If a player dies from injury before the season begins, the impact is much more than just a loss of talent. This loss will affect Front Office roster decisions.

The Denver Broncos are going to feel the pain. The team will be inflexible in setting up his final 53-man roster with three specific players currently injured.

These missing players will cause huge ripple effects across the final Broncos roster. A really good player is let go.

Who are these three injured players causing the ripple effect?

Tim Patrick | WR | ACL (Season)

Patrick suffered a season-ending ACL tear at training camp practice earlier this week, and his absence will be felt both on the field and in the locker room. When it comes to Denver’s roster decision, the wide receiver isn’t just affecting his group.

With Patrick healthy, the Broncos have four good receivers and, like last season, they could have chosen to keep five on their roster due to their top talent level. The Broncos were once again able to use the practice team to keep pass catchers to call during games.

This strategy worked well last season, allowing the Broncos to keep players in a separate position group.Without Patrick, that would change dramatically.

The Broncos need to keep six receivers on their roster due to the uncertainty of which players will step up when needed. Now, the team already has some options on its roster for that position, but those players are all marked with question marks.

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Randy Gregory | OLB | Shoulder (PUP List)

Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gregory (5) during training camp at the UCHealth Training Center. — Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports

Offseason surgery to Gregory’s shoulder has put him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. .

With no practice until then, Gregory will have to get in shape for football and likely won’t have a full workload for at least the first week of the season. , the Broncos could have planned to leave just four edge rushers, as they have done in three of the last four seasons.

The Broncos no longer have that luxury of choice. The club will be forced to carry at least his five players in this position, and perhaps he will be forced to carry six until Gregory returns to full workload.

Billy Turner | OT | OT | Knees (PUP List)

Billy Turner Denver Broncos — Mark J. Levilas-USA TODAY Sports

Turner suffered a knee injury that was barely talked about this offseason, but it was serious enough to put him on the PUP list. He was to become the starting right tackle, but in his absence Calvin Anderson took the role.

Turner’s being in the PUP for an unknown length of time will affect the number of backup offensive tackles a team has to hold during that time. I have.

The Broncos need a special type of player who can line up on both left and right tackles, so they may need to keep two tackles. Turner can also play at either tackle his position and move to the guard, a location used during his first stint in Denver.

This gives the Broncos great flexibility. If Turner had been available, the team could only keep eight offensive linemen. offensive linemen must be maintained.

Roster Impact

Denver Broncos General Manager George Payton and Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett during mini camp training at the UCHealth Training Center. — Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos know they can add three more players once they’re healthy, which forces decision makers to downplay other positions. These decisions were not necessary prior to the injury.

The positions where you are most likely to feel the squeeze are safety and tight end. The Broncos have a solid safety line with Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson and Kayden Stearns at the top and everyone is safe.

If the Broncos can only hold four safety, PJ Rock, Delaryn Turner-Yale and Jamer Johnson will battle for that last spot. Coaches and front offices will have tough decisions to make.

Will they keep players by investing the Broncos draft selections and putting Turner-Yale on the roster over Rock, who was a bright spot in the camp? Give way with choice?

The Rock is becoming a solid player and it will be difficult to walk him. As a rookie draft pick, Turner Yale has good potential, but will coaches pull that advantage away? of good players could hit the market.

Tight end positions can also lose good players. Albert Okwuegbunam and Greg Dulcich are ostensibly safe. However, neither Eric Tomlinson nor Eric Saubert have a fixed roster spot.

The Broncos would have liked to keep four tight ends, especially in the wake of Patrick’s injury, but they may not have that option.Tomlinson is a good tight end blocker and can play at fullback. The Broncos invested free agency money this offseason to bring him to the Mile-High City.

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While it would be easy to predict that Tomlinson would take the final spot, Saubert is one of the stars of training camp so far. Coaches praise Thorbert’s rapport with Russell Wilson.

With the veteran tight end doing the extra work, Wilson made him a favorite target in practice. That timing and confidence gives Zaubert a big boost in his push to make the roster. Losing either Tomlinson or Zaubert hurts.

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Denver Broncos roster count heavily impacted by three injuries