Tag: cuts

Broncos bring back recently-cut safety on practice squad

After being cut by the Broncos and clearing waivers, safety Keidron Smith returned to the team on the practice squad.

After being cut by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, safety Keidron Smith returned to the team on Thursday and signed with the practice squad.

Denver had room for Smith on the practice squad after promoting fullback Michael Burton to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

Smith (6-2, 210 pounds) led the team in tackles (10) and interceptions (two) during preseason. He also broke up two passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble this summer. After making the 53-man roster, the 25-year-old safety dressed for eight games this season, playing primarily on special teams.

The Broncos now have four safeties remaining on the active roster: Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, Devon Key and JL Skinner. A fifth safety could soon join them as Delarrin Turner-Yell has returned to practice and he is eligible to be activated from the physically unable to perform list.

More roster moves could be on deck for Denver later this week with multiple players ready to return from injured reserve and the PUP list. We will track all of the team’s moves on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos make second roster move ahead of Falcons game

The Broncos promoted fullback Michael Burton from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

The Denver Broncos made their second roster move of the week on Wednesday by promoting fullback Michael Burton from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Burton (5-11, 242 pounds) had maxed out his three practice squad elevations, so Denver had to promote him to the active roster so he can play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Broncos had room for Burton on the active roster after waiving safety Keidron Smith on Tuesday.

Smith cleared waivers on Wednesday and he plans to return on the team’s practice squad, according to a report from the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. Smith played in eight games this season, totaling six tackles. He played primarily on special teams.

Burton, 32, has played in all 10 games for the Broncos this season. Used primarily as a blocker, Burton has two carries and five catches on 100 offensive snaps this season. Burton has also played 179 snaps on special teams this fall.

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Broncos make first of several roster moves on deck this week

The Broncos waived safety Keidron Smith on Tuesday. More roster moves are on deck this week.

The Denver Broncos have made the first of at least two roster moves on deck this week ahead of their game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Broncos waived safety Keidron Smith on Tuesday, the team announced. Smith (6-2, 210 pounds) is a 25-year-old defensive back who made the 53-man roster after impressing during preseason this summer. He dressed for eight games this fall, totaling six tackles. Smith played 11 snaps on defense and 107 snaps on special teams before being waived.

Denver now has four safeties remaining on the active roster: Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, Devon Key and JL Skinner. Delarrin Turner-Yell is currently on the physically unable to perform list, but he returned to practice last week. Turner-Yell will have one more week of eligibility to return to the 53-man roster.

Broncos fullback Michael Burton and linebacker Kwon Alexander are both out of practice squad elevations, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of them promoted to the active roster to take Smith’s old spot. If he clears waivers, Denver will undoubtedly attempt to re-sign Smith to the practice squad.

In addition to Burton, Alexander and Turner-Yell, wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger), linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) and running back Tyler Badie (back) are also candidates to return to the 53-man roster in the coming weeks. Denver will have to make room for the returning players, and Smith was the first domino to fall.

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Recapping the roster moves Broncos made ahead of Chiefs game

Broncos C Luke Wattenberg was activated from IR and FB Michael Burton and LB Zach Cunningham were elevated to the game-day roster.

The Denver Broncos made a few roster moves leading up to Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The first domino fell on Monday when the Broncos traded pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. To fill Browning’s old spot on the active roster, Denver activated center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) from injured reserve to the 53-man roster on Saturday.

Additionally, Denver elevated fullback Michael Burton and linebacker Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Week 10. Burton and Cunningham will revert back to the practice squad on Monday.

Broncos roster moves

  1. Traded OLB Baron Browning to Cardinals
  2. Activated C Luke Wattenberg to 53-man roster
  3. Promoted FB Michael Burton to game-day roster
  4. Promoted LB Zach Cunningham to game-day roster

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.

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Predicting 14 roster moves Broncos could make in second half of season

The Broncos have seven players who could be returning to the 53-man roster soon. Here’s how they could make room for them.

The Denver Broncos could be getting a flurry of reinforcements in the coming weeks.

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hand) and center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) are now eligible to return from injured reserve, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) returned to practice last week and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) is “close to returning.” His timeline is uncertain, but running back Tyler Badie (back) is also eligible to return from IR.

Meanwhile, linebacker Kwon Alexander is out of practice squad elevations and coach Sean Payton hinted last week that Alexander will eventually end up on the 53-man roster. Denver also bumped fullback Michael Burton down to the practice squad last week. Burton can be elevated one more time. After that, he will likely be a candidate to return to the active roster as well.

Reynolds, Alexander and Wattenberg are presumably candidates to all return to the 53-man roster this week. Sanders, Burton, Turner-Yell and Badie might also return at some point in the future.

