6 Broncos Who Could Be Surprise Casualties on Cutdown Day

Already, the Denver Broncos are tweaking the roster with only four days left until the NFL's cut-down deadline.

On Tuesday, the Broncos waived veteran wideout Hakeem Butler to make room for former UFL pass rusher Ron Stone Jr. The Butler cut is the first of many more to come, as the Broncos will have to whittle their current 91-man roster (counting their international player exemption) down to the final 53 players by Sunday.

Once again, the depth of the Broncos' roster has been on full display this summer, with many young players and rookies showing out in training camp and the preseason. That puts pressure on the veterans ahead of them on the roster.

There are many more veterans battling for a roster spot, but today, we're going to talk about six who could find themselves as surprise cuts if the cookie crumbles a certain way this weekend. Most of these players made the Broncos' roster last year out of camp, and some of them have done so for the past few seasons.

Keep in mind, these are not predictions. This is not me saying that said player is going to be cut, but suffice it to say, there's a reason I've listed each veteran here as a potential surprise cut this summer.

Jarrett Stidham | QB

Of all the veterans I'm going to list here, Stidham may be the least likely to be cut, but he hasn't had the best summer, and the Broncos have an incentive to move on, should they so choose. Stidham has been in a soft competition with Sam Ehlinger for the Broncos' backup quarterback spot behind Bo Nix.

After the first preseason game, it seemed that Stidham had a clear lead just based on his performance, after each quarterback played a full half in Atlanta. He played well in the first half with the Broncos' starters and second-team offense.

In Game 2, though, Stidham played poorly, struggling to sustain drives and put points on the board against the Green Bay Packers. He also threw an interception, but the Broncos doggedly kept Stidham in the game after Nix's two series, with Ehlinger not entering the fray until the fourth quarter.

Those factors imply that Stidham is well ahead of Ehlinger on the depth chart, but I don't think it's safe to say that he's fully slammed the door on the competition. Time will tell how much playing time Stidham and Ehlinger get in the preseason finale on Friday, but there are other factors at play here, including the $4.5 million the Broncos could save by cutting Stidham.

Troy Franklin | WR

Again, I believe Franklin is making this roster, but he's faced some serious competition this summer, and his value to the Broncos is very one-dimensional. Typically, the fifth receiver on the depth chart is expected to contribute on special teams, and that's not his bag.

That is Lil'Jordan Humphrey's bag, though, and he's also a willing-and-able blocker on the perimeter. Throw in the Broncos' prioritization of returner ability this summer behind Marvin Mims Jr., along with Franklin's diminished role in the wake of Jaylen Waddle's arrival and the rise of Pat Bryant, and it would not completely shock me if the Broncos waived him.

If it came to that, the Broncos would likely first seek to trade Franklin and hope to get some sort of a return on the two-and-a-half years they've spent developing him, and there'd likely be a decent market for his services. He did catch 65 passes last year for 709 yards and six touchdowns last season as the Broncos' No. 2 receiver opposite Courtland Sutton, but there was a reason the team explored the Waddle trade before last fall's deadline, and went back to the well again in the offseason.

Franklin is a one-trick pony. He's fast in a straight line, but he doesn't have the most reliable hands, and he can't block or contribute on special teams. He may have been a fourth-rounder and a dear friend of Nix's, but the Broncos have some intriguing rookies pushing the issue this summer, including Kolbe Katsis and Cameron Ross, both of whom are excellent returners.

Don't count on Franklin being waived, but for the reasons listed above, it's something to watch out for.

Lucas Krull | TE

The only reason a Krull cut would come as a surprise is that he's made the roster in each of the past two years. However, he struggled mightily with injuries last season, and he's not looked good this summer — in camp or the preseason.

Meanwhile, the Broncos drafted two tight ends in Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley, though both were Day-3 picks. Joly seems to be part of the Broncos' short- and long-term plans, which doesn't bode well for Krull, while Bentley may get a year to develop on the practice squad.

Throw in Sean Payton's ongoing fascination with Caleb Lohner, who's yet to practice this summer, and the Broncos may want to create some roster room for certain possibilities.

Krull is a below-average receiving tight end and terrible blocker. His time with the Broncos could come to an end this weekend.

Alex Forsyth | C

Forsyth was a 2023 sixth-round pick, and the Broncos like him a lot. He gave them great intel on Nix when the quarterback was coming out of Oregon in 2024, and Forsyth has been a reliable backup center behind Luke Wattenberg.

So why is Forsyth on this list? He suffered an injury about a week into camp, and he's yet to return from it. Meanwhile, Calvin Throckmorton has stepped into the breach in the wake of the injuries Denver has suffered to each of its top three centers entering camp and has played very well.

Forsyth is a center-only player, which limits his value to the offensive line when it comes to the roster math. Throckmorton can play guard and center, which is extremely valuable to the interior O-line depth.

In years past, the Broncos have been willing to risk Throckmorton to the waiver wire, but the tape he's put up in the preseason, running with the first and second-team units will not have escaped the NFL's attention. Forsyth would likely get claimed, too, but he's one-dimensional and entering a contract year.

Plus, we still don't know what Forsyth's health outlook really is, while Payton has expressed confidence that Wattenberg will be good to go by the regular-season opener. Time will tell, but there are more cons than pros when it comes to Forsyth's case for the roster, especially in comparison with Throckmorton's stock.

Drew Sanders | OLB

Sam Howell and Drew Sanders. — Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (left) gets sacked by Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (41). | Steve Nurenberg / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire.

The dude just can't catch a break. After injuries wiped out his last two seasons, the former third-round pick absolutely needed a healthy summer. He started out on solid footing, but since the first preseason game, he hasn't practiced.

Sanders is also entering a contract year, and although he has premium-round draft pedigree and was a member of Payton's maiden draft class in Denver, he simply can't stay healthy long enough to contribute. Again, the Broncos have already made a move to sign another outside linebacker, adding Stone on Tuesday after working him out.

It doesn't help that Denver is very deep at outside linebacker. The writing is on the wall for Sanders, despite being a former third-round draft pick. He's ridiculously talented, but he's also the poster boy for one of the NFL's most common maxims: "You can't make the club from the tub."

Tycen Anderson | S

Tyson Anderson — Green Bay Packers running back Jaden Nixon (35) runs the ball against Denver Broncos safety Tycen Anderson (6) and cornerback Reese Taylor (35). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anderson is a newcomer, having signed a one-year deal with the Broncos this past March. He was actually Denver's only outside signing during the initial waves of free agency.

Since camp started, though, Anderson has been unable to separate himself in the safety competition. That trend has continued through the preseason thus far.

Following the first preseason game, the Broncos went out and signed veteran safety Taylor Rapp. The implications for Anderson and JL Skinner weren't great.

However, according to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Skinner has had a "great camp," though he's yet to really shine in the preseason games. The Broncos need their depth safeties to contribute on special teams, especially with Rapp joining the room, and with a first-team All-Pro already in the fold (Devon Key), Skinner has already proven himself to be reliable in the third phase.

Anderson was just signed in the offseason, but I'll be surprised if he survives the final roster cuts. If the Broncos again keep five safeties out of camp, that fifth spot appears to be Skinner's to lose.

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