Broncos roster review: Safety Trey Marshall

Trey Marshall finds himself in a somewhat crowded Denver Broncos safety group. Heading into his fourth season, Marshall sits squarely on the roster bubble.

Marshall played in 160 defensive snaps (15%) in 2019. That number dropped off dramatically in 2020, playing in only 15 defensive snaps (just 1%). The same downward trend can be seen in his special teams play, going from 72% of the special teams plays in 2019 to just 60% in 2020.

The Good

Marshall has experience playing in the NFL. While his numbers were down in 2020 as far as playing time, he is a reliable special teams player with an understanding of Vic Fangio’s defense. He can step into the defense and perform if necessary. He had a nice stretch of games in Kareem Jackson’s absence in the last two games of 2019.

With experience on the field, and another year in the league, Marshall is in a good position to fight for a backup role. He won’t be supplanting Jackson, or Justin Simmons, but he could find himself in the defensive rotation.

The Bad

Marshall’s spot on the team is not secure. The decline in opportunities in 2020 is not a good indicator for him. With Jackson and Simmons securely at the top of the pecking order, it is going to be a battle for the final safety spots.

Marshall will be in a competition with P.J. Locke, rookie Caden Sterns, and the newly signed Tedric Thompson.

While he seems to be ahead of Locke on the depth chart, and his experience should carry him over Sterns, he has yet to show he is a solid option to make the team. It may also come down to roster spots. How many safeties the Broncos choose to keep on the roster will play a big part in Marshall’s chances to make the team.

Final Word

With the experience on his side, I think Marshall will make the team. He brings a known quantity with him to training camp. Should something happen to Jackson or Simmons, he has shown the ability to step into the role and play well. He can continue to contribute on special teams.