As training camp gets closer, the Broncos are staring at a familiar kind of roster question: how do you keep a mostly intact team from looking too much like the one that already came up short? Denver brought back the bulk of its starting unit, and that makes change harder to find. But one of the clearest ways to shake things up is to alter the pecking order, and a handful of veterans are suddenly in the crosshairs.
At cornerback, the pressure on Riley Moss is real. He’s been a good player for Denver, but he could lose his starting job to 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron.
If Barron takes over, the most likely next step is a trade for Moss. With Moss entering the final year of his deal and his trade value at an all-time high, the Broncos probably wouldn’t want him sitting in a depth role if he’s no longer starting.
That would make a move sooner rather than later the more logical path.
Marvin Mims is another name that keeps coming up in trade talk, though his situation is different. Unlike Moss, there isn’t a first-round pick waiting to replace him.
Trading Mims would be a bad idea, considering how much he helps the offense with his return ability and his reliability on offense. Still, he has been vocal about not liking his offensive role, and that’s the kind of thing Sean Payton doesn’t take lightly.
On the offensive line, Ben Powers is another veteran who could be under the microscope. Denver made it clear this offseason that he was their starting left guard when they chose to keep him, but the financial side of the equation still matters.
If the Broncos moved on, they could clear a lot of cap space to roll over into next year, and they aren’t in a strong spot financially. Alex Palczewski could factor in, but Kage Casey is the one to watch most closely.
If Casey makes a real push, Powers could slide down the depth chart or even off the roster, though that still feels unlikely.
At tight end, Evan Engram’s status is also worth watching. He isn’t the starting tight end - that role belongs to Adam Trautman - but he is the starting receiving tight end, and that job could be vulnerable.
Engram’s 2025 season was bad, marked by problems catching the ball and a lack of chemistry with Bo Nix. If Justin Joly or another receiving tight end steps up and builds better chemistry with Nix, Engram could be the one who loses ground.
Then there’s the situation with one veteran whose legal issues are part of the picture, but not the whole story. His play has tended to fall off late in the season, and Denver’s depth at the position gives the team options.
He’s also had trouble on early downs. A benching still seems unlikely, but if there isn’t a suspension or something else tied to the legal situation, the Broncos could try a different approach early in the season to keep him fresher later and avoid the late-season drop-off.
In Other News...
Broncos Future Just Took A Concerning Turn Around Bo Nix
The Broncos push to win now is starting to show up in places that matter beyond the standings. ESPNs Aaron Schatz ranked Denver 31st in his under-25 player rankings, a reminder that the roster Bo Nix is stepping into does not have a deep base of young, high-impact talent. For a team trying to build something sustainable around a young quarterback, that kind of placement is a warning sign, especially when the front office has already leaned into present-day upgrades over long-term stockpiling.
Denvers recent approach has made the tension even clearer. The Broncos are expected to stay in the mix in the near term, but the path they chose leaves less room for error later, and their future draft flexibility has already been trimmed in the name of immediate contention. There are a few notable young pieces on the roster, but the bigger question is whether that group can grow fast enough to keep the window open once the current push starts to age. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Bubble Watch Just Put A Few Familiar Names In Danger
With training camp still ahead, the Broncos are already sorting through a 53-man roster picture that looks fairly clear at the top and messy at the margins. The projection leaves roughly 40 to 45 players as near-locks, then starts weighing the kinds of depth decisions that often decide a roster in late August, from quarterback and running back to the offensive line and linebacker spots.
A few familiar names sit in the middle of that squeeze, where special teams value, positional flexibility and practice-squad logic can matter as much as raw talent. Denvers staff will have to decide how much room to leave for a third quarterback, whether extra receiver depth is worth a roster spot, and how to balance the back end of the line and front seven before the final cuts turn those debates into answers. [Read more 🡒]