On the roster (seven): J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, Adam Prentice (fullback), Cody Schrader

How many on the 53-man roster? Four. Same number as in 2025, and no reason for change there. Dobbins, Harvey and Coleman will almost assuredly form some kind of three-man carousel, with McLaughlin or Badie as a change-of-pace insurance option. Prentice will likely start the season on the practice squad and find his way to the active roster once he runs out of elevations, as the Broncos have done with the Ghost of (Michael) Burtons Past.

Most impactful offseason move? Drafting Coleman.

Re-signing Dobbins — for a surprisingly high $8 million in guaranteed money — is the correct answer here. That’s boring. History, both old and recent, suggests the 27-year-old Dobbins will run like a top-10 running back in the NFL for anywhere between eight and 15 games and get banged up at some point in the process, as high as he is on himself for 2026. The real kicker here for Denver is drafting an injury stabilizer in Coleman, a fourth-round pick out of Washington who profiles as a capable runner and an instant upgrade over Tyler Badie for possible third-down touches.

“You ultimately have a three-headed monster in the run game,” Coleman told reporters after he was drafted in April.

The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman looked ready for instant NFL snaps in OTAs and minicamp this summer, and could spell Dobbins for short-yardage touches in the early going and pick up plenty of slack if anyone in the room misses time. Don’t forget, too, that Badie played 17% of Denver’s offseason snaps last year and ranked seventh on the team in targets (31). Coleman could substantially juice that 17% in a season where Denver will try and improve on the margins to prevent regression to the mean in close games.

Biggest question to answer in camp: How do the Broncos change their run-game identity under new playcaller Davis Webb?

More scheme-specific than room-specific here. Last August, several players directly mentioned that the Broncos were emphasizing more of an outside-zone-heavy rushing attack, a scheme that pops with laterally quick linemen and running backs with good vision to cut back upfield.

“I think we’ve always wanted to be kind of an outside zone team,” tight end Adam Trautman said in 2025 training camp, “and we’re just kind of committing to it.”

They didn’t. According to rushing data collected from Pro Football Focus and assembled by The Denver Post, the Broncos finished with the second-lowest percentage of zone runs (42%) among all AFC teams in 2025. Head coach Sean Payton has repeatedly pointed to Webb’s promotion as a fix for Denver’s run-game consistency, which fell off a cliff after Dobbins’ injury in Week 10 last year. It stands to reason, then, that the Broncos’ general ground scheme could look drastically different come training camp.

Battle to watch: McLaughlin or Badie for RB4.

Scintillating! No, seriously. McLaughlin began the season as a healthy scratch and suddenly blossomed into one of Denver’s most effective per-touch skill players down the stretch after Dobbins’ injury shifted him into an RB2 role. With Coleman in the mix, McLaughlin’s path to a fourth straight season on Denver’s opening 53-man-roster looks dicey.

“Man, I’ve been out there killing myself in the weight room,” McLaughlin said at a charity event in June. “Spitting up a little bit, throwing up a little bit. But it’s been amazing, and I’ve been working my tail off.”

Badie, meanwhile, is trusted by the staff and Nix for his pass-protection skills and veteran instincts. Both Badie and McLaughlin beat out former fifth-round pick Audric Estime for a roster spot in last year’s training camp; they will now face a direct head-to-head competition this August.

Under the radar: Adam Prentice the Menace.

After trusted veteran Burton landed on injured reserve in training camp, the 28-year-old Colorado State product signed with Denver close to the start of the season and quickly filled an integral role as a run-blocker and pass-protector at fullback. Quietly, he played 19% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps last season and nearly half of their special teams snaps. He re-signed for a reason in March and could easily end up playing in all 17 games again in 2026.

Not as good as J.K. Dobbins. But a good run nonetheless.

But the time has come to call Merriam-Webster and retire the word from the dictionary because clearly it is misunderstood.

When Dobbins re-signed with the Broncos earlier this month, he popped off on social media when someone questioned paying him for “seven games a season.”

“Go be a fan of a different team; lame (bleep) dude,” Dobbins tweeted. “And don’t try to turn around when I shut down the fluke injury (bleep) up this year.”

The reality is that it would be a fluke if Dobbins stayed healthy.

He has never played a full season in the NFL. He has started 30 of 64 games because of knee, Achilles and foot injuries. He missed the Broncos’ final nine games last season after a hip-drop tackle hurt his foot.

Here’s the thing. I have not interacted with a single person on social media, email or in the community who doesn’t love Dobbins. Or what he did last season. He ranked fifth in the league in rushing when he was sidelined. He emerged as a force in the second halves of games and against stacked boxes.

Dobbins averaged almost a full yard over expected on his carries, and was beloved in the building for his leadership and passion.

So, it was no surprise the Broncos ran it back at running back, especially after they balked at Travis Etienne Jr.’s asking price and became a stalking horse in negotiations given his desire to return home to Louisiana.

Appearing recently on NFL Network, Dobbins remained delusional about his medical files. His optimism is ideal for the Broncos.

But if the team does not add a running back in the draft it will be a mistake.

First, hear Dobbins out.

