Denver Broncos 16-player practice squad predictions

Predicting the Denver Broncos’ 16-player practice squad for 2020.

The Denver Broncos and all 31 other NFL squads will have expanded practice squads for the 2020 season.

The new NFL/NFLPA collective bargaining agreement already included plans for expanded practice squads (up from 10 players to 12 in 2020) but with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world so significantly, the league decided to increase practice squads to 16 players for the 2020 season.

For what it’s worth, we and probably a lot of NFL coaches and personnel people hope that number sticks.

The NFL’s special roster exceptions for the coronavirus are great even for a normal year, and hopefully, they’re adopted in the future. With that said, the Broncos had to cut their roster down from 80 players to 53 on Saturday, and a lot of guys are in limbo while they await their next marching orders in the NFL.

Because these players are going through such extensive testing at their respective facilities, it seems likely that the majority of each team’s practice squads will be comprised of players who were already previously on the roster.

There will almost assuredly be at least one new addition to the team, however, and certainly, the Denver Broncos will scour the waiver wire to find players who are worth developing.

This year’s practice squad has another new rule: Everyone is eligible.

It doesn’t matter if the player is a rookie who clears waivers or a vested veteran who is a street free agent — everyone is eligible. Teams can keep up to six players who are vested veterans on the practice squad, and four players can be protected from being ‘poached’ each week by other teams.

Let’s try to predict the Broncos’ practice squad on both sides of the ball.