As the preseason continues to roll along, which Denver Broncos players are currently tumbling down the (admittedly unofficial) depth chart?
As training camp and preseason games continue to roll along, the cream will continue to rise to the top for the Denver Broncos and other teams in regards to their depth chart. Rosters need to be trimmed to 85 players by Tuesday, and while there may be some obvious cut candidates all around the league, there are players who will continue to get opportunities to make their case for roster spots.
Although these players are certainly in danger of being cut in the coming weeks, which Denver Broncos players have been tumbling down the depth chart for one reason or another?
It’s important to note that the Denver Broncos’ current “depth chart” is unofficial, so we’re really going off how players have done this offseason as far as passing the eye test, how they did in the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, and how other players who may have previously been behind them on the depth chart have played.
Which players in Denver are falling towards the roster bubble rather than ascending toward a 53-man roster spot? Let’s look at five.
Denver Broncos players tumbling down the depth chart
1. Parnell Motley, CB
As the 2021 offseason progressed, it became increasingly apparent that spots on the Denver Broncos’ final 53-man roster at the cornerback position were going to be hard to come by.
Still, Parnell Motley had a decent shot at one of the six spots given the fact that the Denver Broncos brought him onto the active roster late last season and actively worked to get him some snaps in regular season games.
It was clear the team had an interest in his potential, and Motley did pretty solid in the opportunities he got down the stretch of the 2020 season.
So far in 2021, however, he has not exactly been seizing his opportunities.
Motley has routinely been on the back end of some of the biggest offensive highlights of Broncos training camp, getting beat deep down the field and not exactly staking his claim on a CB6 spot.
Based on the Denver Broncos’ first preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, it would be fair to assume that Nate Hairston has probably surpassed Motley as the team’s CB6.
Motley is listed as CB6 but if Essang Bassey is able to come back healthy, you could quickly see a handful of players including Hairston, Bassey, and newcomers Rojesterman Farris and Saivion Smith push Motley even further down the depth chart.
2. Diontae Spencer, WR/RS
Back in the 2019 offseason, the Denver Broncos were starved for a kick and punt returner that was, at the very least, competent.
Even just a couple of years removed, it’s easy to forget just how bad and unstable the Broncos were in the return game not too long ago, and Diontae Spencer was nothing short of a Godsend when he was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers at final cuts in 2019.
He has since proven his worth as a very good return man in the NFL and had his first punt return for a touchdown late last season against the Carolina Panthers.
With that being said, Spencer has been dealing with a knee injury lately and is seeing his spot on the roster potentially vaporize with the emergence of guys like Kendall Hinton and Trinity Benson.
Although the depth chart does not reflect this, Benson was the first man up on punt returns for the Denver Broncos against the Minnesota Vikings, which is no small detail from the game in general.
Not to mention, Benson finished with four receptions on four targets including two touchdowns in the red zone.
His debut in the preseason was outstanding, and with roster spots at receiver looking more and more precious by the day in Denver, Diontae Spencer is undoubtedly seeing his place among them take a huge tumble.
3. LeVante Bellamy, RB
LeVante Bellamy is hardly the only Denver Broncos player to experience a bit of a tumble at the running back position this year in terms of depth chart placement.
Royce Freeman went from being the team’s RB1 just a couple of years ago to now being on the roster bubble as RB4 when Mike Boone is healthy.
With that being said, nobody’s roster status took as much of a hit over the course of the 2021 offseason as LeVante Bellamy, a top undrafted free agent pickup for the Denver Broncos in 2020.
Bellamy got some regular season action in 2020, mostly on special teams, but his speed and burst obviously intrigued the Denver Broncos coming out of Western Michigan.
Even on the initial depth chart, Bellamy was listed at the very bottom behind Damarea Crockett, a name fans should be keeping an eye on as the preseason progresses.
Crockett could take the team’s RB4 spot and keep a Royce Freeman trade on the table despite the recent injury to Mike Boone.
There was obviously very little chance of this happening to begin with, but Bellamy’s chances of potentially being the number three running back on the roster in 2021 have all but disappeared. An injury against the Minnesota Vikings after an impressive kickoff return and barely any touches offensively certainly won’t help his case.
Bellamy, at this point, may be in danger of not even making the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.
4. Cam Fleming, OT
As training camp kicked off for the Denver Broncos, it appeared as though we were well on our way to a three-way competition for the right tackle position.
The Broncos may have lost Ja’Wuan James, a big-money free agent pickup in 2019, but they certainly moved quickly to bring in some reinforcements.
Bobby Massie, a veteran who played previously for the Chicago Bears, was signed to a one-year contract.
Shortly after Massie was signed, the team brought in Cam Fleming who had previously been a starter for teams like the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots.
As the Broncos approach roster crunch time, Fleming may find himself on the chopping block.
With Massie getting the first start of the preseason at right tackle and Calvin Anderson starting at left tackle in place of Garett Bolles, it seems like Fleming is very firmly the fourth tackle on the team behind Bolles, Massie, and young Calvin Anderson.
Fleming is still relatively inexpensive experience at a crucial position. It would not be surprising to see the Denver Broncos carry him onto the active roster, but they also seem to be pretty comfortable with their top three tackles and it will be interesting to see how confident they are in rookie free agent Drew Himmelman as training camp and preseason games continue to progress.
Quinn Bailey has also been a factor that Vic Fangio has mentioned multiple times.
Fleming has toppled down the depth chart from a possible starting right tackle option to a possible roster bubble guy.
5. Derrek Tuszka, EDGE
At most, the Denver Broncos will probably keep five edge rushers on their final 53-man roster. Players at the bottom of the depth chart right now have the chance to impress enough to the point that they might be able to sneak onto the practice squad.
The team’s initial depth chart revealed that rookie Jonathon Cooper has emerged as the favorite to be the fourth edge on the depth chart behind stars Von Miller and Bradley Chubb as well as top reserve Malik Reed.
The team’s depth off the edge was bad enough in 2020 that they signed Anthony Chickillo, who ended up playing far too many snaps for where his abilities are or were at.
Now, the Denver Broncos have at least some intriguing depth off the edge in the form of youth with potential. Not only is Jonathon Cooper a fascinating option, but the team has undrafted rookie Andre Mintze who made a lot of plays in his preseason debut.
Behind those guys, however, is 2020 seventh-round pick Derrek Tuszka. It was Tuszka’s lack of ideal physical development in 2020 that led to the signing of Chickillo.
Tuszka had a couple of really good reps in his first NFL preseason action, which was really some of his first on-field, full-speed action that we’ve seen in a non-special teams role.
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Entering the 2021 offseason, Tuszka sort of inherited the fourth edge spot on the depth chart, but he’s now fifth at best and maybe sixth behind both Cooper and Mintze.