Why some surprising Broncos deadline moves actually weren’t

Last year, the Denver Broncos kept Alex Forsyth, Thomas Incoom, Alex Palczewski and JL Skinner on their initial 53-player roster. Forsyth and Skinner were late-round draft picks; Incoom and Palczewski were undrafted rookies.

The quartet combined to play 45 snaps last season — 35 of which were on special teams. Incoom was active four times; Skinner twice. Forsyth and Palczewski never dressed for a game, with Forsyth a healthy scratch and Palczewski not returning from recallable injured reserve.

Of that quartet, all but Incoom made this year’s 53-player roster. And their playing time in Year Two should look markedly different, even though none of them have yet to crack the first team.

When you know this about last year’s initial roster construction, the Broncos’ moves Monday and Tuesday make sense.

Because it’s not simply about saying, for example, that offensive tackle Frank Crum, wide receiver Troy Franklin and running back Blake Watson are better than, say, Tim Patrick. Because on balance to their primary position, they likely wouldn’t be, at least based on what was witnessed in training camp.

But it’s about where the Broncos believe they can go.

“You have short- and long-term. You’re always looking [at] that,” Broncos general manager George Paton said. “It’s hard. You balance that with other areas, whether it’s special teams or the depth behind certain players. It’s a puzzle. Just trying to get to that — to fix the puzzle is the hardest thing that we do.”

But after two seasons with Sean Payton, an idea of how the puzzle works has come into view.

BRONCOS WILL ‘ALWAYS’ HAVE PLAYERS WHO AREN’T FINISHED PRODUCTS

Watson and Crum went undrafted, just like Palczewski and Incoom last year. Inside linebacker Levelle Bailey is also an undrafted rookie on this year’s initial 53-player roster, but he may have a more tangible role immediately after showing his bona fides on defense throughout camp and up to the preseason finale.

Franklin, based on where he stacks up, might have a trajectory similar to that of Skinner last year if the other wide receivers stay healthy. But Paton noted that seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele could have a role during the Broncos’ Week 1 trip to Seattle; given the putative role for other receivers such as Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims Jr.; that could leave Franklin — at least for now — watching and growing.

George Paton, on where rookie WR Devaughn Vele stands: “Vele’s mature, as we know. Plays like it. Plays like a pro. Feel like he can play right in a game in Seattle if he has to.” pic.twitter.com/k6Ehqm04mK

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 28, 2024

“You’re always going to have players that aren’t quite ready — developmental players,” Paton said. “Can you get them through [the waiver wire]? Can you get them on the practice squad? Those are the discussions that you have in regards to roster management.

“How long is it going to take a certain player to develop? I think by midseason or do I think by the end of the season? Can we survive — if that player doesn’t play — with what we have?

“Those are all the discussions you have.”

And just like last year, they led to giving some young Broncos the benefit if the doubt.

USING PRACTICE-SQUAD ELEVATIONS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN

Take Lil’Jordan Humphrey, for example. Last year, he was a casualty of the roster deadline, just as he was Tuesday. The Broncos signed Humphrey to the practice squad one day later.

Humphrey played in all 17 games during the 2023 season. He played 428 offensive snaps. Three times — In Weeks 1, 6 and 7 — he played as a practice-squad elevation. The rest of the time, he was on the 53-player roster, which necessitated some flexibility. The Broncos released him twice, restoring him to the practice squad each time before putting him on the 53-player roster to stay in Week 8.

Along with fullback Michael Burton, Humphrey could find himself in that role again this season. And they might not be the only ones.

Last year, the Broncos elevated players from their practice squad in 16 of 17 games. They used a total of 26 elevations. Four players — Humphrey, RB Dwayne Washington, TE Lucas Krull and WR David Sills V — reached the maximum-allowed tally of three practice-squad elevations per player.

But in these cases, the Broncos decided that they had a chance to keep them around if they exposed them to the market. With Crum, Watson and Franklin, Payton and Paton knew that was unlikely to be the case. And that’s why those three players are on the 53-player roster, with a chance to blossom in time.

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