The Denver Broncos have concluded an undefeated preseason and will now work on trimming their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
The Broncos looked terrific during the preseason and though much of that came against backup players on both sides of the ball, there are plenty of positives to take away as the 2021 season quickly approaches.
The Broncos could not have asked for a better offseason under first-year general manager George Paton. The team had what many feel to be a solid draft and now, superstars Von Miller and Courtland Sutton appear to be 100 percent at just the right time.
The Broncos will move forward with Teddy Bridgewater as their starting quarterback, though the competition over that spot can certainly be questioned. Though that was the most important decision to make during the preseason, it wasn’t the only one.
These four roster decisions will likely be the most difficult the team still has to make.
Cam Fleming, OT
Will the Broncos be satisfied with Bobby Massie and Calvin Anderson to man the right tackle spot this season? It’s quite possible that they will be, and many analysts agree as most 53-man roster predictions out there have Cam Fleming on the outside looking in.
But it’s not an easy decision.
Massie missed time last season with a knee injury and if he were to go down, the inexperienced Anderson would come in. It would be nice to have the experienced Fleming in that situation.
However, Anderson has pushed Massie all summer and has made a strong case to be the starter himself. Many see Austin Schlottmann as being a better option as a rotational lineman for the Broncos than Fleming and give the roster spot to him as a result.
At this point, it seems Fleming’s days in Denver are numbered.
Kary Vincent, Jr., CB
It’s no secret that I have been on the Kary Vincent train since the team drafted him in the seventh round back in April, but I just see him as such a talented prospect that should be on the roster. However, injuries have limited him this summer and he could be out as a result.
If the Broncos do cut Vincent, another team with far less depth at the cornerback position will be a good bet to swoop in and claim him off of waivers, preventing the Broncos from stashing him on the practice squad.
If the Broncos keep six corners, it is almost certain that five of those will be Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller, Patrick Surtain, Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia. It seems that Nate Hairston is being favored for that last spot and Vincent would still have to be taken over the likes of Parnell Motley and Essang Bassey.
Vincent could be a trusted talent down the road, but the Broncos just don’t seem to have the room for him on this current roster.
Barrington Wade or Curtis Robinson?
Will the Broncos keep five inside linebackers? It may not be a bad move as it is still considered one of the weaker spots on the team.
Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell are the projected starters with untapped potential behind them in Justin Strnad and Baron Browning. But Browning has already experienced an injury this offseason and the Broncos could add good depth in either Curtis Robinson or Barrington Wade.
Both of those players have played well for the team this summer.
Robinson is an undrafted rookie out of Stanford and has put forth a great effort in training camp and preseason games this summer. Wade was claimed off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens and he seems to be a natural fit in Vic Fangio’s defense. Both players could grow into great contributors.
It’s just as likely the Broncos only keep four players at this position and use that extra spot for another position, but both Robinson and Wade would be candidates to receive spots on the team’s practice squad with a chance to later see some regular-season action.
Who makes the team at WR?
Wide receiver was the position that had the most competition this summer, but the Broncos have worked their way through most of that and seem to have a good plan in place behind the players we knew would make the team in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick.
But the big question at this position comes down to whether or not to keep Diontae Spencer around for his abilities as a kick returner. Behind him are some talented players who could contribute to the team.
Trinity Benson seems to have earned a spot on the team or at least he should have. Others looking to stick around are Tyrie Cleveland, Kendall Hinton and sixth-round pick Seth Williams. I would probably elect to keep all of those guys ahead of Spencer, but the consensus seems to be that the Broncos will keep Spencer and use him as a return man.
All of those other names would be looking at sticking around as members of the practice squad and all of them could work through this year for a chance to get into a regular-season game or, at the very least, be with the team next summer and have a chance to put together a strong camp and preseason, the way Benson has done.
It will be interesting to see what the Broncos do here.
For those wondering, Benson led the team this preseason with eight catches for 80 yards.