Sean Payton Explains Broncos' Toughest Decisions on the Final 53

The dust has begun to settle on the Denver Broncos' wild weekend of final roster cuts.

The Broncos' initial 53-man roster is set, and they've signed 17 players — counting their international player designation — to the practice squad.

We've heard from GM George Paton about some of the tough decisions the Broncos made over the weekend, but his partner in crime held court after Monday's practice to share his take on some of these players.

Bentley Over Joly and Krull

First up, head coach Sean Payton was first asked about losing fifth-round rookie tight end Justin Joly to the waiver wire. The Broncos gambled, expecting to sneak Joly through the waiver wire, but it backfired when the Miami Dolphins claimed him.

“We go through this process, and we’ve spent a lot of time on who’s being waived, who’s being terminated. If he’s not claimed…," Payton said. "We felt strongly that he was coming back to our practice squad, and yet it’s hard to predict."

The Broncos obviously weren't too worried about Joly getting claimed, which could hint that the rookie's 88-yard touchdown in the preseason finale, combined with whatever draft grade the Dolphins had on him coming out of N.C. State earlier this year, may have made a much bigger impression on the league.

Instead of betting on Joly's high ceiling, the Broncos prioritized the relatively higher floor of fellow rookie tight end Dallen Bentley, who made the 53. Bentley not only beat out Joly for the roster, but also veteran Lucas Krull.

Krull was re-signed to the practice squad on Monday, though. And the Broncos felt that Bentley earned the roster spot.

“That’s right. They are two different types of players," Payton said of Joly and Bentley. "If I was trying to explain, they’re entirely different type players, but we felt that Bentley earned that.”

Parting With Jaleel McLaughlin

Joly wasn't the only thing that surprised Payton during the waiver process; he expected the veteran McLaughlin to get claimed by a team, but he didn't; more evidence of how the waiver process isn't always easy to predict.

"I would have thought Jaleel was going to get claimed, and yet that didn’t happen," Payton said. "So it’s hard to predict that."

McLaughlin signed with the Broncos as a college free agent in 2023, and made the roster out of camp as a rookie. In two of his three years as a Bronco, he averaged north of 5.0 yards per carry, including last year when he helped RJ Harvey carry the load after the J.K. Dobbins injury.

The Broncos, always seeking upgrades across the roster, drafted Jonah Coleman this year, which pushed McLaughlin down the depth chart. Ultimately, the Broncos opted to go with Tyler Badie as the fourth running back on the roster, despite Cody Schrader outperforming both him and McLaughlin, and Payton explained what the deciding factor was.

"All of those guys really played well," Payton said of the running backs. "The edge goes in the kicking game, which is important. We were still able to end up with five, but I think so much of this final equation comes down to special teams as we’re trying to project a vision when it’s close.”

Payton emphasized there that Denver still ended up with five of the six running backs it entered training camp with because Schrader passed through the waiver wire unclaimed and re-signed to the practice squad on Monday. McLaughlin, however, is still in the wind.

Turner Over Murdock

Like running back, the Broncos entered training camp with six outside linebackers. Four of them made the 53-man roster, with the last two spots going to Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.

The Broncos waived seventh-rounder Red Murdock — a fan-favorite who played well in the preseason — and Taurean York, an undersized undrafted rookie. Both went unclaimed on waivers, but the Broncos only opted to re-sign Murdock to the practice squad.

Payton addressed the relative hue and cry over Turner making the roster over Murdock, but emphasized that Denver was able to keep five of the six linebackers in the fold when all was said and done.

“Here’s the thing. Some of what you said is true, and yet we have them all here," Payton said. "Now, York’s not, but the process of ‘How do we get the 53, the 16 as best we can?’ That’s the science of it, and it’s never exact.”

Murdock will get the opportunity to continue to develop within the organization, and he could get his number called this season. Teams are allowed to elevate practice-squad players to the game-day roster twice without having to waive them. After a player's third elevation, the team must either promote him to the active roster or expose him to waivers before he can be brought back to the practice squad.

Keeping Three QBs

Keeping all three quarterbacks on the active roster out of camp was another decision that raised some eyebrows. Sam Ehlinger made the cut on the heels of an impressive camp and a three-touchdown performance in the preseason finale.

“Yes, I thought Sam earned it," Payton said. "He played well, especially finished the preseason well. We felt that became an easier decision as we got into camp a little bit further. “

The Broncos keep their quarterback room intact, and it'll be interesting to see if Ehlinger or Jarrett Stidham garner any interest ahead of November's trade deadline. If not, the Broncos seem content to ride out the season as a three-quarterback team, then make a decision in the offseason on which of the two to re-sign, as both will be free agents.

The Drew Sanders Situation

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.

Lastly, Payton dished on the unfortunate way the cookie crumbled for the fourth-year linebacker. After missing the past two seasons (mostly) with injuries, the talented but snake-bitten Sanders couldn't stay healthy once again, and the Broncos waived him with an injury designation.

Sanders is expected to revert to injured reserve. And that'll likely be all she wrote for the Broncos' 2023 third-round pick.

“Yes, it’s difficult because you watch the process, and the effort, and the calories, and the energy and the amount of time," Payton said of Sanders. "I know more than anyone, he was frustrated. So those are never easy because the make-up and the toughness, it really came down to just the injuries. That’s always difficult.”

The Takeaway

This was always going to be a tough roster to crack, and the Broncos' shot-callers knew they were going to be forced into some painful decisions. The priority, however, was shaping the right 53-man roster, and Payton and Paton believe the Broncos did just that.

The reality is that Denver was able to retain, one way or another, most of the players it wanted to after cutting them. Joly and nickel cornerback Reese Taylor, who was also claimed by Miami, were he exceptions, but as Payton explained, there is no perfect science or painless path to crafting a good 53-man roster.

With all those painful conversations and agonizing decisions now in the rear-view, the Broncos can focus on Week 1's challenge of traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

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