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The Denver Broncos will open training camp ahead of the 2025 season in just about one month. It was recently announced that the first practice of camp will be held on July 25.
Once camp begins, there will be several questions facing this year's Broncos team. Who will win the competition in the top position battles? How will this year's draft class look in their first camp?
Those questions will soon be answered, but right from the outset, some players who have held key roles in recent years could be fighting to stay on the team. These six players could be squarely on the roster bubble when training camp opens, meaning they will need to prove they deserve to stay before the preseason ends.
Broncos pre-training camp roster bubble
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB
Jaleel McLaughlin has been a great find for the Broncos, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023. But the additions of RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins this offseason have put his spot in jeopardy.
Unless the Broncos are going to give up on second-year running back Audric Estime already, or keep four running backs on the 53-man roster, McLaughlin could be looking for a new team just as the season gets ready to kick off.
Adam Trautman, TE
Adam Trautman could hang on as a veteran presence at the tight end position, but he'll be nothing more than a guy the team can plug in if Evan Engram has trouble staying healthy. Trautman has caught only 35 passes in his first two seasons in Denver.
Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins, Caleb Lohner and Caden Prieskorn will be provide the rest of the competition at tight end. Krull and Adkins have been a part of the team, but if one of the young players in either Lohner or Prieskorn has a big summer, it could convince the Broncos to let the veteran go.
Drew Sanders, LB
It would be a surprise to see the Broncos turn the page on their former third-round pick, but at the same time, he hasn't done much to help the team at all in his young career.
The Broncos need a strong performer from the inside linebacker position this season and consistency there could be the key to the defense this year. Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton, so long as they're healthy, provide a solid starting pair. But after that, all bets are off.
Sanders and Justin Strnad would be the next guys up, but there is a quarter of hungry young players behind them in Levelle Bailey, JB Brown, Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.
Ja'Quan McMillian, CB
It would be difficult to see the Broncos move on from Ja'Quan McMillian, a player who has developed so nicely for the team, but the first-round selection of Jahdae Barron takes him out of the starting lineup and leaves his role on the team as a bit of a mystery heading into the season.
Damarri Mathis, CB
Former fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis has not played well in his career and it seems he could be hanging by a thread heading into camp. The Broncos signed Mario Goodrich from the UFL, as well as undrafted players Joshua Pickett and Jaden Robinson, to provide depth this year.
Mathis will likely only hold onto a spot if the Broncos do something like trade McMillian, as roster spots should be locked for Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine.
P.J. Locke, S
The Broncos aren't deep at safety behind Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga, but the team could save about $4.1 million by cutting P.J. Locke, who had a disappointing 2024 season.
The Broncos could see third-year safety JL Skinner step up and if a guy like Sam Franklin Jr. can become a key cog on special teams, Locke could become expendable.
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