DENVER BRONCOS NEWS

Devaughn Vele - Ready for game action Vele "appears ready for game action" as a rookie, and his development is what ultimately led to his former teammate Tim Patrick's release, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Impact Vele impressed throughout the summer, and according to Kosmider, was the "surprise star of camp" that was "good for at least one daily highlight play." Though Patrick's release came as a bit of a surprise, it was Vele's growth that ultimately allowed the Broncos' coaching staff to move on from the veteran. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Vele fits the mold of a bigger, physical wide receiver that the Broncos want on their roster as they try to establish a strong rushing attack. Head coach Sean Payton praised the rookie for his versatility, calling him an "outstanding blocker." Despite entering his first season as an pro, the 26-year-old Utah product appears like he could be in line to see playing time as a depth option in a receiver corps headlined by Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims and Josh Reynolds.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

32 Super Dreams: Why your team has a shot to win Super Bowl LIX ... really

Every NFL team believes they can win Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Here's a look at why each of the 32 contenders might actually be right.

AUGUST 29

Delarrin Turner-Yell - Opening season on PUP list Turner-Yell (knee) was placed on the reserve/PUP list by the Broncos on Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of Denver's official website reports.

Impact Turner-Yell is still working his way back from a trio of ligament injuries in his left knee that he suffered in Week 17 of the 2023 season and he'll open the 2024 campaign on the sidelines as a result. The safety will be eligible to return from the PUP list in Week 5 versus the Raiders on Oct. 6.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Drew Sanders - Opens season on PUP list Sanders (Achilles) was placed on the reserve/PUP list by the Broncos on Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official website reports.

Impact Sanders has been working his way back from Achilles surgery that he underwent in May and he's not likely to play until late November at earliest. The linebacker could very well sit out the entire year, but the team's decision to designate him for return suggests there's still hope for Sanders in 2024.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Mahomes and the Chiefs are seeking another AFC West title and an unprecedented Super Bowl 3-peat

The Kansas City Chiefs are the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to successfully defend the Lombardi Trophy

AUGUST 28 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Damarri Mathis - Starting season on IR-R Mathis (ankle) was placed on the Broncos' IR-designated to return Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official website reports.

Impact Mathis injured his ankle in Denver's preseason finale. His timeline for recovery is unclear, but he will not be eligible to return until Week 5. When healthy, he projects to provide depth in the team's secondary.

AUGUST 28 • ROTOWIRE

Damarri Mathis - Starting season on IR Mathis (ankle) was placed on the Broncos' injured reserve list and designated to return Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Impact Mathis injured his ankle in Denver's preseason finale. His timeline for recovery is unclear, but he will not be eligible to return until Week 5. When healthy, he projects to provide depth in the team's secondary.

AUGUST 28 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Reynolds - Positioned for Week 1 start? Reynolds (Achilles) is one the candidates to take on a larger role after Denver released Tim Patrick on Tuesday, DNVR Broncos reports.

Impact Reynolds got a lot of first-team snaps this summer and is perhaps the most obvious direct replacement/competition for Patrick, as they're both tall, veteran WRs that primarily work the perimeter and don't tend to be targeted at a high rate. From a fantasy standpoint, young players like Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin are probably more interesting, but that doesn't mean they'll get more playing time than Reynolds to start the season. Coach Sean Payton suggested last week that Reynolds' Achilles injury isn't serious.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Reynolds - Positioned for Week 1 start Reynolds (Achilles) is one the candidates to take on a larger role after Denver released Tim Patrick on Tuesday, DNVR Broncos reports.

Impact Reynolds got a lot of first-team snaps this summer and is perhaps the most obvious direct replacement/competition for Patrick, as they're both tall, veteran WRs that primarily work the perimeter and don't tend to be targeted at a high rate. From a fantasy standpoint, young players like Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin are probably more interesting, but that doesn't mean they'll get more playing time than Reynolds to start the season. Coach Sean Payton suggested last week that Reynolds' Achilles injury wouldn't be an issue for the start of the regular season.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Marvin Mims Jr. - Could benefit from Patrick release Mims is among the candidates to take on a larger role after Denver released Tim Patrick on Tuesday, DNVR Broncos reports.

