The Denver Broncos are crowded at multiple positions this offseason, but only 53 players can make the active roster for the 2022 season.
Between now and the end of August, bubble players will compete for the final spots on the roster. Broncos veteran safety Justin Simmons shared advice for players fighting for a spot after an OTA practice last week.
“You [can’t] get caught up in the depth charts of training camp and things like that,” Simmons said. “You’re not competing just for a spot on the Broncos’ team. That tape hits all 31 teams. It’s bigger than just getting caught up in, ‘Well I’m behind Courtland [Sutton], Tim [Patrick] Jeudy [Jeudy] and K.J. [Hamler].’ That doesn’t mean you can just slack off and think that you already don’t have a chance to make it.
“There are 31 other teams looking for quality receivers and quality DBs to come and plug in. I think that’s kind of like the mindset [bubble players need]. ‘I’m not going to get discouraged and when I’m out there, I’m going to go make plays.’ I think that’s the kind of mindset that you have to have.”
Simmons makes a very good point, one that coaches and general managers often repeat to fringe players. Not every player will make Denver’s roster, but if they stand out in preseason and put in good film, other teams will take notice. So these players — especially when preseason games begin — are auditioning for more than just the Broncos.
There’s no time for “slacking off,” as Simmons put it. Players on the bubble have opportunists to win jobs — if not in Denver, then somewhere else.
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