By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos wrap up their preseason schedule tomorrow night at 7:05 Mountain Time against the L.A. Rams. The Broncos quarterback competition is over now that Teddy Bridgewater has been named the starter for week 1 against the New York Giants. There are still players to pay attention to in this game.
Starting wide receiver Courtland Sutton has not played a preseason game this year. The Broncos have been careful with Sutton since he tore his ACL last year. He didn’t miss anytime during training camp. Sutton should see some action to see how he fairs against players other than his teammates. Look for him to play a little bit and maybe catch a few passes.
Linebacker Von Miller doesn’t need preseason. The Broncos and the whole NFL know what he can do. Miller hasn’t played a single minute of an NFL game since the end of 2019. He missed all of 2020 dealing with a dislocated peroneal tendon that he suffered during practice. Miller is one of the best, if not the top, sacking linebackers in the NFL when healthy. This will give him a chance to test the injury against real competition. The Broncos know the key to winning this year on defense is the pass rush and Miller needs to be part of it. He should expect to see some action. Who knows how long he will play but perhaps Miller takes down the quarterback once or twice to show he is back.
Albert Okwuegbunam was another Bronco who was hurt last season. He dealt with a torn ACL. Okwuegbunam played 4 games last year and caught 11 passes. He totaled 121 yards and 1 touchdown. Okwuegbunam is a tight end Denver is going to count on. He can lineup in the slot or in tight when Denver uses more than 1 tight end. His size at 6 foot 5 inches creates mismatches and easy catches. Those can go for first downs or longer. The Broncos will use the tight ends in games and he will be part of that. Okwuegbunam will have his opportunity to show the ACL injury is behind him. He needs these reps against the Rams.
A final player to keep an eye on is running back Royce Freeman. This might be his last game in Denver. The Broncos are stacked at running back. Melvin Gordon is going to be the starter while Javonte Williams is second on the depth chart. Right now, Freeman is 4th behind Mike Boone. Freeman is fighting with Boone, Damarea Crockett, and Stevie Scott to stay on this team. Freeman has to make an impression for him to stay. Freeman may remain on the team as a special teams player but it is still likely he will be cut since the depth at running back is high.
These are just a few players to look for tomorrow night. The final roster will be cut down to 53 players on August 31st. After that, Denver will prepare to take on the New York Giants for their first regular season game on September 12th.
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