By Tuesday astatine 2 p.m., the Broncos indispensable person their roster chopped down from 80 to 53 players.
In our last 53-man projection, the roster includes 14 players who weren’t a subordinate of the enactment astatine the extremity of past year.
This prediction has 25 players apiece connected discourtesy and defense, and 3 specialists. It includes six of their 10 draught picks and 1 undrafted rookie.
Offense (25)
Quarterbacks (2)
In: Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock.
Out: Brett Rypien.
Analysis: Pretty wide chopped present if the Broncos opt to spell with 2 quarterbacks. Fangio tabbed Bridgewater connected Wednesday to beryllium his Week 1 starter and Lock arsenic the backup. Rypien is an perfect signifier squad campaigner if helium clears waivers.
Running backs (4)
In: Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon, Mike Boone and Royce Freeman
Out: Damarea Crockett, Stevie Smith, Adam Prentice (FB).
Analysis: Boone’s quad wounded could nonstop him to injured reserve aft the archetypal roster is set, which allows him to instrumentality aft a minimum of 3 weeks. Williams, the second-round rookie from North Carolina, has been arsenic advertised, a almighty and run-through-arm-tackles rusher who volition situation Gordon for playing clip and carries. Freeman is simply a invaluable peculiar teams subordinate and moving backmost who tin play connected 3rd down due to the fact that of his receiving and pass-protection abilities.
Tight ends (4)
In: Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam, Eric Saubert, Andrew Beck (TE/FB).
Out: Shaun Beyer and Austin Fort.
Analysis: Saubert has been a agleam spot due to the fact that helium knows however to usage his 253-pound framework arsenic an in-line blocker, tin besides endanger teams downfield (as shown by his 21-yard drawback against Seattle) and has earned praise for his peculiar teams play. Fant (leg) was expected to miss Saturday’s preseason finale and Okwuegbunam has had a comparatively quiescent campy coming disconnected past November’s ACL injury. Beck worked exclusively astatine choky extremity successful campy practices truthful helium could good tune his method astatine that position, but volition beryllium counted connected to besides play fullback and peculiar teams.
Receivers (6)
In: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer (KR/PR) and Trinity Benson.
Out: Tyrie Cleveland, Kendall Hinton, Seth Williams and De’Mornay Pierson-El.
Analysis: The lone alteration from precocious June is including Benson and removing Cleveland. Benson had 2 touchdown catches against Minnesota and Cleveland had nary catches successful the archetypal 2 games. Spencer provides capable worth arsenic a instrumentality specializer to stick. An absorbing subplot is Patrick, who fought genu and groin injuries during grooming campy and didn’t bash thing memorable erstwhile helium was healthy. Can helium crook it connected for the regular season? Overall, we disagree with the conception this is simply a loaded presumption group. Sutton is coming disconnected an ACL injury, Hamler hasn’t proven helium tin beryllium consistently disposable and the aforementioned Patrick has been nicked up.
Offensive linemen (9)
In: Garett Bolles (LT), Dalton Risner (LG), Lloyd Cushenberry (C), Graham Glasgow (RG), Bobby Massie (RT), Netane Muti (G), Austin Schlottmann (G/C), Quinn Meinerz (C/G) and Calvin Anderson (RT/LT).
Out: Cam Fleming (RT), Quinn Bailey (LT) and Adam Himmelman (LT).
Analysis: No changes from precocious June. The halfway contention ne'er started due to the fact that Cushenberry was that improved and Meinerz recovered the sledding that difficult, peculiarly arsenic a snapper. Massie has the wrong way astatine close tackle aft rotating connected a regular ground against Anderson, who has worth arsenic a plaything backup. We person Schlottmann connected the roster to beryllium the backup halfway alternatively of throwing Meinerz successful heavy waters oregon moving Glasgow from close defender to center.
Defense (25)
Defensive linemen (6)
In: Shelby Harris (DE), Mike Purcell (NT), Dre’Mont Jones (DE), Shamar Stephen (DL), DeShawn Williams (DE) and McTelvin Agim (DL).
Out: Jonathan Harris, Isaiah Mack and Marquiss Spencer.
Analysis: No changes from precocious June. Spencer, a seventh-round rookie, wasn’t capable to situation Agim for the sixth spot, partially due to the fact that of an ankle injury. Agim generated buzz aboriginal successful campy due to the fact that of his interception and batted-down passes, but his mid-August groin wounded was a roadworthy block. Williams (interception against Seattle) and Stephen are 2 invaluable rotational players.
Outside linebackers (4)
In: Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed and Jonathon Cooper.
Out: Derrek Tuszka and Andre Mintze.
Analysis: The Broncos kept 5 extracurricular linebackers to commencement past year. Cooper has been 1 of the surprises of campy (two sacks against Seattle) considering helium missed the full offseason programme pursuing a bosom procedure. Tuszka volition caput to the signifier squad.
Inside linebackers (5)
In: Josey Jewell, Alexander Johnson, Justin Strnad, Baron Browning and Curtis Robinson.
Out: Barrington Wade.
Analysis: Josh Watson was chopped past week, much of a motion to Robinson (or Wade) than Strnad oregon Browning, who were going to marque the squad anyway. Robinson makes the archetypal roster arsenic undrafted rookie. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however the Broncos utilize Strnad successful sub-package situations and if Browning provides versatility arsenic an borderline rusher.
Cornerbacks (6)
In: Pat Surtain II, Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia and Nate Hairston.
Physically incapable to execute list: Essang Bassey and Duke Dawson.
Out: Mac McCain III, Savion Smith, Parnell Motley and Kary Vincent.
Analysis: Bassey and Dawson are inactive rehabilitating ACL injuries and they volition get different six weeks if they are placed connected the physically incapable to execute list. If Ojemudia was healthy, we could spot the Broncos sticking with 5 corners, but helium sustained a hamstring wounded against Seattle and volition miss the opening of the regular season. He indispensable beryllium connected the archetypal 53-man roster to beryllium placed connected injured reserve-eligible to return. Don’t beryllium amazed if lone 5 corners are connected the archetypal database and Hairston is added aft clearing waivers. The apical 4 of Darby, Fuller, Surtain and Callahan is the champion quartet successful the league.
Safeties (4)
In: Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke.
Out: Trey Marshall and Jamar Johnson.
Analysis: Marshall was getting second-team reps until his ankle wounded portion covering a kickoff astatine Minnesota and helium hasn’t practiced since. If the Broncos similar his peculiar teams quality capable to enactment him connected the archetypal 53-man roster, helium could beryllium different injured reserve-eligible to instrumentality candidate. Sterns, a fifth-round rookie, has played good successful the preseason but missed 2 practices past week with a limb injury. Johnson, besides a fifth-round rookie, ne'er got retired of the blocks during camp.
Specialists (3)
In: Brandon McManus (K), Sam Martin (P) and Jacob Bobenmoyer (LS).
Analysis: McManus, Martin and Bobenmoyer went done grooming campy unchallenged.