Updated 53-Man Roster Projections for Denver Broncos Post-Preseason Week 3
The Denver Broncos have wrapped up training camp, and there are three preseason games in the books so far. The Broncos are undefeated so far in the preseason, and there is talent on both sides of the ball that has been on full display.
General manager John Elway knows the difficulty involved in the decision-making process this time of year.
“Fortunately, we have a lot of tough decisions. We have a lot of good football players and this is always the hardest time of the year because we have to cut down to eventually 53, but 75 by Monday. This is tough time of year, but we’re fortunate in the fact that we’ve got a lot of tough decisions,” Elway said. “Hopefully we can make the right ones.”
All that remains is one more preseason game to give guys a shot at the final roster spots that remain open. Most of the roster has been filled out, but there’s likely a few spots still up for grabs.
Here’s a projection of what the 53-man roster should look like after three weeks of the preseason.
Quarterback
1 of 12
Starter: Peyton Manning
Backup: Brock Osweiler
The Broncos are still in a championship window with Peyton Manning as their quarterback. There have been some adjustments to the new offense, and Manning will need more time to keep working out the bugs. Manning is also receiving more time off this year so the team can have him healthy at the right time—in December, when they’re making a postseason run.
Elway knows that taking time off may be foreign to Manning, but that’s what’s best for the team.
“Maybe it’s not what he’s used to, but I just think at 39 years old, he can’t work like he used to work," Elway said. "He’s got to be able to say that. Even though he may not be as far along as he wants to be right now because he hasn’t had that work, he’ll be much farther along in December by taking this time off when he’s really going to need it.”
Brock Osweiler will remain the primary backup behind Manning. He’s done a good job moving this offense during the preseason, and there’s a chance we could see the team reach some sort of extension with Osweiler to make him Denver's quarterback of the future.
Rookie Trevor Siemian has looked a lot better as a pro than he did as a collegian at Northwestern. The arm talent is there, but with a numbers crunch at other positions, the team might just sneak him through to the practice squad. Zac Dysert is unlikely to make the team.
Running Back
2 of 12
Starter: C.J. Anderson
Backups: Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, Montee Ball
C.J. Anderson has the ability to be among the league’s leading rushers in 2015. His powerful, low-to-the-ground rushing style fits perfectly in the zone-blocking system. We know that head coach Gary Kubiak knows how to build a world-class ground game, and Anderson will be his bell cow this year.
Anderson is excited about the opportunity this offense presents. Even with an inexperienced offensive line at certain spots, Anderson has seen improvement over the course of the preseason.
“They're working every day, and you can see it. The holes are just—they're looking like college, to be honest. The holes are tremendous," Anderson said. "There are some plays that they're going to lose because they get paid on the other side of the ball, too, but we're working really hard and we're happy and proud about it, and we're just going to keep grinding on it.”
Ronnie Hillman has gone from an afterthought to second-string running back with his hard work during the month of August. He looked like an odd fit for the system in minicamp and OTAs, but we saw Hillman respond after he was called out by Kubiak. Now, he’s set to be the team’s change-of-pace back behind Anderson.
Juwan Thompson can do pretty much anything that’s asked of him. He can play running back, fullback, catch passes out of the backfield and even work on special teams. His versatility is incredibly important for the Broncos.
Montee Ball has tumbled down the depth chart. He hasn’t looked bad in practice, but he certainly hasn’t performed well in the preseason. After wanting to push Anderson for the starting job earlier this year, Ball is now trying to cling onto a roster spot.
Fullback
3 of 12
Starter: James Casey
The Broncos are going to have a fullback on the final roster for the first time since 2012 (Chris Gronkowski). The Kubiak offense will regularly feature a fullback as the lead blocker, and sometimes the fullback will even catch passes out of the backfield.
The team's starting fullback is jack-of-all-trades James Casey. He’s familiar with the Kubiak offense from their days together with the Houston Texans, and that’s why the Broncos picked him up in free agency earlier this year.
Joe Don Duncan was waived by the Broncos on Monday.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Wide Receiver
4 of 12
Starters: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders
Backups: Cody Latimer, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Norwood, Bennie Fowler
Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos reached a contract agreement before the July 15th deadline. He has his big-money deal, and the Broncos know that he should continue producing at a superstar level in 2015.
