ENGLEWOOD — The abrupt nature of NFL cut day remains jarring. Roughly 860 players around the league were told they did not fit on a roster.
Some will find spots with new teams and up to 16 per club can wiggle onto practice squads, including six veterans. Most will not land elsewhere. For too many, with no minor league available, Tuesday marks the end of the journey.
It is a reminder that the NFL is a business, one as sympathetic as a parking ticket.
"It's the worst two days of the year," Hackett said.
The Broncos' cuts began trickling in on Tuesday morning in advance of the 2 p.m. deadline. Denver general manager George Paton made a bold stroke in the morning, trading outside linebacker Malik Reed and a 2023 seventh round pick to the Steelers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-rounder.
"Everybody likes Malik. We wanted to do right by him. He wanted to go to Pittsburgh," Paton said. "We weren't going to just send him anywhere."
And the notable moves? The team cut backup quarterback Josh Johnson, receiver Kendall Hinton and defensive tackle McTelvin Agim. A former 2020 third-round draft pick under the previous coaching staff and general manager, Agim finished with a flourish.
The ex-Arkansas standout starred in the final preseason game with a sack, two forced fumbles and two pass deflections against the Vikings. However, he trudged through a quiet camp, passed often in practice reps by Wisconsin rookie Matt Henningsen. The Broncos also drafted defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, which worked against Agim.
"We feel like we have depth at that position," Paton said.
Reed posted 15 sacks in 45 career games for the Broncos, leading the team since 2019. He delivered a career-high eight in 2020. Reed made the club as an undrafted free agent out of Nevada, and proved a reliable reserve and fill-in starter because of injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.
The Reed trade cleared a path for Jonathon Cooper to make the club. He had 2.5 sacks last year, the most of any outside linebacker for the Broncos currently on the roster. Randy Gregory was added as a free agent and Chubb did not post a sack during an injury-riddled season. The team found depth with Baron Browning's successful conversion from inside to outside linebacker. And draft pick Nik Bonitto showed potential at the end of training camp.
Agim told Denver7 on Saturday that he thought he had done enough to make the team, but recognized he was on the bubble.
"Football is a crazy sport. You have to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best," Agim said. "I think I have grown a lot as a player. But sometimes it's not about how much you've grown, but about the numbers."
Denver made a decision — at least for now — at the backup quarterback spot, cutting veteran Josh Johnson. Johnson worked with the second team the entire camp, but Brett Rypien closed the gap with his performances against Buffalo and Minnesota. It appears the Broncos are comfortable sticking with Rypien, according to sources, though Tim Boyle, someone coach Hackett knows well from his time in Green Bay, was cut by the Lions and is a name to file away.
The Broncos will seek to add Johnson to the practice squad. As for Rypien, "It was his body of the work that won the job."
The Broncos faced tough choices at multiple positions, including receiver and tight end. Hinton was the odd man out at receiver, in part because Montrell Washington and K.J. Hamler were locks, meaning the team preferred size in physical special teams player Tyrie Cleveland. Seth Williams fit that profile as well, but his lack of special teams acumen worked against him as he was cut. Cleveland is expected back soon from his broken throat.
Brandon Johnson suffered a high left ankle sprain on the first play from scrimmage last Saturday — he was rolled up on — costing him a roster spot. Waived with an injury settlement, Johnson was placed on IR. Johnson's injury provided a path to the roster for undrafted receiver Jalen Virgil. It means for the 18th time in last 19 years that a college free agent makes the initial 53-man roster.
At tight end, the Broncos released veteran Eric Tomlinson with plans to add him back to the roster on Wednesday. Same goes for popular nose tackle Mike Purcell, who was also released with the plan to add on Wednesday. Spots will be created with cornerback Michael Ojemudia and tight end Greg Dulcich placed on short-term IR on Wednesday.
"(Tomlinson and Purcell) took one for the team," said Paton of them being off the roster for a day.
And thus, a reminder that today’s 53-man roster will not be tomorrow’s 53-man roster. It's the cruel part of game leading into the season opener. The deadline for waiver claims is 10 am Mountain Time on Wednesday.
The Broncos' cuts to reach the 53-man limit:
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Sam Martin
OFFENSE
OL Quinn Bailey
OL Sebastian Gutierrez
RB JaQuan Hardy
RB Devine Ozigbo
WR Kendall Hinton
QB Josh Johnson
OL Zack Johnson
WR Brandon Johnson (IR)
OG Netane Muti
OL Michael Niese
TE Dylan Parham
WR Darrius Shepherd
TE Eric Tomlinson (waived with intention to re-sign Wednesday).
WR Seth Williams
DEFENSE
DT McTelvin Agim
CB Bless Austin
LB Jeremiah Gemmel
DL Jonathan Harris
CB Faion Hicks
OLB Jonathan Kongbo
CB Donnie Lewis Jr. (waived/injured)
ILB ILB Kana'i Mauga.
CB Ja'Quan McMillian
NT Mike Purcell
S J.R. Reed
OLB Malik Reed (traded to Steelers)