The Broncos don’t have to make room for all of them right away — new injuries could open spots in the coming weeks — but the team will have to make some roster decisions, soon.

Denver opened up one spot by trading outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The Broncos could open another spot by bumping offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton down to the practice squad.

Denver could open three more spots if they traded tight end Greg Dulcich, cornerback Damarri Mathis and quarterback Zach Wilson ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. If they aren’t traded, Dulcich and Mathis might be candidates to attempt to get down to the practice squad. And given Payton’s recent frustrations with the team’s receivers, even Lil’Jordan Humphrey could be in danger of losing his spot on the active roster.

So with as many as seven players potentially returning to the active roster in the second half of the season, here are predictions on how the Broncos could make room for them. Keep in mind that these are projections — this is not a report of what the team will do. Rather, it’s a projection of what the team could do.

  1. WR Josh Reynolds activated from IR
  2. OLB Baron Browning traded (confirmed)
  3. C Luke Wattenberg activated from IR
  4. OL Calvin Throckmorton cut from 53
  5. LB Kwon Alexander promoted to 53
  6. TE Greg Dulcich traded or cut
  7. LB Drew Sanders activated from PUP
  8. CB Damarri Mathis traded or cut
  9. FB Michael Burton activated to 53
  10. QB Zach Wilson traded
  11. DB Delarrin Turner-Yell activated from IR
  12. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey demoted to PS
  13. RB Tyler Badie activated from IR
  14. Future player placed on IR

Denver seems likely to make at least a few moves this week. Stay tuned.

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Broncos cut player from offense ahead of Ravens game

The Broncos cut FB Michael Burton from the 53-man roster on Friday. He’s expected to return on the practice squad.

Story update: The Broncos re-signed Mike Burton to the practice squad on Saturday. He was then elevated from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Week 9. See our original post below.

The Denver Broncos have released fullback Michael Burton ahead of their game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (via multiple reports).

Burton, 32, is a vested veteran, so he’ll become a free agent immediately without having to clear the waiver wire. The Broncos plan to re-sign him to the practice squad, presumably on Saturday.

Denver needed to open up a spot on the active roster for offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, who was out of practice squad elevations. Throckmorton was promoted to the 53-man roster on Friday and he will serve as the team’s backup center against the Ravens on Sunday.

Burton started the season on Denver’s practice squad and he was elevated to the game-day roster in Week 1. He is also expected to be elevated this week. The fullback would then be eligible to be elevated one more time this season.

NFL teams can elevate two players from the practice squad each week, but each player is limited to three elevations per season.

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Recapping the 11 roster moves Broncos made before ‘TNF’

The Broncos activated three players from IR and elevated two practice squad players ahead of their TNF showdown with the Saints.

The Denver Broncos had a busy week of transactions leading up to their Thursday Night Football clash with the New Orleans Saints today.

The moves started on Monday when the Broncos released wide receiver Kaden Davis (pictured above) from the practice squad and filled his former spot by re-signing defensive back Quinton Newsome.

After that, Denver cut linebacker Kristian Welch and defensive back Tanner McCalister from the active roster on Tuesday. One day later, Welch signed with the Baltimore Ravens and McCalister re-signed on the Broncos’ practice squad today.

The moves continued on Thursday when Denver activated outside linebacker Baron Browning (foot), right tackle Mike McGlinchey (MCL) and cornerback Damarri Mathis (ankle) from injured reserve to the 53-man roster.

The Broncos also elevated linebacker Kwon Alexander and offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Week 7. Finally, Denver also waived running back Blake Watson.

View a recap of all the team’s moves this week below.

Broncos roster moves ahead of TNF

1. WR Kaden Davis cut from practice squad

2. DB Quinton Newsome signed to practice squad

3. LB Kristian Welch cut from active roster

4. DB Tanner McCalister cut from active roster

5. DB Tanner McCalister signed to practice squad

6. OLB Baron Browning activated from IR

7. OT Mike McGlinchey activated from IR

8. CB Damarri Mathis activated from IR

9. RB Blake Watson cut from active roster

10. LB Kwon Alexander elevated from PS

11. OL Calvin Throckmorton elevated from PS

The Broncos’ game against the Saints will be streamed exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video. Playing on the road, Denver is considered a slight underdog in Week 7.

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Recently-cut Saints WR is now a free agent after clearing waivers

A.T. Perry cleared waivers, and the Saints have an open spot on their practice squad. But what happens next might be up to him:

Now this is interesting. The New Orleans Saints waived wide receiver A.T. Perry last Friday, and when the waiver wire updated on Monday no team chose to pick him up, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Now Perry is a free agent, but what happens next may be up to him.