Since Thomas missed all of minicamp and OTAs, the Broncos have been easing him in during training camp. He’s getting back into football shape while also getting used to this new offense. By the time Week 1 of the regular season rolls around, Thomas should be back to form.
Emmanuel Sanders may not quite be himself to start the season. A hamstring injury has knocked him out of action since early August. The Broncos have been careful with him as he continues to recover from this nagging injury.
After the third preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Kubiak revealed more about Sanders’ progress.
“He worked today. He came to the stadium. He ran routes for about a half-hour. [He] was very positive. Had it have been a regular-season game, I think Emmanuel would have been very close to playing or pushed to play, but we're right on schedule to where we want to be.” Kubiak concluded, “He should be back on the field this week.”
While Sanders has been out, the door has been opened for second-year pro Cody Latimer to do more. Latimer has been starting on the outside opposite Thomas, and we may see him in more three-wide receiver sets in the regular season.
Behind the Big Three at wide receiver, Andre “Bubba” Caldwell remains. He continues to make plays in the preseason, and the veteran looks like he should make the final roster once again this year.
Jordan Norwood has really taken advantage of his opportunity. He’s working as the team’s first-team slot receiver while Sanders is out. Norwood also contributes on special teams as a return man.
Bennie Fowler has a good size-speed combination and has made critical plays for the team in the preseason. Fowler has also shown a knack for coming up with the big play.
Tight End
5 of 12
Starters: Owen Daniels, Virgil Green
Backups: Dominique Jones
The tight end position is crucial to the Kubiak offense. It came as no surprise when the Broncos went out in free agency and added Owen Daniels earlier this year. Daniels has rarely played a snap in his NFL career without Kubiak as his head coach or his offensive coordinator.
Daniels isn’t worried by the first-team's offensive struggles so far in the preseason.
“I don’t think there is a lot of concern. We’ve got to make good use of our time the next couple weeks. I think people are used to seeing a lot more points on this offense. But I don’t think there’s need to hit the panic button. We’re getting yards and we had a lot better day in third-down situations.” Daniels emphasized, “That’s an improvement from last week and we just have to get ready for Week 1.”
Virgil Green is an underrated receiver who could do more as a pass-catcher this year. However, he’s such a good blocker that his primary role for this team will be to help blast open holes for the ground game. When Peyton Manning has been on the field in the preseason, he has yet to throw a single pass toward Green. He’s a valuable tight end, but Green is going to block a lot this year.
Dominique Jones is a big target who can make something happen after the catch. A former basketball player, Jones knows how to “box out” defenders and make a play on the ball.
Offensive Line
6 of 12
Starters: Ty Sambrailo (LT), Evan Mathis (LG), Matt Paradis (C), Louis Vasquez (RG), Ryan Harris (RT)
Backups: Michael Schofield (OT), Max Garcia (G/C), Shelley Smith (OG)
The Broncos offensive line has undergone quite a few changes since the start of training camp.
Ty Sambrailo remains as the left tackle. The rookie second-round pick from Colorado State has received a crash course in the NFL ever since Ryan Clady went down with a season-ending knee injury earlier this year. He’s inexperienced, but he has the athleticism to work well in a zone-blocking system as Manning’s blindside protector.
We’ve see three changes at left guard since the start of training camp. Ben Garland opened camp as the starter there, then rookie Max Garcia moved into the spot after four days of practice. Now, Evan Mathis is in line to start there when the regular season opens up.
Elway explained why it was important to add Mathis in free agency last week.
“I think when you look at us offensive line-wise, I think we’re going to be very good. We’re just very young, and so I think we need a little bit of experience, especially on that left side." Elway continued, "Evan’s able to bring that. Plus, [he is] a Pro Bowl-caliber type player.”
At center, Matt Paradis has taken over for Gino Gradkowski. We saw Gradkowski open camp as the starter, but the team had seen enough after four days and made the switch. Paradis is country strong and has the athleticism to excel in this system.
Right guard is locked down by one of the best in the game at his position. Louis Vasquez should be an All-Pro again this year, and the Broncos may have the best guard combination in the league with Vasquez and Mathis.
