5 Players Who Might Find Themselves on Denver Broncos' Practice Squad in 2015
The Denver Broncos have a talented roster with some young developmental players worth keeping an eye on. This is what the practice squad was created for.
Each NFL team can keep up to 10 members on the practice squad in addition to their full 53-man roster during the regular season. The practice squad consists of mostly rookies and young veterans who were undrafted or late-round picks.
Practice squad players are technically free agents, and they can be poached from a team’s roster at any time. Several stars in NFL history have started out as practice squad players, so finding the best players for these spots is incredibly important.
Here are five players who might find themselves on the Broncos’ practice squad in 2015.
TE/FB Joe Don Duncan
1 of 5
An incredibly athletic tight end from Dixie State, Joe Don Duncan is working as a fullback for the Broncos.
Duncan has looked good as a receiver out of the backfield at minicamp and OTAs. The pads aren’t on yet, so his work as a lead blocker is a bit of an unknown. He is stoutly built, and Duncan showed an aggressive mindset on film in college.
When the pads come on in training camp, Duncan will be able to showcase what kind of blocker he could be. At that time, we’ll be able to have a better feel for his chances of making the final roster—or the practice squad.
The fullback position is going to be an integral part of the Broncos offense this year under new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Duncan may get beat out by James Casey for the starting fullback job, but he’s intriguing enough to keep around as a developmental prospect.
WR Jordan Taylor
2 of 5
A standout rookie this offseason has been undrafted free agent Jordan Taylor from Rice.
He immediately stands out on the practice field because of his size. Taylor measures in at 6’5”, 210 pounds, and he towers over smaller defensive backs trying to cover him. He lacks instant quickness or burst off the line of scrimmage, but Taylor is a long-strider when he runs and can eat up chunks of yards in a hurry.
Taylor does a good job of getting on top of the defense with his buildup speed. He can also track passes over his shoulder accurately, and this makes him a good target for downfield routes. His size, wingspan and leaping ability also make him a player who should be targeted in the red zone.
The Broncos have a jam-packed group of talented wide receivers, so for Taylor to make the final roster it would take a herculean effort in training camp (and maybe some injuries). He’s talented, but the Broncos should be able to sneak him through to the practice squad for his rookie season.
TE Marcel Jensen
3 of 5
The Gary Kubiak offense regularly features the tight end, and the Broncos want a stockpile of talent at the position. After rookie Jeff Heuerman went down in rookie minicamp with a season-ending ACL injury, the Broncos decided to add Marcel Jensen to the roster.
An undrafted player out of Fresno State last year, Jensen has a fantastic size-speed combination. At 6’6”, 260 pounds, Jensen can fly down the middle seam of a defense. He creates mismatches every time he’s on the field because of his skill set, and Jensen could develop into a serious weapon for the Broncos offense.
Jensen needs to show better focus on every snap if he wants to make the team. He’ll need to sharpen his route-running ability as well if he’s going to play up to his natural potential.
There’s a chance that Jensen could make the final roster as a reserve tight end. His natural skill set makes him someone to keep around if he shows great effort in training camp.
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DE Josh Watson
4 of 5
There’s a sleeper at Dove Valley that more people need to know about, and his name is Josh Watson. The rookie from Clemson went undrafted this year, but he’s got the upside to be an impact player at the pro level if he fully develops.
He’s strong, fast and physical at the point of attack. Watson gets off the snap quickly, and he uses his violent striking hands to disengage from blockers up front. He has the flexibility to “get skinny” to knife his way to the quarterback. Once he’s in striking distance, Watson has a good closing burst on his way to the ball-carrier or passer.
Watson needs to add more weight to his base, as his lower body looks thin compared to his defensive line mates at Dove Valley. He would also benefit from improved technique and consistency as a pass-rusher.
The Broncos are going to have an aggressive defense under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The defensive line features many new players, and Watson could find making the final roster difficult. However, he’s an easy call to put on the practice squad in 2015.
QB Zac Dysert
5 of 5
The Broncos will have a battle for the third-string quarterback job in training camp between Zac Dysert and rookie Trevor Siemian. Both were seventh-round picks, Dysert in 2013 and Siemian in 2015. Both are not ready for more than a third-string job, and the Broncos have to decide which one is better suited as a developmental prospect.
Dysert made the final roster as a rookie in 2013. He held a clipboard behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler as he learned the pro game. Last year, Dysert was cut but quickly re-signed to the practice squad.
He’s got a rocket arm and makes passing deep look easy. Dysert has the athleticism to keep plays alive with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield. If everything breaks down, Dysert has the scrambling ability to be dangerous with his feet.
However, Dysert has yet to show that he can throw with consistency, touch or accuracy. How long is he going to get to prove that he can finally do something he didn’t even show in college? Dysert can make fantastic throws, but he’ll then follow that up with multiple throws that make you wonder where he was going with the ball.
The competition for the final roster is going to be heated in training camp. The Broncos may decide that Siemian can be put on season-ending injured reserve as his knee may not quite be right. Even if Siemian is on IR, we could see Dysert on the practice squad for one last year.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.
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