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Tom Compton

Broncos Activate OL Tom Compton From PUP List, Place T Billy Turner On IR

November 15th, 2022 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ perpetually spinning right tackle carousel may soon have another starter in place. The team activated Tom Compton from the reserve/PUP list on Tuesday.

Signed to vie for the right tackle gig with Billy Turner and/or provide depth, Compton has been shut down since undergoing back surgery this summer. The Broncos designated Compton for return Oct. 26, giving them one more day to activate the veteran offensive lineman. Otherwise, Compton would have been ineligible to play this season.

In moving Compton onto the 53-man roster, the Broncos shuttled Turner to IR. While Nathaniel Hackett called Denver’s most recent right tackle starter week-to-week Monday, the veteran blocker’s latest knee injury was rumored to require a much longer absence. Turner will be out at least four games. While Compton could take over as Denver’s starter, it is not certain the veteran will be ready immediately upon return.

[RELATED: Week 11 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Denver gave Compton a one-year, $2.25MM deal to come over from San Francisco. They of 10 different right tackles to open the past 10 seasons, the Broncos had planned a Turner-Compton competition. Compton’s back procedure and Turner’s training camp knee injury scuttled that, leading Cameron Fleming to start the season there. Many changes to Denver’s front have occurred since that point.

Compton, 33, has experience at both guard and tackle. Most recently, he filled in well for the NFC championship-bound 2021 49ers. Following Mike McGlinchey‘s season-ending quadriceps injury, Compton took over and started San Francisco’s final 10 games. Pro Football Focus rated the veteran as one of last season’s top run blockers at any position, though his limited offseason market did not reflect that praise. The Broncos are Compton’s seventh NFL team; he has started for five of those, making 44 career starts.

Turner, 31, signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal to rejoin the Broncos (and Hackett, the Packers’ OC during each of Turner’s three Green Bay years) this offseason. After Turner’s injury Sunday, the Broncos moved inexperienced option Quinn Bailey to their right tackle post. The team has lost left tackle Garett Bolles for the season and has center Lloyd Cushenberry on IR. The combination of three second- and/or third-string options led to the Broncos allowing 18 quarterback hits against the Titans.

The Broncos also waived wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and signed defensive lineman Jonathan Harris to their active roster from the practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/22

October 26th, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Kelce, Chargers

October 18th, 2022 at 8:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already battling lat and shoulder issues while proceeding through a rocky navigation in Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense, Russell Wilson sustained a hamstring injury Monday night. The injury occurred during a fourth-quarter scramble, Wilson said. The Broncos are calling their quarterback day-to-day. But there is some concern about Wilson’s Week 7 availability, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com adding this may be a “fairly significant” injury (Twitter link).

Wilson has only missed three games in 10-plus seasons; each came because of his finger injury last year. He has experienced a worse-than-expected acclimation process in Hackett’s offense, which has generated more than 20 points just once this season. Playing through multiple injuries likely will not help matters, but given Wilson’s career path, that should be the expectation. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • The Chiefs held less than $1MM in cap space at this time last week. They are now close to $4MM. Kansas City got there by restructuring Travis Kelce‘s contract for the second time this year. The move created $3.46MM in space, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Chiefs made the move last week, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who notes the team did so to have some additional room for practice squad promotions (Twitter link). Kelce remains signed through 2025.
  • Dustin Hopkins became the hero in another low-scoring Broncos primetime game Monday, making four field goals despite hurting his hamstring early in the contest. Brandon Staley said his kicker suffered a hamstring strain and is expected to miss two to four weeks. Taylor Bertolet, the Chargers‘ practice squad kicking option, will step in for the veteran leg. Hopkins, whom the Chargers added after Washington surprisingly cut him during the 2021 season, also missed Week 5 due to a quadriceps injury.
  • Bolts backup running back Joshua Kelley will miss time as well. Staley said Kelley sustained an MCL sprain during Monday’s game. The Chargers have used Kelley as an Austin Ekeler backup since drafting him in the 2020 fourth round. Sony Michel will have the team’s RB2 gig to himself for the time being, as it would not surprise to see Kelley land on IR.
  • The Broncos extended their Week 1 right tackle revolving door to 10 seasons, opening the campaign with Cameron Fleming in that spot. The two players the team signed to vie for the gig — Billy Turner and Tom Compton — began the season injured. Turner has returned and moved into the lineup during Monday’s game, sending Fleming to left tackle and Calvin Anderson (Garett Bolles‘ initial replacement) to the bench. But Compton remains on Denver’s PUP list. The veteran lineman is unlikely to debut for the Broncos until after their Week 9 bye, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Compton, 33, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal. He worked as the 49ers’ starting right tackle for much of last season, replacing the injured Mike McGlinchey.
  • Monday’s game also produced yet another Broncos ACL tear. An awkward collision with a media member on the sideline led to backup linebacker Aaron Patrick suffering that severe knee injury. The Broncos announced Patrick’s setback. Tim Patrick, Javonte Williams, Ronald Darby and running back Damarea Crockett have also suffered ACL tears since training camp. Primarily a special-teamer, Aaron Patrick is in his second season with the team. He arrived as a UDFA out of Eastern Kentucky.

