5 Broncos players on the roster bubble heading into preseason finale

4. Eyioma Uwazurike, defensive line

A little over a year ago, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was suspended for an entire year by the NFL for betting on games. The punishment certainly fit the crime with Uwazurike betting on multiple games he played in, but there were aspects of the punishment that the Broncos obviously didn’t agree with.

Namely, they didn’t think it was in the best interest of Uwazurike to completely ban him from the team for a full year. How are they supposed to help him as a human being get back on the right track when they can’t contact him?

Either way, Uwazurike was reinstated by the league a couple of weeks ago and the Broncos, who could have easily justified releasing him in July 2023, welcomed him back with open arms. And Uwazurike has looked good out there. The Broncos already fortified their defensive line with the additions of Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers earlier in the offseason, but getting Uwazurike back in the mix feels like another bonus.

As he continues to work his way back into game shape, the Broncos might have a little something here in the 2022 fourth-round pick, who was a projected starter last year before his unexpected suspension. 

He played 16 snaps against the Packers in his 2024 preseason debut and he was looking pretty fresh out there, knifing through the line on multiple occasions. Because he missed most of the offseason program, you have to think there’s at least a chance he doesn’t make the final 53. But the Broncos hung onto him this long for a reason.