That is subject to change, of course, after the Broncos build a 17-player practice squad later today. That $8 million figure does account for the injured players who are not on the 53-man roster including offensive lineman Quinn Bailey (ankle), linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles), safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) and cornerback Damarri Mathis (ankle).
Denver also has $76,353,636 worth of “dead money” counting against the cap, by far the largest dead money cap total in the NFL. Ex-Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson accounts for $53 million despite no longer being on the team.
Wilson will also have $32 million count against the cap next year before Denver is finally free of his contract in 2026. Even with Wilson still eating into the cap next year, the Broncos are projected to have more than $61.8 million in cap space available in 2025, according to Spotrac.com.
Denver’s tight against the cap this year, but brighter days are ahead.
“It’s not just because they are young; we like the talent,” Broncos GM George Paton said of Denver’s backfield after cutting Samaje Perine.
The Denver Broncos released veteran running back Samaje Perine on Tuesday, a move that might have surprised NFL fans who are not familiar with the team’s backfield.
Denver opted to carry four running backs on the 53-man roster: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime and Blake Watson. All four are younger than Perine with more long-term upside.
“With Samaje, [he’s] another great pro,” GM George Paton said on Tuesday shortly after addressing the Tim Patrick release. “He’s going to move on and do well somewhere else. [That is] another stacked room and it’s not just because they are young, [but] we like the talent. They are young and they are talented, the whole group. Javonte, Jaleel, Estime and then this Watson kid is really talented. … [W]e like the room. We loved having Samaje here. He won us games. We just wish him the best.”
Perine was arguably the team’s best blocking and receiving option in the backfield, but he doesn’t contribute on special teams the way Denver’s young running backs will this season.
“[S]pecial teams does factor in at the running back position,” Paton said. “Audric’s probably going to be a four-core teamer. Jaleel can return and Watson can do some things on teams. That does factor in.”
As Paton noted, Perine should have no problem catching on elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Broncos will now look to build their practice squad. One potential candidate to return is running back Tyler Badie, who performed well in preseason. We will track all of Denver’s moves on Broncos Wire.
Broncos GM George Paton said depth at WR, wanting to keep players at other positions and special teams played a role in the Tim Patrick cut.
The Denver Broncos made a surprise move on Tuesday when they released veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick.
Patrick missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons with injuries, but he is healthy now and looked sharp in preseason. After taking a massive pay cut this spring, the fan favorite and team leader was expected to make the 53-man roster.
Yet coach Sean Payton opted to carry five other WRs instead: Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin.
So, why did the Broncos cut Tim Patrick? Payton will meet the media after practice today. Denver general manager George Paton held a Zoom call with reporters last night.
“Yeah, obviously not an easy one,” Paton said when asked about Patrick. “Just on behalf of everyone in our organization, [we] just can’t say enough great things about the type of player and the person Tim has been while [as] a Bronco for the last seven seasons. We have a lot of great respect for Tim [with] the resilience, the work ethic and the perseverance [with] the last two years [and] to come back from the injury and play like he did. We just wish him the very best.
“What went into it is a number of things. We really like our depth at receiver, and we liked the depth at other positions on our team. We wanted to keep some other players at other positions. Special teams comes into play. Obviously, you have the new element at kickoff and kickoff return. There will be over 200 more plays. So it wasn’t just one thing. Tim did a lot of really good things. We wish him well and we’re going to miss him.”
If there’s one place to expect the Saints to make changes after the initial 53-man roster, it’s the offensive line. Expect moves this week:
The initial 53-man roster is never the final roster. Cuts from other teams get picked up, and sometimes teams will pick up players they previously waived. One place you can expect to look different on the New Orleans Saints roster is offensive line.
First and foremost, they only kept eight offensive linemen when they typically keep nine. The versatility of some depth pieces may have contributed to this. Taliese Fuaga, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz are locked in.