Right tackle is going to be manned by Ryan Harris. We saw Chris Clark open camp as the starter, but Harris took over quickly and now Clark was traded to the Houston Texans on Monday. Harris is a sound veteran who knows the system like the back of his hand. The veteran is certainly no liability up front.
With so much inexperience up front, expect the Broncos to keep nine offensive linemen in 2015. Max Garcia can play at any of the five spots on the line. Shelley Smith gives the team a veteran swing guard inside, while Michael Schofield remains an interesting developmental prospect.
Defensive Line
7 of 12
Starters: Derek Wolfe (DE), Sylvester Williams (NT), Malik Jackson (DE)
Backups: Darius Kilgo (DT), Vance Walker (DE), Antonio Smith (DE)
The defensive line is going to set the tone for the Broncos defense. Wade Phillips takes over as defensive coordinator this year, and he’s going to build an aggressive unit that harasses opponents all game long.
Sylvester Williams entered 2015 in what could be labeled a make-or-break season. While he struggled in 2014, Williams (a first-round pick in 2013) has looked like a rock star in the 3-4 defense.
Williams explained the difference he feels this season.
“I don't want to say free me up. I think more so you are just focused more," Williams explained. "It's a one-gap scheme versus playing two-gapping. It's more of a one-gap scheme, so you can kind of penetrate a little bit more and play your gap better.”
Derek Wolfe is suspended the first four games of the season, but he’s likely to start upon his return. He’s not a pass-rusher, but he will be asked to set the edge and keep containment as a run-defender.
On the other side we’ll see Malik Jackson unleashed. Jackson is playing the same position that J.J. Watt did for defensive line coach Bill Kollar, and he should be able to put together a strong year as a pass-rusher. Jackson is in a contract year, and snaring double-digit sacks is not out of the realm of possibility.
Rookie Darius Kilgo is a mountain of a man who can clog up the middle. Veterans Vance Walker and Antonio Smith give this team much-needed depth up front.
Linebackers
8 of 12
Starters: Von Miller (OLB), Danny Trevathan (WILB), Brandon Marshall (SILB), DeMarcus Ware (OLB)
Backups: Shane Ray, Shaquil Barrett, Steven Johnson, Todd Davis, Corey Nelson
The strength of this defense (and tons of depth) can be found at the linebacker position. Phillips will use these elite-level assets to get after the quarterback in 2015.
Von Miller is set to have a historic season for the Broncos. He’s been an absolute beast in the preseason, and Miller is one of the biggest reasons why the Broncos are leading the NFL in preseason sacks. Seeing him snare 20 or more sacks in 2015 should not come as a surprise.
DeMarcus Ware was able to amass double-digit sacks last year. However, he wore down as the season went on and only had two sacks over the last eight games of the regular season. This year, Ware should be able to stay fresh because of their pass-rushing rotation. He should be able to get 10 or more sacks once again this season.
In the middle, Denver has two quality players in Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall.
Trevathan will play weak-side inside linebacker, where he can use his coverage skills to make plays. He’s incredibly athletic and can fly to the football. Trevathan will bait quarterbacks into bad throws, and he can do something with the ball after picking off a pass.
Marshall is tough and physical. There’s going to be a lot of action funneled his way in the 3-4 defense, and Marshall will be able to stand strong. Like Trevathan, Marshall can make plays in coverage, and he's likely to lead the Broncos in tackles this season.
Rookie Shane Ray is set to excel as a part-time pass-rusher for the Broncos. He’s an alpha male who plays like every snap is his last, and Ray plays with a motor that just won’t quit. His addition should be the biggest reason why Ware stays fresh in 2015.
Shaquil Barrett can terrorize quarterbacks, get sacks and force fumbles. Barrett has been an impact player for the defense this preseason. Steven Johnson and Corey Nelson are hard-nosed defenders who can excel on special teams, while Todd Davis is a versatile inside linebacker who plays with a nice combination of athleticism and strength.
Cornerback
9 of 12
Starters: Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr.
Backups: Bradley Roby, Kayvon Webster, Tony Carter, Lorenzo Doss
The Broncos have arguably the best starting cornerback duo in the league. They may also have the best trio of corners in the NFL when they go to their nickel package.
