Scouting Broncos' 7 new players added over the weekend

In this article, I am going to break down the seven players the Denver Broncos have added, or are expected to add within the next 24 hours. The seventh player being the cornerback Denver acquired from the New England Patriots on Friday.

After watching over what preseason reps these players got, here are my thoughts on what they each bring to the Broncos.

Corey Nelson, LB: The former Broncos' linebacker hasn’t signed yet, at the time of writing this, but he is expected to if he can pass a physical. He is a player quite familiar and hasn’t really grown much since leaving the Broncos. What he brings best is special teams play, which the Broncos need badly.

On the defensive side of the ball, Nelson will make plays now and then, but also make you angry when watching. He has some quickness and athleticism in coverage, but he can be quite passive and give up early separation.

There is a chance that Nelson sticks on the roster for a while, but also a safe bet that they move on from him when Joe Jones comes back from his triceps injury, as they provide similar value as LBs. It isn’t surprising the Broncos are looking at bringing back Nelson as they gave him an offer before he took off to Philadelphia in the spring of 2018, where he thought the grass was greener.

Davontae Harris, CB: I have a rule for looking at players cut from other rosters. If they're at a position the team who cut them happens to be weak at, 9 out of 10 times, I wouldn't want the Broncos to waste their time. Well, the Bengals have a tough cornerback group to crack, and watching Harris’ preseason, he really stood out.

Harris played tight in coverage, was patient, challenged the catch point and was tough when defending the run. There are bad tendencies that need to be coached out, but he is a versatile defensive back that can play safety as well. As the 10th defensive back, Harris is a really good pickup.

Denver now has another young player to develop, and three corners from the 2018 NFL draft. It is said all three corners were liked by the Broncos at the time with Isaac Yiadom being the one the team ultimately drafted. Being versatile is a must for the secondary, and Harris is that. He did miss time in his rookie year with injury, so he may be behind the curve some, but still is a developmental prospect.

Duke Dawson, CB: Denver made a trade for one of those cornerbacks they liked in the draft a year ago, a guy who can play corner and safety. The Broncos value defensive backs that can be moved around their secondary, and both additions can do that.

Dawson is very quick, and can be sticky in coverage. He does bite on some double moves, or gets lost in his zone, but these are all shortcomings that can be coached up. Dawson also is a player unafraid to mix it up on special teams and in run defense. Denver likes corners who like to be physical, but not overly physical.

The third corner from the 2018 draft that Denver added, Dawson had a bad hamstring injury that saw him land on injured reserve in New England last year. By the time he was activated off IR, the Patriots had a few other corners step up and take his place, giving him little playing time.

Being a hybrid and special teams player, Dawson will have a role this year in Denver as the team works to develop him. The addition of the two young corners doesn’t give reassurance about Bryce Callahan's foot injury, though.

Brandon Allen, QB: Coming in rankied ninth in preseason completion percentage, and 12th in yards per attempt, Allen had a pretty solid month of August. His one touchdown to five interceptions isn’t ideal, but a couple of those were off of tipped passes by his own receivers.

Allen's arm is solid, but you can see some issues when attacking the deeper parts of the field, and some issues with zip on the ball as well. What he brings is someone who has a lot of experience in the 'father' system the Broncos run offensively, namely, the Shanahan scheme. With there being little time to teach a new scheme to a QB, the Broncos had to find one who would have some familiarity with it to help speed up the process.

Allen was a player I liked as a potential backup QB when he was entering the NFL. He was drafted to the Jaguars, but wasn’t on the roster for long before ending up with the Rams. There have been positive reviews about the young quarterback with his smarts and work ethic. Will he be the only quarterback brought in? Only time will tell, but bringing in another veteran shouldn’t be ruled out.

Corey Levin, C: There are flashes with his game, but to reach that he needs to learn to keep his head up. Almost every run blocking rep I studied, he would lower his head into contact, and would miss his block every now and then.

Levin moves well and can get out in front of the ball-carrier on screens and sweeps, but he has a bad tendency to look back at the ball-carrier and miss a block. With plenty of strength and solid athleticism, his flaws can all be coached out.

Levin will probably be a gameday inactive as they work to develop him. With Connor McGovern a free agent after the year, and Ron Leary looking like he will be let go in 2020, the Broncos need to work on developing youth on the O-line. Levin fits the scheme, but has a lot to work on. Next year, he will probably be given a shot to be the starting center for the Broncos.

Andrew Beck, TE/FB: A big and physical blocker, Beck is a tight end/fullback that can do exactly what Denver needs while Andy Janovich gets back to 100%. There isn’t much to get from him as anything other than a blocker, but he can offer you a solid catch every now and then. He will need to work on not taking out fellow blockers as a lead blocker, though.

Beck won’t be on the roster for more than a few weeks. He's just a temporary fill-in for fullback. It is curious that the Broncos saw more in him than George Aston, which makes me wonder whether Aston had issues in practice that kept him from getting the shot.

Diontae Spencer, WR/PR: A shifty returner who was great playing in the Canadian Football League, Spencer signed with the Steelers, and got plenty of chances as a punt returner, posting the fourth-highest return average at 14.71 yards per punt return and the only one in the top-five to not have a touchdown.

What stood out watching him was when he first caught the punt, he would take a brief moment to scan the field before starting his return. Patience is needed as a returner, but you can’t be overly patient. It was a good preseason for Spencer, and he could be a big weapon for the Broncos on special teams this year.

I am unsure what Spencer offers as a receiver, outside of being a gadget type player. Denver has tried to incorporate this type of players before, with little success. Maybe Spencer can be different, and hopefully, he is. This offense can use a gadget type receiver to help open things up.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.