5 Crucial Storylines to Watch in Broncos' Preseason Finale vs. Rams

It's gameday and the Denver Broncos are about to show the NFL world what they're working with for the 'dress rehearsal.' The first-teamers on both sides of the ball will see plenty of snaps but the starting jobs have been all but settled.

Teddy Bridgewater won the quarterback job while Bobby Massie seems to have locked down the right tackle gig. Defensively, there were no starting jobs truly up for grabs; however, this roster is replete with depth, resulting in some serious battles shaping up.

There are several key storylines that'll resolve on Saturday night as the Broncos take on the Los Angeles Rams in what will be the team's one and only home preseason game. Here are three things to watch for.

How the QBs Respond

Teddy won the job and he will play. But it'll be very interesting to see if he can duplicate the success he had with the ones last week in Seattle to signal to Broncos Country that Vic Fangio made the right decision.

Meanwhile, although he's been supplanted, the spotlight will also be on Drew Lock to see how he responds to the adversity of being demoted. Running with the twos last week ended up being Lock's death knell but if the second-team offensive line holds up better than it did in Game 2, the embattled QB will have more than a fighting chance.

Does it matter how each QB performs vs. the Rams? Nope.

Fangio made his decision and even if Lock completely outshines Bridgewater, there's no turning back from that for now. Still, if Lock plays well and is more-than-equal to his opportunity, it could hint at the wisdom of Fangio's decision and perhaps even create some additional value for the third-year pro on the trading block.

Does it Look Like the True Von?

Again, it's been a long, long time since the age-32 Miller has taken the field of battle. Yes, this is just an exhibition game but these are live-bullet reps and will serve as a true facsimile of NFL speed and intensity.

Miller's last full year saw him produce a career-low in sacks (8). Skeptics questioned whether Father Time had finally come calling on the eight-time Pro Bowler.

Miller was set to answer those questions last year by getting into purportedly the best shape of his career. Then, the injury bug jumped up and bit him during the last practice before the season-opener, validating the misgivings of some of Miller's critics.

Make no mistake, the Rams game is not going to be a referendum on whether Von 'still has it' but if he goes out and looks like the player of old, it'll go a long way toward assuaging concerns both inside and outside the Mile High City.

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How the WR Depth Chart Resolves

The Broncos' top-four spots on the wide receiver depth chart is set. If the team keeps six wideouts again, assuming one of those spots serves as the kick/punt returner, that means there are two roster jobs open.

Trinity Benson seems to have one of them locked down. The likes of Tyrie Cleveland, Diontae Spencer, Kendall Hinton, and Seth Williams are battling for that final spot.

Denver has rostered Spencer each of the past two years because he's served as the returner but the downside has been, he's offered next-to-nothing on offense. Meanwhile, Benson has given the coaches confidence he can be that returner while also bringing high impact to the offense with three receiving touchdowns in two preseason games.

Cleveland was a seventh-round pick last year while Williams was a sixth-rounder this year. If they're waived, the Broncos will likely hope to see them go unclaimed so they can be re-signed to the practice squad.

Keep an eye on Benson Saturday night. Another strong performance and he's a lock. If he gets caught slipping, it could open the door for the two wideouts with a little draft pedigree.

Cornerback Attrition

Similar to the wideouts, the Broncos have an embarrassment of riches at corner and with Michael Ojemudia out for the next month, opportunity knocks for a few guys a little lower down the depth chart. Parnell Motley, Nate Hairston, Mac McCain III, and rookie seventh-rounder Kary Vincent, Jr. are battling for what could be two roster spots on the cornerback depth chart.

The roster math depends on what the Broncos opt to do with Ojemudia. If the team wants to use the loosey-goosey terms of injured reserve (with designation to return), Ojemudia will have to be kept for 24 hours after the final cut-down deadline. From there, the Broncos can place him on IR and bring him back up when he's ready.

Keep an eye on those four corners battling it out. I'd be surprised if Vincent doesn't come out on top — not just because of his modest draft pedigree but because he played lights out in preseason Game 2. The downside? Vincent is a diminutive slot corner and the Broncos have one of the best in the game in Bryce Callahan on-roster, as well as Essang Bassey working back from the PUP list eventually.

Rush Linebackers Making a Final Push

After Miller, the Broncos have Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed with a roster spot locked down. Rookie seventh-rounder Jonathan Cooper appears to have the fourth, and likely final, edge roster spot sewn up.

However, Andre Mintze has recovered from his concussion suffered in Game 1 and 2020 seventh-rounder Derrek Tuszka had a solid outing in Game 2. Keep an eye on those three rush linebackers.

If Cooper proves to be productive once again, that'll be all she wrote for Mintze and Tuszka. But it wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos re-sign both edge rushers to the practice squad if they pass through waivers unclaimed.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.

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