Broncos Release LB Joe Schobert, Place OL Tom Compton On PUP List

August 23rd, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Schobert did not last long as a Bronco. The veteran linebacker was part of Denver’s second wave of cuts, as the team made the necessary moves to reach Tuesday’s 80-man roster max.

The Broncos signed the former Browns, Jaguars and Steelers starter last week, after having brought him in for a visit earlier during training camp. After playing Schobert in their second preseason game, the Broncos moved on.

Denver did not devote many resources to its inside linebacker position this offseason, adding nontendered Philadelphia cog Alex Singleton. The team was preparing to use 2021 trade acquisition Jonas Griffith alongside Josey Jewell at linebacker, but Griffith’s dislocated elbow changed those plans. Griffith is expected to miss time to start the regular season, which led to the Schobert signing.

Schobert, 28, made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and landed a big-ticket Jaguars contract in 2020. The Jags moved on from the high-volume tackler last year, trading him to the Steelers. While Schobert became a Devin Bush replacement, starting 15 games after the early-season trade, little interest came his way this offseason. The Broncos, who also moved 2021 inside linebacker starter Baron Browning to the edge, should be expected to pursue other outside options at the position.

One of the Broncos’ options at right tackle, Tom Compton, will also not be on the team’s 53-man roster when the season starts. The team placed the veteran offensive lineman on its reserve/PUP list Tuesday, shelving him for at least four games. The Broncos also waived running back Stevie Scott and wide receiver Trey Quinn. Tackle Casey Tucker received a waived/injured designation.

Prior to Nathaniel Hackett reuniting with Billy Turner, the Broncos signed Compton to a one-year, $2.25MM deal. Both Turner and Compton began camp on the active/PUP list, but Turner began practicing last week. Compton, 33, underwent a summer back procedure, blunting his momentum after being a quality fill-in for 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey down the stretch last season. Turner, Calvin Anderson and Cameron Fleming are vying to be the Broncos’ latest right tackle starter. Whoever wins that competition will be Denver’s 10th Week 1 right tackle in 10 years.

Latest On 49ers’ Offensive Line Situation

June 4th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year saw the 49ers advance to their second NFC Championship game in the last three years, but the offensive line that took them there is set to look a bit different as San Francisco readies for the 2022 NFL season. The 49ers’ left guard for the last five seasons, Laken Tomlinson, is now a Jet, Tom Compton, who started seven regular season games and all three playoff games at right tackle for the team when Mike McGlinchey went down with an injury last year, is now in Denver, and last year’s starting center, Alex Mack, officially announced his retirement this week. 

San Francisco should be set at left tackle and right guard with 12-year veteran Trent Williams manning the blindside and Daniel Brunskill starting just right of center for the past two seasons. Though Compton, who played well in his time as an injury-replacement last year, is gone, the 49ers do return McGlinchey from injury to fill the right tackle spot. McGlinchey is heading into a contract year and will try to earn himself a solid second deal with his production this season. He’s been strong while run-blocking in his career, but started off with some struggles in pass-protection. McGlinchey was showing some improvement in his pass-pro before his injury last season, and the 49ers will likely give him a chance to show he can be the whole package.

With those three spots manned, the conversation now turns to left guard and center. The favorite to fill in at left guard is 2021 second-round draft pick Aaron Banks. Banks was slowed in his rookie-season by a preseason shoulder injury, leading to him appearing in nine games but only seeing five offensive snaps last season, getting most of his playing time on special teams. McGlinchey’s former-teammate at Notre Dame made tremendous progress throughout the season, though. Head coach Kyle Shanahan even said that Banks could have replaced Brunskill in the lineup late last season, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team held off on making that switch as they surged into the postseason with plenty of success, but with an opening at guard this year, it’s hard to imagine Banks not getting his opportunity.

