The Denver Broncos have put two preseason games in the books and they have come with varying results.
Though wins and losses count for next to nothing in the preseason, the Broncos have been on both sides of lopsided results in two preseason games. Several things could be taken away from both the victory of the Dallas Cowboys and the defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos had to cut five players following the first preseason game and will have to part ways with five others before Tuesday’s deadline. After a 27-point loss in Buffalo, one would suggest that there are several candidates to be looking for work elsewhere.
The Broncos will still have to cut 27 other players before the regular season opens but all but the five they cut before Tuesday will be taken into the preseason finale on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.
That game will likely be reserved for the guys looking to win their position battle or for the players looking to fill out the back end of the roster.
These five guys could potentially be cut and miss out on the chance to play in that game.
Broncos potential roster cut: Casey Tucker, Offensive Lineman
The Broncos are still carrying 17 offensive linemen on the roster and could certainly look to trim one of those spots with these cuts.
Undrafted free agents Sebastian Gutierrez and Michael Niese could also see their names called in this spot but both of them are young and could continue to develop on the practice squad.
The well-traveled Casey Tucker definitely looks to be on the outside looking in when it comes to final roster cuts and he left the game against Buffalo with a foot injury, having to be carted off the field.
Broncos potential roster cut: Donnie Lewis, Cornerback
Another spot the Broncos are rather deep at is cornerback where there are currently 10 guys still at that position on the roster. Donnie Lewis is not the only one of them who should be in the conversation here, but he’s not going to make this team and could certainly go here.
The Broncos will use the last preseason game to decide on whether or not guys like Faion Hicks, Bless Austin, Essang Bassey and Ja’Quan McMillian will be part of the team or the practice squad though I firmly believe that Michael Ojemudia is not a lock to make the team.
You could swap one of those guys out for Lewis but Lewis has had a quiet summer with the team and is a logical selection to be cut from the roster at this point.
If he sticks around past this wave of cuts, Lewis is fighting for a spot on the practice squad at best but the team could easily value the likes of Hicks, Austin and McMillian over him for one of those spots as well.
It would not be at all surprising if Lewis is among the cuts on Tuesday.
Broncos potential roster cut: JaQuan Hardy, Running Back
The Broncos moved on from Max Borghi in the first round of cuts and could easily trim the running back position by one more spot this week.
Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon are going to be the bulk of the running game this season and we likely won’t see them in the preseason. That means that Mike Boone and one other running back will likely carry the ball in the preseason finale and all signs point to that other guy being Stevie Scott III.
The Broncos’ rushing attack has been putrid in two preseason games but Scott is getting more offensive snaps and carries than Hardy. Scott carried the ball five times for 13 yards against Buffalo while JaQuan Hardy had two carries for a loss of one yard on the day.
Boone has not looked great either and there are some who don’t feel he is a sure thing for the No. 3 spot on the roster, but his ability to chip in on special teams will make it tough for the team to replace him.
If the Broncos carry four running backs on the 53-man roster, it’s likely that the fourth guy is not currently on the roster and will be acquired via waivers when the rest of the league makes final cuts.
Broncos potential roster cut: Jonathan Harris, Defensive Lineman
Jonathan Harris is going into his fourth year with the Broncos but he’s always been a fringe roster guy/practice squad player and the team could definitely get rid of one of its nine defensive linemen as part of this wave of cuts.
If that is the decision, a process of elimination makes Harris an easy choice.
Dre’Mont Jones, D.J. Jones, DeShawn Williams and Eyioma Uwazurike are going to make the team. The other four defensive linemen are Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, Matt Henningsen and Marquiss Spencer.
Spencer and Henningsen still offer enough upside as younger players that the team can groom into future contributors. I don’t believe that Purcell and Agim both make the final roster but both deserve a longer look than Harris.
Broncos potential roster cut: Barrington Wade, Inside Linebacker
The inside linebacker position continues to be the team’s biggest issue and the one that continues to be the most frustrating to write about.
You could choose several players to put in this spot for the way the Buffalo Bills were able to just run the ball down the Broncos’ collective throat on Saturday, but Barrington Wade gets it here.
Wade had seven tackles in the game but he was way out of place on what seemed like every snap he was on the field, missed several tackles and just generally looked lost far too often.
Holy cow. Look at the line of scrimmage here. #9sports pic.twitter.com/nQBme1QMI5
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) August 21, 2022
You could replace Wade with the recently acquired Joe Schobert here because he looked terrible too, but at least he has the excuse that he is new to this defense. That could easily be a reason to cut him here, however, unless the team believes he can still be a good fit.
It has been talked about and talked about but the Broncos are going to have issues at inside linebacker. The injury to Jonas Griffith was a big blow and the depth at the position is just not there.