The Denver Broncos made a handful of surprise moves at roster cuts, but even for some of the team's most intriguing rookies, making the team was always going to be an uphill battle.
That includes linebacker Taurean York, one of the team's prized undrafted rookie free agents and the highest-paid UDFA in Denver Broncos history.
York was given a contract guarantee of $325,000 coming out of Texas A&M, and was one of the most celebrated undrafted free agent pickups around the league. Especially considering the Broncos' need at the linebacker position, York was considered a great pickup and near-guaranteed to make the team.
It wasn't surprising when the Broncos let York hit the waiver wire, but what is surprising is what happened after that...Nobody else picked him up.
Denver Broncos top UDFA Taurean York remains unsigned after roster cuts
Most assumed that one of three things would happen after the Broncos cut Taurean York:
1. He would be claimed on waivers by another team
2. If he somehow cleared waivers, he'd be a priority for the Broncos' practice squad
3. He'd quickly join another team, if not the Broncos
The 4th option -- York remaining unsigned a few days after roster cuts -- never really felt like an option at all. And yet, that's the reality we're living in.
With rosters being assembled on Sunday, then shuffled on Monday, then shuffled again on Tuesday, York finds himself without a spot in the league. The fact that he isn't on the Broncos' practice squad is shocking enough, but not even being on another team's practice squad?
It really makes you wonder what's going on.
York was undersized coming out of Texas A&M, and that was thought to be the only thing preventing him from being at least a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. He played three seasons at Texas A&M and was a captain for two of them, meaning he was a two-time captain on one of the best defenses in college football before the age of 21.
And he was productive.
There is a reason why the Broncos gave him the highest contract guarantee for an undrafted free agent in franchise history (beyond just annual inflation, of course). There was competition to sign York. He chose the Broncos and their situation over anywhere else, so the idea of him finding a landing spot quickly after being cut by Denver didn't seem overly far-fetched.
The Broncos were able to bring back Red Murdock to the practice squad, but he was the only rookie at linebacker to return.
Perhaps York will return to the Broncos' practice squad at some point, but the idea that he wasn't one of the top priorities to bring back -- especially given his post-draft price tag -- is still tough to understand.
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