Fringe roster players Broncos should find a way to keep

Brett Rypien, Quarterback

Brett Rypien has two ways of making the team, by beating out Josh Johnson for the No. 2 quarterback spot or by hanging on the practice squad.

Rypien has been with the Broncos for the past three seasons after going undrafted out of Boise State in 2019, but has spent the vast majority of that time on the practice squad. When he has been called upon, which hasn’t been often, he’s shown himself to be serviceable.

Johnson seems to be the favorite to land the backup job despite the fact he has had an insane number of stops in the league, playing for nearly half the teams. But the Broncos clearly want an experienced veteran behind Russell Wilson to help with scouting opponents and things of that nature.

Barring disater, the No. 2 quarterback will almost never see the field in Denver but Johnson’s experience gives him a big edge over Rypien. Still, Rypien should be kept on the practice squad because in today’s post-pandemic world, a team needs a minimum of three quarterbacks on the roster.

But waiving Rypien would make him available to all of the other 31 teams for at least 24 hours before the Broncos could get him back on the practice squad. There’s a decent chance one of those teams would take a flyer on him.