“We’ve got a great O-line, we’ve got everything. We’ve got an embarrassment of riches on this team of talent,” said Dobbins, who received $8 million guaranteed in his new contract. “I’m excited. I really am, because, call it what it is, I got hurt, I missed the last, what, seven games in the regular season. I’m fresh. I’m gonna be fresh and I’m gonna be pissed off because I’m tired of the unfortunate stuff. I know that I can do it. It’s gonna happen this year. It’s gonna be great.”

Dobbins should believe he will become a stranger to the trainer’s room. That it is his turn for good luck. He deserves it.

The Broncos, though, cannot use hope as a strategy. That is what happened in the AFC Championship Game. Remember how that turned out?

The Broncos were awful on the ground. While R.J. Harvey’s slump continued, the offensive line was not blameless, picking the wrong time to play its worst game.

Denver cannot hinge its offensive balance and performance on Dobbins’ health. It is not fair to the team or Dobbins.

The Broncos have to draft a running back. Filling out the offseason roster with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie is fine. But if both make the team, then something has gone horribly wrong.

Dobbins, a fighter who has overcome injuries that would have ended careers, will open the season as the starter. The Broncos need a closer, and not an in-case-of-emergency-break-glass option.

There is a possibility Harvey, who became a weapon in the passing game, shows up in training camp and is more aggressive between the tackles. But he has to prove it.

Dobbins turns 28 in December. Even if the Broncos trust Dobbins to become durable, picking his successor is logical.

We all know what needs to be done. Couple “El Toro” with Geico.

There is a realistic possibility that Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price and Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. will be available when Denver selects at No. 62.

If Price is on the board, the Broncos should not pass on him. They like him, Price believes, based on his impressive interview at the NFL Combine.

Jeremiyah Love might be the best player in the draft. He split time with Price. That should tell you all you need to know.

Former Broncos tackle Ryan Harris, who serves as an analyst for Irish games, calls Price a “minotaur, an absolute horse who is going to have a great career.”

Based on college tape and combine performances, Price projects as a plus-NFL starter with a higher ceiling than Harvey. He brings size, and is capable of getting dirty work yards, while remaining elusive in space.

Does he project as a three-down starter? Not yet.

As a rookie, he would not need to fill that role. Harvey can play on passing downs. Price could provide a way to keep Dobbins available, and also brings special teams value in the return game, which will be needed if McLaughlin or Badie don’t make the final cut.

Washington works, too. He has the speed to turn any carry into a gash play, and at 223 pounds, he is bigger than any back on the roster. But will he go north-and-south with conviction?

This question hangs over Washington and Harvey. And it is also the reason Sean Payton cut Audric Estime last summer, failing to convince him to run over defenders instead of around them.

The truth of this season lies not in the defense, Jaylen Waddle’s fit, a grizzly bear schedule or Bo Nix’s ankle. It is in the backfield.

The only thing standing between the Broncos and a Super Bowl run is the ability to consistently run.

Dobbins can do it. He has shown it. Trusting him for 17 games, however, is too dangerous. His misfortune derailed last season. And there was nothing fluky about it.

The Broncos need Dobbins. But not as much as they need insurance.

The Broncos’ messaging was off. When owner Greg Penner, general manager George Paton and Sean Payton talked this offseason, they inferred Denver would do something. Make at least one move, preferably a big one. They have every offseason with Paton.

Instead, the Broncos woke up Friday as the only team not to sign a free agent from another team. Will fans understand if they admit they swung and missed? Not likely.

The Broncos pursued Travis Etienne Jr., and drew a line in the sand somewhere shy of $13 million per season. Turns out they were a stalking horse. Etienne confirmed that the Broncos and Chiefs wanted him, but he was determined to return home to Louisiana.

The Broncos chased receiver Jalen Nailor, but exercised restraint when he secured an offer of $23 million guaranteed from the Raiders.

Once these two were off the board, the Broncos stood pat. They have signed 17 of their 22 in-house free agents. The only players not returning are John Franklin-Myers (forced to leave to get a huge payday), P.J. Locke (returned home to Texas), Marcedes Lewis (41 years old), Mike Burton and Sam Mustipher. There is irony that Burton is the only Broncos player who has a Super Bowl ring.

When Denver brought back Jaleel McLaughlin on Friday — he is an all-time great dude with a Disney story — it was objectively hilarious.

It was as if Payton were trolling us.

The coach declared improving the run game was a top priority and then ran it back at running back. The entire room is the same, pending the draft.

Offensively, players who took 94 percent of the snaps last season are under contract.

Mafia families are not this loyal.

Why the static nature? The Broncos signed 11 contract extensions over the past 19 months, so they had fewer needs. Payton keeps culture guys, valuing their off-field impact as much as their on-field contributions. And once the third wave of free agent players arrived, there was a calculus involved.

Clearly, teams love the 2027 draft. The Broncos can argue that it is not worth losing a fourth-round compensatory pick for Franklin-Myers to overpay a pedestrian player.

But don’t blame fans for their reaction.

They see a team in a Super Bowl window with an offense that scares no one. They watched the Chiefs and Chargers get better, and Denver stood pat. The inactivity places priority on hitting on the draft with a running back like Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr.

