5 At-Risk Bubble Players Broncos Could Churn After Making Inital 53-Man Roster

Even though the Denver Broncos' roster currently sits at 53 players, it is only their initial squad with more moves to come. Wednesday saw the Broncos make multiple roster moves as the waiver wire resolved itself.

Mike Boone, for example, made Denver's initial roster, but he is headed to short-term injured reserve. However, in order to qualify for the short-term IR and be eligible to return to the field in-season, Boone had to first make the roster.

Not only will injured reserve moves bring about roster changes but adding players from the waiver wire and other recent cuts across the NFL can, too. We saw that unfold Wednesday morning as the Broncos waived RB Royce Freeman and DL Jonathan Harris after both made the initial squad.

These two cuts were made to make room for two waiver claims the Broncos were awarded. All this sets the stage for why the Broncos listed in this article aren't perfectly safe in the Mile High City.

Nevertheless, these guys made the initial roster, so what did they show to make it this far?

Dionte Spencer | WR/KR

This really shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but the Broncos did everything they could to push Spencer. As a result, his spot on the roster was in jeopardy, and he had to fight to stick around. Unfortunately, being a solid but high-variance returner isn't enough to cement Spencer a roster spot this year.

During practice, it was reported that Spencer was looking better on offense. Some flashes of that were glimpsed during the preseason games, but not consistently. His play on special teams also looked improved, and he was the best returner for Denver.

Other candidates for the returner job were having issues fielding punts and kickoffs, but Spencer was doing so cleanly while showing better decision-making on when to let it bounce. Those improvements on special teams allowed him to make the initial squad.

Andre Mintze | OLB

Even though he suffered a concussion in the first preseason game, causing him to miss the second, Mintze managed to show enough. He had a great training camp and was strong both against the Minnesota Vikings and against the Los Angeles Rams in the final exhibition match. From the start, he just pushed to make this roster and played well enough to earn it.

Some roster math helped him as teams like to keep five edge defenders when Vic Fangio is in town. With Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, and Jonathon Cooper recovering from injuries, a fifth edge isn’t all that surprising. The downside of this is that if the Broncos need a spot later in the season and health isn’t the concern it is now, Mintze could be in danger.

Kary Vincent, Jr. | CB

While he had a late start to training camp, the rookie took flight quickly when he was healthy and back full time. In each of the three preseason games, Vincent made his impact obvious with multiple pass breakups. Denver is strong at cornerback, but it does have some health concerns with Bryce Callahan.

Vincent had an excellent chance to make it between his play and the need for a backup slot corner. The question was whether it'd be Nate Hairston or Vincent to make the squad, and the answer was Vincent. Multiple factors went into this, but Vincent's play is a significant reason he made it.

Jamar Johnson | S

Another rookie with a late start to training camp, and it began extremely rough for him. However, Johnson bounced back with a great game in the preseason finale, which went a long way toward making the roster. Johnson has high upside and natural ball-hawking ability, and those two traits, with his rebound game, were enough to keep him around.

Andrew Beck | TE/FB

There was much concern when watching Beck during the preseason games, including giving up on plays before they were finished. Adding to that, his play on special teams led to multiple significant returns for the opposing team. It is unlikely that play saw him make the roster. Beck made it due to the familiarity factor and experience.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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