DENVER — The Denver Broncos completed a feel-good preseason Sunday with a 38-12 victory against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos finished 3-0 during their exhibition schedule and saw buzz build around rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who was named the team’s starter last week.
The work to this point guarantees nothing, of course. The real thing begins Sept. 8 with the regular-season opener in Seattle.
But the good vibes won’t last much longer for the roughly three dozen players who will be cut before Tuesday’s 2 p.m. MT deadline. Even players who make the initial roster may have to keep sweating. The Broncos could explore waiver-wire additions at multiple positions, coach Sean Payton said after Sunday’s game.
“It’s never easy, this process,” Payton said. ” … Part of it is managing the roster. I think we have a good handle on it.”
Let’s jump right into our final 53-man projection of the season, which features a handful of shakeups on the defensive side of the ball:
Quarterback (3)
Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson
Payton said Friday there wasn’t much that could happen in the preseason finale that would change the equation at quarterback. It still didn’t hurt to see Wilson complete 16-of-25 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It wasn’t a perfect performance. Wilson was sacked four times by Arizona’s second- and third-team defenses. Wilson’s big arm, though, has continued to merge with a better understanding of Denver’s offense, and the results have been encouraging to Payton and his staff.
🎯🎯🎯
Zach Wilson ➡️ @_bj7_ for SIX!
đź“ş: CBS pic.twitter.com/rV9VJaJwSz
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 25, 2024
“He’s got a live arm down the field,” Payton said of Wilson. “He threw it away when it wasn’t there. There were a couple sacks, but overall he moved the ball. You’re trying to measure how the offense is doing when he’s in there. There was plenty of time on the play clock. He’s had (strong performances) the better part of two-and-half weeks. You guys have seen his practices.”
Perhaps there will be a trade offer for Stidham or Wilson that is too good for the Broncos to pass up, but barring a development like that, all three will be on the roster when the Sept. 8 opener arrives.
“I think I’ve told you before, I see all three (quarterbacks) making it,” Payton said.
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Running back (3)
Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estimé
Samaje Perine did not play in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. The Broncos didn’t exactly need another data point in the evaluation of the eighth-year veteran, but could his absence be viewed as the Broncos guarding against an injury to a player who could be released or traded ahead of Tuesday’s roster deadline? Perine was one of the engines behind Denver’s two-minute offense last season, a key figure in victories against the Bills and the Vikings during a five-game winning streak. But McLaughlin could take on a larger role of that two-minute work this season and the Broncos drafted Estimé in the fifth round. They have been pleased with the rookie’s progress after he missed the offseason program with a knee injury. Ultimately, I don’t see the Broncos keeping four running backs and fullback Michael Burton, and that makes Perine the odd man out.
Fullback (1)
Michael Burton
An alternative to keeping Burton would be pushing tight end Nate Adkins into more of a fullback role. Doing so could theoretically help the Broncos keep four running backs. But the Broncos are leaning into special teams as a strength after making a big leap in that phase last season. That makes it hard to square losing Burton, a core player for special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica.
Wide receiver (6)
Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin
Lil’Jordan Humphrey played in all 17 games for the Broncos but wasn’t on the team’s initial 53-man roster. The same scenario could play out again this season, with the Broncos cutting Humphrey — he would immediately become a free agent — and then signing him back to the practice squad. From there, Humphrey could be elevated on game days as the Broncos potentially let Franklin learn behind the scenes. The six initial roster spots at this position, though, appear set. Any worry about Vele after the rookie missed last week’s game against the Packers with an undisclosed injury went out the window Sunday when he hauled in a big third-down pass from Stidham on Denver’s first offensive possession.
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Tight end (4)
Greg Dulcich, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins
Even though I have the Broncos keeping Burton, I think they’ll ultimately also find room for Adkins, who caught a touchdown in the second quarter Sunday. The second-year player got extensive work in camp lining up in multiple spots, and he is a fixture on multiple special teams units. Adkins made the Broncos’ opening roster as an undrafted rookie last season and only seems more involved in the offense now.
