Su'a

Cravens

We haven’t heard much about Cravens since was waived by the Broncos at final cuts last season. Although he’s still only 24, Cravens has made just five appearances since his promising rookie season in 2016.

The 2016 second-round pick of the Redskins came out of his brief retirement last year and was dealt to the Broncos. He played just 117 defensive snaps for last year’s club and seemed to be on the outside looking in at a spot all this summer. New coach Vic Fangio said Cravens had to make the team as a safety, not as a hybrid linebacker. Cravens is still just 24 years old.

He’s expected to make his Broncos debut this week against the Texans. The Broncos will hope Cravens can help their leaky run defense and provide some athleticism at the second and third levels after the offseason trade.

The expected move gives Cravens a shot at being activated when first eligible in Week 9. Although Cravens has played just 294 career snaps, he would be a boost for the second and third levels of the Broncos’ defense, which have been getting gutted.

Cravens was placed on injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery ahead of Week 1. He is eligible to start practicing next week and return to the field Week 9 against the Texans. It looks like he is on track to hit both of those marks.

He remains in the league’s concussion protocol but is obviously making progress. It’s quite possible he’ll be cleared in time to play Sunday against Detroit. The second-round rookie hasn’t seen the field since Week 4.

The second-round rookie went down in Week 4, and missed Sunday’s win over the Ravens. Visiting a specialist is obviously concerning, but is oftentimes just due diligence. Either way, Cravens should be considered less than 50-50 to return for Week 6.

The second-round hybrid Cravens has played 93 snaps this season, registering a pick and 14 tackles. He’s been an asset. Both players are week to week.

He’s questionable to return. Cravens will be placed in the concussion protocol if he doesn’t pass baseline tests.

Cravens reportedly visited a specialist on Tuesday. “Due to my concussion, my eyes have lost the memory to keep track of moving objects, so I have to wear these for the rest of my life,” Cravens posted on social media. “Thanks, concussions,” was his sarcastic sign-off. It’s a scary development. Cravens seems likely to miss Week 6, and quite possibly beyond.