The Denver Broncos have their initial 53-man roster. Let's dive into the biggest surprises from the group.
Denver has their roster, at least for now. They could surely make some changes before Week 1, but the 53-man group present now is likely going to remain the same for a little bit, and there were a few surprises.
Nothing really major went down during the team's roster cuts, but a few mid-grade surprises are definitely worth talking about.
Biggest surprises from the Denver Broncos 53-man roster
Audric Estime cut
I am not sure any Broncos fan truly thought Audric Estime was going to be off the roster by the time August rolled out. Estime is still just 21 years old and was a fifth-round pick back in 2024, so he was still incredibly early in his NFL career with the Broncos. Averaging over four yards per carry in 2024, it felt like he was in line for a RB2-type of role in 2025, but with the additions of JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey, and the emergence of Tyler Badie, Estime then became expendable.
It's not every day you need a 21-year-old, second-year NFL player and former draft pick off his first team like Audric Estime was.
Karene Reid over Levelle Bailey
The Denver Broncos have yet another undrafted free agent making the roster, but many people did not think Karene Reid was going to get the nod over Levelle Bailey. Shockingly, though, Bailey returned to the team's practice squad. Reid was all over the place in the preseason, making a ton of plays and just finding the football. He might honestly have more upside than Bailey and obviously did enough to earn a spot on the roster.
But Levelle Bailey played quite well himself and felt like a lock for the roster.
Damarri Mathis cut, not traded
I am a bit surprise that the Broncos weren't able to find a trade partner for Damarri Mathis, even if the trade was a late-round pick swap. Mathis is a fine backup and a veteran who has both played well and been benched, so in that way, he's seen it all. Mathis was cut and signed with the Carolina Panthers, reuniting with former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Still only in his fourth season, Mathis getting cut outright was a bit of a surprise.