Aqib Talib is big, fast and physical. He has the size to shut down larger receivers, and he can even take away move tight ends from an opponent. Talib has good straight-line speed, and this helps him fly to the ball-carrier quickly in run support. He’s an aggressive player who plays with natural violence. At the cornerback position, his swagger and intimidating presence is quite the asset for this Broncos defense.
Chris Harris Jr. just might be the best corner in the game today. He can cover slot receivers like a blanket, but Harris can also shine outside where faster receivers play. Harris is feisty, backs down from no challenge and has a knack for making big plays. He’s one of the smartest players on the team, and Harris does a good job of diagnosing plays as they break down in front of him.
Bradley Roby is going to be a fine starter on the outside someday. For now, the second-year pro will work as the team’s nickel corner, and he can excel in that role. Roby sticks to receivers like glue on routes, and he’s not afraid to come up and knock down backs in run support.
Kayvon Webster is a big corner with a physical edge to his game. He struggles with hip transition when covering deep routes, but Webster can be a force against the run. Tony Carter is seemingly pushed every year for a roster spot, but he keeps coming out on top. Rookie Lorenzo Doss is an interesting player to develop.
Safety
10 of 12
Starters: T.J. Ward, Darian Stewart
Backups: Omar Bolden, David Bruton
The safeties on this team are tough, physical and aggressive—just like the identity of this defense.
At strong safety, T.J. Ward will roam the field to intimidate opponents. He can play close to the line of scrimmage to help stuff the run, and Ward can also be asked to blitz from time to time. Ward hits hard, and he’s one of the enforcers on this defense.
New free safety Darian Stewart has a nose for the football, and he flies to the play like a missile. Stewart can play back like a center fielder, and he has the speed to get to the play quickly no matter where it goes.
Not only can Stewart play deep, he has the recovery speed and smooth hips to play close to the line of scrimmage. This keeps him close in case of a run play, but he can also quickly turn like a corner and get into coverage if need be.
Omar Bolden is an important player because of his versatility as a reserve corner or safety. He is also likely to be this team’s top return man in 2015. David Bruton is a special teams ace and one of the most important players on the roster.
Special Teams
11 of 12
Starters: Britton Colquitt (P), Brandon McManus (K), Aaron Brewer (LS)
Brandon McManus has won the kicking job in Denver. He was pushed by veteran Connor Barth earlier in camp, but the team decided to release Barth and go with the stronger leg of McManus.
Britton Colquitt took a pay cut earlier this year, but he’s still being pushed by Spencer Lanning for the starting job. The veteran has the experience advantage, and his willingness to drop his pay could be what keeps him around in 2015.
Aaron Brewer is the long snapper.
Full Roster
12 of 12
- QB, Peyton Manning
- QB, Brock Osweiler
- RB, C.J. Anderson
- RB, Ronnie Hillman
- RB, Juwan Thompson
- RB, Montee Ball
- FB/TE, James Casey
- WR, Demaryius Thomas
- WR, Emmanuel Sanders
- WR, Cody Latimer
- WR, Andre Caldwell
- WR, Bennie Fowler
- WR, Jordan Norwood
- TE, Owen Daniels
- TE, Virgil Green
- TE, Dominique Jones
- OT, Ty Sambrailo
- OG, Evan Mathis
- OC, Matt Paradis
- OG, Louis Vasquez
- OG, Shelley Smith
- OC/OG, Max Garcia
- OT/OG, Michael Schofield
- OT, Ryan Harris
- DT, Sylvester Williams
- DT, Marvin Austin
- DT, Antonio Smith
- DT, Darius Kilgo
- DE, Derek Wolfe
- DE, Malik Jackson
- DE, Vance Walker
- LB, Von Miller
- LB, DeMarcus Ware
- LB, Brandon Marshall
- LB, Danny Trevathan
- LB, Shane Ray
- LB, Corey Nelson
- LB, Steven Johnson
- LB, Todd Davis
- LB, Shaquil Barrett
- CB, Aqib Talib
- CB, Chris Harris Jr.
- CB, Bradley Roby
- CB, Kayvon Webster
- CB, Tony Carter
- CB, Lorenzo Doss
- SS, T.J. Ward
- FS, Darian Stewart
- FS, David Bruton
- SS/FS, Omar Bolden
- K, Brandon McManus
- P, Britton Colquitt
- LS, Aaron Brewer
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
