Every year, numerous Denver Broncos players end up learning why Jerry Glanville was correct 36 years ago when he famously coined the phrase that the NFL stood for “Not For Long.”
There isn’t a such thing as security, and yesterday’s hot prospect is today’s player who sits on a career precipice. One need look no further than the running-back position for evidence of this; the addition of J.K. Dobbins effectively put everyone in the room not named R.J. Harvey on notice.
So it goes with the constant churn. And for three players in particular, the outlook has changed greatly in 12 months, as potential ascent is replaced with questions as to whether there will even be a place on the 53-player roster when September arrives:
BRONCOS ON THE BUBBLE:
RB AUDRIC ESTIMÉ
If Estimé had flourished last year, either Dobbins or Harvey — or both — almost certainly wouldn’t be on the roster.
The fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had his chances, starting with Week 1. But — figuratively and literally — he fumbled them, starting with when he put the ball on the ground in Week 1. Jaleel McLaughlin fumbled that day, too. But there’s a difference; that was — and remains — the only fumble for McLaughlin in 247 regular-season or postseason touches.
Estimé, meanwhile, returned to the lineup five weeks later against the Los Angeles Chargers, then lost a fumble four days after that in New Orleans. And if the preseason is included, Estimé finished his rookie year with three fumbles in 105 touches — an average of one every 35 touches.
Unfortunately, that’s how trust ends up fraying to the point where a search goes elsewhere. It didn’t help that the Broncos had the NFL’s No. 1 offensive line in run-block win rate and that didn’t translate to production, a discrepancy Payton noted during offseason work.
And the result is Harvey, Dobbins — and a fifth-round pick last year for whom it might be getting late early.
SAFETY JL SKINNER
A sixth-round pick two years ago, Skinner was one of the most dynamic players on special teams in 2024. But with new sets of eyes in that phase, the landscape is different. It’s also altered because of the return of Delarrin Turner-Yell from a torn ACL and the free-agency arrival of Sam Franklin Jr..
With Talanoa Hufanga pushing P.J. Locke down to the second team, there are only so many spots in reserve at safety. Broncos coach Sean Payton specifically said during OTAs that special teams would determine the backup spots at safety, so that gives Skinner an opportunity.
But if Hufanga and Brandon Jones stay healthy, then at least two of Locke, Franklin, Skinner, Turner-Yell and Devon Key — who started two games and played 257 special-teams snaps last year — are likely to find themselves on the wrong side of the cut.
All five of them could be considered to be on the bubble to some degree, and the Broncos would save $4.19 million of cap space if they cut Locke, but having an experienced starter like him in reserve would be a splendid insurance policy in case Hufanga has further injury issues after missing 17 regular-season games in the last two seasons.
TIGHT END LUCAS KRULL
Last year, Krull was one of the Broncos’ offseason stars, catching almost everything in sight. But with a massive opportunity to seize the role as primary pass-catcher among the tight ends, Krull failed to launch, grabbing just 19 passes without a touchdown last season.
The lack of production was a direct reason why the Broncos dove heavily into tight ends at the NFL Scouting Combine, then quickly turned their attention to the position in free agency, signing Evan Engram.
With Engram in tow and a pair of developmental rookies in seventh-round pick Caleb Lohner and Caden Prieskorn, Krull is being pushed both from the veteran and the rookie side. The crunch seems likely to claim him unless he dazzles to a point well beyond his play last year.
