The Broncos play their home preseason opener Sunday night at Empower Field at Mile High against Green Bay and battles will continue for starting jobs and roster spots.
Denver opened the preseason with a 34-30 win last Sunday at Indianapolis, and most starters played around 20 snaps. Starters could be given an even longer look against the Packers. However, Green Bay isn't expected to use many first-team players.
Here are three things to watch for Denver:
1. Rookie Bo Nix will get the start at quarterback and a solid showing would lock up the starting job for the Sept. 8 opener at Seattle. Jarrett Stidham will be the second quarterback in the game and Zach Wilson the third. While Stidham has been battling Nix to be the starter, a more realistic pursuit now would be to hold off Wilson to be the backup. It remains to be seen if the Broncos will keep three quarterbacks or just two when the initial 53-man roster is set.
2. Three other position battles are still being hotly contested. Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss are battling it out to start at right cornerback although Levi Wallace is still in the mix. But Wallace will miss his second straight preseason game due to a hamstring injury. Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith are competing to start at inside linebacker. And the punting duel will continue between incumbent Riley Dixon and Trenton Gill.
3. Plenty of backend of the roster spots are up for grabs as the Aug. 27 date approaches for rosters must be cut down. Broncos coach Sean Payton said there are 60 or 61 players competing for the 53 spots. Those let go will be considered for the practice squad. There will be strategy involved. The Broncos might look to keep some younger players on the 53-man roster they don’t believe they can get through waivers and onto the practice squad.