Saints coach Dennis Allen has already expressed an openness to keeping Perry around on the practice squad, and wouldn’t you know it but the team has a spot open after promoting rookie offensive lineman Kyle Hergel to the 53-man roster. But that’s not to say Perry doesn’t have options. He could choose to sign with another team’s practice squad and see if he has more success, depending on whether he’s received any offers.

You just have to wonder what’s out there. 32 teams saw his name on the waiver wire and decided they had better players on their rosters already; had someone claimed him, that team would’ve had to let another player go to make room. Swapping out rostered players with those on practice squads is a much lower-stakes affair.

Perry fell to the sixth round in last year’s draft for unquantifiable “character concerns,” and that may have played a part in the decision to not claim him. And his problems in New Orleans have been with picking up the playbook and executing his role on offense. Maybe that’s what scared off those teams in the first place. There’s a good chance Perry remains with the Saints on their practiice squad, but that’s no sure thing. Otherwise they wouldn’t have risked losing him on waivers at all.

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Saints announce their initial practice squad, with more changes ahead

The Saints announce their initial practice squad on Wednesday, but it’s still a work in progress with more changes ahead:

Some of the dust is beginning to settle after a busy week of roster moves for the New Orleans Saints and every other NFL team, but the work isn’t finished just yet. The Saints announced their initial practice squad on Wednesday but there are some big differences between their list and what’s been reported to be in the works.

Let’s start with what’s official. Here are the 16 players currently signed to the practice squad as of Wednesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire:

  1. S Johnathan Abram (vested veteran)
  2. S Ugo Amadi (vested veteran)
  3. LB Khaleke Hudson (vested veteran)
  4. G/C Shane Lemieux (vested veteran)
  5. WR Equanimeous St. Brown (vested veteran)
  6. DT Kendal Vickers
  7. DE Niko Lalos
  8. TE Michael Jacobson
  9. WR Kevin Austin Jr.
  10. S Millard Bradford
  11. OT Josiah Ezirim
  12. TE Mason Fairchild
  13. OG Kyle Hergel
  14. RB Jacob Kibodi
  15. LB Isaiah Stalbird
  16. K Charlie Smyth (International Pathway Program)

Now, what’s different? Let’s focus on who’s missing. Cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles was expected to sign with the Saints practice squad, but he hasn’t yet, and it might be because of how the squad is built. NFL rules cap teams at six vested veterans (players with four or more years’ experience) and ten younger pros who have three or fewer accrued seasons. Jean-Charles falls in the latter group which is at capacity. There’s a roster exemption for Charlie Smyth so he doesn’t factor into that.

Of course it’s possible the Saints’ agreement with Jean-Charles fell through and he found a better offer somewhere else. But this would be the easiest explanation. Players are moving around often this time of the year as teams work to assemble their 53-man rosters and practice squads, so this may only be a procedural issue. We’ll find out soon.

What else is different from what we expected? Tight end Treyton Welsh is nowhere to be seen after it was reported by multiple outlets that the Saints were signing him to the practice squad. But Mason Fairchild was brought back which was not previously reported. Again, maybe Welsh’s deal collapsed, but it’s also possible that the team needs another day or two to get everyone to sign on the dotted line. At the same time, they now have five tight ends between the roster and practice squad. How many do they need?

One other difference? Defensive tackle Kendal Vickers was bumped down to the practice squad after initially making the cut for the 53-man roster. This was a corresponding move to claim running back Kene Nwangwu off of waivers from the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints have also arranged a trade with the Washington Commanders to add John Ridgeway III, another defensive tackle, so another corresponding move is coming (which means more changes for the 53-man roster and practice squad).

Got all that? It’s a busy week for everyone, and it isn’t over yet. Keep an eye out for more updates.

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Saints release Equanimeous St. Brown, a likely pickup for the practice squad

The New Orleans Saints released veteran wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown at roster cuts, a likely pickup for the practice squad:

As the New Orleans Saints continue to make their roster cuts ahead of the cutdown deadline, the team made the decision to release wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, brother of Lions’ receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported the release.

The decision to cut St. Brown comes after a productive preseason outing versus the Tennessee Titans where he caught three of his four targets for 43 yards and a touchdown.

St. Brown made waves early on in minicamp before sustaining an injury that put him out for a good portion of training camp. At 6-foot-5, St. Brown was a potential answer for the Saints need for a physical pass catcher but unfortunately wasn’t dealt much of an opportunity due to injury.

With that being said, as a veteran St. Brown is likely to find his way onto the practice squad tomorrow since he does not have to go on waivers. It’s a similar situation to safety Johnathan Abram, who was just released earlier Tuesday.

As far as his potential impact with the team in 2024 if brought back? St. Brown will likely serve as a practice squad elevation on game days as the team’s fifth receiver, being utilized as a good depth piece for the team. But a high-end pickup either through free agency or a trade could make him  expendable. Stay tuned.

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