Category: Broncos Buzz

Broncos’ updated depth chart following recent roster moves

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ depth chart following this week’s roster moves.

After making five roster moves earlier this week, the Denver Broncos have updated their depth chart ahead of a Monday Night Football clash with the Cleveland Browns in Week 13.

The Broncos cut tight end Greg Dulcich, activated linebacker Drew Sanders, dropped lineman Calvin Throckmorton down to the practice squad and promoted linebacker Zach Cunningham this week.

Note that the Cunningham and Sanders additions are not yet reflected on the team’s published depth chart, so we added them below as a projection.

Following those moves, here’s a look at the team’s updated depth chart going into the Browns game.

Broncos offensive depth chart

WR Marvin Mims Troy Franklin
LT Garett Bolles Matt Peart
LG Ben Powers
C Luke Wattenberg Alex Forsyth
RG Quinn Meinerz Alex Palczewski
RT Mike McGlinchey Frank Crum
TE Adam Trautman Lucas Krull
WR Courtland Sutton Lil’Jordan Humphrey Devaughn Vele
RB Javonte Williams Jaleel McLaughlin Audric Estime
FB Michael Burton Nate Adkins
QB Bo Nix Jarrett Stidham Zach Wilson

Broncos defensive depth chart

DE Zach Allen Jordan Jackson
NT D.J. Jones Malcolm Roach
DE John Franklin-Myers Eyioma Uwazurike
SLB Jonathon Cooper Jonah Elliss
WLB Nik Bonitto Dondrea Tillman Drew Sanders
ILB Justin Strnad Zach Cunningham
ILB Cody Barton Levelle Bailey
LCB Pat Surtain Levi Wallace Tremon Smith
RCB Riley Moss Damarri Mathis Kris Abrams-Draine
NCB Ja’Quan McMillian
S P.J. Locke JL Skinner
S Brandon Jones Devon Key

Broncos special teams depth chart

PK Wil Lutz
KO Wil Lutz
P Riley Dixon
H Riley Dixon
LS Mitchell Fraboni
KR Marvin Mims Tremon Smith Jaleel McLaughlin
PR Marvin Mims Tremon Smith

Monday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Playing at home, the Broncos are considered favorites in Week 13.

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Bo Nix ‘good to go,’ Riley Moss held out at Broncos practice Friday

Broncos CB Riley Moss (knee) did not practice Friday but QB Bo Nix (back) said he is “good to go.”

Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (knee) remained sidelined on Friday when the team held their first full-speed practice of the week, giving him an uncertain status for a Monday Night Football clash with the Cleveland Browns in Week 13.

Meanwhile, quarterback Bo Nix (back) said he’s “good to go” and “ready to roll” after Friday’s practice session.

The team’s complete Friday injury report is listed below. DNP = did not participate.

Player Thur Fri Sat Game Status
DL Zach Allen (ankle) Full Full
DB Brandon Jones (abdomen) Full Full
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full
WR Josh Reynolds (hand) Full Full
DL John Franklin-Myers (shoulder) Limited Full
QB Bo Nix (back) Limited Full
CB Riley Moss (knee) DNP DNP

Denver will practice again on Saturday before releasing a final injury report with statuses for Monday’s clash with the Browns on Dec. 2.

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Browns WR Jerry Jeudy says trade from Broncos ‘didn’t hurt at all’

Jerry Jeudy said being traded from the Broncos “didn’t hurt at all” because it’s what he wanted to happen.

Jerry Jeudy is set to face his old team in Week 13.

The Denver Broncos traded the former first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round draft picks this spring.

Jeudy is now set to return to Empower Field at Mile High when the Broncos host the Browns on Monday Night Football on Dec. 2.

“I’m ready to go over there and win a football game,” Jeudy told Cleveland reporters on Friday when asked what his emotions were like ahead of his return to Denver. “You always want to beat the opposing team that you used to play for, you know, that’s just the competitive nature of us athletes.”

Jeudy later said he did not circle the game on his schedule, but he was “very excited” when it was announced.

