Why the Broncos Should Hold Off on Trades and Cuts—for Now

The Denver Broncos may still have some moves to make, but now is not the time.

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

With so much talk about the Denver Broncos' draft picks, how they've improved the roster, and upcoming decisions regarding certain players for 2027, some may wonder whether it's time for the team to make more moves now.

While there are cases to be made for cutting certain players right now, others might argue it's time to trade them so the Broncos don't have to make those decisions later.

However, training camp won't start for several months, and the Broncos have only just begun evaluating their roster and the best bets to make the 53-man roster or the practice squad.

And while it's true that not every player who makes the final roster in 2026 will be back in 2027, primarily because the Broncos only have so much cap and cash to go around that they can't keep everybody, the team still needs to be patient when it comes to any potential moves.

Verify Roster Depth

The first reason is that the Broncos want to ensure their roster depth is as strong as possible by the time the regular season starts. That means it's best to have as much competition as possible at every position.

If you cut or trade a player who knows the current systems well, regardless of the player's actual talent level, you are now relying more on players who haven't yet proven themselves.

You want those players who are either rookies or second-year players to demonstrate that they can either contribute now (in the case of rookies) or contribute in a bigger role (in the case of second-year players) before moving on from somebody else.

Hedge Against Injuries

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on after winning the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Another reason not to part ways with players is that you can never predict when injuries will happen. Although the Broncos haven't had major issues with injuries as other teams have over the past three years, they have lost enough players to serve as a reminder of the importance of roster depth.

Trading away a player like cornerback Riley Moss might seem like a good move to make right now, but if they were to lose somebody like Jahdae Barron to injury, suddenly they'd have a problem. The same holds true if you were to cut tight end Lucas Krull now, only to lose Justin Joly to an injury.

Best Possible Practice Squad

A third reason is that some of the players who were on the 2025 roster but might not make the final 53-man roster in 2026 can be ideal practice squad additions. Because players with more accrued seasons may be added to the practice squad, utilizing a couple of spots on players who know the system is a good idea.

Those players might not see a lot of time on the field, but if they are needed, they can be called up to fill in for a week and play some snaps, then go back to the practice squad once a better player is able to return to the field.

The Broncos have a 90-player roster limit for the offseason, with the international player exception (so they can have 91), so there isn't much need for immediate moves. They will have to make a couple of moves if they intend to keep all the undrafted rookies they signed, but the players they release will most likely be those who got futures contracts and may have been long shots to even make the practice squad.

The Only Exception

The only exception to moving a player right now is if a trade offer comes along that is too good to pass up. For a player like Moss, it would have to be a team offering its 2027 first-round pick for him.

But chances are, teams will still be interested in Moss during training camp and the preseason, at which time the Broncos will have a better idea of where things stand with the players they have under contract. Thus, a Moss trade is still possible at that time, so long as the compensation makes the trade worth it.

The Takeaway

The main thing the Broncos need to focus on now is evaluating everyone on the current roster. There will be plenty of time to figure out who stays, who needs to be released, and who might be worth trading.

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