Denver Broncos 3 most surprising roster cuts in 2022

Denver Broncos biggest surprise roster cut no. 2: Netane Muti, OL

One area of the roster with some question marks going into Tuesday’s roster cut deadline was on the offensive line. There’s an old adage that says, “you can’t make the club from the tub” meaning you can’t make the roster if you’re hurt.

For Netane Muti, a former sixth-round pick out of Fresno State, injuries haven’t really been an issue in the NFL — until this year. Muti hasn’t been able to participate in a lot of training camp or the preseason due to an arthroscopic knee procedure that has kept him out the last few weeks. Although he’s expected to be fine in time for the regular season, the Broncos made the tough decision to let him go.

I had him on my final 53-man roster over Cam Fleming, a tackle that can flex as a guard if need be, but the Broncos liked what they saw from the combination of Luke Wattenberg (a rookie fifth-round pick) and Graham Glasgow this offseason. If the name of the game is versatility, it makes some sense that Muti was the odd man out in this scenario. The Broncos want their offensive linemen to be flexible to play multiple positions and Muti is pretty strictly a guard.

I’m sure the Broncos would love to have him back on the practice squad if he can clear waivers, but that might be a big ask at this point. Muti was rotating in with the starters just a few weeks ago and it looked like he was truly in competition for a job there with either Quinn Meinerz or Dalton Risner. And then he wasn’t.

Muti is still a young player with some upside, and he’s put some decent things out there on tape the last couple of seasons when given the opportunity to play. My guess is, some other teams are going to be interested in adding an athletic, physical talent like Muti to the mix on their offensive line and the Broncos are saying goodbye for good here.