The Denver Broncos are currently in the process of bringing their roster down to the league-mandated number of 53 players ahead of the 2:00 p.m. MT deadline on Tuesday. Several players have already been informed of their release and the team is looking to trade a couple of trusted veterans.
The team will have three players start the season on either injured reserve or the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, requiring them to be out for the first four games of the season, at least. However, they will not count against the 53-man roster while they are there.
Drew Sanders, Linebacker
Drew Sanders suffered a torn Achilles tendon back in April during the team's offseason program. There is a chance he will miss the entire season and he will certainly be out for a while, and definitely beyond the first four games.
Delarrin Turner-Yell, Safety
Delarrin Turner-Yell continues to recover from the torn ACL that ended his 2023 season. It will be interesting to see how soon he is ready to play and what the team plans to do with him when he is. In the meantime, it opens a roster spot for one of the other safeties.
Devon Key or Keidron Smith are the players in line for that.
Damarri Mathis, Cornerback
After being carted off in the preseason finale, things seemed bleak for Damarri Mathis. But after X-rays were negative, he was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. That is definitely a problematic injury, but not one that will end his season.
The Broncos will miss Mathis during his absence but it does clear a space for another cornerback and that could go to Tremon Smith for his special teams abilities.
Teams identified Denver as among most active leading into roster cutdowns. While Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine are available, as others have reported, #Broncos also received calls on CB Damarri Mathis, though Denver plans to keep him. He hurt his ankle Sunday.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2024
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Damarri Mathis' injury could have prevented him from being traded
Interestingly, it was reported that teams were looking to obtain Mathis from the Broncos but that instead, the team will keep him.
Teams identified Denver as among most active leading into roster cutdowns. While Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine are available, as others have reported, #Broncos also received calls on CB Damarri Mathis, though Denver plans to keep him. He hurt his ankle Sunday.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2024
The Broncos will keep him because as a player nursing a high ankle sprain, what other choice is there? Had he not suffered that injury, would the Broncos have traded him? It's an interesting thought.
Instead, the team will wait for him to have a clean bill of health and then return to be part of the team's secondary. He had been playing well for the team this summer, even if he did lose the competition for the team's other starting cornerback to Riley Moss.
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