The Denver Broncos are set to host the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason finale at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday night (here’s how to watch).
After facing the Rams, the Broncos will turn their attention toward finalizing a 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season. With roster cuts now just around the corner, here are ten things to watch for on Saturday night.
1
How much will the starters play?
Broncos coach Sean Payton indicated earlier this week that if select starters play on Saturday, it will only be for one series. Some players who have been unexpectedly trust into starting roles — such as rookie Marvin Mims — will see more than one drive, but most starters will have limited snaps, if any.
2
Who steps up at wide receiver?
Speaking of Mims, he could see his role on offense increase significantly following Jerry Jeudy’s hamstring injury. “He’ll play quite a bit on Saturday,” Payton said of the rookie receiver. With Jeudy sidelined for several weeks, Mims is the top candidate to fill the WR2 role behind Courtland Sutton. Other receivers who will have a chance to step up include Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Kendall Hinton and Taylor Grimes.
3
Who wins the final spots on the offensive line?
The Broncos’ starting five up front is set with Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey. Assuming the team will carry nine offensive linemen, that leaves room for four backups.
Cam Fleming seems like a lock as the top backup swing tackle. Quinn Bailey has 14 games on his resume, including a start last season. Luke Wattenberg was a fifth-round pick last year and Alex Forsyth was a seventh-round pick this year. Alex Palczewski joined the team as a college free agent in May and he’s been one of the big winners of the summer.
That’s five players competing for four spots. Who will be the odd man out? The cut decision might come down to who Denver thinks has the best chance of clearing waivers and returning on the practice squad.
4
Albert Okwuegbunam’s last chance with the Broncos?
“Albert O” might play his final game for the Broncos on Saturday night. Okwuegbunam has always shown promise as a receiving tight end, and he impressed in practice this week, but his blocking (in)ability has seemingly frustrated multiple coaching staffs. He will get one final chance on Saturday to prove he should stick around.
5
Final push for Tyler Lancaster and PJ Mustipher
Our latest 53-man roster prediction for the Broncos has the following six defensive lineman making the active roster: Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell, Jonathan Harris, Matt Henningsen and Elijah Garcia.
Two wild cards to watch for are nose tackles Tyler Lancaster (a veteran) and PJ Mustipher (an undrafted rookie). If they don’t end up on the 53-man roster, both Lancaster and Mustipher could be strong candidates for the practice squad.
6
Does Jaleel McLaughlin have the RB3 job locked down?
McLaughlin has emerged as a fan favorite this summer and it will be interesting to see if the team takes him out of the game much earlier than Tyler Badie and Tony Jones. McLaughlin being the first RB to exit the game would be a sure sign that he has moved up to RB3 on the depth chart. It remains to be seen if the Broncos will end up carrying three or four RBs on the 53-man roster, but either way, McLaughlin has positioned himself well to make the team.
7
Delarrin Turner-Yell vs. JL Skinner
Justin Simmons, Caden Sterns, Kareem Jackson and P.J. Locke seem like obvious picks as the top four safeties on the roster. The final safety spot (if the team carries five) will come down to JL Skinner (a sixth-round pick this year) vs. Delarrin Turner-Yell (a fifth-round pick last year). Whichever one is viewed as more likely to clear waivers and make the practice squad could be the odd man out.
8
Brett Maher’s last chance to impress in preseason
Brett Maher will get one final preseason game to prove that he’s a better option than the kickers who will hit the waiver wire next week. Maher might also be competing against potential trade candidates. Maher will need to close out preseason on a strong note if he wants job security going into roster cuts.
9
Ben DiNucci’s extended opportunity at QB
If Russell Wilson plays at all (which seems unlikely), it would presumably be for just one drive. After that, Jarrett Stidham will take over followed by what will likely be DiNucci’s largest number snaps of the preseason. It remains to be seen if Denver will carry two or three QBs on the active roster. If he doesn’t make the 53, DiNucci will presumably be a target for the practice squad.
10
Sean Payton's chance to get his first win with the Broncos
Preseason wins don’t count for the standings, but they do matter to Payton. The coach wants to create a winning culture in Denver and closing out preseason with a victory at Empower Field at Mile High would be a good way to head into the regular season next month.
