Broncos Release DL Billy Winn, Waive CB Horace Richardson

The Denver Broncos announced a couple of roster cuts on Thursday, waiving cornerback Horace Richardson and releasing veteran defensive lineman Billy Winn.

Richardson is entering his second NFL season. Denver was his fourth NFL stop — including Minnesota (2017-18), Detroit (2018), Kansas City (2018) and Broncos (2018). He has bounced back and forth from the active roster to the practice squad. All of 2019 was spent on injured reserve following a summer injury during camp.

Winn is a former sixth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns who initially landed in Denver back in 2016 when the man who drafted him — Tom Heckert — was still in the Broncos' front office. Winn produced a solid initial campaign in Denver but missed all of 2017 on injured reserve.

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Winn spent all of 2018 out of football but the Vic Fangio-led Broncos re-signed him to bolster the defensive line depth early last year. Alas, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound trenchman suffered another preseason injury and was lost to IR for the year.

Not that roster room is much of a concern at this time in the season, but the two moves free up a couple of roster spots ahead of NFL free agency. Perhaps more importantly, they provide better roster clarity, helping the front office ascertain exactly where the strengths and weaknesses of the team lie.

Free agency opens around the NFL on March 18, with the legal tampering period kicking things off two days prior. The first domino for the Broncos has fallen, with CB A.J. Bouye arriving via trade from Jacksonville earlier this week.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.