Denver Broncos

Kubiak says Broncos will ease Shane Ray back from toe injury

Published May. 10, 2015 12:22 a.m. ET

foxsports

Gary Kubiak says the Broncos are in "kind of an evaluation period" with Shane Ray after the first-round pick had to sit out rookie minicamp with a toe injury.

"When he (Ray) comes back, yeah, we're expecting to put him to work right away," Kubiak told the team website. "We knew from the beginning that we were going to use this weekend for an evaluation process."

Ray won't be able to hit the practice field again until May 18, per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. League rules prohibit a rookie from weekday work until the end of their spring semester. At Missouri, that happens on May 15.

Ray will begrudgingly watch other rookies from the sidelines at Dove Valley until then. But the rookie pass rusher knows this maneuver is for the long-term.

"I understand it's definitely part of the process for me to be 100 percent, because that's the goal," Ray said. "Me as a competitor, of course I would like to be out there and competing and doing what I can, but this is something I have to be smart with and take the proper direction under the medical staff."

(h/t Denver Broncos)