One week from today, the Denver Broncos will have until 2:00 p.m. MT to get the squad from 91 players down to a 53-man roster. That means a flurry of roster moves are on deck in Denver, and the team will have to make some tough decisions.
Broncos Wire released an updated 53-man roster prediction yesterday. There were five cuts in particular that were hard to make when projecting the roster.
1. QB Jarrett Stidham: He has performed well in preseason, but the Broncos can save $5 million if he’s released. Stidham is also a vested veteran, so he would not be subject to the waiver wire if cut. Denver could release him to set an initial 53-man roster and make roster claims and then attempt to either re-sign him to the practice squad or bring him back on the active roster after sorting out an initial 53.
2. RB Samaje Perine: Perine is the team’s best blocking and receiving running back, but he’s about to turn 29 and the Broncos will save $3 million if he’s released. Perine would not be subject to waivers, but Denver would be unlikely to get him back on the practice squad with other teams lacking RB depth.
3. WR Jalen Virgil: The Broncos have an extremely crowded wide receiver room, and coach Sean Payton expects a few of the team’s WRs to end up on other teams after roster cuts. Virgil increases his value by bringing his return abilities to the table, but Denver just has too many talented WRs.
4. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey: Although he has the size Payton likes in a receiver, Humphrey also seems likely to get cut. He could be a candidate to return on the practice squad.
5. CB Damarri Mathis: This one might be viewed as a surprise because Mathis is a former fourth-round pick and he competed with Riley Moss for a starting job this summer. The Broncos have a crowded cornerback depth chart, though, and Tremon Smith seems likely to make the team as a key special teams player. That could leave Mathis on the outside looking in.
These are just projections, of course. We will track all of Denver’s actual roster cuts on Broncos Wire next week.
