Waiver Wire Priority For All 32 NFL Teams
Yesterday was the 53-man roster deadline, but the madness will continue today as teams pick through the waiver pile for talented discards. Priority is dictated by the reverse standings with tiebreakers where necessary, which is to say that it will be the same as the 2016 draft order before all the trades. Unlike your fantasy league’s waiver wire, a team does not go to the back of the list upon making a successful claim. That means that the league’s worst teams from 2015 have a significant advantage today as they make late roster additions.
Here is the complete waiver priority order:
1. Titans
2. Browns
3. Chargers
4. Cowboys
5. Jaguars
6. Ravens
7. 49ers
8. Dolphins
9. Buccaneers
10. Giants
11. Bears
12. Saints
13. Eagles
14. Raiders
15. Rams
16. Lions
17. Falcons
18. Colts
19. Bills
20. Jets
21. Redskins
22. Texans
23. Vikings
24. Bengals
25. Seahawks
26. Packers
27. Steelers
28. Chiefs
29. Patriots
30. Cardinals
31. Panthers
32. Broncos
Latest On Broncos, Emmanuel Sanders
- Elway said the Broncos wanted to hear back from Emmanuel Sanders‘ representatives recently, but so far they haven’t (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post). Typically, contract talks don’t linger into season, so time is ticking for Sanders to get a new deal done with Denver. It’s possible that Tavon Austin‘s new four-year, $42MM deal with Los Angeles will set the floor for Sanders in his talks with Denver. While Sanders is older, he has been far more productive than Austin. Sanders, 29, is set to earn $5.6MM this season, the first and final year of the free agent deal he signed with Denver in 2014.
Broncos Work Out Brandon Tate
- The Broncos auditioned wide receiver/return specialist Brandon Tate, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tate was released by the Bengals last week after several years with the club.
Broncos Make Aqib Talib Available?
In surprising news, the Broncos are willing to trade star cornerback Aqib Talib if the right offer comes along, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). For what it’s worth, GM John Elway denied the report when addressing the media on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Talib, a former Buccaneer and Patriot, has been a stalwart in Denver since joining the team before the 2014 season. Talib has made the Pro Bowl in each of his two Broncos campaigns and was an integral part of their Super Bowl-winning squad last season. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder has started in all 30 of his regular-season appearances with the club and totaled seven interceptions and four defensive touchdowns along the way. For his work in 2015, Pro Football Focus rated Talib 30th among 111 qualified corners.
While Talib has been successful on the gridiron, off-field issues have clouded his career at times. The latest problem came just under three months ago when Talib suffered a gunshot wound either at a Dallas nightclub or at a park during the early morning hours of June 5. Talib told police he was “too intoxicated” to remember how he was shot. As of mid-August, they were still investigating the incident.
Regardless of what happens with the police investigation, the NFL could punish Talib down the line. Commissioner Roger Goodell is not a fan of firearms, and the fact that Talib was intoxicated — and a has a history with weapons – will likely factor into any disciplinary decision. It’s still something of an open question as to whether Talib will face legal consequences in addition to NFL penalties.
Talib still has three years remaining on his contract. He’s set to earn an $11MM salary this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Trim Roster To 53
The Broncos have moved their roster down to 53 players by making the following transactions:
Cut:
- RB Ronnie Hillman (story)
- QB Mark Sanchez (story)
- C Dillon Day
- LB Kyle Kragen
- TE Henry Krieger-Coble
- DB B.J. Lowery
- OL Aaron Neary
Placed On IR:
Additionally, DT Kyle Peko was not waived, as had been previously reported.
Broncos Sign Austin Davis
4:36pm: The Broncos have announced a one-year deal for Davis.
4:28pm: After releasing veteran Mark Sanchez, the Broncos are signing Austin Davis to be their No. 3 quarterback, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Davis, 27, is a viable backup quarterback, as he has 13 games (10 starts) under his belt. Most of that action came in 2014, when he started right contests for the Rams, completing 61% of his passes for 2,001 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. In Cleveland last year, Davis started two games, tossing one touchdown and two picks.
In Denver, he’ll hold a clipboard behind Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos To Release Ronnie Hillman
The Broncos have released running back Ronnie Hillman, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS.
Hillman, a 2012 third-round pick, paced Denver’s running backs in offensive snaps (524) during the 2015 regular season. He also led the team’s rushers in starts (11), attempts (207), yards (863) and touchdowns (seven). Hillman wasn’t exactly integral during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, though, as he rushed for 54 yards on 32 carries in their three victories. C.J. Anderson had as many carries (54) in that stretch as Hillman did yards, and the former racked up between 72 and 90 yards in all three games.
Denver will save $1.4MM of the $2MM contract it handed Hillman this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos To Release Mark Sanchez
The Broncos are releasing Mark Sanchez, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Denver has announced that Trevor Siemian will be under center when the Broncos open the season in Week 1. As such, Sanchez simply wasn’t a fit for the Denver roster unless he was the backup signal-caller. With first-round pick Paxton Lynch pushing him for that role, Sanchez’s cap hit wasn’t palatable for a No. 3 QB.
While Siemian is only due to earn a minimum salary during the upcoming season, Sanchez was scheduled to count $4.5MM on Denvers’ salary cap, $1MM of which is guaranteed. Sanchez could have earned another $3MM through incentives, but the Broncos cleared $3.5MM off their books by trading him before the start of the season.
The Eagles will not receive a conditional draft pick given that Sanchez will not make Denver’s roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Working To Trade Mark Sanchez
The Broncos are working to trade Mark Sanchez as the 53-man deadline approaches, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Denver has announced that Trevor Siemian will be under center when the Broncos open the season in Week 1. As such, it’s unlikely that Sanchez is a fit for the Denver roster unless he’s the backup signal-caller. With first-round pick Paxton Lynch pushing him for that role, Sanchez’s cap hit isn’t palatable for a No. 3 QB.
While Siemian is only due to earn a minimum salary during the upcoming season, Sanchez is scheduled to count $4.5MM on Denvers’ salary cap, $1MM of which is guaranteed. Sanchez can also earn another $3MM through incentives, but the Broncos could clear $3.5MM off their books by trading him before the start of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Cut Henry Melton
Many of the Broncos’ early cuts today were expected, but Denver has added a big name to the pile. Defensive lineman Henry Melton has been released, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Click Here For A Complete List Of All The Broncos’ Cuts Today]
Melton was signed less than two weeks ago to bring depth to a unit that lost Malik Jackson to free agency and Vance Walker to injury. With Derek Wolfe and free agent addition Jared Crick at each end, Melton was expected to offer support on both the outside and interior of the D-Line. That will not be the case, however, and the 29-year-old (30 in October) will look for his next opportunity elsewhere.
Melton was a dominant interior presence during his early career with the Bears, but he has been unable to replicate that play in recent years. The veteran appeared in all 16 games for Tampa Bay last season, playing on roughly half of the Bucs’ defensive snaps. In that time, Melton picked up two sacks, 18 tackles, and recovered two fumbles, but only graded as the league’s No. 101 interior defender among 123 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.