Three Surprise Cut Canidates
By Adam Uribes
· Opinion
·
· 2 min read
While debating what 4th and 5th strings guys will make the practice squad is great, these are the releases that make you say “woah!”.
With the Broncos having much of the roster already mapped out, rosters surprises will be few but visible. While debating what 4th and 5th strings guys will make the practice squad is great, these are the releases that make you say “woah!”. In looking at the roster before cutdown day, who has the potential to be a shock cut for the Broncos?
**Devaughn Vele******
Before you scoff, take a 30,000 ft. view of the wide receiver group. Cortland Sutton and Marvin Mims are the starters. Troy Franklin seems to be turning a corner as far as his development. From seeing him Saturday, rookie 3rd rounder looks to be a prototype slot receiver in Sean Payton’s office. Even Trent Sherffield, signed more for his special team’s prowess than what he can do catching a ball, showed off his mitts with an over-the-shoulder grab from Jarrett Stidham for a score. It also bearing mention, Evan Engram isn’t cashing checks with a bunch of zero’s on them to just block and be a decoy.
Circling back to Vele and his place in the fold? His upside is a bit limited due to his age, yes he is 27 AND in his 2nd year. He is the steadiest of all the wideouts, but the least dynamic out of Franklin, Mims and Bryant too. Engram is a burner for a tight end. In a fleet of sports cars, Vele looks miscast as a SUV.
Unlikely, but weirder things happen around training camp. Denver also has some talented UDFA’s. Courtney Jackson had a great kick return, maybe he has a couple good returns to push for Vele’s spot? Ditto for Kyrese Rowan, who has had a great camp by all reports. Anything can happen, so don’t say you weren’t warned.
**Jaleel McLaughlin**
Two years ago, with the team lighter on talent than it is right now, McLaughlin made a ton of sense. Factor in his backstory and well-reported work ethic and it was a great fit for everyone.
Things have changed a bit since 2023.
The Broncos will use a strategy of “Smash and Da… More Smash” at running back in J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Tyler Badie impressed in his limited time last season and has been outstanding in camp so far. Blake Watson is a great receiver out of the backfield and contributes on special teams like Badie. Keep pecking away at the running backs, the more you find the Denver running with the most to lose right now isn’t Audric Estime, it’s McLaughlin.
Closer inspection also implies that the current talent level on this team is leaving McLaughlin behind. Is he good enough to take carries away from Dobbins and Harvey? He doesn’t have the same special team prowess as Badie and Watson have and they may be better receivers out of the backfield. No one would be rooting for this, but McLaughlin not making the roster would be a reminder of the cruel business that is the NFL.
**Jeremy Cranshaw**
Read in between the lines when it comes to Cranshaw? Denver liked him enough to burn a 6th pick on him. The rub is, Cranshaw employed a rugby-style at Florida which isn’t used at the pro level for a number or reasons. The point being, Cranshaw getting drafted was an eye-raiser and hearing about his kicking struggles at camp is has the potential to be a proverbial fly in the Broncos ointment.
It's not a huge surprise that Cranshaw and his accuracy issues are becoming more obvious when compared to what has been a relatively (knock on wood) boring training camp. Reportedly, Cranshaw has struggled with placing his kicks, hang time and kicking out of bounds. He did little to help out that image by having a poor debut in the game on Saturday.
Yes, the team invested a draft pick in Cranshaw, but it was just a 6th round pick. With as much potential as the Broncos saw in the punter, we know Sean Payton does not suffer procedural mistakes. In a season with so much promise and NFL games always coming down to the details like special teams, would it be that big a shock if Payton hits the reset button and signs a vet off the street?
If you were making the call, who would be your hardest cut to make? Keep checking out this space for more Broncos news and keep your Eye on the Ball!
Tags: Broncos, Broncos Country, NFL, Denver, Football, NFL, Blogs, Jaleel McLaughlin, Devaugh Vele, Jeremey Cranshaw