Broncos Depth Chart Accuracy Review
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Back in the beginning of July, I took a shot at predicting the Denver Broncos 53-man roster and some people I thought would take a practice squad spot and usually have to review it after the official roster is announced.
Offensive Roster Spots Prediction
Defense, Special Teams and Practice Squad prediction
I will go position by position and comment on the players kept versus the players that I predicted. I think it is worth calling out that players like Tim Patrick, K’waun Williams, Billy Turner, Michael Ojemudia and Greg Dulcich were all still either healthy or being talked about like they would be ready for the first pre-season game, so I reserve the right to be wrong that those guys aren’t technically included in the 53-man.
ill be referencing the Mile High Sports article for the most up-to-date 53-man roster
Quarterback (2/2 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Russell Wilson, Brett Rypien
After I made this prediction that the Broncos would keep Brett Rypien over Josh Johnson, I was shocked when Johnson started the first and second preseason game and fully expected to have gotten this one wrong. I do think that Brett played well enough to keep his spot and he orchestrated the offense well and lead a lot of scoring drives. I’m glad I was correct on this prediction
Offensive Line (7/9 Correct)
Active roster members – Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz, Billy Turner, Calvin Anderson, Cam Fleming, Luke Wattenberg, Graham Glasgow
In my predictions I had estimated that the Free Agent acquisition of Tom Compton would be a bigger signing and that he would own the roster spot that Cam Flemming solidified. I also speculated that I didn’t think the Luke Wattenberg draft pick made any sense because of how that offensive line room was already built. Many people, myself included, were shocked that the Broncos kept Luke Wattenberg and let Netane Muti slide to the practice squad, we will see how this move pans out. Those were the only two roster spots I got wrong in the prediction
Running Back (3/3 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon, Mike Boone
I think this was probably the easiest room on the entire roster to predict. Melvin and Javonte were locks and Mike Boone was a sure thing unless someone in the pre-season absolutely went OFF. No other back in the Broncos pre-season did anything spectacular, so this room stays how it was last year.
Wide receiver (5/7 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler, Jerry Jeudy, Montrell Washington, Jalen Virgil, Tyrie Cleveland
I refuse to accept that I was “wrong” that Tim Patrick isn’t on the active roster because of injury, so I’m counting that as a correct prediction… That being said, I had no clue who Jalen Virgil was before training camp, I was almost certain that Hall of Famer Kendall Hinton would be on the active roster. In my follow up section after predicting the roster, I called out that I thought Seth Williams was a bubble candidate if Kendall didn’t make the roster.
Now, I spaced Tyrie Cleveland, he didn’t even play in the pre-season because of a throat injury, so I am shocked that with Seth Williams and Brandon Johnson performing so well in the pre-season, that Cleveland holds a roster spot. That being said, Cleveland looked incredible in last years pre-season and I think he probably holds this roster spot for a reason. Tyrie is probably a good understudy to Tim Patrick to try and replace him on the roster.
I went to one Training Camp practice, and in my notes, I wrote down #17 is really hard to not notice. And then I also wrote, “who the hell is Jalen Virgil??”… so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise he made the roster, but I predicted before I attended Training Camp.
Tight Ends (3/5 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Albert Okwuegbunam, Greg Dulcich, Eric Saubert, Andrew Beck, Eric Tomlinson
If I’m honest here, I was confident that this room was going to be one of the hardest fought battles in all of the off-season, but I did not anticipate them keeping all five guys that were competing. I predicted a 3-man Tight End room of Albert O, Greg Dulcich, and Eric Tomlinson because of his off-season FA acquisition… I loved Saubert in the pre-season, and I am semi confused about the Andrew Beck signing. Beck must be a good special teamer, and his versatility as a TE/FB must make him more valuable than I recognized.
Offense – 20/25 Correct (80% accuracy)
Defensive Line (5/6 Correct)
Active Roster members – Dre’Mont Jones, D.J. Jones, DeShawn Williams, Matt Henningsen, Eyioma Uwazurike, Mike Purcel
I thought Matt Henningsen had a chance to make the roster and I called that out in the article, but I thought forsure that McTelvin Agim was going to earn his roster spot. i thought McTelvin had an insane pre-season and especially showed out in the finale, where he had multiple sacks and multiple PBUs. But I guess he didn’t do enough to stave off the younger, cheaper Henningsen.
Inside Linebackers (4/4 Correct)
Active Roster members – Josey Jewell, Jonas Griffith, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad
I think this room was pretty easily identified in my mind. Jonas Griffith getting injured in the first preseason game was terrifying but he recovered quickly. The Broncos bringing in Joe Schobert made me believed that I was going to be wrong on this prediction after the injury, but Joe was on the field during the absolute drubbing the Broncos endured to the Buffalo Bills and was cut the next day.
Outside Linebackers (5/6 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Bradley Chubb, Randy Gregory, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Aaron Patrick
I, like many other fans, was shocked the Broncos traded Malik Reed, so the fact that he is now in Pittsburgh messed up my prediction a bit. Now, I have never heard Aaron Patrick’s name, and never made a note of him even during the pre-season, so the fact that the Broncos traded Malik and Patrick has a roster spot is still surprising to me. That doesn’t mean that Aaron Patrick can’t have an impact and be a good special teamer, but I guess the logjam at the OLB position gave the Broncos the freedom to shed salary cap and cut a starter from a season ago.
I was on the Jonathan Cooper bandwagon after what he showcased last season, so I loved him making the 53-man. On pre-season depth charts at one point he was the last string OLB, which made me go to twitter to argue about. His story is so good, and he was an impact player when on the field routinely creating pressure and making plays in the backfield.
Cornerback (5/6 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Patrick Surtain II, Ronald Darby, K’Waun Williams, Darius Phillips, Michael Ojemudia, Damarri Mathis
If I wrote this article the second the 53-man roster was announced I would have been 100%, identifying Essang Bassey as the final Broncos Cornerback. He was on the initial roster, then when Darius Phillips was waived by the Raiders, the Broncos cleared Bassey to open the roster spot for him. That being said, that single roster spot was the only one that was open for debate. It was either Faion Hicks, Essang Bassey or somebody else.
Safety (4/5 Correct)
Active Roster Members – Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, P.J. Locke, Caden Sterns, Delarrin Turner-Yell
I knew that PJ Locke was a good player and that the last spot in the safety room was up for grabs, but I didn’t think Jamar Johnson deserved getting cut the way he did. I liked him as a special teamer in his rookie year where he was constantly making plays on kick and punt coverage, then he lead the team in tackles in the first pre-season game… only to be cut the next day. Now, maybe there was more to his getting cut than I am aware of, but PJ Locke and Dalarrin Turner-Yell as the last two safeties on the depth chart will be a good special teams and a developmental tandem.
Defense 23/27 Correct (85% Accuracy)
Specialists (2/3 Correct)
Punter – Corliss Waitman
Long Snapper – Jacob Bobenmeyer
Kicker – Brandon McManus
Jacob Bobenmeyer tried his damndest to not make this roster having a bad snap in the pre-season finale, making a boneheaded play where he ran a fielded punt into the end zone for a touchback instead of downing it inside the 5-yard line., but the Broncos kept him. We knew that Sam Martin’s roster spot was not secure, as he was an expensive and talented punter, but he played really well in the pre-season besides getting injured before game two goofing around in warm ups. Martin landed on the Bills and will be an asset for them without a doubt. Brandon McManus was a sure thing, and looked great in the pre-season.
Full Roster Accuracy – 43/53 Correct – 81% Accuracy
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