As of Saturday night, it appears as if the roster for the Denver Broncos is set and preparations begin on Monday morning for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While changes are still possible, it is a good time to take a look at the depth chart for the Broncos. As with any team, some positions are deeper than others.
Quarterback: The depth is great in the sense that Peyton Manning is the starter and if he gets hurt, then it really does not matter who the backup is. For the record, Manning will be backed up by Caleb Hanie and Brock Osweiler will serve as the third quarterback. As the season goes on, there’s a decent chance that Osweiler will move up to the second spot.
Running back- This is one of the deeper spots for the Broncos and it is led by Willis McGahee and Ronnie Hillman. Lance ball is listed as number two but Hillman will be the main guy in tandem with McGahee. Knowshon Moreno will provide some additional depth as well.
Wide receivers- The Broncos are fine at receiver as well, the names may not be familiar around the country but the have everything the need. Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas are the starters. Andre Caldwell and Brandon Stokley provide the depth and will play important roles in three and four receiver sets. The fifth receiver is Matthew Willis, he will help on special teams, and at receiver when needed.
Tight end- The group is led by veterans, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dressen. They will be very good targets for Manning but their only backup is, Julius Thomas and that’s a little scary. Thomas has not lived up to his talent to date.
Offensive line- The starting five even without Ckris Kuper has been solid in the preseason. The depth is a little spotty and could be a concern if there is another injury.
Defensive line- It’s hard to believe I am saying this but this might be the deepest position on the team. For so long, it was a black hole for the Broncos but not anymore. Some of the names include: Elvis Dumervil, Derek Wolfe, Ty Warren and Justin Bannan. The four behind those starters aren’t as good but their rotation should be very solid. The name that is intriguing to me is rookie, Malik Jackson. Keep your eye on Jackson, he could be one of those late round steals.
Linebacker- This is the scariest position in terms of depth, the starters are fine especially Von Miller and Joe Mays. There’s some talent behind the starters but it is either really young or a tad older. Rookie Danny Trevathan and second year pro Nate Irving are the two who must step up and play well when needed. The Broncos are hopeful that veteran, Keith Brooking can squeeze one more year out of a great career and provide some depth as well.
Secondary- The group led by Champ Bailey and Mike Adams is very deep. Tracy Porter and Rahim Moore round out the starters in the secondary but there is plenty of talent behind those four. Second year cornerback, Chris Harris is a rising star and Quinton Carter provides excellent depth at the safety position. Two other names to keep an eye on are rookie cornerback, Omar Bolden and veteran safety Jim Leonhard. The secondary was the weak spot of the defense in 2011 but should be much improved in 2012.
That’s how the early depth chart shapes up for the Denver Broncos but that can change after one practice or one game. This much is true, though, the Broncos are much deeper going into this season than they were at any point last season.
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