After making 30 roster moves, the Denver Broncos announced their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five surprises from the first draft of the active roster (a few players could be added and dropped in the coming days).
1. FB Michael Burton cut: There was no indication this summer that Burton was in danger of not making the team, so it was a surprise when he was among the final cuts on Tuesday. Making the move less surprising is the fact that Denver plans to re-sign him to the practice squad, and he could be elevated to the active roster ahead of Week 1.
2. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey cut: After the Broncos waived Brandon Johnson, we assumed that meant Humphrey was safe as the sixth WR. Instead, Denver opted to carry five WRs. The Broncos hope to re-sign Humphrey to the practice squad, though, and he could be another player elevated to the game-day roster in Week 1.
3. OT Frank Crum made the team: Crum struggled in preseason, so we expected Denver to drop him down to the practice squad during roster cuts. The Broncos did not want to risk losing him, though, which is understandable. So Crum makes the squad with plenty of room to grow.
4. LB Jonas Griffith cut: We didn’t see this coming, but maybe we should have after coach name-dropped undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey as a player competing for a starting spot way back in June. After grabbing a 94-yard pick-six in Denver’s preseason finale, Bailey made the team and the Broncos parted ways with Griffith to make room.
5. WR Tim Patrick cut: Patrick missed each of the last two seasons with injury, but he took a massive pay cut this spring and looked good during preseason. Patrick was a team leader and a key part of the locker room, so we assumed his spot was safe. Denver had a crowded WR room, though, and Payton seemingly wanted to go younger at the position. The team did try to trade Patrick but wasn’t able to get a deal done, leading to his release.
Up next for the Broncos are waiver claims on Wednesday morning, followed by practice squad signings. We will track every move on Broncos Wire.
