On Wednesday, following their preseason defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos made a flurry of roster moves. Here’s what you need to know about those moves and the three newest Broncos.
The Denver brass started things off by moving cornerback Horace Richardson and tight end Bug Howard to the injured reserve list, and waiving linebacker Aaron Wallace. Richardson had an impressive outing in the Broncos’ first preseason game against the Falcons, leading the team in tackles. Outside of that singular performance though, none of the three players made a noteworthy impact.
The three players the Broncos just signed are far more likely to contribute to the team this season.
The first of these players, Tyler Jones, was an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State who signed with the New York Jets following the draft. Despite practicing with the team, Jones didn’t appear in either of the Jets’ preseason games.
While Jones is in all likelihood a camp body, there is potential there that could land him on the final roster if offensive line coach Mike Munchak likes what he sees. Jones earned a sixth-round draft grade from NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein in the run-up to the draft and did one of the best jobs of slowing down the vaunted Clemson defensive line. He needs to bulk up a good bit to play guard in the league, but most everything else is there for him to be a backup.
Linebacker Dadi Nicolas was the second player the Broncos claimed on Wednesday. Nicolas most recently played for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason and into the preseason, but Broncos Country may recognize him from the 11 games he played for the Kansas City Chiefs through 2016 and 2017.
Nicolas was drafted by Chiefs in the sixth round of the draft but will look to add some much-needed linebacker depth to the Broncos, though like Jones, he is probably nothing more than a camp body.
Orson Charles was the third player added by Denver, and has the best chance of making the team, and could even start.
Charles last played fullback and tight end for the Browns during their turnaround season and will look to do the same in Denver. Charles will have to compete with George Aston for the roster spot, but he should be favored in that position battle.
Not only has he already made six final rosters while Aston is an undrafted rookie desperately battling to make his first, but Charles offers position versatility that Aston doesn’t. Tight end is one of the larger roster holes currently for the Broncos and Charles could contribute there as well, potentially allowing Denver to fill two of their bigger offensive needs with a single signing.
