5 Broncos Veterans on Thin Ice Entering Training Camp

As the NFL season draws closer, training camp and roster cutdowns also draw nearer, and veterans around the league find themselves on eggshells with the potential of losing jobs. It's no different for the Denver Broncos, with five veterans standing out as being on notice, to varying degrees. 

Let's analyze each vet. 

Josey Jewell | LB

A message was sent to Jewell when Drew Sanders' name was announced as the Broncos' 67th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Jewell's name has also circulated in trade rumors, though it didn't seem to get much traction. 

Maybe teams circle back to Jewell as a trade target as the season gets closer, depending on how Sanders looks in training camp. Jewell's injury history is one reason he's on notice, but the Broncos can also cut or trade him to save nearly $5 million against the salary cap, with $2.25 million in dead cap. 

Factoring in Jewell being a cap-casualty candidate, his injury history, and the Sanders selection, the veteran is very much on notice. 

Aaron Patrick | OLB

Patrick isn't a big-name veteran for the Broncos, but he has proven himself to be a special teams asset since arriving in Denver, especially in 2022, before he got hurt. The Broncos haven't done much to improve their edge room, but they have done enough to put Patrick on notice. 

Adding Frank Clark as one of the top three pushes everyone else down. Thomas Incoom is an undrafted rookie who could easily push Patrick for a roster spot. 

Christopher Allen is also right there and going for it. With Clark added, five of the six rush linebacker spots are taken for the 53-man roster. Patrick has a battle ahead of him if he wants to take that final spot. 

Albert Okwuegbunam | TE

When a player goes through multiple coaching staffs and consistently finds himself in the dog house, it isn't a good sign. That's the case with Okwuegbunam, who also has dealt with injuries in the less-than-ideal start to his career. With a new coaching staff, he will have a chance to impress, be he is the fourth guy at the position. 

The new staff brought in Chris Manhertz and Adam Trautman as the Broncos overhauled the tight end room because it wasn't good enough. There is also the second-year Greg Dulcich, who has a lot of praise from the coaching staff entering Year 2. Okwuegbunam is on notice, and part of his battle to make it is convincing the staff to keep four tight ends. 

Kendall Hinton | WR

While the Broncos were linked to multiple trade rumors involving Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, neither was ultimately moved. Adding Marvin Mims, Jr. in the draft and Marquez Callaway as a free agent without trading one of the top three suddenly puts Denver at five strong at a position that is likely to see six receivers make the roster. 

I could also list KJ Hamler as a receiver on thin ice. His notice came on the heels of yet another injury and the drafting of Mims. However, Hinton is under even more pressure. 

Hinton has built a young career doing whatever is asked of him and was a reliable receiver last season. About three receivers are battling for that final sixth spot, with Hamler and Hinton being in the hunt. 

Jonathan Harris | DL

Like Patrick, Harris may not be a big-name veteran on the roster, but he is on notice. The Broncos haven't done a lot to shuffle the defensive line, outside of signing Zach Allen, but the potential growth of second-year players Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen is a big reason Harris is on notice. 

With those two, D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell, and Allen, the Broncos may be full on the defensive line. With the defense the Broncos will deploy, especially up front with the D-line, they could easily put the cutoff at five players on the initial roster. 

While six is the typical number, cutting that one spot for a player elsewhere could be the move, depending on the roster math, especially for a unit that will play a lot of fronts with only two down linemen. Harris isn't on notice because of other players but because roster math has a strong chance of going against him.