Justin Strnad’s adaptability will help him earn playing time with Broncos

Justin Strnad will likely see playing time as a rookie in passing situations.

Todd Davis is expected to serve as one of the Broncos’ starting inside linebackers this season but he probably won’t see much playing time in obvious passing downs. Last year, safety Will Parks served as one of Davis’ replacements on defense for passing situations.

This year, rookie linebacker Justin Strnad will be among the players competing for a rotational coverage job on defense.

“With Justin, you’re going to see the speed and explosion to the players that are in the coverage areas whether it be DBs or linebackers,” defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said on June 11. “He brings that coverage element and the adaptability to match up with some great offenses in our division.”

He’s listed as a linebacker on the roster but Strnad might play more like a coverage safety for Denver this season.

“I feel very comfortable in pass-coverage,” Strnad said on April 25. “I played safety in high school, so it’s something I’ve been doing for a long time.”

Strnad, who was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft, totaled 244 tackles, eight sacks, 10 pass breakups and four interceptions during his time at Wake Forest. He’ll look to make an immediate impact in Denver as a rotational linebacker in 2020.

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Denver Broncos depth chart prediction: Linebacker

Which linebackers will make the Broncos’ 53-man roster?

As we continue our 2020 depth chart prediction series for the Denver Broncos, today we’re going to be looking at the linebacker position.

Previously, we predicted QB, RB, TE, WR, OL, DL and CB depth charts.

OLB	ILB	ILB	OLB
Von Miller	Alexander Johnson	Todd Davis	Bradley Chubb
Malik Reed	Justin Strnad	Justin Hollins	Jeremiah Attaochu
Derrek Tuszka	Josey Jewell	Joe Jones	Malik Carney
	Tre’ Crawford	Josh Watson

The Broncos’ four starting linebackers are pretty easy to predict. Unless Davis is cut for cap reasons, the top-four LBs on the depth chart will likely be Miller, Johnson, Davis and Chubb this season.

The backup spots are harder to predict.

Reed and Hollins seem like safe bets to make the team and Attaochu was an excellent injury fill-in for Chubb last season. If those three make the team, seven linebackers could be fighting for just one remaining spot.

Jones is an excellent special teams player but Strnad might be able to fill a similar role at a cheaper price. It’s hard to imagine Denver moving on from Jewell this year but he will face tough competition for a roster spot.

Some of the linebackers that don’t make the active roster could end up on the practice squad. Tuszka is a likely practice squad candidate.

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Broncos only have 4 players remaining from Super Bowl roster

Five years after winning the Super Bowl, the Broncos only have four players remaining from their 2015 roster.

After losing cornerback Chris Harris and defensive end Derek Wolfe in free agency, the Denver Broncos now have just four players remaining from their 2015 Super Bowl-winning roster.

Here’s a look at the team’s roster from 2015 and an update on where the players are now.