The problem is that Payton, in Denver, has not developed an offensive skill player into a star. Vance Joseph turned Nik Bonitto into an All-Pro; Jonathon Cooper into an impact starter. Troy Franklin improved last season, but he is still not a feared No. 2 receiver. Same goes for Pat Bryant. Maybe both take a huge step forward, easing concerns.

It is not guaranteed. Even at running back. I am old enough to remember when Audric Estime was going to develop into a frontline starter. He was cut after one season.

In a vacuum, there are sound explanations for the Broncos keeping so many of their own. But don’t expect ����apountry to understand. The fans thought they were getting a new ride, and instead, their old whip sits in the driveway sparkling from a car wash.

Bam Bam Mad: Don’t be mad at Bam Adebayo for scoring 83 points on Tuesday night. Direct rage at the tanking Washington Wizards. They chose not to guard him for three quarters, then turned the game into a mockery by fouling him in the fourth. Is Miami innocent? No. But once Adebayo reached 70, he was going for it. The ending was cringeworthy. My anger, however, is focused on the hapless Wizards for making the achievement feel tainted.

Final Thought: Denver Post Headline in 2040: Broncos re-sign receiver Ol’ Jordan Humphrey. I kid because I care.

As in former Broncos running back Javonte Williams, the Dallas Cowboy who somehow managed to have a rougher week than his successor, J.K. Dobbins, did in London.

For the first time since Week 1, the Javonte Train finally went off the rails. Despite what the fantasy experts on the Grading The Week team saw as a (makes finger quotes in the air) “favorable” matchup at Carolina last Sunday, the ex-Bronco was held to a season-low 29 rushing yards on 13 carries and 5 receiving yards on five grabs.

Context: Despite a banged-up, messed-up offensive line in front of him across the pond, Dobbins still managed more rushing yards (40) and more total yards (also 40) on far fewer touches (14).

Life of an ex-Broncos RB — D

And yet Williams’ statistical stumble was cupcakes and rainbows compared to the week of his former teammate — and backfield mate — Audric Estime.

Estime, the Broncos’ fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2024 NFL draft, was waived by Denver this past August after falling behind Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin on the depth chart. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Estime a few days later and stuck him on their practice squad.

On Tuesday, our man Audric became unstuck. The Eagles released him.

The ex-Irish runner remained inactive for all six games with the Birds, including the Broncos’ 21-17 win at Philly back on Oct. 5.

Burning through two franchises over your first 18 months in the league makes for something of an auspicious NFL start for Estime, no question. But there’s one thing on the dude’s side: Time. He just turned 22 this past Sept. 6. If Estime can land on his feet, with head, heart and hands all pointing the same direction, he’s got time to re-write his narrative.

Wedgewood’s start for Avs — A

When the kids at the GTW offices can’t trust our eyes, we trust the math. After its first five games a year ago, the Avalanche had given up 28 goals (5.6 GAA) and had lost four times. After five games this fall to open the 2025-26 season, the burgundy and blue had surrendered just nine goals (1.8 GAA) while winning four of those five contests. Avs faithful may not know what a good power play looks like, but they know what it’s like to have a grown-up — Scott Wedgewood — keeping watch between the pipes.

Meanwhile, our old pal Alexandar Georgiev — the man in net here to start last season — just cleared waivers in Buffalo and was spotted in recent days practicing with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

Ed Lamb keeping UNC afloat — B+

When the GTW crew last saw Ed Lamb’s Northern Colorado Bears up close, they were being robbed of a historic win at Fort Collins in front of thousands. But while that bogus non-catch call against CSU still kind of burns our britches, we love happy — well, happy-ish — postscripts. After 23 losses in 24 games during the ’23 and ’24 seasons, Lamb’s UNC Bears went into the weekend 3-3 after their first six games for the first time since 2016. They won two non-conference games — and we all know there should’ve been a third — for the first time in nine years.

Since 2018 (the Bears didn’t play in 2020 for pandemic reasons), UNC’s average record after six games has been 1-5, and the squad has been 0-6 three different times over the previous six campaigns. It’s too early to bow, Ed. But we see you. And if this keeps up, we look forward to seeing a lot more of you.

Sean Payton had his pick of locations, as former linebacker Scott Shanle remembered. The Saints settled on the Dolphins’ facility, then located at Nova Southeastern University. It was some 25 miles north of Miami’s campus.

But Bill Parcells was there.

The Big Tuna, then the Dolphins’ executive VP of football operations, watched that Monday as his pupil’s creation rolled in. Fresh off three years as Parcells’ offensive coordinator in Dallas, Payton went to New Orleans for his first head-coaching gig in 2006 to a franchise in the mud and a city rebuilding from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. He built a locker room of self-dubbed “castoffs and butts,” as linebacker Scott Fujita said. Three years later, they were playing for a Lombardi Trophy.

Parcells, one of the most legendary coaches in NFL history, was rarely one for heaping affection. But he pulled Shanle and Fujita aside — two linebackers who wound up playing for Payton in New Orleans after playing for Parcells in Dallas — and told them he was proud. And Shanle remembers he and Payton talking, almost as a passing of the torch.

