Broncos DE Walker placed on injured reserve, sign TE Garner

Four days after being carted off the practice field at UCHealth Training Center, Denver Broncos defensive end Vance Walker has been placed on injured reserve.

Walker came up injured during a drill early in practice Monday and was carted off the field and eventually moved out of the facility for further evaluation. Tests indicated the eight-year veteran suffered a torn right ACL.

With 32 starts under his belt, Walker had been slotted in to replace last year’s starting defensive end Malik Jackson, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the offseason.

Fifth-year defensive end Jared Crick will be the next man up to fill the void left by Walker, but the role will likely be addressed with a rotation of players.

Corresponding with the move, Denver signed free agent tight end Manasseh Garner, who had inked a futures contract in January before being released late last month.

Garner adds depth to the position group, which saw second-year tight end Jeff Heuerman tweak a hamstring this week.