After the Denver Broncos take on the Buffalo Bills for their second out of three preseason games, general manager George Paton and head coach Nathaniel Hackett are going to have to make some more difficult roster decisions. By early next week, the Broncos (and every other team in the NFL) will have to go from 85 players on the roster down to 80.
Competition for the opportunity to stay on the team for just one more week will be fierce. There are a handful of players around the roster who are sort of on the cusp right now of being potential practice squad guys and really needing a big game against the Bills to stick around.
Which players are fighting for their roster lives with cuts down to 80 looming? Who needs to come up with some big plays against the Bills the most? Let’s take a look at three players whose futures with the team could hang in the balance in Buffalo.
Denver Broncos player in focus: Donnie Lewis Jr., CB
Considering the fact that the Bills are planning on playing their starters for a while in this particular game, we might have to wait a bit to see someone like Donnie Lewis Jr. hit the field for the Denver Broncos. Lewis is a cornerback fighting for a practice squad spot at this point, though a couple of huge games in the preseason? You never know what could happen to his roster chances.
Lewis initially signed with the Denver Broncos after getting a minicamp tryout earlier in the offseason. A former undrafted player out of Tulane, Lewis had three tackles in the Broncos’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys but failed to really make a huge impression in coverage.
Lewis is facing incredibly long odds at the 53-man roster. In fact, I think at this point it’s pretty safe to say that’s not happening as of right now. As for the practice squad? He’s still got stiff competition. The Broncos’ top five corners as of right now are:
- Pat Surtain II
- Ronald Darby
- K’Waun Williams
- Michael Ojemudia
- Damarri Mathis
There might only be one other cornerback spot on the 53-man roster and it’s going to likely go to one of Essang Bassey or Faion Hicks. The Broncos also really like undrafted rookie Ja’Quan McMillian, one of the players they gave a big bonus to after the 2022 NFL Draft.
There will be multiple practice squad spots available to defensive backs and Lewis needs a big game against the Bills to prove he’s worthy of sticking around another week and taking one of them.
Denver Broncos player in focus no. 2: Dylan Parham, TE
Looking at this game from a bird’s eye view, we really need to see a lot more from the tight end position in general. We saw the Broncos get some usage out of Andrew Beck as a fullback in the first preseason game, which leads me to believe the depth chart showing Eric Saubert as the TE5 is possibly accurate at this point as to which guys are in and which guys are out, regardless of Saubert’s strong start to camp.
I don’t think Saubert is in danger of being part of this next wave of cuts, but undrafted rookie Dylan Parham very well could be. Parham hasn’t made much noise at all since signing with the team after the 2022 NFL Draft. The former NC State quarterback recruit and converted tight end is the very definition of a project at the position, and he might need more time than the Broncos have available at this point.
Looking at the tight end position, the Broncos are undoubtedly going to go into this season with Albert Okwuegbunam and Greg Dulcich, but who’s going to be behind those guys? At this point, it seems like it’s anyone’s guess.
If the team has a pretty prominent role for a fullback/tight end hybrid, then Andrew Beck is probably making the team. Based on the fact they guaranteed him a decent chunk of money, it also feels like Eric Tomlinson has a good shot at making it. He’s also one of the best blockers at the position in the league.
Eric Saubert had a great start to camp and has since cooled off a bit, at least in terms of the daily big reception updates. It looked like Saubert might be contending for TE1 duties with Dulcich on the mend and Albert Okwuegbunam not making a ton of noise, but that’s fizzled out.
At this point, I’m not so sure the Broncos won’t try to upgrade at the tight end position a little bit. Maybe they use a practice squad spot on someone like Saubert, and maybe they use a second practice squad spot on a veteran free agent like Jimmy Graham or Eric Ebron, maybe they even scour for some trade options here with Okwuegbunam still showing some signs of struggle in the preseason.
A young player like Parham would need a massive game against the Bills to make a case even at one of the 16 available practice squad spots.
Denver Broncos player in focus no. 3: Trey Quinn, WR
The cream is rising to the top for the Denver Broncos at the wide receiver position lately. We know the top three at the position:
- Courtland Sutton
- Jerry Jeudy
- KJ Hamler
At this point, we also know that fifth-round pick Montrell Washington is making the final 53-man roster. Who is making it beyond the top four right now? Well, it would be a huge upset at this point if Kendall Hinton wasn’t on the final roster. The fact that Russell Wilson will almost unquestionably have a say in who is kept at receiver, it’s hard to see Hinton going anywhere.
That’s five spots occupied.
It’s becoming clearer and clearer by the day that rookie free agent Brandon Johnson is also more than likely going to make the roster. the Broncos aren’t screwing around every day by having him out there with the top offensive unit just because he’s a good story. He’s factoring into the plans and the team is ensuring that he gets reps with Russell Wilson when players like KJ Hamler can’t practice.
The fact that he’s been out there even over Kendall Hinton makes you wonder.
That’s six spots.
The question now becomes, do the Broncos keep a seventh?
Selfishly, I am hoping they do. As of right now, there are two very clear favorites for a seventh spot if the Broncos do end up keeping that many, which would be slightly abnormal for what is league average. The two favorites after the first preseason game have to be Jalen Virgil and Seth Williams, two guys with size, speed, and playmaking ability.
Top 5 Broncos players to watch against Bills in preseason Week 2
The Denver Broncos are heading to Buffalo this weekend to take on the Bills. Which players will be in focus for the Broncos in week two of the preseason?
A player like Trey Quinn is really facing a brutal situation right now, especially after the first preseason game in which the balls that were thrown his way were either off-target or not caught. He was targeted four times and came down with just one pass for two yards. Quinn will need a big game against the Bills if he’s going to make a case for a practice squad spot at this point.