Young Backup Linebackers Could Get Opportunity To Earn Broncos Roster Spot

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- The top three inside linebackers on the Denver Broncos depth chart - Todd Davis, Josey Jewell, and Joe Jones — will all be on the sidelines for the Broncos preseason game on Thursday in Seattle. All three are recovering from injuries, which will give the handful of young backups a huge opportunity to earn a roster spot.

"Every day is an opportunity to compete for a spot. Every day is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and get better. So you've got to make sure you know what you're doing on the field and execute," rookie linebacker Josh Watson said.

Watson is undrafted out of Colorado State.

The Broncos are likely to keep four or five players at inside linebacker, which means there are about five guys fighting for, at most, two open spots.

"It gives me a great opportunity. You never like to see any of the guys go down, but it's the next man up. I've got to go out there and show that I belong and prove myself to the veterans," rookie linebacker Justin Hollins said.

The Broncos drafted Hollins in the third round of the 2019 Draft.

One of the biggest tests on Thursday will be how well the group communicates with one another, especially since they'll end up playing with guys they haven't worked with very much.

"Going into this game we are very thin, so one guy can end up playing a position he hasn't played all week. So, we'll want to check and see who we're working with and make sure everyone knows their job," Keishawn Bierra said. Bierra is Denver's sixth round pick from the 2018 draft.

"We're going to get a lot of snaps, so that's good for all of us. We're going to be rotating a lot and playing a lot, which is wonderful," Alexander Johnson said.

Thursday's preseason game kicks off at 8 p.m. Mountain Time. It will be the Broncos first visit to Seattle in the preseason since 2015.