Broncos’ updated cornerback depth chart after A.J. Bouye trade

After the Broncos agreed to trade for A.J. Bouye, Denver’s cornerback depth chart is starting to shape up.

The Broncos have agreed to trade a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars in exchange for cornerback A.J. Bouye. The deal won’t become official until March 18 but we can already start imagining what Denver’s secondary will look like after Bouye officially joins the roster.

The Broncos are not going to tender De’Vante Bausby but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t bring him back. Denver should be able to re-sign Bausby for less than what a tender would cost. So with that in mind, we have Bausby as part of the depth chart even though he’s not under contract.

Chris Harris is not included on the depth chart, though. It’s possible that the Broncos could re-sign Harris but it appears unlikely to happen. Cyrus Jones and Davontae Harris seem to be candidates to be re-signed but they’re not on the current depth chart.

CB1: A.J. Bouye (6-0, 191 pounds) is entering his eighth season in the NFL and he seems to be a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s defense. Bouye earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 after recording six interceptions and fans in Denver can only hope that he returns to top form under Fangio.

CB2: Bryce Callahan (5-9, 188 pounds) missed all of last season with a foot injury but Broncos fans shouldn’t overlook him. Callahan is doing better now than he was at this point last spring and he has experience playing under Fangio. In 2018, Callahan totaled two sacks and two interceptions.

CB3: De’Vante Bausby (6-2, 190 pounds) played in the AAF last spring before reuniting with Fangio in Denver (sensing a trend?). He emerged as a quality cornerback last season before suffering a scary injury. Bausby is now healthy again and could be a good CB3 or excellent CB4 in 2020.

CB4: Duke Dawson (5-10, 198 pounds) was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2018 draft and later traded to the Broncos for a late-round pick. He was a serviceable nickelback last season and should have no problem winning a rotational spot in the secondary this offseason.

CB5: Isaac Yiadom (6-1, 190 pounds) was selected by Denver in the third round of the 2018 draft and has failed to live up to his draft status since then. He can’t be relied on to be one of the team’s top cornerbacks but he could provide depth in 2020.

CB6: Shakial Taylor (6-0, 181 pounds) was claimed off waivers by the Broncos last November and didn’t dress for any games. Denver clearly saw something in him and wanted to stash him for the future. This offseason, Taylor will get a shot to prove he deserves some playing time.

CB7: Alijah Holder (6-2, 188 pounds) signed with the Broncos as a college free agent last spring and spent his rookie season on the practice squad. With Will Parks not expected to return, Holder might have a better chance to make the roster if he switches to safety.

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Broncos 2019 positional grades: Cornerback

The days of the ‘No Fly Zone’ are long gone and this year’s cornerbacks grade for the Denver Broncos reflects it.

The cornerback position is one of the most interesting areas on the entire roster of the Denver Broncos.

Once a major strength of the team back in the ‘No Fly Zone’ days, the Broncos have been searching for the right combination of players at the cornerback position for the last several seasons.

The team tried many players at cornerback last year, including some guys the team never planned on having to use. This was largely due to the fact that the team’s big free agent signing, Bryce Callahan, ended up missing the entire season.

The Broncos also signed Coty Sensabaugh and he suited up for four games but played sparingly before being released before the season ended. He will not be graded here.

The team has players it will try to integrate into the defense next season along with Callahan, such as Cyrus Jones and Alijah Holder. But none of those players earned grades for the 2019 season, so let’s look back at the year for those that did.

Chris Harris

Stats

Tackles: 56

Tackles for loss: 1

Interceptions: 1

Pass deflections: 6

Forced fumbles: 1

Harris didn’t have terrible numbers last season, though he did only reel in one interception.

He has been a key component for the team’s defense for years and is one of the best cornerbacks in Broncos history. But last season, he didn’t seem to be the top-notch cover guy that we have all come to know.

Was that because of deteriorating skills or a lack of interest in playing for the Broncos any further? Those questions could be answered this offseason as Harris will be an unrestricted free agent and the growing belief among fans seems to be that he won’t be back.

Grade: B-

Isaac Yiadom

Stats

Tackles: 43

Tackles for loss: 1

Pass deflections: 4

Yiadom isn’t quite the third-round bust that former cornerback Brendan Langley turned out to be, but he certainly leaves much to be desired.

Yiadom may be able to develop into a guy the team can count on in sub-packages and to fill in at times in the future, but the team can certainly do better for a starting corner.

Grade: C-

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Broncos will have Trey Marshall fill in for Kareem Jackson at safety

The Broncos will start Trey Marshall in the place of suspended safety Kareem Jackson to close out the season.

With starting strong safety Kareem Jackson suspended, the Denver Broncos plan to start first-year defensive back Trey Marshall across from free safety Justin Simmons in the final two games of the season, coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday.

“We haven’t seen Trey play a lot of defense since preseason, but he gets reps in practice and we’re confident he can go out there and do his job,” Fangio said.

Marshall has played primarily on special teams this season but he has gotten some rotational reps on defense and has totaled nine tackles.

There had been some speculation that Will Parks might fill in for Jackson but Denver plans to keep Parks at nickelback. Parks has been playing through a hand injury and still performing well.

“He’s overall giving us good play for the most part and he’s playing with an injured hand where he has to wear a cast,” Fangio said. “That hinders him somewhat, but overall he’s done a good job.”

With Marshall at safety and Parks at nickelback, cornerback Duke Dawson will be called on in dime situations to serve as a sixth defensive back.

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Broncos might add a cornerback this week

Broncos general manager John Elway might add a cornerback to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chargers.

Broncos cornerback Duke Dawson is in the concussion protocol and might not be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Chargers. With Dawson potentially sidelined this week, coach Vic Fangio said Monday that the team will consider adding another cornerback to the roster.

“We need to look at that and Cyrus’ [Jones] illness affects that too,” Fangio said. “We were already kind of light back there as you guys know. Yeah, we need to look at that.”

Jones missed last week’s game and his status for Week 13 is uncertain. One option for Denver would be to promote rookie cornerback Alijah Holder from the 10-man practice squad to the active roster. If Holder is promoted, the Broncos would have to make a corresponding move to make room for him on the 53-man roster.

Fangio said Denver’s decision to potentially add a cornerback to the roster will not influence the team’s decision on quarterback Drew Lock, who is a candidate to be promoted from injured reserve to the active roster. The Broncos will need to create a roster spot for Lock, too.

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