Broncos general manager George Paton has done a great job of assembling a competitive roster through the draft, free agency, and trades. According to PFF, the Broncos catapulted all the way up to spot number 10 in their recent power rankings for the 2022 season. The current Broncos roster is well built, but it will eventually need to be trimmed down to 53 men. Here are some players that might find themselves fighting for a roster spot.
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Broncos players on the roster bubble
Tyrie Cleveland – Wide Reciever
The Broncos drafted Cleveland in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. When the time came for 2020 training camp roster cuts, Cleveland was waived by the team. He was re-signed to the practice squad immediately after. He would end up bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster more than a few times.
Cleveland got some looks as the Broncos' return man. He posted 234 return yards and averaged 23.4 yards per return. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the Broncos have a very stacked wide receiver room, and he has been on the outside looking in. Realistically, Cleveland is the fifth-best wide receiver on the Broncos' depth chart. If the final wide receiver on the roster decision comes down to Kendall Hinton and Cleveland, the team will most likely end up picking Hinton based on the productivity he's shown.
This is no knock on Cleveland's talent. He just finds himself in a situation with an already full wide receiver room. Cleveland could find himself back on the Broncos practice squad, or he could easily make the final roster on a team that isn't as stacked at wide receiver.
Brett Rypien – Quarterback
A surprise to no one, Russell Wilson will be the de facto starting quarterback in Denver. After being signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Rypien has bounced back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster. For the majority of his career, Rypien has been the backup quarterback and even the backup's backup. Rypien got his chance to start when he was named the starter for the Broncos' 2020 week four matchup against the New York Jets. Rypien helped lead the Broncos to a victory over the Jets despite throwing three interceptions against two touchdowns.
During the 2022 offseason, the Broncos signed journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson. Johnson has been in the league since 2009 and holds the veteran edge over Rypien. It is extremely unlikely that the Broncos will carry three quarterbacks on the active roster. This means that training camp and preseason will be a battle between Rypien and Johnson. Will Rypien be able to edge out Johnson? We should get that answer in the next few months.
Eric Tomlinson – Tight End
Tomlinson was signed early in the free agency period. Tomlinson has had himself a journeyman career in the NFL. After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, Tomlinson has bounced around between seven different teams. For the majority of his career, he has been somewhat of a non-factor in the offenses he's been in. His career stats include 18 receptions for 201 yards and one touchdown.
Tomlinson finds himself in a situation similar to Tyrie Cleveland. The Broncos' tight end room is a little cramped. Come time for training camp, Tomlinson will find himself battling for a spot against Albert Okwuegbunam, Eric Saubert, and rookie Greg Dulcich. The likelihood of him beating those three is very slim. If anything, Tomlinson could be kept as tight end number four on the depth chart, and mostly be used for run blocking.
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