Tag: roster cuts

Sean Payton explains decision to cut Josh Reynolds

“We would have liked to have been able to keep him, but as guys got healthy and came from injured reserve, we had to have space.”

Last week, the Denver Broncos cut veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds just before his deadline to return from injured reserve.

It was a somewhat surprising decision, but if the Broncos did not activate Reynolds to the 53-man roster, the two alternatives were cutting him or leaving him on IR for the rest of the season. By waiving him, Denver gave Reynolds an opportunity to continue playing in 2024, and he was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coming out of the bye week, Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about the team’s decision to waive Reynolds.

“From a roster management standpoint with Josh, it just became a numbers game,” Payton explained. “He’s done a great job. We would have liked to have been able to keep him, but as guys got healthy and came from injured reserve, we had to have space. Some of the younger guys have been playing well, and I wish him the best. He’s one of those guys that helped us get to where we’re at right now.”

Courtland Sutton remains the team’s No. 1 receiver with rookie Devaughn Vele is emerging as a promising No. 2. Lil’Jordan Humphrey is a key blocker, Marvin Mims has seen his role grow this season and Troy Franklin continues to develop. With a crowded WR room and other players returning from injuries, Denver did not have room for Reynolds.

Reynolds hauled in 12 receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown in five games with the Broncos this season. He thanked the team on social media for his time in Denver after being cut last week.

Payton also recently spoke about the departure of linebacker Kwon Alexander. Last month, after the Broncos promoted linebacker Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to their active roster, Alexander joined the Detroit Lions’ active roster.

“I’m happy for Kwon,” Payton said on Nov. 30. “I had a good visit with him. We’ve been together before, and it’s a good opportunity for him, but we knew this was coming with Zach.”

Reynolds and Alexander will now get fresh starts in Jacksonville and Detroit, respectively, as the Broncos move forward with their in-house players.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos make surprising decision on WR Josh Reynolds

The Broncos waived WR Josh Reynolds ahead of the deadline to make an injured reserve decision.

Story update: The Jacksonville Jaguars claimed Josh Reynolds off waivers on Wednesday. See our original post below.

The Denver Broncos have waived wide receiver Josh Reynolds from injured reserve, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

Reynolds had been on injured reserve since Week 5 and Wednesday was the deadline to activate him to the 53-man roster. Happy with the receivers on their roster, Denver opted to waive him instead.

Had he not been cut or activated before Dec. 4, Reynolds would have remained on IR for the rest of the 2024 season. By waiving him, the Broncos will give the receiver a chance to play again this season.

Reynolds (6-3, 192 pounds) was placed on IR after he underwent finger surgery last month. Less than a week after he went on IR, Reynolds was shot twice after leaving a nightclub in the Denver area on Oct. 18. Reynolds has since recovered from his wounds and three people have been arrested in connection to the shooting.

Reynolds, 29, hauled in 12 receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown in five games with the Broncos earlier this season before injuring his finger. Denver will now move forward with Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims at receiver.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Recapping the 5 roster moves Broncos made this week

Greg Dulcich out, Drew Sanders back, Zach Cunningham up and Calvin Throckmorton down. The Broncos have been busy with roster moves.

The Denver Broncos have been busy with transactions this week.

The moves started on Monday when the Broncos waived tight end Greg Dulcich, who was picked up by the New York Giants one day later.

To fill Dulcich’s old spot on the 53-man roster, Denver activated linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) from the physically unable to perform list. Sanders is now back on the active roster.

The cuts continued on Tuesday when the Broncos waived offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton. That move was made to make room for linebacker Zach Cunningham to be promoted from the practice squad on Wednesday.

Throckmorton cleared waivers on Wednesday and he is now set to re-sign with the team’s practice squad.

Now the team will have to make a decision on wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger). If he is not activated from injured reserve before Dec. 4, Reynolds will spend the rest of the season on IR.

Broncos roster moves this week

  1. TE Greg Dulcich cut from 53-man roster
  2. LB Drew Sanders activated from PUP list
  3. OL Calvin Throckmorton cut from 53-man roster
  4. LB Zach Cunningham promoted to 53-man roster
  5. OL Calvin Throckmorton signed to practice squad

Denver is preparing to host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13. That game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos sign linebacker to 53-man roster

The Broncos promoted LB Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

After waiving offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton from the 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos filled his former spot on the active roster on Wednesday.

