The deadline for NFL teams to submit their initial 53-man roster to the league office is Saturday at 2 p.m. Follow along today for updates and analysis of the Broncos’ moves.
12:07 p.m. Broncos appear to be at 53 players
An official list hasn’t been revealed, but our confirmations have the roster at 53 players.
Offense
QB
3 Drew Lock
9 Jeff Driskel
RB
25 Melvin Gordon
28 Royce Freeman
30 Phillip Lindsay
TE
80 Jake Butt
83 Andrew Beck (FB/TE)
85 Albert Okwuegbunam
87 Noah Fant
88 Nick Vannett
WR
10 Jerry Jeudy
11 Diontae Spencer
13 KJ Hamler
14 Courtland Sutton
17 DaeSean Hamilton
81 Tim Patrick
86 Tyrie Cleveland
OL
61 Graham Glasgow (RG)
66 Dalton Risner (LG)
68 Elijah Wilkinson (RT)
71 Austin Schlottmann (G/C)
72 Garett Bolles (LT)
73 Netane Muti (G)
76 Calvin Anderson (T)
78 Demar Dotson (T)
79 Lloyd Cushenberry (C)
Defense
DL
57 DeMarcus Walker (DE)
93 Dre’Mont Jones (DE)
95 McTelvin Agim (DE/NT)
96 Shelby Harris (DE)
98 Mike Purcell (NT)
99 Jurrell Casey (DE)
ILB
42 Mark Barron
43 Joe Jones
45 Alexander Johnson
47 Josey Jewell
— Austin Calitro
OLB
55 Bradley Chubb
58 Von Miller
59 Malik Reed
97 Jeremiah Attaochu
CB
21 A.J. Bouye
20 Duke Dawson
23 Michael Ojemudia
27 Davontae Harris
29 Bryce Callahan
34 Essang Bassey
S
22 Kareem Jackson
31 Justin Simmons
36 Trey Marshall
Specialists
6 Sam Martin (P)
8 Brandon McManus (K)
46 Jacob Bobenmoyer (LS)
11:49 a.m. TE Austin Fort to IR, OL Quinn Bailey waived
Tight end Austin Fort, who had a knee surgery as camp was opening, has been placed on injured reserve.
Fort sustained ACL/MCL tears in an August 2019 preseason game at Seattle.
According to a source, offensive lineman Quinn Bailey has been waived. Bailey was waived on cutdown day last year and spent the season on the practice squad save for one week.
11:21 a.m. Roster moves wrapping up
OT Jake Rodgers. The Broncos appear to going with Calvin Anderson and maybe Demar Dotson as their back-up tackles.
DE DeShawn Williams. Signed before camp started, Williams was a cutdown day move last year, too.
11:04 a.m. S Alijah Holder waived
The Broncos have scheduled a 1:30 p.m. Zoom call with general manager John Elway and coach Vic Fangio. The updates according to sources.
S Alijah Holder. He started camp with an inside track at the fourth safety spot, but missed a week with a soft tissue injury. That could mean Duke Dawson makes the team as a hybrid corner/safety.
WR Cody White. White was signed after camp started when the Broncos didn’t have KJ Hamler and Juwann Winfree because of injuries.
RB Le’Vante Bellamy. The undrafted rookie was waived as the Broncos appear to be going with Royce Freeman as their third tailback behind Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon.
RB Jeremy Cox. He saw time at fullback in camp, but Andrew Beck (back) is expected to be healthy for Week 1.
10:24 a.m. – LB Justin Hollins, WR Kendall Hinton waived
The Broncos have waived 2019 fifth-round linebacker Justin Hollins, according to a source.
Hollins was cross-trained at outside and inside linebacker last year and played in 15 games (21 tackles).
The Broncos decided in the offseason to keep Hollins at outside linebacker only, but moved him inside last month for a few practices because of injuries to Todd Davis and Justin Strnad.
Receiver Kendall Hinton has also been waived. He signed with the Broncos in May after going undrafted out of Wake Forest.
10:23 a.m. – WR Juwann Winfree waived
The Broncos have waived second-year receiver Juwann Winfree, according to a source.
Winfree missed most of training camp with a groin injury and even if he was healthy, faced tall odds of making the 53-man roster.
It is now interesting to see if Winfree has a future here (practice squad).
10:22 a.m. – CB DeVante Bausby among those waived
The roster moves are picking up for the Broncos. Confirmed by sources …
CB DeVante Bausby. The emergence of rookie Essang Bassey and solid camp by Davontae Harris equaled Bausby’s release.
C/G Patrick Morris. After left guard Dalton Risner, right guard Graham Glasgow and presumptive center Lloyd Cushenberry, the Broncos appear to be going with Austin Schlottmann and Netane Muti as their two interior back-ups.
QB Brett Rypien. The Broncos are going with two quarterbacks (Drew Lock/Jeff Driskel) after Rypien was waived for the second straight camp. He’ll end up on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
OT Hunter Watts. An undrafted rookie from Central Arkansas, Watts took mostly third-team reps in camp.
OL Tyler Jones. Spent part of last year with the Broncos and re-signed in January.
9:44 a.m. — OLB Derrek Tuszka, OT Darrin Paulo waived
The Broncos have waived seventh-round outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka according to a source. The North Dakota State alum was switching from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker. He’s also a practice squad candidate.
Offensive tackle Darrin Paulo has also been waived according to a source. Paulo was acquired last week from New Orleans via waivers.
9:34 a.m. — S P.J. Locke waived
According to his agency, safety P.J. Locke has been waived, but the Broncos are interested in signing him to the practice squad.
Locke’s release after a solid training camp is probably good news for fourth safety Alijah Holder, who missed a good chunk of camp with a soft tissue injury.
9:28 a.m. — WR Trinity Benson waived
The Broncos have waived receiver Trinity Benson according to a source. Benson spent all of 2019 on the Broncos’ practice squad.
8:53 a.m. – ILB Josh Watson waived
A source says the Broncos are waiving inside linebacker Josh Watson.
A Colorado State alum, Watson was in camp last summer and started the year on the practice squad before getting promoted.
Watson’s chances to make the initial roster this year ended when the Broncos signed Mark Barron last weekend and acquired Austin Calitro in a trade from Cincinnati on Friday.
Watson does make sense to return to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
7:44 a.m. – Setting up the day
NFL rosters must be reduced to 53 players by 2 p.m. today. The Broncos’ roster currently stands at 79 players.
Some points about the day:
1. We’ll put it in ALL CAPS — today is the INITIAL 53-man roster. Chances are, the Broncos’ 53-man roster tonight won’t be the same as the 53-man roster tomorrow night.
2. Any player placed on injured reserve today is ineligible to play this year. Players on today’s 53-man roster who are placed on injured reserve Sunday can return to play. When the new CBA was authored in March, it allowed for a maximum of three players to be promoted from IR after eight weeks. Because of the coronavirus, an unlimited number of players can be brought back from IR (plus non-football injury and COVID-19/reserve list) after three weeks.
3. The two designations for today will be “released” and “waived.” Players with less than four years of service are “waived” — they must go through waivers and are subject to being claimed. Veteran players who are “released” — like Todd Davis on Friday — can sign with a team immediately.
4. The 16-man practice squad will be constructed on Sunday once the waiver claims process is complete around late morning. Six of those spots can be used for vested veterans (at least four years’ experience).
