Sean Payton reveals surprising reason why Broncos cut Caden Sterns

Even though Caden Sterns has struggled to stay healthy in his first few NFL seasons, it was still quite shocking to learn that the Denver Broncos were cutting him in the midst of training camp, before the first preseason game. Sterns was working his way back from a knee injury and was expected to make an impact in the defensive backfield this coming season with the team cutting Justin Simmons early in the offseason.

Head coach Sean Payton revealed the reason for the team's decision to cut, and it's probably not what you would have expected:

“The depth. I visited with [S] Caden [Sterns] this morning and just told him that right now we felt like it was in the best interest of our team. Especially this early where he’ll have a chance to either possibly sign with another team or possibly be traded. Part of it is the byproduct of some of these other guys that are playing ahead of him right now.”

Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

Did anyone have the "depth" at the safety position on their list of the top three reasons why the Broncos might have decided to cut Caden Sterns?

There have been a lot of people hopeful for certain players at the safety position for the Broncos this year, but frankly, this is the position group that has come up the most whenever anyone talks about areas of concern or areas of the roster that are clearly weaker on paper this year as compared to last year. And with free agent acquisition Brandon Jones working his way back from a hamstring injury, the idea that "depth" is the reason for the team cutting Caden Sterns feels like a bit of a stretch, right?

Well, the Broncos have gotten some good looks at players like JL Skinner and Devon Key this offseason. They also have a number of other young players like undrafted rookie Omar Brown, Keidron Smith, and Tanner McAllister who could be making more of an impression than expected.

Despite some thought that perhaps the Broncos could try and trade Sterns throughout the day on Monday after it was reported that he was going to be released, the team did officially waive Sterns in a procedural move and he could have a new team as early as Tuesday. He's expected to draw interest around the league despite some though that his history of hip injuries could be more severe than originally anticipated.