Player	Current Status
4. P Britton Colquitt	With Minnesota Vikings
8. K Brandon McManus	Still with team
10. WR Emmanuel Sanders	With New Orleans Saints
11. WR Jordan Norwood	Retired
12. WR Andre Caldwell	Retired
13. QB Trevor Siemian	Free Agent
14. WR Cody Latimer	With Washington Redskins
16. WR Bennie Fowler	Free Agent
17. QB Brock Osweiler	Retired
18. QB Peyton Manning	Retired
20. DB Josh Bush	Free Agent
21. CB Aqib Talib	Free Agent
22. RB C.J. Anderson	Free Agent
23. RB Ronnie Hillman	Free Agent
25. CB Chris Haris	With Los Angeles Chargers
26. DB Darian Stewart	Free Agent
29. CB Bradley Roby	With Houston Texans
30. DB David Burton	Retired
31. DB Omar Bolden	Retired
33. DB Shilo Keo	Free Agent
35. RB Kapri Bibbs	Free Agent
36. DB Kayvon Webster	Free Agent
37. CB Lorenzo Doss	Free Agent
40. RB Juwan Thompson	Retired
43. DB T.J. Ward	Retired
46. LS Aaron Brewer	With Arizona Cardinals
48. OLB Shaq Barrett	With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
51. ILB Todd Davis	Still with team
52. ILB Corey Nelson	Free Agent
53. OL James Ferentz	Free Agent
54. ILB Brandon Marshall	Free Agent
55. LB Lerentee McCray	With Jacksonville Jaguars
56. OLB Shane Ray	Free Agent
58. OLB Von Miller	Still with team
59. ILB Danny Trevathan	With Chicago Bears
61. OL Matt Paradis	With Carolina Panthers
65. OG Louis Vasquez	Retired
68. OL Ryan Harris	Retired
69. OG Evan Mathis	Retired
73. OL Max Garcia	With Arizona Cardinals
74. OL Ty Sambrailo	With Tennessee Titans
76. OL Tyler Polumbus	Retired
78. OT Ryan Clady	Retired
79. OL Michael Schofield	Free Agent
80. TE Vernon Davis	Retired
81. TE Owen Daniels	Retired
82. TE Jeff Heuerman	Still with team
84. TE Mitchell Henry	Died in 2017 from acute myeloid leukemia
85. TE Virgil Green	With Los Angeles Chargers
88. WR Demaryius Thomas	Free Agent
89. TE Richard Gordon	Free Agent
90. DL Antonio Smith	Free Agent
91. DL Kenny Anunike	Free Agent
92. DT Sylvester Williams	With Los Angeles Chargers
94. OLB DeMarcus Ware	Retired
95. DE Derek Wolfe	With Baltimore Ravens
96. DL Vance Walker	Free Agent
97. DL Malik Jackson	With Philadelphia Eagles
98. DL Darius Kilgo	With Detroit Lions

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Broncos pick up contract options for 3 players

The Broncos have picked up contract options for three players.

The Denver Broncos picked up the 2020 contract options for outside linebacker Von Miller, kicker Brandon McManus and inside linebacker Todd Davis on Friday, the team announced.

The team declined the contract option for guard Ron Leary, a move that will save more than $8 million in salary cap space. Denver now has around $41.9 million in cap space. That number could increase to $51.95 million if the Broncos move on from quarterback Joe Flacco.

By picking up Miller’s option, the Broncos are guaranteeing $6 million of his 2020 salary. Denver guaranteed $1 million for McManus and just $500,000 for Davis, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The Broncos also placed a franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons on Friday. Denver general manager John Elway will now prepare for the start of the NFL’s free agency negotiating period (March 16) and the beginning of free agency (March 18). After tagging Simmons, the Broncos now have 14 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

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Broncos picking up contract options for 3 players

Broncos will pick up the contract options for Von Miller, Todd Davis and Brandon McManus this offseason.

Broncos general manager John Elway said at the NFL combine on Tuesday that the team will not pick up guard Ron Leary’s contract option for the 2020 season. Moving on from Leary will save Denver more than $8 million in salary cap space.

Elway also announced that the team is picking up the contract options for kicker Brandon McManus (a $1 million option) and inside linebacker Todd Davis (a $500,000 option). Elway previously announced late last year that outside linebacker Von Miller will have his option picked up.

Miller will have the most expensive cap hit on the team this year: $25,625,000. Davis ($6 million) and McManus ($4.25 million) have much smaller but still significant cap charges.

Before making any moves, the Broncos are projected to have around $62 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. Removing Leary from the team’s books should bring that total to about $70 million. If Denver cuts quarterback Joe Flacco, that total could increase to more than $80 million.

The new league year — and NFL free agency — will begin on March 18.

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Broncos 2019 positional grades: Linebacker

Despite losing Bradley Chubb early in 2019, the Denver Broncos’ linebacker corps had a respectable 2019 season.

Denver Broncos fans saw the linebacker position as a highly intriguing part of the roster entering the 2019 NFL season for a couple of reasons. For one, it is an area the team has lacked in for several years and with Vic Fangio coming aboard as the team’s head coach, the hope was that would change.

Before becoming one of the league’s best defensive coordinators, Fangio made his name as the long time linebackers coach of the New Orleans Saints, where he helped create the “Dome Patrol.”

Let’s see how the Broncos’ linebackers each graded out in 2019.

Von Miller

Stats

Tackles: 46

Sacks: 8

Tackles for loss: 11

Miller played well in 2019, but we have come to expect big things out of the former Super Bowl MVP and we just didn’t get big things this past season.

He still led the team with eight sacks, but that was the lowest amount of sacks he put up in a season since he had just five in 2013, the year he tore his ACL.

