Denver Broncos general manager George Paton.
The Denver Broncos are using young players.
On Aug. 20, they were listed as the NFL’s ninth-youngest team heading into the 2024-25 season, according to Bill Speros of Bookies.com.
That could be bad news for veteran running back Samaje Perine, who could become a casualty of attrition. Aug. 27 is roster cut day, when the Broncos must trim their 90-man roster down to 53 for the regular season.
“Samaje Perin isn’t going to have a spot on this roster,” Troy Renk of the Denver Post said on the Broncos Podcast on Aug. 23. “They like Audric Estime, Javonte Williams is the starter and Jahlil McLaughlin is the change of pace back. I’m not sure where Samaje Perin is.”
“He was good for the team last year, especially in the two-minute drills. The team will miss him, but he’s a bit of a luxury.”
Perine also had one of the worst moments of the Broncos’ preseason.
Perine is in the final year of a two-year, $7 million contract that would count $4.5 million against the salary cap in 2024. The Broncos could save $3 million by cutting him. Renk said he expects the Broncos to explore other options first.
“I think they’ll try to trade him if they can,” Renk said. “Maybe they can get him in the sixth or seventh round. He can help somebody. He can still play. But remember, they’re getting younger. They’re getting younger, they have two backs in Javonte Williams and Estimes, and in their mind, we’ll see if they can do what Perin does. So I think he could be a maverick.”
Broncos’ use of young players could hurt Samaje Perine
Gettysamaje Perine, No. 25, Denver Broncos.
Perine, 28, rushed for 238 yards and one touchdown on 53 carries for the Broncos in 2023. He also caught 50 passes for 455 yards and was praised for his pass-blocking ability. Estime and Williams are similarly built and at least four years younger.
The Broncos could keep both Estime and Williams combined for less than the cost of Perine alone.
Renk isn’t the only one predicting Perin’s departure, as Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon also believes the former Cincinnati Bengals player should hit the free agent market.
“With the franchise embracing dismantling, there’s no need to have expensive reserves in the backfield,” Kenyon wrote on Aug. 23. “Denver could save $3 million by waiving Samaje Perine and fill the position with Javonte Williams, Jahlil McLaughlin and rookies Audric Estime and Blake Watson.”
Meanwhile, Estime (four years, $4.3 million) and Williams (four years, $8.8 million) will take a combined hit of $3.7 million. Perine isn’t the only veteran feeling the added dearth of young players during the 2024 offseason.
The Broncos are back, but they may be cutting some talented players from the roster.
No. 96 Ayoma Uwazulike of the Denver Broncos.
“On the defensive line, Matt Henningsen might be one of the smartest guys in the NFL. Masters in chemical engineering? He’s great and had a good couple of years with the Broncos, but he’s in doubt now, but I think he’ll be available. But I’ll say this, Sean Payton’s done a really good job for Ayoma Uwazulike.
“he [Uwazurike] He was suspended for one year, [Payton] Payton defended him. And Payton, his daughter works at a gambling site and he likes to harass the league. He doesn’t think the league’s punishment was fair, and it goes back to his own punishment in the Bountygate scandal. That’s why he’s defended Uwazurike. They could have easily moved on from him. Will he hold out long enough this week?
Lenk believes Henningson will be the better option in Week 1 of the regular season, but it’s one position to monitor.
Linebacker Justin Strnad, cornerback Levi Wallace and wide receivers Brandon Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey are also in doubt. Humphrey, Johnson and Wallace are all being pushed forward by younger players.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He’s covered both leagues since 2016 and has bylines in FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He lives in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck About Josh Buckhalter