“It almost felt like it was a chance for Sean to show off his team a little bit,” Shanle recalled. “And it was a ‘I wanna make you proud’ moment.”

For years to come, after the Saints brought that Super Bowl home to New Orleans and Payton developed his own titanic status in the NFL, he still leaned on his mentor. At times, Shanle and Fujita would turn to each other in Saints meeting rooms and raise an eyebrow. That sounds familiar. Payton would sometimes tell his team — in some variation — that he “spoke to Parcells,” or that “Bill said this is how we need to attack.”

In Denver, where the 61-year-old Payton is knee-deep in his next rebuild, a Parcells quote hangs prominently in the hallway of the team’s facility in Dove Valley. Don’t ever let good enough be good enough, it reads.

Now, as the Broncos head to Philadelphia on Sunday for one of the defining matchups of the early Payton Era, he stands a single game away from passing Parcells in all-time career head-coaching victories. They are tied at 172 wins, now, after the Broncos beat the Bengals on Monday night. It was enough to choke Payton up at the dais, recognizing the significance.

“He’s a pretty big influence on what I’ve been able to achieve,” Payton said.

And Payton, now, will attempt to win a game to climb past the man who taught him the art of winning.

“To surpass him in wins?” said former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who coached under Parcells and Payton in Dallas in 2005.

“That’s some prodigal-son (expletive), right there.”

Still, Parcells and Payton talk frequently. Still, the lessons from his three years in Dallas form the genesis of who Payton is as a head coach.

Still, Parcells’ fingertips are everywhere, lingering on the fabric of Payton’s 2025 Broncos.

•�Ģ�Ģ

Parcells taught Payton, in his own way, that there are multiple ways to win a football game.

In 2003, Dan Campbell hit free agency after beginning his NFL career under Payton’s offensive regime with the New York Giants. After Payton was hired in Dallas, he banged on the table for Parcells to bring in Campbell. A month later, once Campbell signed, Payton told the tight end that he couldn’t pass up the opportunity in his coaching career to learn from Parcells.

“Sean’s always been, man, a creative play-caller, a creative game-plan designer,” said Campbell, later an assistant for Payton in New Orleans and now the head coach of the surging Detroit Lions.

“But I think what he really learned under Bill were those things — the psyche of the game, how you truly go in to win a game,” Campbell continued. “They’re not all the same. They’re all different. And I thought that really elevated Sean as a coach.”

In 2005, Payton’s final year in Dallas, the Cowboys ran a ball-control offense. Payton, however, was a high-volume coach. In the shadows, he and running backs coach Lynn would stealthily slip a few extra concepts into the weekly game plan. Eventually, the call-sheet grew to roughly 65 plays.

Then Parcells came by one day.

“I know what you little (expletives) are doing,” Parcells told them, as Lynn remembered. “Take those extra plays out.”

“He always said, ‘Coordinators with a lot of volume are insecure — don’t be an insecure coordinator,'” Lynn recalled. “And I think that was kind of the case. We didn’t feel like we had enough bullets.”

A few weeks later, the Kansas City Chiefs’ high-powered attack came to town, led by quarterback Trent Green and All-Pro running back Larry Johnson. Parcells recognized his Cowboys needed to go blow-for-blow. So he summoned Payton and Lynn.

“He goes, ‘Hey, you know that stuff I said about not having enough plays, and having too many plays, and being insecure?’” Lynn recalled. “He goes, ‘To hell with all that. Throw the whole kitchen sink at ‘em. I want every frickin’ trick play we have.'”

The Cowboys won a shootout, 31-28.

Two decades later, Payton lives on both extremes of that same spectrum. He is one of the league’s most notorious personnel-shifters — at times confounding both opposing defensive coordinators and his own offenses — and one of the league’s quickest to pull tricks from the sleeves of his hoodie. Sometimes he fires too many bullets, like in the Broncos’ Week 1 win over the Titans, when Payton called a go-ball on a fourth-and-8 that didn’t hit and gave Tennessee the ball back. Sometimes he connects, .

He can also be ruthless with sheer simplicity: wearing the Titans down in Week 1 and the Bengals down in Week 4 with a two-headed run game of Harvey and J.K. Dobbins.

“Bill used to say that all the time — ‘Are you paying attention to how the game’s being played?’” Payton recalled after that Week 1 win. “That may impact how you call a game, on either side of the ball.”

•�Ģ�Ģ

Parcells taught Payton, in his own way, how to push buttons.

There were three ways to stay out of the Parcells doghouse. Know what to do. Execute. And don’t get hurt often. Failing any of the three meant opening oneself to a specific kind of wrath from a man who, as Fujita put it, could “look right through you and make you feel about two inches tall.”

In that same vein, Parcells knew how to snip external narratives and twist them into barbs within his own facility. Campbell remembers Parcells putting up a swarm of hand-drawn signs around the building.

NFL stands for Not For Long. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. 

