2018 Broncos' Season, Final Roster Projection



As we've completed the pre-season, we enter a difficult couple of days for many in the NFL. Teams sit at around 90 right now. By 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, it will be 53 per team. That's 37 people on 32 teams whose dream of being on an NFL team will be dashed despite months of hard work and leaving it all on the field. And, of course, the fourth pre-season game changed some perceptions. Some for the good, some for the bad.

As I have throughout this camp season, I'll offer my best guess for the final Broncos' roster. We'll see how close I come tomorrow. There were some difficult decisions here, and I could see it going a lot of ways. I'm also thinking the Broncos will make a run at trades here before the final cuts must be made, especially gauging the market for Paxton Lynch.

Quarterback (3): Case Keenum, Chad Kelly, Paxton Lynch. I think it would be better for the Broncos to keep two quarterbacks. And I think they only need two. In past weeks I've gone with two, but Lynch was 14-for-15 for 128 yards and two TDs last night. That performance combined with the sunk cost of releasing him means I think he makes the final team if he can't be traded.

Running Backs (4): Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, Phillip Lindsay, De'Angelo Henderson, Sr. This is a tough position group, but Freeman, Booker and Lindsay didn't play last night, meaning their spot is set. Henderson has been great, and he has earned the right to be on this team. There is no way he'd make it through waivers to the Practice Squad, and the Broncos will need him.

Fullback (1): Andy Janovich. A special teams star and a good blocker. He's secured his spot.

Wide Receivers (6): Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Isaiah McKenzie. The top four have been set here for a while, and Patrick has been a leader to make it who solidified his spot the past two weeks. This is a position group that could take a hit if the Broncos keep Lynch, but I think they still keep six. The other debate is McKenzie, a dynamic returner who is struggling as a receiver, or Cracraft, a solid receiver who is not dynamic as a returner. I'm leaning toward McKenzie on the final roster, on a short leash, with Cracraft on the Practice Squad.

Tight End (3): Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, Matt LaCosse. The Broncos will keep three here, and Heuerman and Butt seem set. The third has been a question. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos keep Austin Traylor, but I'm going with LaCosse, who has seemed a more dynamic receiver this pre-season, including a special TD catch last night.

Offensive Line (8): Garrett Bolles, Ronald Leary, Matt Paradis, Connor McGovern, Jared Veldheer, Max Garcia, Billy Turner, Cyrus Kouandjio. This is a place where I think the Broncos sacrifice. I expect they'll keep two to four on the Practice Squad, including Sam Jones, but I think this is a unit where they can only keep eight.

Defensive Line (6): Derek Wolfe, Domata Peko, Sr., Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris, DeMarcus Walker, Zach Kerr. Here's another group with tough cuts and a tight group. I just think the talent and need is stronger in the linebacker and secondary groups. And I think Clinton McDonald is the toughest cut.

Linebackers (9): Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Shaq Barrett, Shane Ray, Jeff Holland, Brandon Marshall, Todd Davis, Josey Jewell, A.J. Johnson. I've made a change here. Holland is too good to make it to the Practice Squad, and he's worth keeping. I've thought that Zaire Anderson would be one to make the final squad, but he hasn't been great. I think the Broncos will move toward Johnson, a player they want to develop who they think has a good future.

Secondary (10): Chris Harris, Jr., Bradley Roby, Tramaine Brock, Sr., Adam Jones, Isaac Yiadom, Justin Simmons, Darian Stewart, Will Parks, Su'a Cravens, Dymonte Thomas. This is a big group, but the talent here needs to be kept and all of them have earned a spot. And the fact that Thomas, Parks and Cravens can play a linebacker position gives them some strong flexibility. It's a risk, but I think it gives the Broncos the best players they can, and will give them some good Special Teams players.

Special Teams Specialists (3): Brandon McManus, Marquette King, Casey Kreiter. The most predictable group on the team.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more