With training camp officially over, the dog and pony show for the fans is in the rearview mirror and the Broncos can now focus on the dirty business of whittling down a 90-man roster to 75 by Sept. 1, and eventually the final 53 that will comprise the men tasked with getting Denver back to the playoffs. And while there’s still plenty of time and three games before the final rosters are due on Sept. 5, there are several players who need to start stepping up immediately.
Eric Goodman and Zach Fogg identified on Mile High Sports AM 1340 the three players they think need to have the biggest showing in Saturday’s game at Houston in order to secure roster spots.
Fogg says wide receiver and kick returner Solomon Patton needs to have a big bounce-back week this week after a disappointing Broncos debut against Seattle, which included a muffed punt. Fellow wideout Bennie Fowler had a big game against the Seahawks, so Patton really needs to shine on special teams if he wants to make it all the way to the final preseason game.
The next man on Fogg’s radar is Andre Caldwell. “Bubba” has been a fashionable pick as the likely “surprise” veteran cut because of his high price tag and low productivity. Caldwell is a special teams contributor, but his current $1.35 million price tag does not value out well with his 22 receptions in three years with the Broncos. With a dead cap number of only $200,000 if cut, Caldwell needs to shine in a big way on Saturday.
Last but not least, Goodman and Fogg both think that each member of the kicking unit needs to continue to perform well. Britton Colquitt was able to breathe a little easier when the team cut Karl Schmitz after he restructured his deal in the middle of camp. He had to be a little concerned when they added Spencer Lanning off waivers less than two weeks later. Meanwhile, the competition between Brandon McManus and Connor Barth for placekicker and kickoff duties continues to heat up with each hitting field goals in excess of 60 yards during practices this week.
To kick off the conversation, Eric shared with Zach some surprising info about the best values in stadium beer in the NFL. The Broncos are middle of the pack – something they hope will not be the case when it comes to their standings in the AFC this year.
Listen to the full discussion about which players need to shine, and where the best and worst beer values are found, in the podcast below…
Listen to Afternoon Drive with Eric Goodman and Zach Fogg every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or Listen Live any time for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
