The Denver Broncos lost several players following the 53-man cutdown over the weekend, including rookie tight end Justin Joly to the Miami Dolphins. However, the Broncos knew the risks of their moves. Denver general manager George Paton spoke about the difficulty of their decisions and said there would be no hard feelings; in fact, the organization would root for those players.
"I told a number of these guys...if they get claimed, we’re going to shake their hand, we’re going to give them a hug and root for them,” Payton said in his post-cuts presser on Sunday evening. "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."
Paton's attachment to some of the players cut was evident; Paton agonized over the decision to cut running back Jaleel McLaughlin, but was adamant the Broncos have their squad together.
"We like this group," Paton said. "We like this group that is going to be on the waivers... We would love to get a lot of them back, and we’ll just see how it goes… we just wish them well.”
Some of the players who came back off the waiver wire and landed on the practice squad include dynamic returner Kolbe Katsis, fan-favorite linebacker Red Murdock and running back Cody Schrader. You can view the Broncos' compiled practice squad and the full 53-man roster on Broncos Wire.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: This is how George Paton reacted to Broncos losing players on waiver wire
