After the Denver Broncos' loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the team wasted no time getting to work on building the offseason roster.
The Broncos made a handful of reserve/futures signings, which are contracts signed with players who won't "officially" be part of the roster until the new league year starts in March. But technically, many of the reserve/futures signings have already been part of the team and aren't hanging in limbo at all.
The team announced a flurry of signings, all of which were players previously on the practice squad.
Broncos bring back TE Caleb Lohner among flurry of reserve/futures contract signings
The players the Broncos signed to reserve/futures contracts are:
- TE Caleb Lohner
- RB Deuce Vaughn
- RB Cody Schrader
- OL Calvin Throckmorton
- DL Jordan Miller
- LB Levelle Bailey
All of the names on this list are recognizable for Broncos fans, at least to a degree.
Caleb Lohner might be the most notable name on the list, because he was a 7th-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft who played basketball in college before giving football a shot. And he's been marinating all year on the practice squad, so everyone is going to be eager to see how much progress he's made the next time he takes the field.
Linebacker Levelle Bailey spent the entire year on the practice squad after taking some reps with the starting defense during camp when the Broncos were dealing with a rush of injuries, so it's clear the team has belief in his long-term projection.
The running back moves are fascinating, too. The Broncos added both Deuce Vaughn and Cody Schrader after they were let go from other teams during the season, so those two players are guys the scouts have had their eyes on. And with obvious question marks about the running back position moving forward, perhaps those two guys can show something during the offseason program to steal a roster spot.
The longest-tenured player on the list is offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, who was called up briefly this past season when the Broncos were dealing with injuries on the interior offensive line.
Jordan Miller had a great finish to the preseason for the Broncos on the defensive line and is someone they've been excited about since signing him as an undrafted free agent back in 2024. If the Broncos let some players walk in free agency, perhaps Miller would get a shot to crack next year's rotation.
Ultimately, there will be a lot more of these moves made as the Broncos work on assembling their 90-man roster. They currently have just 42 players under contract for 2026, but these six players will bring that number up to 48, until the next flurry of moves is made.