The Denver Broncos are ready to open the 2022 NFL season with their initial 53-man roster, but it was a process to get there.
As always, teams started the summer with 90 players on their roster and after a little more than two weeks of training camp, three preseason games and three waves of roster cuts, have knocked that down to 53.
The Broncos were forced to part with several key players as part of the cutdown process, though many of them were brought back to the team’s practice squad after clearing waivers.
For many of those that were not, it was the end of the road for their football careers, at least for now. However, a small handful of players that were with the Broncos at one point this summer were given the chance to continue playing elsewhere. Let’s take a look at where some of these guys have ended up.
Travis Fulgham, WR, Green Bay Packers: The Broncos released Travis Fulgham as part of the first five roster cuts, and it seemed as though the team was doing him a favor at the time, and that might have helped lead to where he is now.
The Broncos clearly didn’t see Fulgham in their future plans but they parted ways early on in order for him to catch on elsewhere. That ended up being with Green Bay, who claimed him on waivers two days later.
Fulgham was unable to make the 53-man roster in Green Bay but he was signed to the team’s practice squad.
Seth Williams, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Seth Williams became a victim of the numbers game in Denver where there was just far too much talent in front of last year’s sixth-round pick out of Auburn.
He was recently signed to the practice squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars where the odds of getting a shot on the main roster and making an impact are a lot better.
J.R. Reed, Safety, Las Vegas Raiders: The Broncos brought J.R. Reed in through free agency during the offseason but that was before drafting Delarrin Turner-Yell. Then during camp and preseason, P.J. Locke stepped up and really became a player the Broncos just could not cut.
Reed was let go before final roster cuts and then was grabbed by the rival Raiders a couple of days later and placed on their practice squad.
Sam Martin, Punter, Buffalo Bills: The Bills had two punters on their roster this summer and when it seemed to become clear that Matt Araiza was easily the guy of the future, they cut Matt Haack. But then the Indianapolis Colts swooped in and signed Haack after their punter, Rigoberto Sanchez was lost for the season with a torn Achilles.
Allegations about Araiza’s past began to surface and the Bills made the decision to cut him as well, leaving them without a punter on the roster. But the Broncos had moved on from Sam Martin after he turned down a pay cut, handing their job to Corliss Waitman.
Martin will now kick for the Bills who might be the favorites to win the AFC.