Miller was adjusting to a new defensive scheme and depending on what side of the fence you’re on, you either believe that Miller isn’t a great fit for this defense or the coaching staff didn’t know how to use him.

While we can’t give him a bad grade for leading the team in sacks, he needs to be a much more disruptive force in 2020.

Grade: B-

Todd Davis

Stats

Tackles: 134

Tackles for loss: 6

Not only did Davis lead the Broncos in total tackles, but he was also tied for eighth in the entire league in that category.

Davis was strong in run support for the team and had what was statistically the best season of his career, despite playing in just 14 games.

Grade: B

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2020 NFL Free Agency: Ron Leary among Broncos fit for the Saints

The New Orleans Saints could look to Denver Broncos free agents to address their roster needs, though the best targets have club options.

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We’re continuing the long march towards free agency by surveying players who could be available from every team in the NFL, with a slant towards potential targets for the New Orleans Saints. The latest entry in this series focuses on the Denver Broncos, who have even more players on track to hit the market (30) than the Saints themselves (27), though many of those players are under consideration for club options or exclusive-rights free agent tenders. Here’s the total list, with four of our picks for names the Saints should circle below;

CB Chris Harris
DE Derek Wolfe
DT Shelby Harris
RB Theo Riddick
LS Casey Kreiter
DE Adam Gotsis
CB Cyrus Jones
OLB Jeremiah Attaochu
ILB Corey Nelson
FS Justin Simmons
RB Devontae Booker
C Connor McGovern
S Dymonte Thomas
S Will Parks
OLB Von Miller (Club Option)
G Ron Leary (Club Option)
ILB Todd Davis (Club Option)
K Brandon McManus (Club Option)
CB Davontae Harris (ERFA)
S Trey Marshall (ERFA)
WR Diontae Spencer (ERFA)
T Jake Rodgers (ERFA)
CB DeVante Bausby (RFA)
RT Elijah Wilkinson (RFA)
OLB Joe Jones (RFA)
DE Mike Purcell (RFA)
QB Brandon Allen (RFA)
WR Tim Patrick (RFA)
OLB Dadi Nicolas (RFA)
DT Joel Heath (RFA)

The name to watch here is Ron Leary, who has started games at both left and right guard for the Broncos since signing with them back in 2018. Before that, he was a versatile backup for the Dallas Cowboys, and was a popular pick to land with the Saints in free agency; instead, they picked up Andrus Peat’s fifth-year option, and now he’s headed for the open market. The Broncos have a few weeks to decide whether to pick up Leary’s club option for the 2020 season (worth $9.3 million against the salary cap, but only $875,000 of which is guaranteed). If they choose to not keep him around, the Saints would be a logical fit should Peat also not return.

Denver has a similar decision to make on inside linebacker Todd Davis, who was once stashed on the Saints practice squad before he was poached by the Broncos. Davis finished the 2019 season ranked third in defensive snaps played for the Broncos (900) but he’s due $6 million next season, with the same March 18 deadline as the other Broncos players with club options written into their contracts. If he is allowed to hit the open market, it would be a great opportunity for the Saints to correct a past mistake by adding a durable linebacker who can hold things down while Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso work their way back from season-ending injuries.

One other player we’ll highlight isn’t one for the Saints to consider signing, but whose contract situation will mean big ramifications for Saints free safety Marcus Williams. Justin Simmons is his counterpart for the Broncos, and compares well statistically: through four years, Simmons has recorded 11 interceptions (28 total passes defensed) with 4.9 combined tackles per game (3.6 solo). Pro Football Reference has also credited him with 17 missed tackles the last two years. That matches up closely against Williams, who has bagged 10 interceptions (23 total passes defensed) through his first three years, along with 4.0 combined tackles per game (3.2 solo) and 13 missed tackles over the last two seasons. Simmons is likely to rest the market for starting free safeties, and Williams will be a big beneficiary of that. The Saints would be wise to extend him sooner rather than later, when his asking price rises.

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3 Broncos who may become cap casualties

The Denver Broncos could save nearly $18 million against the salary cap by moving on from these three players.

The Denver Broncos could potentially save some money against the salary cap this offseason by releasing three veteran players.

Of course, there is still the contract of Joe Flacco on the books and the decision on what to do with him remains to be seen. Will the team be able to talk him into sticking around as a veteran backup to Drew Lock, or will the Broncos cut ties and choose to eat over $13 million in dead money?