Trevor Penning and Lucas Patrick will be penciled in as the starters, but New Orleans should still look to add competition at right tackle and left guard. Those easily feel like the most uncertain positions along the offensive line.
Competition remained there until the end of camp with little optimism sparking at right tackle. The Saints may have to start Penning as their right tackle, but he hasn’t done enough to keep them from looking elsewhere.
Whether it’s a starter or depth, New Orleans likely isn’t done tweaking the offensive line room.
The Broncos have set an initial 53-man roster for 2024. Here are ten takeaways after the team made 38 roster moves.
The Denver Broncos made 38 roster moves earlier this week to get down to an initial 53-man roster ahead of the 2024 season. After reviewing five surprises yesterday, we’re moving on to ten big-picture takeaways today.
1. Broncos kept 3 quarterbacks
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver coach Sean Payton wasn’t lying last week when he said he expected to keep all three QBs — Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson — on the 53-man roster. The Broncos really like their QB situation.
“Yeah, we think highly of the quarterback room,” general manager George Paton said Tuesday. “I really liked the process. I thought the competition brought out the best in really all of the quarterbacks. All these guys support each other, they compete and they work well together. We looked at last year [and] I think almost half the league kept three quarterbacks. With the rule changes, we think that number will increase. We’re glad to have all three.”
The NFL’s trade deadline this season is Nov. 4. If other teams lose QBs during the season, Paton might get calls about Denver’s QB room.
2. All but one member of draft class made the team
“It’s a credit to our personnel departments and our sports performance with the development of these players,” Paton said. “Obviously, time will tell as we get to the regular season, but we like the class so far.”
The only member of the 2024 draft class who didn’t make the 53-man roster is offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, who has been sidelined due to injury.
3. UDFAs make the 53-man roster
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
For the 20th time in the last 21 years, Denver had at least one undrafted free agent make the active roster. It’s three players this year: running back Blake Watson, linebacker Levelle Bailey and offensive tackle Frank Crum.
“The scouts play a huge role in advocating for these players after the draft and fighting for these players,” Paton said. “Frank Crum, we had on a Top-30 [visit]. We had Watson on a Top-30. … Bailey, we didn’t know as much about, [but] we liked him and we liked the athletic ability.”
Crum needs more time to develop, but Watson and Bailey could become instant contributors on special teams.
“What went into it is a number of things,” Paton explained. “We really like our depth at receiver, and we liked the depth at other positions on our team. We wanted to keep some other players at other positions. Special teams comes into play. Obviously, you have the new element at kickoff and kickoff return. There will be over 200 more plays. So it wasn’t just one thing. Tim did a lot of really good things. We wish him well and we’re going to miss him.”
5. Cody Barton wins starting ILB job
(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
It’s no surprise because Barton appeared to be leading the competition throughout preseason, but the veteran officially won the starting job on Tuesday when the team waived Jonas Griffith. Barton is now set to start next to Alex Singleton this fall. Denver might look to add more linebacker depth through the waiver wire.
6. Some players need more time to develop
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Many Broncos fans were surprised that offensive tackle Frank Crum made the 53-man roster after he struggled in preseason. He is a big, promising tackle, though, and Denver could not afford to risk having him claimed off waivers. So Crum made the active roster despite needing more time to develop.
“You’re always going to have players that aren’t quite ready — developmental players,” Payton said. “Can you get them through [the waiver wire]? Can you get them on the practice squad? Those are the discussions that you have in regards to roster management. How long is it going to take a certain player to develop? I think by midseason or do I think by the end of the season? Can we survive, if that player doesn’t play, with what we have?
“Those are all the discussions you have. The biggest guesswork we do — and it’s not just guess, we use analytics on certain positions where it clears more than others — is whether you can get a guy through. Those are the discussions we have, and there’s a lot that goes into it. A player that has potential — you don’t want to use a potential for a ready-made player. Again short- and long-term views come into play.”
7. The NFL’s new kickoff rule impacts roster
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Broncos had the NFL’s new XFL-style kickoff rule in mind when they made roster cuts on Tuesday.