And, of course, there’s an all-time Parcells metaphor, which Payton took and ran with in New Orleans. Players and coaches would walk in on a game week and occasionally see mousetraps cocked and ready in the corners of the facility.

The message was simple. And not entirely subtle. If the locker room was riding high, or if the team was favored heavily against a particular opponent, Parcells would whip out the mousetraps. Payton would do the same with his Saints. Daring someone, as Lynn put it, to “bite the cheese.”

“He was huge,” Shanle said of Payton, “on Don’t Take the Cheese Week.”

Eventually, the Padawan became a “master manipulator” in his own right, as Fujita put it. Sometimes, in New Orleans, Payton would put gas cans in veterans’ lockers and ask if they had enough gas left in the tank, as Shanle remembered. Once, before a game against the St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles) and star running back Steven Jackson, Payton poked his head into the linebackers’ meeting room.

“I’m just making sure none of the linebackers,” Payton said, “have the Steven Jackson Flu this week.”

“He always just found a way that pissed you off a little bit,” Shanle recalled, “to get you to play your best.”

Last year, after Denver’s 227-pound rookie running back Audric Estime fumbled the rock on his first NFL carry, . One was a picture of elusive Lions great Barry Sanders. One was a picture of powerful Steelers great Jerome Bettis.

The picture of Sanders had a circle around it with a red line slashed through.

“He demanded respect, and everybody respected him,” said Campbell, who coached under Payton from 2016-2020 in New Orleans before taking the head job in Detroit. “Doesn’t mean everybody liked him, but that didn’t matter. The respect was there, just like Parcells.

“And man, nothing went unnoticed,” Campbell continued. “Nothing went unnoticed. And sometimes I think that gets lost. It����ap like, man — there’s a lot of young, promising coaches. But if you don’t deliver discipline, and you don’t demand excellence out of your players, well, you’re just spinning your wheels.

“And that is Sean’s superpower, man.”

•�Ģ�Ģ

Parcells taught Payton, in his own way, to bring in players he could trust.

Over the course of four up-and-down years with the Cowboys, Parcells (34-30 in Dallas) restocked the locker room with long-in-the-tooth vets from his older days in a headset. In came wide receiver Terry Glenn, whom Parcells drafted seventh overall in 1996 with the Patriots. In came quarterback Drew Bledsoe, whom Parcells drafted first overall in 1993 with the Patriots. In came defensive lineman Jason Ferguson, whom Parcells drafted in the seventh round in 1997 with the Jets.

“I think the one thing Bill taught Sean is, you need to have your guys,” Shanle said.

After he was hired in New Orleans in 2006, Payton traded for Shanle and signed Fujita to yank two members of the Cowboys’ linebacker corps over to the Saints. He signed Campbell as a free agent in 2009 and signed former Dallas starting running back Julius Jones in 2010. Since arriving in Denver in 2022 after a one-year coaching hiatus, Payton’s pulled former allies from his days in New Orleans: kicker Wil Lutz, defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, tight end Adam Trautman.

“It’s a badge of honor to be a Parcells guy, or to be a Payton guy,” Shanle said.

Shanle, who is now an analyst on New Orleans’ “Saints Gameday Live,” watched Payton’s Broncos clobber the Saints 33-10 last October. He watched a group, still playing without many expectations, that was fundamentally sound and rarely in the wrong spot. He watched a group that didn’t beat itself and felt a growing sense of deja vu.

After that Broncos win, Shanle talked with Zach Strief, a former teammate with the Saints and now Payton’s offensive line coach in Denver.

“Man, you guys took the formula to Denver,” Shanle told Strief.

This formula now drives the makeup of successful Payton teams: Smart. Tough. Gritty.

It was the identity of his 2006 New Orleans Saints, who went from 3-13 in 2005 all the way to an NFC Championship Game appearance. It was the identity of his 2024 Broncos, who roared to a surprise Wild Card berth. Time will tell if it’s the identity of this ’25 team in Denver, carrying a 2-2 record and a heap of mental mistakes into a massive game in Philadelphia.

“There’s a certain type of player profile that Sean Payton wants,” Shanle said. “And he knows exactly what he’s looking for.

“And that same type of player profile is a Bill Parcells player profile.”

Where Sean Payton stands

Sean Payton is a win away from surpassing Bill Parcells for total wins as an NFL head coach. While he’s still got a long way to go before reaching the top five, he and several current head coaches are slowly moving up the ladder. 

Source: | + Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame | Current head coach in bold.

After catching a pass for a third-down conversion late in the third quarter of Denver’s 20-12 win over the Titans on Sunday, tight end Evan Engram came up limping back to the sideline. He walked gingerly to a medical tent on the sideline and quickly emerged, seeming to test that lower right leg on the sidelines.

Engram was ruled questionable in the fourth quarter with a calf injury, though, and didn’t return.

It was a cruel development in an ugly Week 1 win, Denver’s passing offense already sputtering before Engram’s exit. Cruel, too, that it happened with Engram doing the thing — operating as a safety valve for quarterback Bo Nix to move the chains — that prompted Denver to sign him in the first place. Engram finished his abbreviated Broncos debut with three catches for 21 yards on four targets.

