Gut Reaction: Broncos' Most Surprising Cuts and What They Mean

For the Denver Broncos, the hard part is in the rear-view.

There are still 17 tough regular-season games to play, but the painful process of cutting nearly 40 players over a two-day period is one the Broncos' coaching staff and front office dread each year. It's a necessary evil, though, as the Broncos' prime directive is to land on the right 53-man roster.

As always, there were some shocking cuts and a few surprise players to make the Broncos' 53-man roster. There are many implications, so let's break down the biggest takeaways from the roster cut-down process.

Broncos Can't Quit Sam Ehlinger

The Broncos opted to keep three quarterbacks out of training camp, with Ehlinger joining Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham on the 53-man roster. Ehlinger outplayed Stidham for most of the summer and punctuated his preseason with an impressive three-touchdown showing in the finale on Friday, but it wasn't enough to bump Stidham off the roster or leapfrog him on the depth chart.

Why do the Broncos feel compelled to keep three quarterbacks? It's hard to say, because at first blush, it seems like a wasted roster spot when the Broncos cut so many surprise players and three rookie draft picks.

We know the Broncos love their quarterback room; we've heard head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton mention it often over the past two years. And while there's always a need for an emergency quarterback on game day, that doesn't mean he needs to be on the 53-man roster.

The silver lining is that the Broncos will have plenty of quarterback depth entering a season in which Nix is coming off a serious injury. The Broncos believe Nix is as good as new, and he certainly looked like it in camp and his one preseason performance, but perhaps the team has adopted the "it's better to have and not need than to need and not have" philosophy at quarterback.

A Tough Roster to Crack

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Keelan Marion (85) is tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Red Murdock (50). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Again, three of the Broncos' seven draft picks did not make the initial roster out of camp. One came as a moderate surprise, and the other as a shocker.

Fifth-round tight end Justin Joly was waived after a very uneven rookie training camp. He struggled throughout camp and didn't seem to take to his NFL coaching well. His 88-yard touchdown reception in the finale (busted coverage) didn't save him from the consequences of his lackluster summer.

What makes Joly a moderate surprise is that he was a fifth-round pick the Broncos traded up to select, and we knew he was going to take some time to develop. He still may get that time, by the way, if he passes through waivers. The Broncos could re-sign him to the practice squad, but if he gets claimed by another team, he'll end up being a colossal waste of two draft picks.

The big shocker was linebacker Red Murdock. This year's "Mr. Irrelvant" distinguished himself well the second half of camp, and played at a relatively high level in the preseason, leading the Broncos in tackles.

Alas, the Broncos prioritized Jordan Turner's special teams acumen over Murdock, and now there's a good chance Red will be gone on waivers. If Murdock goes unclaimed, he's a sure-fire practice squad addition, but that's a big if.

The Murdock cut is a short-sighted move. The Broncos have lacked youthful depth at inside linebacker — a candidate to offer future starter potential for life after Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad — and while Karene Reid played well in the preseason, Murdock has more of the long-term markers. I hope this decision doesn't blow up in Denver's face.

The third rookie to be waived was seventh-round safety Miles Scott. He needs more time to ripen on the vine, and he'll likely get it on the practice squad.

The rookies to make the Broncos' 53-man roster out of camp were:

Tyler Onyedim | OL | Third Round
Jonah Coleman | RB | Fourth Round
Kage Casey | OL | Fourth Round
Dallen Bentley | TE | Seventh Round

No Undrafted Rookie Makes the Cut

Kolbe Katsis. — Koble Katsis catches a pass during warm-ups. | Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

For just the second time in the past 23 years, no undrafted rookie made the 53-man roster out of camp. There were some rookies who got close, like wideouts Kolbe Katsis and Cameron Ross, both of whom will be re-signed to the practice squad if they clear waivers; linebacker Taurean York; offensive lineman Gavin Ortega; and long snapper Luke Basso.

Again, it's a tough roster to crack.

Long Snapper Shenanigans

The Broncos released veteran long snapper Mitchell Fraboni, which means, I suppose, that Basso won the competition this summer, even though he had a few cringe moments, including a bad snap that led to a botched field-goal attempt in the preseason.

It's not clear yet if there will be any roster shenanigans with Fraboni, but it appears the Broncos might be willing to lean on Basso as a practice squad elevation for the first three games. We'll have to wait to hear what GM George Paton says on the matter this evening.

