4 Denver Broncos Minicamp Position Battles To Follow

DENVER (CBS4) - Mandatory minicamp is underway at Broncos headquarters, and there are intriguing battles going on at multiple positions between team veterans, rookies and players with experience on other teams who the Broncos signed in the offseason.

Here are four such battles that immediately stand out.

Quarterback: Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian & Paxton Lynch

On the first day of minicamp Paxton Lynch was assigned to work with the third team. Lynch is still learning the Broncos playbook but he has the physical attributes to fit well in Coach Gary Kubiak's offense. Trevor Siemian is riding his experience in Kubiak's system and worked out with the No. 2 team on Tuesday, while Mark Sanchez (formerly of the Jets and Eagles) worked out with the starters. "(Sanchez) is the most experienced guy in this competition and that's what he has going for him, so while this is an open competition I kind of see it being Mark Sanchez's job to lose," USA Today Broncos writer Lindsay Jones said on the CBS4 sports show All Access. "As long as he can show the coaches through this spring and summer and into training camp that he knows what he's doing and he's not going to make mistakes -- he's not going to fumble the ball, he's not going to throw interceptions -- that's how he wins this job."

Punter: Britton Colquitt & Riley Dixon

Frank Cooney of The Sports Xchange writes that Britton Colquitt has some competition with rookie Riley Dixon on the roster. "Colquitt is the incumbent and had the best run of his career in the postseason, but has a $4 million cap charge and is in the final year of his contract. The Broncos invested a seventh-round pick in Dixon, and he had a perfectly-placed punt during practice (last week) that was downed at the 5-yard-line."

 
Backup Safety: Shiloh Keo, Will Parks, Brandian Ross & Justin Simmons

The Broncos lost David Bruton Jr. and Omar Bolden to free agency, so the battle to back up starters T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart will be fierce both in minicamp and in training camp. Rookies Justin Simmons and Will Parks told CBS4 on Monday they are rooming together and learning the playbook together. "For both of us joining the best defense in the country is Step 1, and then going out there and proving yourself to make sure that you can play with the best is Step 2, and that starts every day in practice," said Simmons, who was drafted in the third round out of Boston College. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips thinks both rookies will fit in nicely in the Broncos secondary. "I'm really impressed with their knowledge. They really picked up the system well," he said. Shiloh Keo and Brandian Ross both signed one-year deals with the team in the offseason and both have several years of experience in the NFL. Keo played for the Broncos last season and Ross is new to the team.

Backup Running Back: Ronnie Hillman, Devontae Booker, Kapri Bibbs, Juwan Thompson & Cyrus Gray

The Broncos made a somewhat surprising move in matching Miami's offer for C.J. Anderson during free agency, and with the lucrative new contract (four-year, $18 million) Anderson is the clear starter this season. Ronnie Hillman shared the carries with Anderson last year and he's back, but there's some serious competition waiting in the wings. Juwan Thompson and Kapri Bibbs are also returning to the team, the team signed former Chief Cyrus Gray in the offseason and Devontae Booker was the Broncos fourth round pick.