Denver will likely play it conservatively with the 31-year-old if the calf injury is serious, as the tight end comes with an injury history. He played just nine games in 2024 after tearing his labrum. The Broncos are already down another key veteran newcomer in linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who didn’t play Sunday amid a continued battle with a quad injury.

Badie wins RB3 job as McLaughlin sits: On Sunday morning, backfield stalwart Jaleel McLaughlin posted a tiny message to his Instagram story, hidden in the bottom right of a photo of Denver’s practice field:

“Better days coming.”

A few hours later, the reason became clear, as McLaughlin was rendered inactive in favor of third-string back Tyler Badie. It marked a full-scale overhaul of a disappointing Denver backfield from last season, as none of the Broncos’ top three backs by total carries in 2024 — Javonte Williams, McLaughlin and Audric Estime — took a handoff at Empower Field to start the 2025 season.

Badie earned head coach Sean Payton’s favor with a terrific camp. The fourth-year back cracked an initial 53-man roster for the first time in his career on the back of demonstrated pass-protection and receiving skills.

“He’s good in the protections,” Payton said in August. “When the fronts move around, he’s a good receiver.”

Badie, though, struggled Sunday, catching just two of six first-half targets. His usage was cut substantially in the second half, and McLaughlin will likely continue competing for Denver’s RB3 spot this coming week.

Rookies inactive: Denver also didn’t dress third-round DL Sai’vion Jones or fourth-round OLB Que Robinson, even after DT Malcolm Roach (calf) was placed on injured reserve this weekend. It’s a nod to Denver’s depth across the front, as there are two full sets of rotations ahead of both rookies.

“I’m older,” Estime said after Denver’s first preseason game when asked to evaluate why he felt he’s a better back. “I’m in my second year in my offense, I’m playing more, I’m playing faster.”

RELATED: Broncos roster analysis: Improved depth, continuity leave Sean Payton, George Paton with good problems

Sean Payton still has hope in him, too, even as he broke the news no player wants to hear. The Broncos head coach sat for what he called a “long visit” with Estime on Monday, amid roster cutdowns. The 2024 fifth-round pick didn’t make it. But maybe Estime could make it back to Denver by Wednesday’s final practice-squad deadline.

“His career’s not, by any chance, over,” Payton told reporters Tuesday.

Still, as the Broncos officially took Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie ahead of Estime at running back, Payton made clear the decision to cut the 21-year-old Estime was a “combination” of things. Partly his development. Partly Denver’s ground game moving on ahead of him.

“There’s also a credit to Badie’s experience, but also some of his versatility,” Payton said. “Clearly, when you add and have the ability to sign a (J.K.) Dobbins and draft a (RJ) Harvey, that room changed immediately, and the competition changed immediately.”

As the Broncos finalize their 16-man reserve unit, they could target Estime if no team claims him. And Payton affirmed Tuesday that the Broncos hope to keep primarily players from their own camp — as opposed to any future additions that clear league waivers — on that practice squad.

“I’m just blessed to be a part of this roster,” Estime said after the Broncos’ final preseason game Saturday. “Hopefully, I will be a part of this roster going forward.”

This year? The caffeine intake probably jumped considerably at Broncos Park on Tuesday morning.

Denver head coach Sean Payton said the club’s coaches and front office spent somewhere in the neighborhood of six hours Monday night poring over final 53-man roster decisions.

For a team that considers itself a Super Bowl contender, the long night of work signified progress, even if the decisions at hand were difficult to make.

“There was a lot of discussion and film, and it was very evident that we’re deeper,” Payton said Tuesday after the initial roster was set. “Just based on the meeting and the process, that was very clear. And I think it was clear in the preseason games as you watched them. When the second wave and third wave went in, it was good football.”

In the end, the Broncos ended up with a no-nonsense 53-man roster that leans into their strengths, builds on the talented 2024 group that ended the club’s playoff drought, and leaves what few weaknesses or question marks remain to be sorted out in the coming days as the practice squad fills up.

After years of turnover, this is a group that boasts real continuity.

The 53-man roster is only a snapshot in time, but comparing the 2024 and 2025 initial groups shows just how far the club has come under Payton and general manager George Paton.

A whopping 39 players from 2024’s initial roster are back on the 2025 53-man.

That includes what might be the envy of the league: 15 of 16 combined defensive and offensive linemen are back. The Broncos have the same nine offensive linemen as they did a year ago. The only change on the defensive line of scrimmage is that Denver traded up to select Sai’vion Jones in the third round of April’s draft and opted to keep seven this year rather than six.

“It����ap a testament to the work that����ap been done here over the last three years of identifying players and putting them in position to be successful and developing the talent that we have here,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “Certainly, in my position group, we’ve had a lot of continuity. … (We’re) returning everybody from the two-deep plus to our roster, and I’ve very rarely seen that. And I think that����ap what we’re doing at a lot of position groups.”

Of the 14 newcomers from last year’s initial roster, seven are rookies and four are marquee free agent signings. Half of the changes come at the positions Denver committed to fortifying this offseason: Running back (three new), inside linebacker (two new), tight end (one new) and safety (one new). In each of those instances, the Broncos even kept the same number of players this year compared to last year, but they swapped in newcomers like J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in the backfield, Evan Engram at tight end, Dre Greenlaw at inside linebacker and Talanoa Hufanga at safety.