The receiver said the trade “didn’t hurt at all” because it’s what he wanted. Jeudy was looking for a fresh start and a new atmosphere. He also said he needed to go somewhere else to get more opportunities on offense.

Jeudy also praised Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain and he said he expects PS2 to follow him in coverage on Monday.

Earlier this week, in an exclusive interview with Tony Grossi, Jeudy said, “I just want to go back up there and whip their ass.”

Jeudy, 25, is on pace to post career highs in receptions (69) and receiving yards (997) this season. He has recorded 45 catches for 645 yards and two touchdowns through his first 11 games in Cleveland. All three of those totals would rank second among Denver receivers in 2024.

After joining the Browns this spring, Jeudy signed a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension. The Broncos would not have paid that, so the trade seems to have worked out well for all parties.

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Lions poach linebacker from Broncos’ practice squad

The Lions have signed linebacker Kwon Alexander off the Broncos’ practice squad.

The Detroit Lions are poaching a linebacker from the Denver Broncos.

The Lions have signed linebacker Kwon Alexander off the Broncos’ practice squad to their own 53-man roster. Denver could have prevented it by promoting Alexander, but the team previously opted to promote Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to the active roster earlier this week.

The news was broken by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday morning and has since been confirmed by multiple outlets. Detroit added Alexander after losing Malcolm Rodriguez to a knee injury on Thanksgiving.

Alexander (6-1, 227 pounds) used up his three practice squad elevations in Denver by rotating with Justin Strnad (6-3, 235 pounds) at inside linebacker from Weeks 7-9. Alexander even started two of those games and he got a season-high 31 snaps in Week 9. Strnad’s snaps dropped from 42 to 37 to 14 in the games Alexander played.

Alexander totaled eight tackles, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble in his three games with Denver before landing in Detroit.

Alexander, a 30-year-old veteran, and Cunningham joined the practice squad in September after the Broncos lost Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury. Cody Barton and Strnad have been starting at inside linebacker. Cunningham and Levelle Bailey will be the remaining depth options in Denver after the team lost Alexander.

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Broncos vs. Browns: 5 things to watch for in Week 13

Here are five storylines to watch for when the Broncos host the Browns on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 13.

The Denver Broncos are set to host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football on Dec. 2. Here are five quick storylines to watch for going into the game.

1. Drew Sanders status and role: Sanders was activated from the PUP list earlier this week. Now there are two questions: 1) will he play on Monday and 2) what position will he play? Sanders began last season as an inside linebacker out of necessity but later moved to outside linebacker and the Broncos hinted this spring that he would play as an OLB in 2024. Denver has plenty of depth on the edge, though, and they could use help at ILB. We’ll see what kind of role Sanders has on Monday (assuming he plays).

2. Jerry Jeudy’s return to Denver: Jameis Winston taking over as Cleveland’s starting QB was good news for Jeudy, who has totaled 24 receptions for 379 yards and one touchdown over the last four games. The receiver will undoubtedly have something to prove against his former team on Monday.

3. Broncos running back rotation: Over the last three weeks, Audric Estime, Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin have led the team’s backfield in rushing yards once each. It’s nearly impossible to predict how the RB rotation will shake out, but it looks like a good matchup for Denver on paper. The Browns are allowing 130.6 rushing yards per game, ninth-most in the NFL.

4. Denver’s offensive line vs. Myles Garrett: The Broncos held up well against Garrett last year, limiting him to just two tackles and no sacks. Garrett has just 1.5 sacks in four career games against Denver, a number he’d like to improve in Week 13. The Broncos’ offensive line ranks No. 1 in pass protection this fall, but Garrett will be a big test.

5. Broncos’ defense vs. Jameis Winston: Denver ranks 11th with nine interceptions this season and the unit’s 44 sacks rank No. 1 in the NFL. Winston has thrown four interceptions through four starts with the Browns and he’s been sacked 12 times. Monday could be a big day for the Broncos’ defense.

