With the Broncos' final preseason game later tonight, the time has come as to who will and won't make the 2011 roster, the first under new head coach John Fox.
Without further ado, here's my prediction on what the 53-man roster will look like come Saturday afternoon -- before Denver, without question, signs a player or two off waivers. And we know they will, especially at defensive tackle.
QB (3): Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn, Tim Tebow
-- This is pretty much a no-brainer. The only question that remains is how well Adam Weber plays against Arizona and whether or not, if he plays well enough, he'll be brought back to the practice squad.
RB (4): Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, Jeremiah Johnson
-- Ball and Johnson could flip-flop in the pecking order, but Fox seems to favor Ball's experience. Cuts: Brandon Minor and Austin Sylvester.
FB (1): Spencer Larson
-- The only one on the current roster. He's a mainstay.
WR (6): Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Britt Davis, Matthew Willis
-- I look for Davis and Willis to make the team. David Anderson could, maybe, to start the season, though he could get the axe once Thomas is healthy by midseason. Cuts: David Anderson, D'Andre Goodwin, Jamel Hamler, Greg Orton, Eron Riley
TE (3): Daniel Fells, Julius Thomas, Dante Rosario
-- I can only see the team keeping three, but the third one will be the key. I look for it to be Rosario with Virgil Green, hopefully, going to the practice squad. Dan Gronkowski could be kept over Rosario if Fox's loyalty doesn't play a role. Cut: Virgil Green, Dan Gronkowski
OL (9): Ryan Clady, Orlando Franklin, Zane Beadles, Chris Kuper, J.D. Walton, Herb Taylor, Russ Hochstein, Manny Ramirez, Chris Clark
-- The questions here will be: 1) Can the team find, or will it, keep a fourth tackle? 2) Which young guard will make the team behind the starters? 3) Will Hochstein's experience -- I think it will -- land him a reserve role? 4) Who can make the roster as a backup center to Walton? Cuts: Eric Olsen, Jeff Byers, Stanley Daniels, Adam Grant.
DL (9): Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, Broderick Bunkley, Marcus Thomas, Ty Warren, Derrick Harvey, Kevin Vickerson, Jeremy Jarmon, Ryan McBean
-- No position will be a tougher cut than here for Denver for multiple reasons. The main ones being decent talent in Jason Hunter, Jeremy Beal and Ryan McBean all could find a spot if it weren't for the talent ahead of them. More importantly, the team's injury woes at defensive tackle will force its hands to make some moves. Cuts: Jeremy Beal, Jason Hunter, DeMario Pressley, Mitch Unrein, Ronnell Brown
LB (7): Von Miller, D.J. Williams, Wesley Woodyard, Mario Haggan, Nate Irving, Joe Mays, Alvin Bowen
-- Team could, and probably will, keep an eighth LB early in the season. It would be either Mike Mohamed or Lee Robinson. My guess is that they'll go shopping on the free-agent market instead to find that eighth player as Williams recovers from injury. Cuts: Mike Mohamed, Lee Robinson
DB (8): Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Rahim Moore, Perrish Cox, Syd'Quan Thompson, Cassius Vaughn, Darcel McBath, Kyle McCarthy
-- Toughest cut here could be at safety, trying to decide who sticks between McBath, McCarthy and David Bruton. Only two will at most. Cuts: Brandon Bing, Chris Harris, David Bruton, Quinton Carter.
PK (1): Matt Prater
-- Steven Hauschka made the game-winner against Seattle last week, but there's not enough room for two kickers on the roster.
P (1): Britton Colquitt
-- Only one on the roster. So, duh, pretty obvious here.
LS (1): Lonnie Paxton
-- One of the game's best. Got to have him
