage, but made some great plays on the positive side, and will need to work on anticipation on the negative side.

In his full 53-man roster prediction, Bolander placed both Jim Leonhard and Omar Bolden on the team.

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Broncos Vs. Cardinals: Matt Prater Hits Game Winning Field Goal, Broncos Win 16-13

Broncos kicker Matt Prater converted on 44-yard game-winning field goal as time expired, giving his team a 16-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Thursday night's preseason finale in Glendale.

Down 10-0 to the Cardinals late in the third quarter, the Broncos scored their first touchdown of the game on a 103-yard kickoff return by rookie cornerback Omar Bolden. After a scoreless first half, the Cardinals completed their comeback in the fourth quarter thanks to a trio of field goals from Prater. The six-year veteran converted on attempts from 19 yards, 43 yards and a game-winning 44-yards all in the fourth quarter.

Caleb Hanie got the start for the Broncos at quarterback. He finished the game 7-for-13 for 75 passing yards, but was sacked five times. Ronnie Hillman led Denver's running backs with 68 rushing yards on 14 carries, while Greg Orton caught three passes for 57 receiving yards to led the Bronco's receiving corps.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning did not play in Thursday's game.

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Broncos Vs. Cardinals Halftime Score: Denver Trails Arizona 7-0

Offensive has been at a premium in the final preseason game between the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. At the half it is the Cardinals who have the only points on the board and lead 7-0. That single touchdown of the half came on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Lindley to Michael Floyd at the start of the second quarter.

The Broncos offense has been stifled as starting quarterback Caleb Hanie has completed just 7-of-12 passes for only 75 yards, with one of those passes being a 23-yard completion to tight end Virgil Green. The offensive line for the Broncos has allowed for Hanie to be sacked three times.

The two bright spots for the Broncos are that the offense has not turned the ball over, and running back Knowshon Moreno has ran well with 49 yards on seven carries.

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Denver Broncos Pass Rush: Derek Wolfe Added To Mix

The Broncos added rookie Derek Wolfe to the mix of their pass rushing attack, which could go a long way for this Denver team coming off a playoff run that followed with the offseason free agent signing of Peyton Manning.

As many remember, the Broncos' defense had its moments last season, especially when the offense struggled. The offense and defense alike are expected to be better in 2012, and Wolfe could have a hand in that on the defensive side of the ball.

Jack Del Rio had this to say to the Denver Post about the rookie defensive tackle who led the FBS with 21 tackles for loss last season:

"He really is slippery in the pass rush. He just has a knack of getting himself in there and getting to the spot. His motor is what you like to see. That can be a good matchup for us. And you're always looking for matchups."

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Denver Broncos Roster 2012: Will Quan Cosby Return?

The Mile High Report has a breakdown of the most recent NFL roster cuts all around the league. As it pertains to the Broncos, Lonie Paxton and Xavier Omon were the surprise releases for MHR because they expected those two players to make the team.

Rosters go down to 53 players on Friday. Here, KaptainKirk wonders if the Broncos will bring in a new return man, or even an old one, perhaps.

Out of all these players now searching for employment, I would make a case for Quan Cosby to return to Denver as their return man. Especially since the Broncos missed out on Roscoe Parrish. We all know that Denver is weak at the position. Jabar Gaffney anyone?

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Broncos Still Deciding On Backup QB, Caleb Hanie Or Brock Osweiler

When the Broncos take on the Cardinals in their final game of the preseason on Thursday night, not only will Brock Osweiler be competing with Caleb Hanie for consideration of the No. 2 quarterback spot, but it will be a homecoming of sorts for the former Arizona State quarterback.

Hanie appears to have the edge over Osweiler for the backup spot behind Peyton Manning, it's still an open competition and the results on Thursday should factor into the decision making. Hanie is going to start the game, while Osweiler expects to see plenty of time on the field as well.

Here's what Osweiler had to say about returning to Arizona:

"It's a homecoming game for me. "It'll be good to be back. The past couple years, I've gone to a couple Cardinals games after our season was done. To go back and play in that stadium and play against the Cardinals will be pretty special, especially with all my friends and family down there. It will be fun."

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Broncos Depth Chart 2012: Keith Brooking Hopes To Make Roster

There are a number of spots on the Broncos' roster where the team is playing the "what-if" game. The team is still evaluating players as the time gets closer to cut the roster down to 53 players. Offensive coordinator told reporters this week that by Friday, someone is going home, which we already knew.

Julius Thomas and Cornelius Ingram are still battling for a spot on the depth chart at tight end. Defensively, the Broncos have to decide if they want to keep veteran linebacker Keith Brooking, who they signed on Aug. 7 to provide some depth at linebacker because of D.J. Williams' suspension.

Denver might not get to see much of Brooking before having to make a decision, since he did suffer a hamstring injury in his first workout, but coaches feel like they know what they would be getting from him.