Offensive line (8)
Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Forsyth, Alex Palczewski, Matt Peart
This is probably the most difficult group on the roster to piece together. Somewhat surprisingly, Forsyth was behind veteran Sam Mustipher at center Sunday, but Payton lauded Forsyth’s versatility as someone who can play both center and guard throughout training camp. So one way to look at it is that Forsyth may provide in one player what you could get in two with Mustipher (center) and Calvin Throckmorton (guard). Peart is probably viewed as the top offensive tackle reserve given his previous NFL experience. Palczewski played both guard and tackle in the preseason, which could also give him an edge in pursuing a roster spot.
The bottom line is this could be a fluid position after roster cuts are made. The Broncos will certainly evaluate the crop of offensive linemen who are let go by other teams.
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Defensive line (5)
Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, Angelo Blackson
There are several candidates here if the Broncos keep a sixth defensive lineman, including Eyioma Uwazurike, the 2022 fourth-round pick who returned this month after serving a one-year suspension related to NFL gambling policy violations and played significant snaps Sunday. Matt Henningsen was in that same 2022 draft class for the Broncos and has played in each of Denver’s 34 games the past two seasons. Jordan Jackson, a former Air Force standout, had two sacks in Sunday’s preseason finale and saw his second-team work increase as camp progressed. There are tough decisions to be made here, but the Broncos feel good about the top five in this room and may decide they need to use the extra spot elsewhere.
Inside linebacker (4)
Alex Singleton, Cody Barton, Justin Strnad, Levelle Bailey
It was notable that Strnad started ahead of Jonas Griffith in Sunday’s finale. Cody Barton appears to have won the starting job next to Alex Singleton. Strnad was re-signed to a one-year deal this spring because he’s a fixture on special teams, but he was also higher on the linebacker depth chart Sunday than Griffith, and he forced a fumble with a big hit in the red zone. So the final spot in this room, if the Broncos only keep four, could come down to Griffith and undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey. In a battle that close, a 94-yard pick-six, like Bailey had in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, goes a long way. Payton also noted after Sunday’s game that players at the end of this position battle must continue to be more “instinctual,” so keep this group in mind as a potential landing spot for a claimed outside player.
The Broncos were HYPED for undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey after his 94-yard pick-6!
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— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 25, 2024
Outside linebacker (5)
Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman
There are a few candidates if the Broncos decide to keep a fifth edge rusher, including Thomas Incoom and Durell Nchami, who played well in camp but left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. Tillman, who helped lead the Birmingham Stallions to USFL championships each of the past two seasons before signing with the Broncos in June, has been the most consistent bubble player during the preseason. At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, he provides good size against the run, but he’s also swift as a pass rusher, evidenced by his extended pursuit of Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune on Sunday that led to a sack. He also knocked down two passes at the line of scrimmage Sunday and forced a fumble in the preseason opener against the Colts.
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Cornerback (6)
Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Levi Wallace, Kris Abrams-Draine, Damarri Mathis
Mathis suffered a right ankle injury on the first possession of Sunday’s game and had to be carted off the field, but Payton said afterward the injury wasn’t expected to be serious. If that’s the case, I think Mathis will be on the roster. The big question I have here is whether the Broncos keep a seventh corner. Tremon Smith was a special teams mainstay last year, but the Broncos could save $2.5 million by releasing him. Reese Taylor has played a lot of nickel the past couple of weeks and could be viewed as a necessary backup to Ja’Quan McMillian.
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Safety (5)
Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, Devon Key, JL Skinner, Keidron Smith
Keidron Smith had a takeaway in each of Denver’s three preseason games, including a fumble recovery in the second quarter Sunday. He also applied pressure on a third-down pass play in the third quarter forcing the Cardinals to settle for a field goal. Given that Jones has dealt with a hamstring injury for the past month and didn’t play in the preseason, it could make sense for the Broncos to carry an extra player at this spot early in the season.
Specialists (3)
Wil Lutz (kicker), Trenton Gill (punter), Mitchell Fraboni (long snapper)
Give me the bigger leg. It was a close competition throughout camp between Gill and incumbent Riley Dixon, but Gill’s 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game gave him the edge — at least on my scorecard.
(Photo of Zach Wilson: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