Cody Schrader Gets Robbed

The Broncos kept four running backs, but Schrader wasn't one of them, despite performing at such a high level in the preseason. The Broncos said goodbye to Jaleel McLaughlin, too, who's been with the team since 2023 and chose to re-sign back in March.

Instead, the Broncos are rolling with Tyler Badie as the fourth and final running back behind J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Coleman. The Broncos value Badie for his blocking ability on third down, his pass-catching skills, and his verastility as a special teams returner.

Unless the plan is to make Coleman a healthy scratch, though, Badie will be unlikely to suit up in many games this season, so the utility of having that well-rounded skill set won't avail the Broncos unless there's an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. Then again, the team could plan to dress Badie and not Coleman initially, though that would be a crime.

Hopefully, Schrader clears waivers and can be re-signed to the practice squad, but I doubt it. He earned a 53-man roster spot somewhere, in all likelihood.

Meanwhile, the Broncos released fullback Adam Prentice with the full intention of re-signing him to the practice squad. He'll be part of this team and contribute throughout the season.

Goodbye, Drew Sanders

The Broncos waived Sanders with an injury designation, ending his troubled tenure in Denver. The 2023 third-round pick is a talented player, but the injury bug claimed each of his past two seasons, and just when he was building up a head of steam this summer, he suffered an injury in the first preseason game that sidelined him the rest of the way.

It's a bummer, for sure, but hopefully Sanders can get healthy and continue on with his NFL career. If anyone could use a fresh start somewhere else, it's him.

Calvin Throckmorton Doesn't Survive

Bo Nix and Calvin Throckmorton — Calvin Throckmorton prepares to snap to Bo Nix. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Despite stepping up in the face of the Broncos' injury crisis at center and playing exceedingly well in the preseason, Throckmorton was released. Now, he could choose to re-sign with the practice squad, since he's a vested veteran, but I wouldn't be surprised if he finds an active roster spot elsewhere.

The Broncos kept Alex Forsyth instead, a 2023 sixth-round pick, despite missing the entire preseason with an injury. Forsyth is also entering a contract year, so I'm not sure what the upside is to retaining him, especially when Throckmorton played so well and offers the versatility to play any of the three spots on the interior offensive line.

Hopefully, this isn't the last we see of Throckmorton in the Orange and Blue.

Lil'Jordan Humphrey Makes the Cut

After months of speculation, the Broncos indeed kept six wide receivers, with Humphrey as the last guy. His special-teams acumen made the difference, although he's not a returner.

Humphrey has rolled with the punches as a Bronco, going back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster, and he had an excellent camp, though he didn't stand out in the preseason. He's the Broncos best blocking receiver, which is another big reason he was kept.

Jonathon Cooper Hits the Commissioner's Exempt List

Cooper will miss two to six games on the commissioner's exempt list after he was arrested twice during the summer and charged with felony assault. His first court date is on Monday, August 31, when he's scheduled to be arraigned.

The Broncos knew this was coming, and thankfully, they're deep at outside linebacker. Because Cooper won't count toward the 53-man roster while he's on the commissioner's exempt list, the Broncos were able to go deep at quarterback and wide receiver.

Cooper could miss up to six games, but time will tell. Meanwhile, expect Jonah Elliss to take over Cooper's starting job in the interim. Time will tell whether Cooper gets it back upon his return.

Tycen Anderson Makes the Team

Anderson made the 53-man roster by the skin of his teeth. The Broncos' plan was to have Taylor Rapp on the roster, but less than a week after signing him, they released him due to personal issues he's dealing with off the field, though they hope to have him back once they're resolved.

So JL Skinner made it on the heels of a strong camp and preseason, and Anderson. The Broncos waived Scott and undrafted rookie Parker Robertson. The top three safeties are Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, and Devon Key, with Skinner and Anderson as key special teams contributors.

Key is a special teams All-Pro, too, so expect him to continue contributing in the third phase.

The Injured Ones

The Broncos placed tight end Caleb Lohner and offensive tackle Frank Crum on injured reserve to open the season, while offensive guard Nick Gargiulo will start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Gargiulo's injury came a year ago, an ACL tear, and he's yet to return to the field, but as a recent sixth-round pick, the Broncos want to keep him around.

Lohner underwent a knee clean-up procedure early in the summer, missing all of camp and the preseason. Crum was injured during the preseason.

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