“I think it always plays a role, but even more so this year,” Paton said. “[Assistant head coach Mike] Westhoff tells me [there are] 200-plus plays on special teams, and so that factors into a lot of our decisions certainly.
“The defensive backfield — we had an injury. [Damarri] Mathis was a really good [special] teamer, so how do we compensate there? It’s a big puzzle and it’s roster management. Special teams are a huge emphasis and even more so, to answer your question, with the new kickoff.”
8. Some veterans could return on practice squad
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Among the final cuts for the Broncos on Tuesday were wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and fullback Michael Burton. If re-signed to the practice squad, both players would be candidates to get elevated to the game-day roster in Week 1.
“Roster management,” Paton said when asked about the team’s last-minute cuts. “We’re trying to keep the best players we can for as long as we can. So you’re exactly right. There are a couple of vets who will likely be active Week 1. You probably know who they are, but certainly we already have a few guys who are already going to be on our practice squad.”
9. The offensive line depth is thin
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s updated depth chart has a huge hole at backup guard, a consequence of Quinn Bailey suffering a season-ending ankle injury this summer. The Broncos also don’t have much depth at tackle: Alex Palczewski was injured for all of last season and Crum is not quite ready for regular season action. That leaves Matt Peart is a do-it-all swing backup. Don’t be surprised if Denver looks to improve the offensive line’s depth today.
10. This is not the final 53-man roster
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos could make a few waiver claims today, and Paton hinted that trades are possible as well. Denver will also build a 17-player practice squad.
“[W]e’re looking at any way we can to upgrade our team on the wire tonight — or it could be a trade,” Paton said Tuesday. “Last year, we didn’t put a claim in, but we signed four new players to our practice squad [and] all four of those players ended up playing. Then we made a trade for Wil Lutz. There aren’t as many claims as you think — I think there were 24 last year — but you still can make some hay as you work the wire.”
We will be tracking any potential moves today on Broncos Wire.
The waiver wire is not the only place where the Broncos could find talent today, though. Last night, Denver general manager George Paton hinted that trades could be on deck as well.
“Any way we can upgrade our team, we’ll do that,” Paton said. “We feel like we’re stronger in certain areas on our team, maybe a little weaker [in others]. If we can upgrade the weaker areas, then we’ll do that. We’re looking across the board, any way to upgrade our team. It could be just a special teamer. It may be just a gunner. It may be just a small role — we’ve done that before.
“So we’re looking at any way we can to upgrade our team on the wire tonight — or it could be a trade. Last year, we didn’t put a claim in, but we signed four new players to our practice squad [and] all four of those players ended up playing. Then we made a trade for Wil Lutz. There aren’t as many claims as you think — I think there were 24 last year — but you still can make some hay as you work the wire.”
The Broncos’ post-cuts depth chart shows the team lacking depth on the offensive line, and Denver could use help at inside linebacker as well. Whether its via the waiver wire, trades or practice squad additions, more players are on the way. Paton will be busy today.
Following roster cuts, here is our (projected) depth chart for the Broncos.
After setting an initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos have not yet released an updated depth chart. So we’re doing it for them.
This is our best guess of how the depth chart will shake out following roster cuts. Denver is thin at guard, but center Alex Forsyth and tackle Matt Peart can both fill in there if needed. Right now, we have Josh Reynolds penciled in as the No. 2 receiver across from Courtland Sutton, but we’ll see how coach Sean Payton handles it.
There aren’t really any question marks on defense because the team’s roster cuts (and injuries) helped sort out the position battles. So here is our predicted depth chart for Denver ahead of Week 1.
Keep in mind that this is a projection, not an official depth chart from the team. We will publish the official depth chart when the Broncos release it.