“I mentioned earlier that I think there will be some players that play on other teams’ rosters and one of them was (receiver Devaughn Vele) in the trade, but that����ap part of the deal,” Payton said. “That����ap why the meeting last night was long.”

There are always tactical decisions to be made, and this year the Broncos skewed toward their status as a contender.

The Broncos were willing to risk losing athletic-but-raw seventh-round tight end Caleb Lohner on the waiver wire but not undrafted inside linebacker Karene Reid.

Lohner’s a worthy development project, and perhaps that arc will continue in Denver if he clears waivers and makes it back to the practice squad. But they see Reid as a functional backup and potential special teams contributor right away. So they kept him over Lohner and also over fellow inside linebacker Levelle Bailey. Denver has gambled with Bailey on the waiver wire before and now will try it again.

There are players whose developmental arcs were worth protecting on the active roster — Payton said the team fielded calls from three other teams asking if second-year tackle Frank Crum was available — but for the most part, the active roster is full of guys who have played and contributed before, plus a set of young players the Broncos are likely to count on this year. Maybe early in the season.

Case in point: Payton said the club had a clear enough idea about its roster decisions that the preseason finale at New Orleans meant more for players on the wrong side of the 53-man roster bubble than anybody else.

“The last game helped us in a number of different ways and maybe even more relative to the practice squad than the active roster,” Payton said.

There are still questions to be answered. Fullback Mike Burton is out for the season with a hamstring injury that required surgery, so the team must find one for its practice squad. The tight end and inside linebacker groups are a bit in flux.

Payton acknowledged the team now doesn’t have any control over whether young, former draft picks who have talent and potential, like running back Audric Estime and cornerback Damarri Mathis, make it through waivers. But when push came to shove in recent days and through that Monday night meeting, Payton and the Broncos kept coming back to areas of strength.

The defensive line? So good, Denver decided it didn’t have room to keep a third quarterback in Sam Ehlinger, whom they hope to get back to the practice squad.

“A lot of it varies when you look at the other components of your roster,” Payton said.

The offensive line? Deep enough that no newcomer was able to force his way onto the roster.

Cornerback? Denver deploys a quintet strong enough to push players who might make a lot of rosters, like Mathis and Reese Taylor, onto the waiver wire.

None of this guarantees the Broncos get off to a faster start in 2025 than they have the past two years — a goal Payton believes is critical to this group’s aspirations.

What it shows, though, is why the last round of decisions got so tough for the Broncos as Monday night got late.

For maybe the first time in Payton’s tenure, Denver had more players he wanted to keep than the club is allowed to.

“We believe in the people that are in this building and we believe in the coaches that are developing the talent,” McGlinchey said. “That definitely makes it tougher on the guys upstairs to figure out what happens over that last three days.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron was absent from all team and individual work at Dove Valley on Tuesday, a few days after he missed Friday’s practice with what Sean Payton called a “soft-tissue” injury. Barron, though, traveled to New Orleans and played eight snaps in the Broncos’ 28-19 win over the Saints on Saturday.

As he competes for the starting nickel job with Ja’Quan McMillian, Barron was one of five cornerbacks to make the Broncos’ initial roster Tuesday, along with Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss and Kris Abrams-Draine.

“I think patience is a virtue, especially in this league,” Surtain said Tuesday when asked about Barron playing behind McMillian. “Especially in this league — it’s always next man up, so whenever your name is called, you gotta show out.”

“I think he knows that,” Surtain continued, a few words later. “He’s a pro at what he does. So, he’s going to be out there making plays for us, and it’s all about him continuing to grow and get better.”

Empty on fullbacks: Payton said starting fullback Michael Burton will be placed on season-ending injured reserve after hamstring surgery, an injury that’s nagged Burton throughout camp. Denver’s alternative fullback option, Nate Adkins (ankle), meanwhile, will still be out for at least a week or two to start the year, and the Broncos cut recent signee Adam Prentice on Tuesday. That means nobody’s currently healthy in an important “F” role in Payton’s offense.

“I think you’ll begin to see it develop,” Payton said cryptically when asked about the Broncos’ plan at fullback.

The easiest possible solution is the Broncos take Prentice to their practice squad and elevate him for the first three games of the year, similar to what they did with Burton last year. There’s a couple of intriguing names floating on the waiver wire, too, such as former Kansas City hybrid back Carson Steele.

Denver wants to keep their QB3: Sam Ehlinger was Denver’s 54th man, for all intents and purposes, the quarterback winding up as the Broncos’ final cut Tuesday. Payton made clear, though, that the Broncos hope to re-sign Ehlinger.

“Sam’s a guy,” Payton said, “that we want back.”

The 26-year-old Ehlinger is a vested veteran, meaning he won’t be subject to waivers and can thereby sign with any team he chooses. Every NFL team will carry three quarterbacks — whether on the active roster or total with the practice squad — when the season begins, Payton said. And if Ehlinger opts to sign somewhere else, the Broncos will likely have to turn to the wire or the veteran market themselves for a practice-squad QB3.

