The Denver Broncos will face a few difficult decisions on the offensive line when roster cuts begin this weekend.
Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey have returned as the team's starting five offensive linemen. Alex Palczewski is back as the top backup swing guard/tackle, guard Kage Casey was just picked in the fourth round of April's draft and Alex Forsyth is the backup center with starting experience.
Meanwhile, NFL clubs were interested in backup tackle Frank Crum in 2025, and it would be too risky to try to get him down to the practice squad. So, Palczewski, Casey, Forsyth and Crum are presumably safe, barring a surprise. That's four backup linemen, which would give the club nine total. It's hard to imagine
the Broncos carrying ten.
That could leave Calvin Throckmorton, 30, as the odd man out. He's a versatile, experienced lineman with 27 career starts on his résumé, and he filled in well at center with Wattenberg and Forsyth injured this summer.
“When you’re a backup lineman, you’re a flex," Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about Throckmorton earlier this month. "Your ability to do more than just one thing is important. You’re taking eight [linemen on the game-day roster], so you’re going to have a tackle, and you’d like your interior guys to have that flex [between guard and center]. So he’s one of those players that knows who he is. He’s worked at center and he’s worked at guard. That’s helped him play as long as he’s played to this point.”
It would be difficult to keep Throckmorton on the active roster if Palczewski, Casey, Forsyth and Crum are all safe. The same goes for backup tackle Matt Peart, 29, another experienced veteran. Throckmorton and Peart won't be subject to the NFL's waiver wire if cut, but other teams could offer them active-roster spots if the Broncos attempt to bump them down to the practice squad after roster cuts.
Denver will have to decide which linemen are the most valuable (both in 2026 and long-term), because any player they attempt to cut for the practice squad could be picked up by another team. Throckmorton and Peart will be key names to watch when roster cuts begin this weekend.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos have to make a tough offensive line decision before roster cuts
