3 players on the initial Broncos 53-man roster who won't last the whole season

The Denver Broncos have some players on their 53-man roster who surely will not survive the entire 2024 season. The roster is far from perfect and does need at least one more year of moves before it can be looked at as being complete.

Many teams have added players at the NFL trade deadline for the stretch run, and Denver could be in the mix not only for a surprise 2024 season, but beyond that. The team could even trade a player or two at the deadline in their quest to continue the youth movement.

Let's look at three players on the initial Broncos roster who won't last the

3 players on the initial Broncos 53-man roster who won't last the whole season
Jarrett Stidham, QB

The Denver Broncos shockingly decided to keep both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson on the 53-man roster, and if we're being honest, while it may come as a shock, there are some benefits to keeping three QBs. Zach Wilson looked quite good this preseason, and Jarrett Stidham is a steady backup.

The way I see it is one of Wilson or Stidham is likely getting moved at the trade deadline to a team who is in need of another QB. We saw a ton of starting QBs miss time in the 2023 NFL Season, so the Broncos may be able to fetch a draft pick back for Stidham, who I think is more likely to be moved. Wilson is younger, actually more experienced, and has a higher ceiling.

The Broncos can also get some neat cap savings by moving Stidham. He's done his job for the Denver Broncos, but it's a youth movement, and the QB room of Bo Nix and Zach Wilson for years to come actually seems quite promising.

Lucas Krull, TE

Lucas Krull did not have a good offseason by any means but is somehow on the Broncos roster. However, the team did sign former LA Chargers tight end Donald Parham, who is someone the team could elevate to the active roster for gamedays. Parham is a much more established player than Krull, and Krull may be the "worst" TE in the Broncos room.

Parham has caught 67 receptions and 11 touchdown passes and is still 27 years old. He did have a career-high in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2023 for LA. I see a very likely scenario where Parham ends up pushing Krull off the roster. A tight end room eventually featuring Greg Dulcich, Adam Trautman, and Donald Parham is actually something the team could build with for the future.

Luke Wattenberg, C

I am still absolutely baffled that the Denver Broncos did not do more at center. The free agent center market was loaded, and a ton of starting-caliber centers got some modest deals. I was pounding the table for the team to bring in Connor Williams, a top-10 center who recently signed with the Broncos Week 1 opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.

With just one start under his belt, Luke Wattenberg is not going to have a great season in 2024 and will eventually be cut from the roster in favor of a trade deadline move or even one of the remaining free agent centers. I hope Wattenberg proves me wrong obviously, but I do not envision a great year.

Denver could potentially swing a trade deadline move for New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy, who Sean Payton drafted. They could also sign former Broncos center Connor McGovern. There are still some options out there to beef up this shaky position, and the team will end up addressing this unit in-season in 2024.