Sean Payton continues massive roster overhaul as Broncos set 53-man roster (2024)

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked last week, amid typical queries about roster position battles and similar topics, to zoom out and assess the big picture. How could a team that hasn’t tasted success for so long finally turn the page? How do players rise above, as Payton called them, “the sins of the past?”

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His answer provided a window into why his current roster with the Broncos — the initial 53-man version for the 2024 season was finalized Tuesday afternoon — has changed so significantly from the one he inherited a little over 18 months ago.

“I would say, if you just took this roster and then you went back to Year 1 after the last Super Bowl (in 2015), Year 2, Year 3, it would take a while before you found on this team someone that (was a part of most of those seasons). … We’ve had some veteran players, maybe a year ago, Justin (Simmons) certainly, that have been a part of all those teams, but these guys have a chance to just write their chapter in a pretty good book. They really can’t pay attention to the prior six chapters.”

The Broncos will open the regular season on Sept. 8 in Seattle, just as they did two years ago, during Nathaniel Hackett’s lone season as the head coach. Only 14 of the 53 players on the active roster when the Broncos played the Seahawks to start the season remained on Denver’s active roster following Tuesday’s cuts. (Cornerback Damarri Mathis and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell, who were placed on injured-reserve and PUP lists Tuesday, respectively, were also members of the team when it opened the 2022 season.)

Broncos initial 53-man roster: pic.twitter.com/hLWcBEJ23A
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 27, 2024

Yes, there are still core members who have suffered through most of a stretch of losing seasons that now sits at seven in a row. Left tackle Garett Bolles has been around since 2017. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton arrived the following season. But in the past six months alone, the Broncos have moved on from wide receiver Tim Patrick, linebacker Josey Jewell, center Lloyd Cushenberry, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, linebacker Jonas Griffith, safety Kareem Jackson and Simmons, who had been the team’s longest-tenured player after arriving as a third-round pick in 2016. All of those players had been in Denver for at least three seasons without a playoff appearance. There are 23 players who were on Tuesday’s roster when it was set who weren’t on the initial 53-man roster last season, highlighted by rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

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“Overall, the makeup and chemistry to this team is entirely different from a year ago,” Payton said. “That is not a surprise, but it is something you notice and feel. That is encouraging.”

Moving on from players who couldn’t find team success in Denver isn’t a form of assigning blame to any set of individuals. The frequent turnover at coaching, coordinator and quarterback positions has posed significant challenges to players who have been with the Broncos during these recent lean years. But Payton has nonetheless made a concerted effort to quickly rebuild the roster his way, and a new foundation can’t be laid without significant upheaval of the ground above.

The picture remains fluid

Payton emphasized after Sunday’s preseason finale that the Broncos could look to bring in outside help at “a handful of positions” as they sort through the hundreds of players discarded by their teams this week. Last season, the Broncos traded for kicker Wil Lutz and sent tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to the Eagles as rosters were finalized. They also signed four outside players to their practice squad who ultimately played in games for the Broncos last season. There is no inhaling for players until they get on the plane headed for Seattle on Sept. 7.

Inside linebacker, offensive line and safety stand out as positions the Broncos could target in the coming days.

One aspect of the roster has become easier to manage thanks to a change in NFL rules regarding IR placements. Last season, players had to be on the roster for one day before being moved to IR if teams wanted to bring them back during the season. Now, up to two players can be sent to IR ahead of cuts and still be eligible to return after four games. Those players would still count against the total of eight IR activations a team can make throughout a season. The Broncos on Tuesday placed Mathis on IR after he suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s finale. The move meant the Broncos didn’t have to expose another player to waivers for now.

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“I think paying attention to that wire is important, and we have historically had success,” Payton said. “That is where we found Taysom Hill (in New Orleans). It was midnight or 1:30 in the morning, whatever time it was. We are looking at one player, and you start looking at something. So hopefully we have got a good area or good foundation relative to who it is that comes available.”

Wide receiver puzzle comes into focus

In hindsight, Tim Patrick was always vulnerable because of his injury history, age (he’ll be 31 in November), his lack of special teams impact and the fact that Denver was going to be on the hook for essentially the same cap charge for him (roughly $6 million) whether he was on the team or not. In an offseason where the Broncos went younger, it was particularly true at wide receiver, and Patrick felt the sting. Still, there was nothing easy about moving on from a player who inspired his teammates with his grueling two-year climb back from injuries — and by the way, he led in the locker room even before he went down. Sutton posted a string of photos of him and Patrick to his Instagram account Tuesday, a reminder of how much teammates cherished a player who climbed his way from the practice squad into a three-year, $30 million contract he signed in 2021.

“That was not an easy one,” Paton said of releasing Patrick. “Tim did a lot of really good things. We wish him well and we’re going to miss him.”

#MileHighSalute, @Tpstreets. 🫡
Thank you for all you gave #BroncosCountry! pic.twitter.com/eqquHm2MYC
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 27, 2024

It also may have been misguided on my part to assume the Broncos would keep six wide receivers. They only had four on their first rendition of the 53 last season. After Patrick was released, it looked like Lil’Jordan Humphrey would be a candidate to make the roster. But when the Broncos kept three undrafted rookies — more on them in a second — the math didn’t work for Humphrey. That’s not to say he won’t make an impact for Denver this season. He didn’t make the initial 53-man roster last season and still played in all 17 games. In fact, he played the third-most snaps of any receiver on the team. It would not be a surprise to see Humphrey sign back with the Broncos on the practice squad — he’s not subjected to waivers as a vested veteran — and then be elevated on game days to start the season.