The Broncos have promoted linebacker Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, the team announced. Throckmorton, meanwhile, cleared waivers on Wednesday and he is set to re-sign with the practice squad officially on Thursday.

Throckmorton and Cunningham have essentially swapped places on the active roster and practice squad this week. Cunningham was out of practice squad elevations, as was fellow inside linebacker Kwon Alexander.

Denver’s active roster is now full, which presumably means wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) will not be activated from injured reserve this week. The Broncos have to make a decision on Reynolds before Dec. 4. If he is not activated to the 53-man roster before that deadline, Reynolds will spend the rest of the season on injured reserve.

Speaking of injuries, Denver was not required to release an injury report on Wednesday because the team plays on Monday in Week 13. Broncos coach Sean Payton declined to provide an injury update after Wednesday’s practice, so there’s no word yet on the statuses of cornerback Riley Moss and defensive lineman Zach Allen.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos cut offensive lineman from 53-man roster

The Broncos cut OL Calvin Throckmorton, a move that could be making room for WR Josh Reynolds to return.

The Denver Broncos are waiving offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, according to a report from the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel.

Throckmorton was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Nov. 1 after the team lost starting center Luke Wattenberg to an ankle injury. He has served as a backup swing guard/center this month, but Wattenberg has since returned and Denver needed to open up active roster spots.

If he clears waivers, Wattenberg will presumably return to the Broncos on the practice squad. His spot on the 53-man roster will likely be taken by wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who is ready to return from injured reserve this week after recovering from a finger injury.

Denver also cut tight end Greg Dulcich this week to make room for linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) to return from the physically unable to perform list. Sanders is now back on the 53-man roster and Reynolds will presumably join him on the active roster in the coming days.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos cut 3rd-round draft bust Greg Dulcich

The Broncos have waived tight end Greg Dulcich, a former third-round draft pick.

The Denver Broncos are parting ways with tight end Greg Dulcich. The news was first reported by Brandon Krisztal of Guerilla Sports on Monday and then confirmed by the NFL’s transaction wire.

Dulcich (6-4, 245 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft out of UCLA. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, spending much of his time in Denver on injured reserve.

Dulcich only dressed for 16 games for the Broncos from 2022-2024, including 10 starts. He totaled 41 receptions for 464 yards and two touchdowns in those contests. This season, the 24-year-old tight end hauled in five catches for 28 yards in four appearances before being benched.

Denver moves forward with Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and fullback/tight end hybrid Nate Adkins on the active roster. The Broncos also have tight ends Donald Parham and Thomas Yassmin on the practice squad.

Denver needed to make room on the roster this week for linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) to return from the physically unable to perform list. Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) is also eligible to return from injured reserve. At least one of those players will likely be activated to the 53-man roster later this week.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

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.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

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.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Drew Sanders’ returns will complicate Broncos’ roster decisions

Drew Sanders is one of seven players who could soon return to the Broncos’ 53-man roster, and Denver will have to make room on the squad.

The Denver Broncos are going to have some tough roster decisions to make in the coming days.

Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) returned to practice on Wednesday, starting his 21-day window to return from the physically unable to perform list. There’s no guarantee Sanders will be activated to the 53-man roster in time for Sunday’s game, but he will likely return to the active roster within the next three weeks.

Sanders is one of seven players who could soon return to the 53-man roster, which will create some tough decisions for Denver’s staff. Not everyone will return at the same time — and other players could go on IR in the coming weeks — but the roster juggling will start soon for the Broncos.

“l am [excited],” coach Sean Payton said of getting players back from injuries. “All of these guys… Reentry for a veteran player, it just depends on the injury, the player and the position, but absolutely [excited about] having these guys get healthy because it’s week-to-week.

“This upcoming Monday after the game, they’ll be a curve ball, there always is [with injuries]. Being healthier, having more depth can help you, but it’s good to have those guys back out there.”

Payton later noted creating spots for players returning from injuries is “always a challenge” and “a little bit of a puzzle.”

The puzzle pieces will likely begin falling into place this weekend. Denver linebacker Kwon Alexander is out of practice squad elevations, so he will likely be promoted to the 53-man roster. Broncos center Luke Wattenberg is eligible to return from injured reserve this week, too.

Denver has one open spot on the active roster after trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos will probably have to create at least one more roster spot this week. Stay tuned.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

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.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]