With training camp getting underway and preseason games right around the corner, the Broncos are in the middle of the annual roster squeeze. Most of the group is back from last season, but a few players are still fighting to make sure their names are on the 53-man list when cutdown day arrives.
Adam Prentice is one of the more interesting cases. He’ll be with Denver in some form this season, but the real question is what that looks like.
Because he is a vested veteran, he would not go through waivers if the Broncos cut him, which gives the team some flexibility. It also creates a little risk.
If Prentice makes himself too valuable to release, he’s on the roster. If not, or if he agrees to return on the practice squad, Denver could handle him the way it has with fullbacks before: stash him on the practice squad, use the call-ups, and move him to the active roster when needed.
Michael Burton Humphrey is in a similar spot. He is also a vested veteran, so waivers won’t be part of the equation if Denver moves on from him. He is a Sean Payton favorite, but the Broncos will likely treat him much like Prentice, with an eye toward a practice-squad agreement first and call-ups later.
On the defensive line, Jordan Jackson is trying to hold onto the seventh interior spot again. He finished last year as the seventh man on the unit, and that could be his path once more depending on how camp unfolds. Denver can keep seven there instead of six, especially with how often the team rotates its defensive line, but Jackson still has to earn it.
The biggest challenger to that spot is Matt Henningsen. He got off to a strong start in offseason work and is trying to claw his way back onto the 53-man roster.
That said, he’s been in this position before, and those hot starts have not always lasted through camp and preseason. Jackson is the main obstacle standing between Henningsen and a roster spot.
Quarterback is another spot worth watching. The league’s return to the old rule means a practice-squad quarterback who gets called up can’t serve as the emergency quarterback, so teams are again weighing whether to keep two or three passers.
Based on what has been seen of Ehlinger, his play does not look like that of a player who should be on the 53-man roster. Even so, Denver could decide to carry three quarterbacks to protect itself against injury, especially with Ehlinger drawing significant interest from other teams over the past year.
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