Denver’s depth at guard took a hit as Nick Gargiulo was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending injury, leaving the Broncos with veteran backups Calvin Throckmorton and Will Sherman now tasked with larger roles in the interior. Denver immediately pivoted to the free-agent market, signing Adam Prentice at fullback as Michael Burton deals with a hamstring issue and Nate Adkins is sidelined by an ankle procedure. Prentice, a CSU alum with long ties to Payton and Paton, provides a seasoned blocker and special-teams option to stabilize run- and pass-blocking schemes while the rookie Gargiulo recovers. The club is balancing a tightened depth chart as it prepares for the season, with Prieskorn taking some FB looks in run plays as Prentice arrives to reinforce the position.