Tale of 3 undrafted rookies

Levelle Bailey may have cemented his spot on Denver’s roster with one memorable play Sunday when he returned an interception of Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder for a 94-yard touchdown. But an entire offseason of growth helped Bailey earn the final inside linebacker spot over veteran Jonas Griffith. Bailey showed a knack for being around the ball consistently in camp. He still has plenty to learn. Payton mentioned after Sunday’s game that he chided Bailey for two “bad” plays before he made the interception.

Bailey’s response to that coaching, though, epitomized the growth of a player who has shown quick progress. After Sunday’s splash play, the Broncos rightfully felt they’d have a hard time getting Bailey back if he had to go through the waiver-claim process.

Undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey steps in front AND TAKES IT BACK 94 YARDS.
📺: #AZvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XSTr1oSrBQ
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2024

The other two undrafted additions to the roster were more of a surprise. Running back Blake Watson, who signed with the Broncos out of Memphis as a priority free agent, began training camp on the non-football injury list after suffering a muscle injury in his leg during the offseason. Watson missed two weeks of camp and was then at the back of the rotation when he returned behind fellow rookie Audric Estimé and Tyler Badie. But he played significant snaps in the preseason finale and the Broncos like his ability as a receiver after he caught 50 passes at Memphis last season.

The third player in this group was Frank Crum, the offensive tackle from Wyoming. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Crum during the preseason. He was charged with three sacks and six pressures allowed in 47 pass-block snaps, according to TruMedia. But he has unique size at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, and the Broncos didn’t want to risk another team making Crum their developmental tackle project by exposing him to waivers.

Surprise cuts

One of the early cuts for the Broncos on Tuesday was defensive lineman Angelo Blackson, a 10-year veteran who signed with the Broncos this offseason as part of a concerted effort to overhaul the defensive line. That Blackson played in the final preseason game was a sign that his spot in the D-line room was in jeopardy, and that became more evident when fellow defensive lineman Jordan Jackson picked up two sacks in the first quarter against the Cardinals. Jackson, a former Air Force player who spent his first two seasons in the NFL on practice squads, made the 53-man roster after a strong close to camp was punctuated by Sunday’s standout performance.

“Jordan has gotten stronger,” Paton said. “He’s always had the ability. Now, he’s playing with leverage, understanding the defense better. Obviously, he finished with a bang. I loved the way he goes about his business.”

Griffith’s release was noteworthy given that he began training camp in a battle with Cody Barton for the starting job next to Alex Singleton. But Bailey’s emergence pushed Griffith to the bubble. He doesn’t provide the same special teams impact as Justin Strnad, who made the roster Tuesday and is the only player remaining from former general manager John Elway’s final draft class in 2020.

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Another somewhat surprising move came when the Broncos released fullback Michael Burton, though that development wasn’t a total shock. Nate Adkins has shown versatility in camp as a tight end who can also line up in the fullback role Burton occupied since signing with the Broncos last season. Burton is also not subject to waivers as a vested veteran, so he, like Humphrey, could sign back with the Broncos on the practice squad and then become elevated as early as Week 1.

Uwazurike’s comeback

For much of the past year, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was seemingly out of sight and out of mind — at least to the outside world. Internally, the Broncos were eager to work with Uwazurike as he approached a return from a one-year suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. The Broncos praised how Uwazurike showed contrition, stayed in shape and generally prepared for his second chance.

“He has handled this well. He took full responsibility for it,” Payton said when Uwazurike returned to practice earlier this month. “We’re in that period of time where there’s a lot of mistakes being made relative to the gambling and the gambling policy. I think the league and the communication they provided with him, we’re grateful for. He was out a year and so our job now is to make sure that we’re slow to get him ready back because he’s missed quite a bit. He was very remorseful and I think that played a big part of it. I think he understands the mistake he made and he’s really appreciative to be back here with this team.”

Still, Uwazurike faced a challenging ramp-up. He had only weeks to show he was in shape enough to contribute to the team from the start of the season. He was essentially a new player in coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense scheme because he only participated in OTAs last season before being suspended. But after Uwazurike logged 35 snaps Sunday, the Broncos had seen enough to feel confident the hulking 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive lineman could help a defensive line group at the center of an offseason reconstruction of the defense.

“When he showed up and looked like he did, that was really positive that he kept himself in shape,” Paton said. “We’re glad to have him.”

More QB intrigue?

Payton eliminated any drama around Denver’s quarterback room Sunday night when he said, “I see all three (quarterbacks) making” the roster. That held true Tuesday as the Broncos submitted a roster with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson as the quarterbacks with Bo Nix, the rookie who has been announced as the Week 1 starter.

“We think highly of the quarterback room,” Paton said. “These guys worked well together and we’re glad to have all three.”

GO DEEPERZach Wilson has been energized by Broncos experience. But what comes next?

The question remaining: Is there still a competition for the backup role? It appears to be Stidham in line to be QB2 given that he split the first-team reps with Nix during the bulk of training camp and got snaps ahead of Wilson during the preseason. But Wilson came on strong during the second half of camp, earning significant praise from Payton due to his “live arm” and the increased poise he had shown as he gained a better understanding of the offense. Perhaps there will be no change to the pecking order established throughout camp, but Payton has not announced the depth chart at the position for the regular season yet. Until he does, at least a sliver of intrigue remains.

(Photo: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)

Nick Kosmider is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Denver Broncos. He previously covered the Denver Nuggets for The Athletic after spending five years at the Denver Post, where he covered the city’s professional sports scene. His other stops include The Arizona Republic and MLB.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickKosmider