2020 Denver Broncos season
The 2020 season is the Denver Broncos' 51st in the National Football League, their 61st overall, and their second under head coach Vic Fangio. It will also mark the team's 20th season playing their home games in their current venue, Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos will look to improve on their 7–9 record from 2019 and make the playoffs for the first time since their 2015 Super Bowl-winning season.
2020 Denver Broncos season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Vic Fangio |
General manager | John Elway |
Owner | Estate of Pat Bowlen |
Home field | Empower Field at Mile High |
Uniform | |
Coaching changes
- January 10: Outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley departed to become the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams.[1]
- January 12: Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello was fired after only one season, following a 2019 season in which the Broncos ranked in the bottom five in several offensive categories, including scoring offense and total yardage. Two days later (January 14), Scangarello was replaced by Pat Shurmur, who served as the New York Giants' head coach during the previous two seasons. Shurmur will become the Broncos' fifth offensive coordinator in as many seasons.[2]
- January 15: Quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney was fired after only one season.[3]
- January 28: Mike Shula, who served as the Giants' offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019 alongside Pat Shurmur, was named quarterbacks coach.[4]
- February 6: John Pagano was named outside linebackers coach, replacing Brandon Staley. Pagano worked in the same position with the Houston Texans during the previous two seasons.[5]
Roster changes
Future contracts
All players listed below were signed to reserve/future contracts on December 31, 2019, unless noted otherwise. The signings include all ten players who were on the practice squad of the final roster at the end of the 2019 season. Each player was officially added to the active roster on March 18—the first day of the 2020 league year.[6]
Position | Player | Notes |
---|---|---|
OT | Ka'John Armstrong | |
WR | Trinity Benson | |
LB | Malik Carney | |
FB | Jeremy Cox | |
LB | Tre' Crawford | waived July 27[7] |
P | Trevor Daniel | waived April 23[8] |
TE | Bug Howard | waived April 27[9] |
OT | Tyler Jones | signed January 15[10] |
S | P. J. Locke | |
WR | Kelvin McKnight | waived July 27[7] |
RB | Khalfani Muhammad | waived July 27[7] |
S | Tyvis Powell | waived April 27[9] |
QB | Brett Rypien | |
S | Kahani Smith | waived July 27[7] |
DT | Jay-Tee Tiuli | waived April 27[9] |
LS | Wes Farnsworth |
Free agents
Unrestricted
Position | Player | 2020 team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Brandon Allen | Cincinnati Bengals | signed with the Bengals on August 1[11] |
LB | Jeremiah Attaochu | Denver Broncos | re-signed March 23[12] |
CB | De'Vante Bausby | Denver Broncos | originally an RFA, re-signed March 20[13] |
RB | Devontae Booker | Las Vegas Raiders | signed with the Raiders on May 7[14] |
DE | Adam Gotsis | Jacksonville Jaguars | signed with the Jaguars on August 2[15] |
CB | Chris Harris, Jr. | Los Angeles Chargers | signed with the Chargers on March 18[16] |
NT | Shelby Harris | Denver Broncos | re-signed March 27[17] |
DE | Joel Heath | TBD | originally an RFA, re-signed March 27,[18] waived July 27[7] |
CB | Cyrus Jones | TBD | |
LB | Joseph Jones | Denver Broncos | originally an RFA, re-signed March 27[18] |
LS | Casey Kreiter | New York Giants | signed with the Giants on April 1[19] |
G | Ronald Leary | TBD | |
C | Connor McGovern | New York Jets | signed with the Jets on March 18[20] |
LB | Corey Nelson | TBD | |
S | Will Parks | Philadelphia Eagles | signed with the Eagles on March 21[21] |
DT | Kyle Peko | TBD | originally an RFA, placed on the Reserve/Higher Risk Opt-Out list on July 28[22] |
RB | Theo Riddick | TBD | |
S | Justin Simmons | Denver Broncos | assigned franchise tag on March 13,[23] signed one-year franchise tag on July 15[24] |
DE | Derek Wolfe | Baltimore Ravens | signed with the Ravens on March 28[25] |
Note: Unrestricted free agents who were originally Restricted Free Agents (RFA) had three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season, and did not receive a qualifying offer before the start of the 2020 league year on March 18.
Restricted and exclusive-rights
Position | Player | Tag | 2020 team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
S | Trey Marshall | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 17[26] |
WR | Tim Patrick | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 17[26] |
DE | Mike Purcell | RFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 18[27] |
OT | Jake Rodgers | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 18[28] |
WR | Diontae Spencer | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 17[26] |
CB | Shakial Taylor | ERFA | TBD | assigned tender on March 17,[26] waived July 27[7] |
S | Dymonte Thomas | ERFA | TBD | |
OT | Elijah Wilkinson | RFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 17,[26] placed on the PUP list on July 28,[22] activated from the PUP list on August 3[29] |
Restricted Free Agent (RFA): Players with three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season Exclusive-Rights Free Agent (ERFA): Players with two or fewer accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season |
Signings
Position | Player | 2019 team(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
LS | Jacob Bobenmoyer | None | signed March 11[30] |
OT | Demar Dotson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | signed August 11[31] |
QB | Jeff Driskel | Detroit Lions | signed March 18[32] |
G | Graham Glasgow | Detroit Lions | signed March 18[33] |
RB | Melvin Gordon | Los Angeles Chargers | signed March 20[34] |
P | Sam Martin | Detroit Lions | signed March 24[35] |
TE | Nick Vannett | Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers | signed March 21[36] |
DE | DeShawn Williams | None | signed August 15[37] |
Departures
Position | Player | Notes |
---|---|---|
QB | Joe Flacco | released March 19 with a failed physical designation[38] |
TE | Jeff Heuerman | released July 31[39] |
CB | Horace Richardson | waived March 5[40] |
DT | Deyon Sizer | waived April 27[9] |
P | Colby Wadman | waived April 23[8] |
DE | Billy Winn | released March 5[40] |
Trades
On March 18, fullback Andy Janovich was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2021 draft.[20]
Draft
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 15 | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama | signed July 23[41] |
2 | 46 | K. J. Hamler | WR | Penn State | signed July 24[42] |
3 | 77 | Michael Ojemudia | CB | Iowa | signed July 21[43] |
83 | Lloyd Cushenberry III | C | LSU | signed July 22[44] | |
95 | McTelvin Agim | DT | Arkansas | signed July 22[44] | |
4 | 118 | Albert Okwuegbunam | TE | Missouri | signed July 22[44] |
5 | 178 * | Justin Strnad | LB | Wake Forest | signed July 22[44] |
6 | 181 | Netane Muti | G | Fresno State | signed July 22,[44] placed on the NFI list on July 28,[22] activated from the NFI list on August 3[29] |
7 | 252 * | Tyrie Cleveland | WR | Florida | signed July 22[44] |
254 * | Derrek Tuszka | LB | North Dakota State | signed July 22[44] |
* | Compensatory selection[45] |
---|
Draft trades
Trade partner | Broncos give | Broncos receive | Source |
---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville Jaguars | 2020 fourth-round selection (No. 137—from SF) | Cornerback A. J. Bouye | [46] |
New England Patriots | Original 2020 sixth-round selection (No. 195) | Cornerback Duke Dawson 2020 seventh-round selection (No. 237—later traded to TEN) | [47] |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 2019 first-round selection | 2019 first-round selection 2020 third-round selection—No. 83 | [48] |
San Francisco 49ers | Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders Original 2020 fifth-round selection (No. 156) | 2020 third-round selection—No. 95 2020 fourth-round selection (No. 137—later traded to JAX) | [49] |
Tennessee Titans | 2020 seventh-round selection (No. 237—from NE) | Defensive end Jurrell Casey | [50] |
Washington Redskins | Quarterback Case Keenum Original 2020 seventh-round selection (No. 229) | 2020 sixth-round selection (No. 181) | [51] |
Undrafted free agents
All undrafted free agents were signed on April 26—one day after the 2020 NFL Draft concluded,[52] unless noted otherwise.
Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Essang Bassey | CB | Wake Forest | |
LeVante Bellamy | RB | Western Michigan | |
Douglas Coleman III | S | Texas Tech | |
Kendall Hinton | WR | Wake Forest | |
Riley Neal | QB | Vanderbilt | waived July 27[7] |
Zimari Manning | WR | Tarleton State | waived July 28[22] |
Hunter Watts | OT | Central Arkansas |
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- July 28: Defensive tackle Kyle Peko was placed on the Reserve/Higher Risk Opt-Out list.[22]
- July 30: Tight end Andrew Beck was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.[53]
- August 3: Offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James opted out for the 2020 season.[54]
Staff
|
| |||||
Current roster
Preseason cancellation
The Broncos' preseason schedule was announced on May 7. However, on July 27, in a letter to fans, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell officially announced the cancellation of the entire preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[55]
Regular season
Schedule
The Broncos' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7,[56] and is subject to change, pending developments in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[55]
Week | Date | Time (MT) | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | TV | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 14 | 8:10 p.m. | Tennessee Titans | Empower Field at Mile High | ESPN | |||
2 | September 20 | 11:00 a.m. | at Pittsburgh Steelers | Heinz Field | CBS | |||
3 | September 27 | 2:25 p.m. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Empower Field at Mile High | Fox | |||
4 | October 1 | 6:20 p.m. | at New York Jets | MetLife Stadium | NFLN | |||
5 | October 11 | 11:00 a.m. | at New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium | CBS | |||
6 | October 18 | 2:05 p.m. | Miami Dolphins | Empower Field at Mile High | CBS | |||
7 | October 25 | 2:25 p.m. | Kansas City Chiefs | Empower Field at Mile High | CBS | |||
8 | Bye | |||||||
9 | November 8 | 11:00 a.m. | at Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | CBS | |||
10 | November 15 | 2:05 p.m. | at Las Vegas Raiders | Allegiant Stadium | CBS | |||
11 | November 22 | 2:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Chargers | Empower Field at Mile High | CBS | |||
12 | November 29 | 2:05 p.m. | New Orleans Saints | Empower Field at Mile High | Fox | |||
13 | December 6 | 6:20 p.m. | at Kansas City Chiefs | Arrowhead Stadium | NBC | |||
14 | December 13 | 11:00 a.m. | at Carolina Panthers | Bank of America Stadium | CBS | |||
15 | December 19 or 20 | TBD | Buffalo Bills | Empower Field at Mile High | TBD | |||
16 | December 26 or 27 | TBD | at Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium | TBD | |||
17 | January 3 | 2:25 p.m. | Las Vegas Raiders | Empower Field at Mile High | CBS |
Notes
- Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
- Networks and times from Weeks 5–17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
- As the result of Saturday flexible scheduling during Weeks 15 and 16, the date, time, and network for those two games will be finalized at a later date—by no later than four weeks prior to each game day.[57]
References
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- Swanson, Ben (January 28, 2020). "Broncos name Mike Shula as quarterbacks coach". Denver Broncos. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
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- "Bengals Sign Two Free Agents". Bengals.com. August 1, 2020.
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