The Denver Broncos’ streak of undrafted free agent success just hit a massive wall, folks. For only the second time in 23 years, *no* undrafted players made their initial 53-man roster. Can you believe that? This is a huge shift from their long-standing history of finding diamonds in the rough.
The Big Names Who Missed the Cut
Plenty of guys were fighting hard for a spot, and a few really stood out as strong candidates. We’re talking about dynamic returner Kolbe Katsis, linebacker Taurean York, and offensive lineman Gaven Ortega. All three seemed like they had a real shot, but they’re off the initial 53. The good news? These guys are likely candidates for the Broncos’ 17-man practice squad, assuming they clear waivers. You gotta hope they stick around, right? Especially when you think about the talent they brought in. Denver’s got a deep roster, and they’re clearly trying to retain as much talent as possible.
A Storied History Takes a Pause
Think about the history here: the Broncos have been absolute masters at developing undrafted talent. We’re talking about Ring of Fame wide receiver Rod Smith, Super Bowl-winning cornerback Chris Harris, and linebacker Wesley Woodyard. Those are huge names, guys who became cornerstones of their teams after being overlooked in the draft. So, for this year’s squad to have *zero* UDFAs on the initial roster, it’s a pretty significant break from tradition. It puts a big question mark on where the next generation of overlooked stars will come from for them.
What happens next? The practice squad gets finalized on Monday, and everyone expects several UDFAs to land there. We will see how things shake out in the coming days as they gear up for their season opener. They kick things off on September 14 at Kansas City, and you know they’ll want to be locked in for that one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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