Waiver claims are in, and the Broncos saw two players they waived yesterday claimed by the Miami Dolphins. As expected, 5th-round rookie tight end Justin Joly was claimed by the Dolphins, as was reserve slot corner Reese Taylor.
The Broncos did not claim any players.
Joly was a 5th-round pick by the Broncos this past April and was viewed as a potential pass-catching weapon for them this season and moving forward. However, it just never really worked out this summer.
He struggled throughout camp, started a camp scuffle, and consistently played with the third-team offense in the preseason. His lone highlight play came in the finale when he caught a wide-open pass from QB Sam Ehlinger and scored an 88-yard touchdown.
Broncos General Manager George Paton told reporters yesterday that Justin is a talented player, but they knew that he was raw. He missed much of the offseason, per Paton, and was behind the rest of the tight ends; the position is typically tough for rookies as is. Paton added that they think he’s going to have a nice career, but they have to make tough decisions to build the best 53-man roster they can.
“Justin is a talented player. We knew it when we drafted him. We knew he was raw. We still like the player. He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason, just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player. We think he’s going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.”
The team opted to go with 7th-round rookie Dallen Bentley instead on the 53-man roster, and now, Justin Joly is taking his talents to Miami with the Dolphins.
As for Reese Taylor, the Broncos wanted to sign him back to their practice squad if he wasn’t claimed, but the Dolphins put in a waiver claim on him, and now he’s headed to Miami with Joly. The former undrafted free agent has served as slot depth for the Broncos since he joined the team back in 2023 and has bounced on and off the roster. He was behind Ja’Quan McMillian and Jahdae Barron on the roster, so his avenue to playing time was blocked. Taylor should find better opportunities for playing time with the Dolphins.
With the Broncos becoming one of the league’s top teams, they anticipated that teams would claim some of their players. Paton told reporters that if any of their players get claimed, they will shake their hand, give them a hug, and root for them moving forward.
“I think that’s part of it. I told a number of these guys—and I think I just mentioned it—if they get claimed, we’re going to shake their hand, we’re going to give them a hug and root for them. We root for these guys. It’s no different than losing a scout or losing an Assistant GM. You’re rooting for them. You want these guys to do well. These guys have put in a lot of work and dedication. We love these players, and we want them to do well. We hope they are here obviously, but if not here, we wish them the best. You never know what happens here down the road. We like this group. We like this group that is going to be on the waivers tonight. We would love to get a lot of them back, and we’ll just see how it goes. To answer your question, we just wish them well.”
Losing players sucks, but it is part of the process when you’re one of the best teams in the league. The Broncos’ search for tight end help will continue with Joly moving on, and we’ll see if undrafted rookie Brent Austin, who is expected to sign to the Broncos’ practice squad, can fill Taylor’s role moving forward.
