Broncos gamble doesn't pay off as defensive veteran and key depth get scooped up less than 24 hours after roster cutdowns

While the team was able to clear significant cap space by cutting the backup cornerback Mathis— more than $3.4 million— he was unable to come back on the practice squad. A 2022 fourth-round pick, Mathis was once part of the long-term plans for the organization, but just couldn't see the field or really assert himself within the defense. He started in 18 of 43 games for the Broncos, amassing nine passes defended with 103 combined tackles, 81 solo tackles, and one tackle for loss. Mathis reunites with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who coached him in Denver in 2022.

For Truss, the 6-7, 309-pound offensive lineman was undrafted and had one of the higher bonuses and guarantees of the players Denver had added to their 15-man undrafted rookie class. The versatile but raw lineman wasn't rumored to crack the 53-man roster, as the team has one of the best units across the entire NFL with no real room for Truss. The hope was to get him back on the PS, but the Saints swooped in and grabbed him.

Head coach Sean Payton opened up to the media about how the team prepared to cut down their roster from 90 to 53, highlighting how this year specifically was more difficult based on the depth across the board. Denver had plenty of difficult decisions to make outside of just Mathis and Truss.

"Last night was closer to six hours. There was a lot of discussion, film. It was very evident that we’re deeper [. . .] I would say, just strictly based on the length of the meeting and the process itself, that was very clear. I think it was evident in the preseason games as you watched them. When the second wave or the third wave went in, you saw good football,”

Payton and the organization know how to find gems in the draft, as the team has continued their unprecedented success with an undrafted rookie making the team's 53-man roster . After Karene Reid cracked the 53, it now makes it 21 of the past 22 years where a UDFA has made the team.

Additionally, another feather in the cap for Payton was with Truss and Mathis themselves. Hundreds of players are waived across the league, and a very small percentage of those players get picked up by another team. For the 2025 NFL season, 608 players were waived, with only 29 claimed, which is 4.77% of all players. For Payton, two of the 29 were from his roster. One thing is for certain: Denver knows how to build a football team.