Broncos cut a receiver, set to place Turner on IR in flurry of moves

DENVER — Billy Turner’s time in the lineup lasted just four games.

The veteran tackle will be placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in the second quarter of Sunday’s 17-10 loss at Tennessee. Turner also missed the first five games of the season with knee issues that stemmed from an injury late in the 2021 season.

KUSA-Ch. 9’s Mike Klis first tweeted the news Tuesday afternoon.

Per source, RT Billy Turner is going on IR with knee injury. He’ll be out at least 4 weeks. Broncos have OT Cam Fleming (quad) and OL Tom Compton (back) who are close to returning. OT Quinn Bailey with one more PS elevation credit. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) November 15, 2022

Quinn Bailey filled in for Turner against the Titans. But Bailey is likely to return to a reserve or practice-squad role in the coming days. Cam Fleming is “day-to-day” with a quadriceps injury, but could be back in the lineup Sunday.

Tom Compton, an offseason signee, was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list Tuesday.

He landed there due to a back injury but on Oct. 26, the Broncos designated him for return from PUP. In the weeks since, Compton has worked his way back into shape.

Compton began practicing in London late last month.

“We think that he is going to be able to help us in the back end of the season,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said then. “We just need to not rush it too fast.”

BUT THAT WASN’T THE ONLY MOVE …

… as the Broncos waived WR Tyrie Cleveland to make room for DL Jonathan Harris on the 53-man roster, as first reported by Klis.

Source: Broncos have waived WR Tyrie Cleveland. DL Jonathan Harris is getting promoted from practice squad to 53. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) November 15, 2022

The Broncos activated Harris from the practice squad Sunday against Tennessee. It was his second practice-squad activation this season. (Three is the per-season, per-player limit.) Harris played extensively as the Broncos used Dre’Mont Jones as a stand-up edge rusher; he saw 24 snaps and finished with four total tackles and a QB hit.

As for Cleveland, his status as a special-teams ace wasn’t enough to keep him on the roster. Cleveland stuck on the team at the roster deadline ahead of second-year WR Seth Williams, largely because of his special-teams contributions.

“There’s no secret about we want Tyrie to be one of our core special teams players,” Broncos special-teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes said in August.

Cleveland played a career-high 50 snaps against the Titans on Sunday — 27 on offense, 23 on special teams. But his contributions as a wide receiver were minimal; he had 2 catches for 28 yards, all against the Houston Texans in Week 2.

With Kendall Hinton and Jalen Virgil outdoing Cleveland’s season-long yardage total in Sunday’s game alone — Hinton and Virgil combined for 128 receiving yards, more than Cleveland’s career total of 91 — and training-camp darling Brandon Johnson now on the practice squad, the 2020 seventh-round pick seemed redundant in the Broncos’ plans.

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