Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jon Heath

53-man roster prediction for Broncos before minicamp

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

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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

(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)

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

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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

(Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

WR: Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton
WR: Marvin Mims, Jalen Virgil, Marquez Callaway

Cut: 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

(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

LT: Garett Bolles, Cam Fleming
IOL: Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Alex Forsyth
IOL: Quinn Meinerz, Luke Wattenberg
RT: Mike McGlinchey, Quinn Bailey

Cut: 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

(AP Photo/Bart Young)

DE: Zach Allen, Tyler Lancaster
NT: D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell
DE: Matt Henningsen, Eyioma Uwazurike

Cut: 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

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

OLB: Randy Gregory, Baron Browning, Frank Clark
OLB: Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Christopher Allen

Cut: 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

(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)

ILB: Alex Singleton, Jonas Griffith
ILB: Josey Jewell, Drew Sanders

Cut: Justin Strnad (practice squad), Seth Benson, Ray Wilborn

No surprises here as the team’s top-four ILBs are easy to identify.

Cornerback: 5

(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

CB: Pat Surtain, Damarri Mathis
CB: K’Waun Williams, Riley Moss, Tremon Smith

Cut: 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

(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

SJustin Simmons, Caden Sterns
S: Kareem Jackson, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner

Cut: 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

(Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

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.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.