The Denver Broncos will have some interesting positional battles when training camp opens later this summer but we could also get a glimpse into those when the team holds minicamp this coming week. It is important to note that No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton will be in attendance for that.
Sean Payton will be in his second year as coach and will be looking to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Last season, he had a roster that he mostly inherited. This season, he has had much more influence on how it looks.
That could mean that no player is truly safe as the coach looks to mold and shape the team into his vision. These three players could be on the outside looking in when roster cuts take place later this summer.
Broncos veterans who may be left off 53-man roster
Tim Patrick, Wide receiver
Tim Patrick fits the kind of receiver Payton usually likes to have on his team and he has the kind of veteran experience you would like to have around for a rookie quarterback. At the same time, he has missed the last two seasons due to injuries and will have to overcome the time lost in order to show he is still one of the best options the team has.
Tim Patrick has been coming along nicely not even a year removed from tearing his Achilles. Has been running routes with confidence so far in OTAs. pic.twitter.com/5bpM1fCMCb
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) May 31, 2024
The Broncos have Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims along with a solid No. 3 receiver in Josh Reynolds. Fourth-round pick Troy Franklin won't be down on the depth chart long, so at absolute best, Patrick is the No.5 guy. But the team still has options such as Brandon Johnson, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and rookie Devaughn Vele, who is drawing comparisons to Patrick.
Some of those guys will be looking at a spot on the practice squad.
Delarrin Turner-Yell, Safety
Delarrin Turner-Yell will be entering his third season in the league but he has yet to show much outside of being a special teams guy. When he has been pressed into action on defense, he has struggled mightily.
The Broncos have Brandon Jones, Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke as their top three safeties so they will need at least one more to make the final roster. Second-year player JL Skinner and undrafted free agent Omar Brown could easily nudge Turner-Yell off of the roster.
Samaje Perine, Running back
The Broncos should have a competitive group at the running back spot this summer and two rookies could end up making Samaje Perine expendable.
Fifth-round pick Audric Estime is a truck, running down hill with a ferociousness that fans are going to love, He could obtain a short-yardage and goal-line role in this offense quickly. Undrafted free agent Blake Watson was one of the better undrafted signings in all of the league following the draft. If he shows he can effectively catch the ball out of the backfield, Perine will be on thin ice.
This is assuming that Javonte Williams will still be the team's starter and last year's undrafted sensation — Jaleel McLaughlin — looks just as good this year. If all of that falls into place as described, Perine will be sent packing.