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Lonie Paxton Thanks Broncos In Statement

Veteran long snapper Lonie Paxton was cut by Denver Monday, but the three-year Bronco was heavily involved in the community, and released a statement following his cut thanking the organization and the community:

"I would like to thank the Denver Broncos fans, organization and media for their support for me, my family and for the Active Force Foundation. My support for the Denver and Colorado community will never change even if my uniform does. Our Wounded Warriors will continue to be a priority for AFF in Colorado along with the Colorado Adaptive Sport Foundation & community."

Paxton is a 13-year veteran originally drafted by the New England Patriots out of Sacramento State. Aaron Brewer, an undrafted rookie from San Diego State, is expected to take over long-snapping duties for the Broncos.

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Malik Jackson Close To Locking Up Broncos Roster Spot

Selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, defensive end Malik Jackson has reportedly impressed coaches to the point where it would be foolish for the Denver Broncos to assume he would clear waivers and make the practice squad, according to Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post.

On Tuesday morning, Legwold spoke of the strong early play of Jackson in the preseason and all but guaranteed the defensive end would make the 53-man roster:

"In the unlikely event the Broncos don't keep Jackson - and they most assuredly will keep him - he would not make it through waivers anyway."

Jackson has made an impact at the defensive end and defensive tackle positions, recording a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble in Denver's most recent game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Broncos will finish up the preseason on Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Be sure to visit Mile High Report for more Broncos coverage. For the Arizona perspective, head to Revenge of the Birds. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

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Broncos Trim Roster Down To 75 Players, Release LS Lonie Paxton And 12 Others

The Denver Broncos trimmed their roster down to 75 players on Monday, as veteran long snapper Lonie Paxton and 12 other men were cut loose by the team in the latest round of roster adjustments.

The 34-year-old Paxton, winner of three Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, is a 13-year veteran of the league who never once missed a game for the Broncos from 2009-2011. He was released by the organization in order to reach the NFL-mandated limit of 75 men this week, while the other 12 players cut -- including former Michigan State wide receiver Mark Dell -- were all placed on waivers.

The Broncos also said goodbye to five undrafted rookies from the 2012 class on Monday, as Elliot Coffey, Anthony Miller, Anthony Perkins, Mike Remmers and Austin Wuebbels were among the large group placed on waivers. The team will still need to cut down to 53 players in the near future, but it's clear Paxton's release comes as quite a shock considering his track record as a proven NFL veteran.

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Denver Broncos Kickoff, Punt Returning Gigs Up For Grabs

At least two position battles still exist as the Denver Broncos enter the final week of training camp.

Broncos head coach John Fox and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers have yet to decide who the primary kickoff and punt returners will be.

Eric Decker (punt return) and Lance Ball (kickoff return) are atop the depth chart for the return roles but neither player has lined up there this preseason.

"We'll certainly evaluate the guys we have on the roster, guys on other rosters," special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said this week. "I feel comfortable with where guys are at, but to say someone has separated themselves from the pack ..."

Wide receiver Matt Willis returned two punts for a total of 6 yards in Sunday's game against the 49ers, and certainly didn't do himself any favors as he tries to overtake Decker for punt return duties.

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Broncos Might Look For Defensive Depth Outside Organization

Denver Broncos head coach John Fox hinted that his team might look outside the organization for defensive depth, after another poor showing from the team's second- and third-team defense.

Fox was asked after the game if he's concerned about the depth of his team.

"It all concerns me. That's kind of what I do. At the end of the day, I think we made a little bit of improvement, not a lot, but last week we gave up 21 (points). I don't remember what it was this time. We've got work to do and when we pick the 53 (players), you can do that a lot of different ways."

There figures to be some interesting names available in the coming 10 days, as teams must continue to make roster cuts throughout the next week. Teams must be down to 75 players by 4 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. MT on Monday.

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Knowshon Moreno Battling For Broncos Roster Spot

Cuts are starting to come hard and fast around the NFL, with the 90-man rosters of every team being slashed down to 75 by Monday afternoon. By Friday, those rosters will have to be whittled down to 53 players per team and the numbers game for the Denver Broncos may end up frowning on a surprising target, former first-round pick Knowshon Moreno.

As written by Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post, Moreno has been ineffective in the preseason as he has worked his way back from an ACL injury suffered late into the 2011 season. There are not that many running back slots open and a lot of backs that are playing just as well as Moreno has. Fortunately, Willis McGahee, one of the best recovery stories in the league, is also on the squad helping Moreno out:

"It's hard coming off an injury like that, but the great thing is, I think, he's got a great example ahead of him in Willis," McCoy said. "Willis had a bad injury a long time ago, and he came back, and look where he's at now. I think it's helped Knowshon a little bit with the process of everything and he's grinding it out.

If Moreno's recovery doesn't speed up, there may be no more chances to keep him around as a fourth or fifth running back with no special teams abilities. After the first round of cuts on Monday, we'll see how the RB position looks on the Broncos depth chart.

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