Fangio: Broncos LB Joe Jones will 'definitely be out a few weeks'

Injuries are the unfortunate collateral effect of football. It's a violent game with sometimes brutal effects on the players' bodies.

The Denver Broncos went into Canton and beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game, garnering Vic Fangio his first NFL victory as a head coach, but it cost them.

Defensive lineman Billy Winn suffered a partially torn triceps and has already been placed on injured reserve. The Broncos' feared that linebacker Joe Jones suffered the exact same injury but as of right now, his prognosis, and thus his future, is up in the air.

When asked to give an update on Jones following the Broncos' Sunday practice, Fangio said, "Not yet. He’ll be out for a few weeks. That’s about all I can say for right now, but he’ll definitely be out for a few weeks.”

It's unclear whether a partially torn triceps is actually the injury Jones is dealing with, though it was originally reported by 9NEWS' Mike Klis as such. It's an unfortunate development because the Broncos were already short-handed at off-ball linebacker with Todd Davis going down with a calf injury on day one of camp.

However, the Broncos are excited about the potential of uncovering a gem in the linebackers corps. The Davis injury gave a guy like Joe Jones a longer look from the coaches, but with Jones being out at least a 'few weeks', the onus will fall even moreso on guys like Alexander Johnson, Keishawn Bierria, Josh Watson and Joe Dineen.

Justin Hollins will likely continue to see some reps at ILB. When the 6-foot-5 Hollins is out there at ILB next to the 6-foot-2 Johnson, they're length is a sight to behold in the middle of the Broncos' defense.

We can't completely rule out the possibility of the Broncos' looking for ILB help on the free-agent market. There are a few options out there, including a veteran named Mason Foster.

Next up for the Broncos is a preseason tilt vs. the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. Perhaps one of these young depth ILBs will step up and shine in-game and give the position a little more clarity.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google