We interrupt all this preseason fun to remind you that the Broncos roster will need to be trimmed to 53 no later than 4:00pm MT, Sunday, August 30. That means that today is the last Monday that dozens of players will ever clock into work for the Denver Broncos.
Sure, there is one last preseason game in Denver against Minnesota, but this game is just as disposable as every other last preseason game that has come before it. It has always amazed me that by the time the game re-airs on NFL Network, the vast
majority playing in the finale will already be out on the street. This year will likely be no different with cuts due less than 48-hours after the preseason comes to a close.
The drama on cut down day in Denver will come on the offensive side of the ball, with decisions at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. At running back, J.K. Dobbins, Jonah Coleman, and R.J. Harvey will surely make it, leaving Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and Cody Schrader vying for the final spot. I would like there to be more intrigue regarding the likely 5 wide receiver spots with Waddle, Sutton, Mims, Bryant, and Troy Franklin, but it’s doubtful that one will be whacked in favor of Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Kobe Katsis, Dane Key, Joseph Manjack, Kyrese Rowan, Kyre Duplessis, or Hakeem Butler. At tight end, Evan Engram, Justin Joly, Lucas Krull, Adam Trautman, Dallen Brentley and the injured Caleb Lohner are fighting for likely 4 spots. Expect the names you know to be the names that make it. Sorry Caleb.
Will a player or players be traded before the cut deadline? With the Broncos returning so many of their players from 2025, there is a good chance that George Paton strikes a pre-deadline deal like he did in 2023 when he sent Albert Okwuegbunam (and a 7th rounder) to the Eagles for a 6th round pick. So, stay tuned if you are a fan of late round pick exchanges.
With less than a week of the preseason left to play, players that aren’t locks for the 53-man roster are doing everything they can to stick around, either on the practice squad or possibly catching on with another club after cuts. Who will make it and whose NFL dream will come to an end? The NFL Grim Reaper comes for every player eventually. Just who will he come for this Sunday and who will he let stay?