Broncos offensive depth chart
WR
Josh Reynolds
Marvin Mims
Troy Franklin
LT
Garett Bolles
Matt Peart
LG
Ben Powers
C
Luke Wattenberg
Alex Forsyth
RG
Quinn Meinerz
RT
Mike McGlinchey
Alex Palczewski
Frank Crum
TE
Adam Trautman
Greg Dulcich
Lucas Krull
WR
Courtland Sutton
Devaughn Vele
RB
Javonte Williams
Jaleel McLaughlin
Audric Estime
Blake Watson
FB
Nate Adkins
QB
Bo Nix
Jarrett Stidham
Zach Wilson
Broncos defensive depth chart
DE
Zach Allen
Jordan Jackson
NT
D.J. Jones
Malcolm Roach
DE
John Franklin-Myers
Eyioma Uwazurike
SLB
Jonathon Cooper
Jonah Elliss
WLB
Baron Browning
Nik Bonitto
ILB
Alex Singleton
Justin Strnad
ILB
Cody Barton
Levelle Bailey
LCB
Pat Surtain
Levi Wallace
RCB
Riley Moss
Tremon Smith
NCB
Ja’Quan McMillian
Kris Abrams-Draine
S
P.J. Locke
JL Skinner
S
Brandon Jones
Devon Key
Keidron Smith
Broncos special teams depth chart
PK
Wil Lutz
KO
Wil Lutz
P
Riley Dixon
H
Riley Dixon
LS
Mitchell Fraboni
KR
Marvin Mims
Tremon Smith
Jaleel McLaughlin
PR
Marvin Mims
Tremon Smith
Jaleel McLaughlin
The Broncos will now turn their attention toward preparing to go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season on Sunday, Sept. 8. Denver is considered a five-point underdog.
Some of the players listed above could return to the team that cut them on the practice squad. Later today, we will track Denver’s own practice squad signings after waiver claims are processed on Broncos Wire.
5. FB Michael Burton
6. LB Jonas Griffith
7. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
8. OL Sam Mustipher
9. WR Tim Patrick
10. RB Samaje Perine
11. WR David Sills
12. OL Calvin Throckmorton
13. DL Angelo Blackson
14. WR Phillip Dorsett
15. LB Andre Smith
Broncos players waived:
16. RB Tyler Badie
17. WR Michael Bandy
18. DL Elijah Garcia
19. OL Nick Gargiulo
20. P Trenton Gill
21. DL Matt Henningsen
22. OLB Thomas Incoom
23. OT Demontrey Jacobs
24. WR Brandon Johnson
25. TE Hunter Kampmoyer
26. DB Tanner McCalister
27. DL Jordan Miller
28. DB Quinton Newsome
29. OL Will Sherman
30. CB Reese Taylor
31. OLB Dondrea Tillman
32. WR Jalen Virgil
33. TE Thomas Yassmin
34. DB Omar Brown
35. CB Art Green
36. DB Kaleb Hayes
37. OL Oliver Jervis
38. LB Alec Mock
After setting an initial active roster, Denver will now build a 17-player practice squad. We will track all of the team’s moves on Broncos Wire.
Every player cut by the Broncos this week is eligible for the practice squad, but there are limits for veteran players.
After setting initial 53-man rosters and making waiver claims, NFL teams can now begin building practice squads for the 2024 season.
Teams can carry 16 players on the practice squad plus an extra 17th international player as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. For the Denver Broncos, rookie tight end Thomas Yassmin would qualify as a 17th player as part of the IPP program.
There are three different categories of players eligible for the practice squad: standard (rookie or first-year players), exceptions (two or fewer accrued seasons) and veterans (more than two accrued seasons). Clubs can carry up to ten “exceptions” and up to six “veterans” on the practice squad. There is no limit for “standard” players.
With three different categories, all of the players who were waived and released by the Broncos this week are eligible for the practice squad, but the team can’t go over the respective limits.
Players with fewer than two accrued seasons have a practice squad minimum salary of $12,500 per week. The minimum for players with at least two years of experience is $16,800 per week.
We will track all of Denver’s practice squad signings on Broncos Wire.