Broncos don’t pick between Jordan Jackson, Eyioma Uwazurike: It’s wholly unconventional for an NFL team to bring more than six guys on their defensive line into the season. Denver took six last year, and five during Payton’s first year in 2023. But the Broncos have been running Jackson and Uwazurike side by side on their second-team and goal-line units throughout camp, and in a sneaky-good position battle, wound up simply taking both. That left the Broncos with seven defensive linemen Tuesday.

“Even with the practice squad,” Payton said Tuesday, “we still have to value the player over the quota.”

Both Jackson and Uwazurike should be in line to play significant rotational snaps, assuming Denver doesn’t make a trade amid continuing roster shuffle.

But as training camp developed, it soon became impossible �Դdz���to count the names in perhaps the tightest position battle on the roster. J.K. Dobbins was signed as Denver’s potential RB1 late in free agency. RJ Harvey was drafted in the second round to pour in some game-changing juice. Jaleel McLaughlin was back to scamper around. Tyler Badie, Audric Estime and Blake Watson each had their own case for making Denver’s 53-man. And thus, Payton’s tune changed come mid-August.

Broncos roster cutdown tracker: Denver waiving RBs Audric Estime, Blake Watson as competition whittles

"You start looking at Badie, and then you start looking at Blake and then Jaleel, Audric," Payton said after the Broncos' joint practice with the Cardinals Aug. 14. "You guys can do the math."

The equation was simple enough: Two of the six needed to be subtracted, with Denver likely to carry four backs into the regular season. And on the day before Tuesday's roster-cutdown deadline, the Broncos waived Estime and Watson, sources told The Denver Post.

Denver will move forward without its 2024 fifth-round pick if Estime is claimed off waivers. The writing's been etched on the wall with pencil and then pen and then permanent marker, a short nine months away from the then-rookie pacing Denver in carries against the Chiefs in November. Estime was scratched against Buffalo in January. Then the Broncos drafted Harvey in April. Then they signed Dobbins in June.

Still, Estime was the youngest player on the Broncos' roster at 21 years old. Still, he offered a power-back frame unique in Denver's room. Still, he ran for 45 yards on eight carries in the Broncos' final preseason game against New Orleans, his 227-pound legs not toppling without a fight.

"I feel like I did what I needed to do to put myself in position to be on it, " Estime said, after the Broncos beat the Saints 28-19. "But end of the day, Sean knows what����ap best for this team. And I’m putting my trust in God, and I feel like I did what I needed to do.

"I'm proud of my progression," he continued. "I definitely got better from last year to this year."

Watson did, too. The 2024 undrafted free agent signee showcased serious burst and pass-catching chops throughout camp. Still, both were left at the back of the Broncos' rotation throughout the preseason. And their cuts likely indicate Badie — a 2022 sixth-round pick by the Ravens who's never once cracked a team's initial 53-man — has solidified himself as RB4 in Denver.

Maybe higher, too, after Badie's drawn praise for his pass-catching and pass-protection all camp.

"He can play in the two-minute, and we activated him late in the year at a playoff game," Payton said Aug. 14. "There’s some savviness to his game."

Estime and Watson still could both stick around. It would make little sense for the Broncos to turn their back fully on a 21-year-old fifth-round back if he cleared waivers. A source told The Post the club has expressed interest in putting Watson back on their practice squad if he isn't picked up. But the backfield competition for the active roster is likely over, signaling an equally fascinating competition to come: How will touches be divvied up come Week 1?

Dobbins hasn't gotten a single carry this preseason, which Payton indicated was by design. Still, the free-agent import should be in line for top touches come Week 1 in a time-share of sorts with Harvey. McLaughlin and Badie, meanwhile, will jockey for change-of-pace and third-down work in a run game that Payton hopes will be "markedly different" from a middling 2024 output.

"It����ap not always going to be perfect," Payton said in mid-August, "but that����ap the magic of the good back."

Broncos cut former starting corner: Denver's also parting ways with a 2022 fourth-round pick on defense, as a source confirmed to The Post that the Broncos are cutting cornerback Damarri Mathis.

After recording 65 tackles his rookie year, Mathis struggled heavily in 2023 and played just 82 snaps last season. He's authored a good camp, and could be picked up by a corner-needy team before Wednesday's waiver deadline. The Broncos, though, were always likely to cut him, as they'll now save $3.4 million in cap space that they can put toward potential waiver claims.

Other moves: As of Monday evening, the Broncos had made 12 total cuts, which brings their roster total down from 90 to 78: OLB Andrew Farmer, WR Joaquin Davis, CB Micah Abraham, CB Joshua Pickett, OL Clay Webb, OL Xavier Truss, DL Michael Dwumfour, OLB Garrett Nelson, WR Jerjuan Newton, Estime, Watson and Mathis.

Pickett and Watson will both receive injury settlements. Undrafted rookies Davis and Newton are natural practice-squad candidates after strong camps, as are Webb and Truss for offensive-line depth.