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Denver Broncos: Team may try to stash some of its talented rookie class

By Sayre Bedinger

ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 02: Troy Fumagalli #81 of the Wisconsin Badgers makes a one handed catch against Asantay Brown #6 of the Western Michigan Broncos in the first half at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 02: Troy Fumagalli #81 of the Wisconsin Badgers makes a one handed catch against Asantay Brown #6 of the Western Michigan Broncos in the first half at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 02: Troy Fumagalli #81 of the Wisconsin Badgers makes a one handed catch against Asantay Brown #6 of the Western Michigan Broncos in the first half at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 02: Troy Fumagalli #81 of the Wisconsin Badgers makes a one handed catch against Asantay Brown #6 of the Western Michigan Broncos in the first half at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

The Denver Broncos had an excellent 2018 NFL Draft class, and the team may attempt to stash some of those rookies and others after the preseason.

The Denver Broncos have a tight competition going for their 53 roster spots.

That competition got even tighter after the team signed veteran cornerback Pacman Jones to a one-year contract, as Jones is unquestionably making the final roster barring injury.

Because of the way the roster is constructed, not everyone is going to make the 53-man roster immediately, and that’s okay.

The Broncos, like every team in the NFL, are going to try and stash players they think can contribute or develop on the practice squad, and some will be stashed on injured reserve as well.

Which players might the Broncos try and stash?

Let’s take a look at some of their talented rookie class and the players that either need time to heal up or continue to develop.

Troy Fumagalli, TE

Admittedly, I’ve personally been holding out hope the Broncos would find a way to get Fumagalli on the field prior to the start of the season, but he has not participated in training camp at all and appears destined for the PUP or injured reserve.

Because there’s a chance the Broncos might want to bring him into the fold at some point in the regular season, it would seem like the PUP makes the most sense, provided he’s eligible for that. The NFL’s rules on whether or not players are eligible for the PUP seem to be tied to the player’s involvement in training camp practices, and I don’t recall Fumagalli taking part in any.

Fumagalli impressed the Broncos obviously in his college career, but he also got a chance to work with the Broncos’ coaching staff at the Senior Bowl where he made some plays and made big strides ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Fumagalli has soft hands and is physical in the running game, but he hasn’t been able to get fully healthy. Perhaps the Broncos are taking it easy with him as a way to salvage a roster spot at the start of the season

If Fumagalli has eligibility for the PUP, he would be required to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season. After that point, the Broncos would have a window of time to either activate him or place him on injured reserve.

If he goes on IR, he is not eligible to return until after week eight, and he would have to be on the final 53-man roster before going on IR.

If the Broncos place Fumagalli on IR before their initial 53-man roster is released, he has to stay on IR all season.

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