Monday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Playing at home, the Broncos are considered favorites in Week 13.

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Sean Payton eager to see Jameis Winston after ‘MNF’ in Week 13

“I really enjoyed coaching him and having a chance to work with him,” Sean Payton said of Browns QB Jameis Winston. “He’s the ultimate pro.”

Before landing with the Cleveland Browns this spring, Jameis Winston was a backup with the New Orleans Saints from 2020-2023.

Winston overlapped with coach Sean Payton from 2020-2021, and he started seven games for the Saints in 2021. The Saints went 5-2 during that stretch.

Winston and the Browns are now set to face Payton and the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Ahead of that matchup, Payton was asked about his time coaching Winston in New Orleans.

“I enjoyed it,” Payton said Wednesday. “We started off the season the year he was our starter — I don’t know what the record was — he got hurt. We were playing Tampa Bay. He tore his ACL. I think we might have been 5-2. He’s big. He’s tremendous in the locker room. I said this already — he’s got this infectious personality. [He has] a smile on his face every day he’s at work. You hear him before you see him—that type of guy. When Drew [Brees] went down initially, Teddy [Bridgewater] was in for a stretch [for] five weeks, then we adjusted some, then with Jameis the same way.

“I really enjoyed coaching him and having a chance to work with him. He’s the ultimate pro. He has natural leadership abilities, and you feel that with him. You have to remember now there were years when he was in Tampa playing against us. I hated him because that was one of the opposing teams’ quarterbacks, but we always had some good battles. When he came to our program, he was a sponge as a backup. Again, he tore his ACL — I think Week 6 [or] Week 7 — and he was having a really good season. It will be good to shake his hand and see him after the game.”

Monday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Playing at home, the Broncos are considered favorites in Week 13.

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Broncos not divulging Drew Sanders’ status for ‘Monday Night Football’

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked if Drew Sanders will play against the Browns on Monday.

The Denver Broncos activated linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) from the physically unable to perform list to the 53-man roster this week.

After returning to practice three weeks ago, Sanders had to be activated before Wednesday or he would have remained on the PUP list for the rest of the season. So his return might have been expedited by the deadline.

Sanders is now back on the active roster, but it remains to be seen how quickly he will return to action. Broncos coach Sean Payton was not willing to divulge on Wednesday if Sanders is poised to play against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Payton said. “It’s always a big question. What’s the role? What’s the vision [in] the first game back, but it’s good to have him. It’s been good to have him out there. He’s been fully cleared, [and] he’s doing well. We’ll see.”

We also don’t know where Sanders will play. He spent time as an inside linebacker and as an outside linebacker last fall. We’ll soon find out what Denver has planned for the second-year linebacker.

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Sean Payton gives his take on ex-Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy

“He’s explosive, he separates … he has great hips, great transition, and he has great football IQ,” Sean Payton said of Jerry Jeudy.

The Denver Broncos will battle a familiar face in Week 13.

Jerry Jeudy is set to return to Empower Field at Mile High when the Broncos host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football on Dec. 2.

Jeudy, of course, played in Denver from 2020-2023 before being traded to the Browns for a pair of late-round draft picks this spring. Broncos coach Sean Payton knows exactly what kind of receiver they’ll be facing.

“He’s explosive, he separates — and I know Jameis [Winston],” Payton said Wednesday. “I’ve coached both of them. Jameis’s personality is infectious. He’ll tell somebody, ‘Hey, go get open and I’m going to find you.’ So that’s what a receiver wants.

“Those guys have had a — I would say — a good connection. You see it just in the limited games that Jameis has played. From a talent standpoint, he has great hips, great transition, and he has great football IQ.”

Since Winston took over as Cleveland’s starting quarterback, Jeudy has totaled 24 receptions for 379 yards and one touchdown over the last four games.

Jeudy signed a big contract extension after joining the Browns, and Payton said at the time that he was happy for the receiver to get paid. There seems to be no beef between Payton and Jeudy, at least not on the coach’s part.

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