Ever since Sean Payton came to the Denver Broncos, he's been on a mission to cut dead weight from the team. And at this point, it's difficult to argue with the results.
Not every roster move has been for the best, but the Broncos have gone from being perceived as one of the worst teams in the league to being one of the best despite having $90 million in dead cap last season.
Even though most of the worst contracts are either off the books or the team has moved on, there are still some players to monitor as the team gets underway with training camp in 2025 as potential "failed signings".
And even if it seems harsh, there's one guy the team might have to move on from and pursue alternate options.
Broncos might need to move on from Lucas Krull experiment in 2025
What a difference a year makes...
Last year at this time, Lucas Krull was one of the most highly anticipated players on the Denver Broncos' roster heading into training camp. He'd built some significant hype coming out of OTAs and everyone was excited about the possibility of him building on a strong finish to the 2023 campaign as a pass-catching option in the offense.
Unfortunately, the only thing that materialized was Krull leading the tight end group with 19 receptions. It wasn't anything for the Broncos to build on, and obviously they aren't. They brought in both Evan Engram and Caleb Lohner this offseason, adding to the position with the possibility that they could add even more.
As much upside as Krull has shown in the past, the Broncos would be wise to bring in a veteran like Noah Fant if he's willing to accept a role as Evan Engram's sidekick this coming season, or even just adding to the plate of Nate Adkins entering his third year.
There would be nothing wrong with Krull ultimately figuring things out and making an impact as a receiver, but he truly had a golden opportunity in 2024, and his window of opportunity in Denver may have ultimately passed him by.
There should never have been such big expectations heaped upon Krull as a practice squad player, but when he showed glimpses of playmaking ability in 2023, it got everyone excited. He's got outstanding size and athletic traits, but will we see him put it all together to force the Broncos into a tough roster situation this year?
It's not looking overly likely heading into camp. Krull desperately needs to make some noise, and he's one of those players who will be in focus when the Broncos have joint practices against Arizona as well as during the team's preseason action.