At center, the options are much less clear-cut. With Mack gone, the only player on the roster with an NFL start at center is former undrafted free agent Jake Brendel, who started three games for the Dolphins in 2018. Brendel has been taking first-team snaps at center in practices, according to another article from Branch. General manager John Lynch claims that the team has “a lot of confidence in (Brendel’s) ability,” despite Brendel not being “a household name.” The 49ers also brought in their own undrafted rookie this year in Dohnovan West, who was Arizona State’s starting center all three years of his collegiate career.

Unless San Francisco plans to try some other rostered offensive line reserves at center this year, they may need to go to the free agent market. This would continue a trend that Lynch and the Niners have followed over the past few years of signing an impact free agent interior lineman in the weeks after the Draft. 2017 saw the addition of eventual starting right guard Brandon Fusco in early May, 2018 saw the addition of eventual starting right guard Michael Person in early May, and 2019 saw the addition of part-time starting center Ben Garland in late April.

Available free agent centers include NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, former Broncos and Panthers center Matt Paradis, former Bengals starting center Trey Hopkins, and former Texans lineman Nick Martin. Lynch may mean what he says and Brendel may be their man in the middle, but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 49ers act on some of the available experience out there on the market.

With three spots filled with experienced starters and two very real options to fill the other two spots, San Francisco is on their way to building their offensive line for next season. Whether the five lineman running with the first team now will be the Week 1 starters is yet to be seen, but Lynch and Shanahan are aware of their options and may not be done addressing the position group just yet.

Broncos Plan To Sign OL Tom Compton

March 16th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers’ Mike McGlinchey replacement last season, Tom Compton will head elsewhere after his run as a starter. The Broncos are planning to sign the veteran offensive lineman, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets.

It’s expected to be a one-year deal for Compton, who is going into his 10th NFL season. The Broncos will be Compton’s seventh team. He spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, starting 10 games. Minnesota, however, resided among the stops during Compton’s career. Broncos GM George Paton was with the Vikings at that point; Compton started 14 games for the Vikes in 2018.

McGlinchey suffering a torn quad in November brought Compton into the lineup at right tackle. He started San Francisco’s final seven regular-season games and each of the wild-card squad’s playoff tilts. Pro Football Focus reviewed his work well, giving him one of the top grades for right tackles last season. While Compton would be an atypical fix for a team needing a right tackle as badly as the Broncos do, he has started 44 games as a pro.

The Broncos’ issues staffing their right tackle spot predate their QB struggles. They have used a different Week 1 right tackle in each season since 2013. Their 2021 option, Bobby Massie, is not expected to return.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21

January 2nd, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
  • Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted: DB John Brannon

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

49ers Rework Tom Compton’s Deal

September 4th, 2020 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers and veteran offensive lineman Tom Compton agreed to a reworked deal to lower his base salary from $2.15MM to $1.05MM, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Compton still has the opportunity to cover the $1.1MM differential through bonuses and he appears locked in for a reserve roster spot. 

Compton joined the Niners in March, bringing him to his fifth team in five years. Following four years with Washington, the 31-year-old turned into one of the league’s most available journeymen. He’s played in at least eleven games with four different teams – the Falcons, Bears, Vikings and Jets – over the past four seasons.

At two of his previous career stops, however, Compton worked with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan. It’s a background he shares with fellow swing man and one-time Atlanta teammate Ben Garland.

A former sixth-round pick out of South Dakota, Compton has spent most of his career as a backup. His lone season as a full-time starter came with the 2018 Vikings, whose offensive line left much to be desired. Compton played 363 snaps last season with the Jets, starting five games for an embattled unit, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 67 overall guard.

49ers, OL Tom Compton Agree To Deal

March 19th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after the 49ers moved on from multiyear starting guard Mike Person, they agreed to terms with Tom Compton. The defending NFC champions will add Compton on a one-year, $3MM deal, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.

The 49ers will be Compton’s fifth team in five years. Following four years with the Redskins, the veteran offensive lineman has become one of the league’s most available journeymen. Compton, 30, has played in at least 11 games with different teams over the past four seasons — the Falcons, Bears, Vikings and Jets.

At two of his previous career stops, however, Compton worked with 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan. The ex-Washington and Atlanta OC may have designs on plugging him into Person’s role opposite Laken Tomlinson or placing him in a competition with another familiar blocker. The 49ers now have Compton and 31-year-old swing man Ben Garland in the fold; each has played for Shanahan in multiple cities. Garland and Compton were teammates with the ’16 Falcons as well.

A former sixth-round pick out of South Dakota, Compton has spent most of his career as a backup. His lone season as a full-time starter came with the 2018 Vikings, whose offensive line was not exactly a celebrated unit. Compton played 363 snaps last season with the Jets, starting five games for an embattled unit, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 67 overall guard.

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