ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --With a cool light rain falling, the Broncos continued their week-long dress rehearsal of a regular-season week with a two-hour practice at the UCHealth Training Center on Wednesday.
NOTES:
... QB Trevor Siemian had "about 80 percent" of his normal workload as he continued recovering from the sore shoulder he incurred while attempting to make a tackle of San Francisco's Kyle Reid before he scored on an interception return to open the second quarter last Saturday.
"He looked good," Kubiak said. "I think he was a little sore coming out, but he worked through it. Hopefully he will be better [Thursday]. It looks like we're heading toward him being ready to go."
Siemian threw during the warmup and individual periods, and got some snaps in seven-on-seven and team periods. He was accurate, completing 10 consecutive passes during team and seven-on-seven work.
... The quarterbacks had the deep ball working well Wednesday. Paxton Lynch found Cody Latimer deep up the right sideline for a touchdown, then Mark Sanchez hit Emmanuel Sanders past John Tidwell up the left sideline for a score on the next play. Lynch and Sanchez had more deep passes to Sanders later in practice, with Lynch hitting the seven-year veteran up the left sideline and Sanders getting deep for an over-the-shoulder grab on a corner route.
... Lynch saw plenty of work with the scout team, but also saw first- and second-team repetitions. He completed all six of his passes with the No. 1 and No. 2 units.
... Dekoda Watson, Shane Ray and Von Miller all had good work in pass-rush situations, but the play of the day from the outside linebackers belonged to Shaquil Barrett, who anticipated Lynch's quick turn back to the left, held his ground in short coverage and made a leaping interception as Lynch tried to throw a pass to the left flat.
... CB Chris Harris Jr. had another interception, picking off Lynch during a period that saw the No. 1 defense facing the scout-team offense.
... Kubiak said he has not determined which quarterback would follow Siemian into Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. He said he expected to make that choice by the end of the week. Kubiak added he would like the first team to play "a little bit more than half the game," and have the No. 1 unit play through the start of the third quarter.
**
INJURY REPORT:**
... TEs Garrett Graham (shoulder) and Jeff Heuerman (hamstring) remained sideline. Both worked off to the side with a strength and conditioning coach before watching the rest of practice on the sideline.
Heuerman has now missed time with two hamstring injuries in the last three months. He missed nearly all of the team repetitions during OTAs because of a hamstring issue.
"I'm concerned because we're counting on him a great deal," Kubiak said, "but more so just with his ability to stay healthy and stay on the field, because last year he went through the [torn ACL] issues, and he's had hamstring issues throughout OTAs, and then he was on a pretty good roll there, and then here we go again.
"There's nothing we can do about it when it happens, but obviously we're counting on him. We're running out of time. He is doing better, but still he's probably a few days away from getting back. So we'll see."
... OL Darrion Weems remains in the league-mandated post-concussion protocol. If he can't play against the Rams, Michael Schofield is expected to start.
... OL Ty Sambrailo and WR Bennie Fowler both watched practice Wednesday as they recover from elbow injuries. Fowler is no longer wearing a brace on the elbow he fractured Aug. 11 at Chicago. Kubiak said Fowler was running up the hill on the west side of the UCHealth Training Center earlier Wednesday. "We're shooting for Carolina for Bennie," Kubiak said.
... OL James Ferentz will miss the next few weeks after undergoing a knee scope Monday, Kubiak said. "Two days out [from surgery], he looks good," Kubiak said.
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On a rainy Wednesday, the Broncos worked toward their preseason game against the Rams. (photos by Gabriel Christus)
PARTICIPATION REPORT:**
... OLB DeMarcus Ware worked extensively with the first unit during team periods in his second day back after missing training camp because of lingering back issues that also kept him out of offseason work.
... DE Derek Wolfe remained out to attend to a personal matter. The newest Bronco, Henry Melton, worked in his place on the first team.
... OLB Dekoda Watson was back after missing Tuesday's work because of a personal matter, and was explosive off the edge, with one rush that would have been a sack in game conditions.
... CB Aqib Talib returned to practice after being sick Tuesday. He will be on a play count Saturday, Kubiak said.
