5 ways Broncos' injury outbreak will affect final 53-man roster decisions

The Broncos will have to factor these five things when formulating the 53-man roster in two week's time.

With two preseason games left, the Denver Broncos will soon make their final decisions about who is going to make the 53-man roster.

The Broncos will have to weight a lot of options for how the roster takes shape, given that several players are hurt or injured, which means they will miss some time in the regular season, whether it's a few games or a longer period.

With just two injured reserve spots that can receive 'designated to return', the Broncos won't be able to put every player who will miss time on IR. At least one, if not more, of these players will have to be carried on the active roster.

Given that circumstance, the Broncos will have to think carefully about who they keep on the roster and which players, if any, may need to be shut down for the entire season.

Even at the positions in which the Broncos don't have a lot of injured or hurt players, there will be decisions to be made about what's best for the roster.

Let's do a thumbnail review of the decisions the Broncos will have to consider.

Keeping a third quarterback: Drew Lock's thumb injury means the Broncos are certain to keep a third QB on the active roster. Since Lock's injury shouldn't cause him to miss too much time, using an IR designate to return on him doesn't make sense.

However, that's no guarantee that Kevin Hogan will be the third quarterback. Though he is an option, the Broncos could be keeping an eye on other backup QBs who teams let go and who might be an upgrade over Hogan.

I've gone into this in-depth in another article, but keep in mind that the Broncos aren't necessarily going with Hogan as the third QB — and that doesn't mean it will be Brett Rypien. Chances are the Broncos will keep an eye on available players after 53-man rosters are set.

Determining running back depth: After the Broncos signed Theo Riddick, it sure looked like Devontae Booker's days with the team were numbered. However, Riddick was injured in his first preseason action, thus making it likely that Booker will stick around.

The question is whether the Broncos will put Riddick on IR, designated to return, leave him on the active roster, or just put him on season-ending IR. I would suspect the first option is where the Broncos are leaning, but if Booker does enough to convince the staff he's fine as the third RB, the Broncos might go with the third option.

If they go with the first option (likely) or the second option (unlikely, but can't be ruled out), the Broncos don't have to commit to Booker for the full season because he's not a vested veteran and, thus, his base salary won't become fully guaranteed if he's on the 53-man roster for Week 1. That means the Broncos could release Booker at any time they want. A trade could happen, too, if another team needs RB depth during the season.

The fullback spot: Losing Andy Janovich was a blow to the Broncos offense and a bigger blow to the special teams. While George Aston has been fine on offense, special teams is really where Janovich's absence has been felt.

However, if the Broncos use an IR designate to return for Riddick, it means they have one more left. Would the Broncos really want to use that on Janovich, even considering the value he brings to the team?

As much as I think that Janovich should get an IR designate to return, if Riddick gets that, Janovich might just go season-ending IR, especially if Aston shows he can handle fullback duties. This might be the toughest decision the Broncos have to make, even if it's a decision that won't get a lot of attention.

Keeping four tight ends: With Jeff Heuerman and Noah Fant nursing minor injuries and Austin Ford and Bug Howard done for the season, you would think Jake Butt will find a way to slip onto the 53-man roster. But that's no sure thing.

Because the Broncos will likely roll with three QBs on the 53-man roster, that means keeping a fourth tight end will be difficult, even if injuries suggest you should do that. Keeping that fourth tight end, along with a third QB, means sacrificing depth at other positions.

Personally, I would try to slip Butt onto the practice squad — and, yes, he is eligible to be placed there. Because the two most promising young tight ends (Fort and Howard) are out for the season, Butt becomes a realistic option for the practice squad, and one who could be called up to the active roster if necessary. That might be a better approach than keeping four tight ends.

Of course, recent addition Orson Charles could have a say in events. Again, though, the question is whether the Broncos decided they have to keep four tight ends on the 53-man roster.

Settling the linebacker rotation: This is more than just determining who makes the final roster — it's addressing what to do with Joseph Jones. Though he should be available to play by the end of September, the Broncos have to ask themselves if they are comfortable with leaving him on the active roster, at the expense of a healthy player.

When I set my 53-man roster projections, I projected the Broncos keeping nine linebackers — four outside linebackers (your edge rushers), four off-ball linebackers and one who could switch between the two (that being Justin Hollins). I could probably live with keeping Jones on the active roster and having Hollins primarily play off-ball linebacker, though.

While giving Jones the IR designate to return is an option, I doubt that comes into play because of the situations with Riddick and Janovich. However, that option is there if the Broncos think it's for the best. Then they only need to figure out if they should a keep a ninth linebacker or use that roster spot for another position.

The defensive backfield rotation: When I set my 53-man roster projection, I had the Broncos keeping five cornerbacks and five safeties, with Kareem Jackson as a cornerback/safety hybrid.

The question now is what the Broncos will do with the depth. I think it's safe to say that Chris Harris, Kareem Jackson, Bryce Callahan, Justin Simmons, Will Parks, Devante Bausby, Isaac Yiadom and Su'a Cravens are making the roster, and Dymonte Thomas most likely makes it.

That leaves one spot, which could go to either a corner or safety, depending where the Broncos view Jackson will play more often. There are several players who are inexperienced but have shown some promise.

My guess is that it will come down to special teams — and that's an area in which a lot of players need to do better. Dymonte Thomas has been good (and that's why I have him making the roster) but others are struggling. If another defensive back can step up on special teams, he may have the inside track on the 10th spot.

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