Impact Patrick, Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds have taken most of the first-team reps this summer, with Sean Payton favoring his tall, veteran receivers over quicker, younger players like Mims and Troy Franklin. Releasing Patrick is probably more about cap space than anything to do with the team's other wide receivers, but it nonetheless reduces Mim's competition for playing time in his second NFL season. The 2023 second-round pick had four reception of 38 or more yards in Weeks 1-4 last season, but he then managed only 135 receiving yards over 12 subsequent games while topping 32 snaps on offense just once all year.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Marvin Mims Jr. - Could see more opportunities Mims is among the candidates to take on a larger role after Denver released Tim Patrick on Tuesday, DNVR Broncos reports.

Impact Patrick, Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds took most of the first-team reps this summer, with Sean Payton favoring his tall, veteran receivers over quicker, younger players like Mims and Troy Franklin. Releasing Patrick is probably more about cap space than anything else, but it nonetheless reduces Mims' competition for playing time in his second NFL season. The 2023 second-round pick had four reception of 38 or more yards in Weeks 1-4 last season, but he then managed only 135 receiving yards over 12 subsequent games while topping 32 snaps on offense just once all year.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

2024 NFL roster cuts tracker: All the notable and surprising releases across the league

All 32 NFL teams had to trim their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday. Here's a tracker of noteworthy players who have been cut.

AUGUST 27

QB starters Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix lead list of NFL rookies to watch in 2024

Three rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round are set to start on opening day with Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels of Washington and Bo Nix for Denver

AUGUST 27 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

2024-25 AFC West Division odds: Harbaugh, Chargers chasing Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are favored to win the AFC West for a ninth straight season. Can another franchise finally close the gap? Check out the latest od...

AUGUST 27

Troy Franklin - Two touches in win Franklin caught his lone target for 21 yards and carried once for nine yards in Sunday's 38-12 preseason win over the Cardinals.

Impact Franklin finally found his way onto the stat sheet in Sunday's preseason finale, handling his first two touches while playing 50 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps in the contest. The rookie wideout is a work-in-progress, however, he finds himself in a solid situation that could help in his development in Denver. Bo Nix, his college quarterback, was named the starter ahead of Week 1, so the history the two have with one another could bode well for the 6-foot-3, 180-pound receiver. In addition, it appears the Broncos will cut ties with veteran wideout Tim Patrick ahead of the 2024 campaign, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. With final roster cuts upcoming, Franklin is positioned to make the 53-man roster in a depth role behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Tim Patrick - Stint with Denver about to end The Broncos have informed Patrick that they plan to release him if they are unable to arrange a trade to send the wideout elsewhere, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

Impact Patrick, who last saw regular-season action in 2021, appears to have moved past the serious injuries that derailed his last two campaigns. Despite the veteran wideout having had a solid training camp, the Broncos now seem poised to moved on from the 30-year-old. Patrick's looming departure should pave the way for Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin to see added opportunities alongside veteran pass catchers Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds.

AUGUST 26 • ROTOWIRE

Samaje Perine - In line to be cut The Broncos are slated to release or trade Perine prior to Tuesday's roster cuts deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact Perine is the odd man out in Denver's backfield, with all of Javonte Freeman, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime having made strong cases for a role this preseason. The eight-year veteran could garner some interest on the trade market for teams in need of proven depth, especially given his skills in pass protection and as a receiver. As a result of Perine's non-guaranteed $3 million salary this season, however, teams could opt to simply wait for his release by the Broncos and then negotiate for a lower contract total.

AUGUST 26 • ROTOWIRE

Brandon Johnson - Big day in preseason finale Johnson caught both his targets for 83 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-12 preseason win over the Cardinals.

Impact The third-year wideout showed some good chemistry with Zach Wilson, hauling in a 37-yard pass late in the third quarter to set up one TD before snagging a 46-yard touchdown pass of his own in the fourth. Johnson is fighting with 2024 fourth-round pick Troy Franklin and others for a spot at the bottom of the Broncos' wide receiver depth chart, but Sunday's performance may not have been enough to secure a place on the 53-man roster.

AUGUST 26 • ROTOWIRE

Audric Estime - Gets into end zone Sunday Estime carried the ball five times for 18 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-12 preseason win over the Cardinals. He also caught his only target for 14 yards.

Impact The rookie running back got the start and saw a healthy workload on his only drive, capping it with a three-yard TD run. Estime appears to be heading into the season as Denver's No. 4 back behind Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin, none of whom played Sunday in the team's preseason finale. Despite that seemingly inhospitable role, Estime could have some fantasy value in 2024 if he becomes the Broncos' short-yardage and goal-line specialist.

AUGUST 26 • ROTOWIRE