LAST CHANCE TONIGHT TO CATCH COACH’S EYE
One player’s night off is another player’s opportunity.
That is how Broncos coach Vance Joseph is in all likelihood emphasizing the importance of Thursday night’s preseason finale at Arizona. After practice Monday, Joseph ruled out 22 players — he wouldn’t say who — and expect that number to swell as kickoff approaches. In last year’s preseason finale, the Broncos sat out 38 of their 90 players.
Additions to this game’s inactive list could include rookies (running back Royce Freeman and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton), prominent backups (guard Max Garcia and cornerback Tramaine Brock) and a newcomer (cornerback Adam Jones).
All of those healthy scratches will equal a final chance to impress for the rest of the roster. Keeping the roster at 90 players will allow Joseph to hold out starters and key reserves without worrying about overtaxing the rest of the depth chart.
“I think for the overall health of the team, you can go into this fourth game and it allows you to preserve your valuable backups,” Joseph said of keeping the full roster until the end of the preseason.
The Broncos have several things to still figure out before
Saturday’s 2 p.m. roster deadline. Here are five objectives:
1. Make sure Kelly is the No. 2.
When Chad Kelly was promoted to the secondteam quarterback ahead of Paxton Lynch after one preseason game, it was assumed the Broncos would soon add a veteran to be the No. 2.
But a combination of factors — Kelly’s play, the lack of free agent options and having pause about giving up a draft pick to acquire a passer — have led to Kelly remaining one snap away from being the starter.
A clean first half at Arizona and Kelly should be the No. 2 entering Week 1.
“I don’t have to sit around and wait until the end of the first quarter or halftime (to play),” Kelly said. “You get to go out there right away and let it loose.”
2. Decide on Isaiah McKenzie.
If the Broncos keep five receivers, it should be cur tains for McKenzie, who hasn’t performed in camp as well as Tim Patrick and River Cracraft.
But if the Broncos keep a sixth receiver, it’ll probably be McKenzie because he has won the punt returner spot.
Enamored with his speed and elusiveness, the Broncos are giving McKenzie every chance to win a roster spot, knowing that if he is exposed on waivers, another team will claim him. 3. Five safeties. Really? Justin Simmons and Darian Stewart are the starters. Su’a Cravens (knee) practiced MondayTuesday and will be the No. 3 safety (playing in the Broncos’ dime package) if he makes it healthy to Sept. 9.
Could the Broncos keep two more backup safeties in Will Parks and Dymonte Thomas?
It makes sense considering Cravens’ injury history and the Broncos’ philosophy of playing three safeties so often. It would come at the expense of an extra linebacker.
4. Any other undrafted gems?
Rookie running back Phillip Lindsay is on a path toward a roster spot.
“I think what No. 2 has done has been real,” Joseph said of Lindsay. “It’s not a fluff story.”
Can pass rusher Jeff Holland join Lindsay as undrafted rookie free agents on the Week 1 roster? Alexander Johnson is technically a rookie, but is 26 years old.
Holland needs a big game against Arizona to force the coaches to keep a fifth edge rusher.
5. Who can play what on OL?
The Broncos know their starting offensive line: Left tackle Garret Bolles, left guard Ron Leary, center Matt Paradis, right guard Connor McGovern and right tackle Jared Veldheer. They know their backup center and backup left guard: McGovern and Max Garcia, respectively.
But this final preseason game will help them establish the final two or three offensive line spots.
If they play guard, watch Billy Turner and Elijah Wilkinson, two tackles by trade. And watch Cyrus Kouandjio at left tackle.