The Denver Broncos are set to hold a mandatory minicamp this week before a summer break. Next month, players will then report back to the facility for the start of training camp in late July.
Ahead of that summer break, here is our way-too-early 53-man roster prediction for the Broncos. Denver will have to trim the 90-man offseason roster down to 53 players by Aug. 29.
Broncos general manager George Paton and new head coach Sean Payton will have to make several tough decisions, particularly at wide receiver, cornerback and safety. Today, we’re playing GM and making those decisions for them.
Do you agree with this prediction?
Quarterback: 2
QB: Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham
Cut: Ben DiNucci (practice squad), Jarrett Guarantano
Wilson returns and Stidham will serve as his backup. The winner of the QB3 battle between DiNucci and Guarantano will likely land on the practice squad.
Running back: 4
RB: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Tony Jones, Tyler Badie
Cut: Jaleel McLaughlin (practice squad)
Denver might choose to only carry three running backs on the active roster, but with Williams working his way back from a knee injury, four would make sense. McLaughlin is the odd man out for now, but he would undoubtedly be a top candidate for the practice squad.
Tight end/fullback: 4
TE: Greg Dulcich, Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Michael Burton (FB)
Cut: Albert Okwuegbunam, Tommy Hudson (practice squad), Nate Adkins (practice squad)
It would be tough to part ways with “Albert O,” but roster spots are tight and Manhertz is a much better blocking option.
Wide receiver: 6
WR: Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton
WR: Marvin Mims, Jalen Virgil, Marquez CallawayCut: Kendall Hinton (practice squad), Brandon Johnson (practice squad), KJ Hamler, Montrell Washington, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Taylor Grimes, Nick Williams
The Broncos are going to have to make some really hard decisions to make at wide receiver. Hinton is understandably a fan favorite and Johnson showed flashes of potential last year, but it’s hard to imagine Denver carrying more than six receivers on the active roster. Trading away a WR or two would make cuts easier.
Offensive line: 9
LT: Garett Bolles, Cam Fleming
IOL: Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Alex Forsyth
IOL: Quinn Meinerz, Luke Wattenberg
RT: Mike McGlinchey, Quinn BaileyCut: Kyle Fuller (practice squad), Isaiah Prince (practice squad), Christian DiLauro, Alex Palczewski (practice squad), Demontrey Jacobs, Will Sherman, Henry Byrd
Prince could be a darkhorse to watch as a backup swing tackle this offseason, but we’re giving Bailey the edge for now. Fuller will also have a real chance to win a spot as a backup swing guard/center. Forsyth and Wattenberg will aim to fend him off this summer.
Defensive line: 6
DE: Zach Allen, Tyler Lancaster
NT: D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell
DE: Matt Henningsen, Eyioma UwazurikeCut: Jonathan Harris (practice squad), PJ Mustipher (practice squad), Elijah Garcia, Jordan Jackson, Haggai Ndubuisi
Harris would be a tough cut, but Uwazurike is a former fourth-round pick and Lancaster has 21 starts on his resume. One potential surprise cut this summer could be Purcell. Denver would save $3.5 million in salary cap space if they part ways with the veteran defensive lineman. Given the team’s depth at the positon, though, we have Purcell on the 53-man roster.
Outside linebacker: 6
OLB: Randy Gregory, Baron Browning, Frank Clark
OLB: Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Christopher AllenCut: Aaron Patrick (practice squad), Marcus Haynes, Thomas Incoom
Six OLBs might be unrealistic, but it’s easy to imagine Allen impressing this summer and making the team. Patrick was a key special teams player before he tore his ACL last year, so he’ll have a real shot to make the team again this year if he fully recovers.
Inside linebacker: 4
ILB: Alex Singleton, Jonas Griffith
ILB: Josey Jewell, Drew SandersCut: Justin Strnad (practice squad), Seth Benson, Ray Wilborn
No surprises here as the team’s top-four ILBs are easy to identify.
Cornerback: 5
CB: Pat Surtain, Damarri Mathis
CB: K’Waun Williams, Riley Moss, Tremon SmithCut: Essang Bassey, Art Green (practice squad), Ja’Quan McMillian (practice squad), Faion Hicks, Delonte Hood, Devon Key
It wouldn’t be surprising to see any of Bassey, Green or McMillian end up on the 53-man roster, but we’re running out of spots and have to make some tough cuts.
Safety: 5
S: Justin Simmons, Caden Sterns
S: Kareem Jackson, P.J. Locke, JL SkinnerCut: Delarrin Turner-Yell (practice squad)
It would be hard to cut Turner-Yell. Two possible ways to avoid that would be by trading away a safety or by having Skinner (pectoral) spend his rookie season on reserve.
Special teams: 2
K:
P: Riley Dixon
LS: Mitchell Fraboni
Cut: Elliott Fry
We’re cheating here by not including a kicker, but it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that Denver’s initial 53-man roster won’t include a kicker. If the Broncos decide to cut Fry when they set the initial roster, the team could then claim a kicker off waivers from another team, perhaps making room for that kicker by placing another player on injured reserve.
Because players have to be on the initial 53-man roster to be eligible to return from IR during the season, there are always a few roster adjustments in the days following the initial roster announcement. Long story short — Fry doesn’t make the squad in this 53-man roster prediction.