Though that sounds like a lose-lose situation to many, there are some moves the team can make to get some money back.

Recently, I have talked about pending free agents the team should move on from as well as free agents the team should re-sign. But in order to fully evaluate the roster, the team must also consider players that are not scheduled to become free agents.

The three players below are all guys that the Broncos could and probably should move on from due to a combination of lack of production as well as a way to get back some cap space.

All figures were taken from Over the Cap.

1. Ron Leary, guard

Dead money: $875,000

Cap savings: $8.5 million

Leary has a club option for the 2019 season and the Broncos choosing not to pick that up is a no-brainer.

The signing of the veteran offensive lineman seemed like a great move when it was made, but he has been a disappointment for the team.

Leary has yet to play in a full 16-game season for the Broncos and out of a possible 48 games, he has played in just 29 as various injuries have forced him to end multiple seasons on injured reserve.

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Bills vs. Broncos: 5 matchups to watch

The Buffalo Bills face the struggling Denver Broncos at New Era Field on Sunday, here are the matchups to watch

The rivalry between the Bills and the Broncos goes back to the AFL and the two have shared memorable moments throughout the years. Their last matchup was in Week 3 of the 2017 season, which resulted in a 26-16 victory for Buffalo.

This week the two teams are facing off with two contrasting seasons. The Bills are sitting at 7-3 and on the verge of a playoff birth. The Broncos though are at a disappointing 3-7.

Records aside, it will be the games within that games that will help us find the winner.

With that, here are five key matchups to watch in Sunday’s Bills-Broncos meeting:

Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Spots

Phillip Lindsay vs. Tremaine Edmunds

Second-year running back Phillip Lindsay has made a splash since his arrival in the NFL, amassing 1,688 yards, 5.2 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns a a rookie. Now, Lindsay is the focal point of the struggling Denver offense.

This season Lindsay is averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, which should unnerve Buffalo’s shaky run defense. The Bills’ rush defense has allowed 106.3 yards per game, which is 18th in the NFL. The Bills should be prepared for heavy doses of Lindsay, due to how poor the Broncos passing offense has been this season sitting at 25th in the league with just 206.6 yards per game.

While the Bills rush defense has had poor form recently, they bounced back against Miami, holding the Dolphins rushing attack to just 23 yards. The Bills were led by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who had 12 tackles against Miami.

Edmunds was sent on more blitzes versus Miami than the rest of the season. These blitzes let him use his natural athletic talent to reach the running back in the backfield, or at the line of scrimmage. He blew up runs on a consistent basis which turned Miami into a one dimensional offense.

If Edmunds can have a similar performance on Sunday, he can force quarterback Brandon Allen to try to beat the Bills secondary.

Big fan of the #Broncos shotgun toss for Phillip Lindsay, makes you pay for overplaying the gun runs. pic.twitter.com/AnDwcokbbp

— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) November 17, 2019

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Todd Davis says Broncos defense can be special if they stick together

The Broncos have put together a group of talented defenders but many of them will become free agents in 2020.

After a slow start to begin the year, the Broncos’ defense has been performing better in recent weeks, allowing an average of 310.8 yards per game, the fourth-lowest total in the league. Coach Vic Fangio has the unit playing well and Denver’s front office has put together a core group of players who complement each other well.

Unfortunately, several key members of that core group are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2020, including cornerback Chris Harris, defensive end Shelby Harris, defensive end Derek Wolfe, safety Justin Simmons and safety Will Parks.

If the Broncos are able to re-sign at least some of those key defenders, linebacker Todd Davis believes the unit will be even better in 2020.

“We definitely have something special here if all the guys can stay,” Davis said Tuesday. “I think we’re No. 4 in defense right now and that’s with trying to adjust to a learning curve in the first couple of games.

“I think we have this defense for another year, understanding how Vic wants things run for another year, I think we’ll be phenomenal.”

Denver has six more games remaining this year, then it will be up to general manager John Elway to decide who is re-signed in the offseason.

“I feel like we can be really great and we can be really special,” Davis said. “I think we’re striving to get there week in and week out, but there’s no limit to where we can go if stick together.”

Davis, 27, has totaled 66 tackles in eight games this season.

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