The last major deadline before the start of the regular season is upon us. Today, the Denver Broncos made their roster moves and have their 53-man roster.
Firstly, here’s the full list of transactions.
RELEASED
Player Pos.
Lance Ball RB
C.J. Davis C/G
Jeremiah Johnson RB
Ryan Lilja C/G
Jake O’Connell TE
WAIVED
Player Pos.
Jeremy Beal DE
Philip Blake C/G
Paul Cornick T
Romney Fuga DT
Ben Garland DT
Aaron Hester CB
Damien Holmes LB
Tavarres King WR
Vinston Painter T
Ross Rasner S
Gerell Robinson WR
Lamaar Thomas WR
John Youboty DE
INJURED RESERVE
Player Pos.
Stewart Bradley LB
Lerentee McCray LB
Quanterus Smith DE
RESERVE/ SUSPENDED
Player Pos.
Von Miller LB
Surprising Cut: RB Lance Ball. Definitely up for debate, but with the running back battle likely going to be won by default because of the inconsistency in the preseason, Lance could’ve been kept around as a safety-net of consistent play. And with Ball gone, Knowshon remains as the only back who can currently block for Peyton efficiently.
Glad to see sticking around: DB Quentin Jammer. With the secondary cause for concern with Champ’s injury and center for discussion due to likely lack of pass rush in Von’s absence, the Broncos kept eleven defensive backs on the roster including Jammer. Another debatable move by Denver, but glad to see a play-maker like Jammer staying in town. Play-making ability and versatility is something you just don’t let go, and Jammer brings both to the Broncos in case of injury. The secondary can now become a strong-suit with the depth.
After the final cuts and roster moves.. Ladies and gentlemen, your 53-man depth chart for the 2013-14 Denver Broncos.
Offense
| POS | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | OTHER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | Demaryius Thomas | Andre Caldwell | ||
| LT | Ryan Clady | Chris Clark | ||
| LG | Zane Beadles | Chris Kuper | ||
| C | Manny Ramirez | Steve Vallos | ||
| RG | Louis Vasquez | John Moffitt | ||
| RT | Orlando Franklin | Chris Clark | ||
| TE | Julius Thomas | Joel Dreessen | Jacob Tamme | Virgil Green |
| WR | Eric Decker | Trindon Holliday | ||
| WR | Wes Welker | Eric Decker | ||
| QB | Peyton Manning | Brock Osweiler | Zac Dysert | |
| RB | Ronnie Hillman | Montee Ball | Knowshon Moreno | Jacob Hester C.J. Anderson |
Defense
| POS | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | OTHER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDE | Derek Wolfe | Malik Jackson | ||
| DT | Kevin Vickerson | Mitch Unrein | ||
| NT | Terrance Knighton | Sylvester Williams | ||
| RDE | Robert Ayers | Shaun Phillips | ||
| SLB | Nate Irving | Shaun Phillips | ||
| MLB | Wesley Woodyard | Paris Lenon | ||
| WLB | Danny Trevathan | Steven Johnson | ||
| LCB | Champ Bailey | Chris Harris | Quentin Jammer | |
| RCB | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | Tony Carter | Kayvon Webster | |
| SS | Duke Ihenacho | Mike Adams | ||
| FS | Rahim Moore | David Bruton | Omar Bolden |
Specialists
Britton Colquitt (P)
Matt Prater (K)
Aaron Brewer (LS)
Final Thoughts
Offense looks good, of course. With the survival of Peyton, DT, Welker, and Decker through the preseason. Ronnie Hillman is listed as the starting running back, with Montee coming in second. Something that could easily switch around as the season progresses. Julius Thomas surprisingly listed as the No. 1 tight end. Not surprising if you watched training camp and preseason, but not something we could’ve expected with Tamme and Dreessen
It’s the defense where the questions lie. As noted before, the Broncos will carry eleven defensive backs into the regular season, which clearly makes us question the health of Champ Bailey. Duke Ihenacho starts ahead of Mike Adams at SS with his fantastic training camp and preseason, and Nate Irving gets the gig in place of Von’s vacant cleats ahead of Phillips and the injured Stewart Bradley.
What’s exciting: Seeing Derek Wolfe on the depth chart, period. After his injury scare, it’s nearly unfathomable to see him on the 53-man roster. A great story, especially because I expect him to bring so much more in his second season.
Anthony Rodriguez
Anthony is the Founder, Administrator, Editor and Publisher of Lightning Rod Sports. Originally from California, Anthony has been raised in the Rocky Mountains and Denver area for most of his life. Anthony works with the Emmy-winning student-run T.V. newscast at MSU Denver, The Met Report, as the Assistant General Manager, formerly the Sports Producer, as well as Lead Anchor and Production Assistant. He is currently the Play-by-Play Announcer, Color Commentator, and Production Assistant for the Metro State Broadcast Network, and calls games for Metro State soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball as a “Voice of the Roadrunners.” In addition to that work with the Metro State Broadcast Network, Anthony also hosts the monthly 30-minute magazine show called "The Roadrunner Review" which airs on Altitude Sports and Entertainment. He hosts the bi-weekly "KMet Sports Show" on KMET Radio at MyMetMedia.com/KMETSportsShow. He is also the Founder, Administrator, Editor, and Columnist for his own Denver Sports website, LightningRodSports.com. Anthony is also part of the Social Media team at Examiner.com, and has worked with the Altitude Radio Network for the Avalanche and Nuggets. Anthony is a former Producer for Mile High Sports Radio, as well as a former Sports-Talk show host on the LightningRod Radio Network.
