4:01pm: Sambrailo revealed today that he sustained a torn labrum, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
2:58pm: After battling with a shoulder injury for several weeks, offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo will be shut down for the season and will land on injured reserve, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said today (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post). Sambrailo, who began his rookie season as the team’s left tackle, will undergo surgery on the troublesome shoulder, per Kubiak.
While Sambrailo’s absence will hurt the Broncos’ offensive line depth, the group has managed to do a decent job keeping Peyton Manning upright since the rookie first went down. Over the last several weeks, Ryan Harris has slid over to the left side to protect Manning’s blind side, with Michael Schofield stepping into the starting lineup as Denver’s right tackle.
With Sambrailo heading to IR, the Broncos will open up a roster spot and could use that opening on an offensive lineman. Asked today if his club would pursue external help at left tackle, Kubiak said the Broncos are still considering their options (Twitter links via Renck).
Browns left tackle Joe Thomas would appear to be a logical trade target for Denver, but the Broncos aren’t considered one of the teams with interest in the Pro Bowler, according to Renck (via Twitter). It’s also not clear yet if Cleveland would seriously consider moving Thomas.