Broncos: 53-man roster prediction with training camp on the horizon

Broncos roster prediction with training camp on the horizon.

The Denver Broncos and the rest of the NFL are going to have to adapt in a major way in 2020.

It has been discussed that teams would cut down to 80 players instead of 90 by the time training camp rolls around later in the month of July, which obviously affects hundreds of players around the league who have not yet had the chance to compete for roster spots.

The Broncos would obviously have a number of players affected substantially by early roster cuts, but they would also have a lot of players affected by a shortened preseason, which is happening.

How many great success stories would not exist if not for the preseason?

The NFL might have to get creative with ways to truly allow all of these players who could soon be out of a job to compete.

With just a few weeks before Denver Broncos training camp in 2020, how will the roster look? The Broncos are going to have to use a small amount of on-field work and possibly a lot of their gut feelings to determine which players will ultimately make the roster in 2020.

The last thing you want to do as an NFL team is let go of the next Phillip Lindsay or Shelby Harris — guys who benefitted greatly from training camp and preseason competition — and watch them go have success for another team when they were already on yours.

I think the NFL will ultimately lower the restrictions for practice squad roster call-ups this season, and I think the Broncos and other teams will be allowed an additional number of players on the practice squad in 2020. That’s not confirmed yet, but when all is said and done, I think NFL teams will have close to 70-75 players apiece with somewhere between 15-20 on the practice squad.

As of right now, the rule is for teams to have 53 active roster players with an allowance for up to 55 players if call-ups from the practice squad are necessary. Teams can currently have 53 active roster players and 12 practice squad players. Increasing that total number from 65 to 70 or 75 is going to be essential for NFL teams given the risks involved with playing through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is one more look at how I think the Broncos’ final roster could look with a shortened offseason and preseason in 2020.