Story by
‘Really tough’ Jaleel McLaughlin cut was one of Broncos’ last decisions
- Story by
- ‘Really tough’ Jaleel McLaughlin cut was one of Broncos’ last decisions
When the Denver Broncos set their initial 53-man roster on Sunday, one of the team's hardest and last decisions was the fourth-string running back spot.
In the end, the Broncos decided to keep Tyler Badie over Jaleel McLaughlin and Cody Schrader. Badie is now poised to serve as RB4 behind J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman this fall.
Advertisement
"Yes, that was really tough," general manager George Paton said of the team's decision. "Really, all three of those runners [Badie, McLaughlin and Schrader], they're all really good runners; they're all different. A lot goes into it, obviously. Jaleel, he's something else. He was really important to this team, the passion, everything he brings.
"They have two different skill sets without going in too much detail. So without getting into details, it was a really hard decision. Obviously, special teams are involved, third-down ability. There's a lot involved, but that was probably the last decision we made, this fourth runner."
Those two traits that Paton mentioned are key — special teams and pass blocking ("third-down ability"). Badie wins both of those battles.
"[T]his was a hard one," Paton later continued. "We were up late. We've been at it since after the first preseason game. We knew this was coming, but they're all hard. I just talked about Jaleel, that was especially tough for what he's meant to this team and what he's meant to this organization."
Advertisement
McLaughlin will now hit the NFL's waiver wire. If he clears waivers, McLaughlin would be eligible to return on the practice squad, but after he posted a goodbye message on Instagram, his time in Denver seems to be over.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X ! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans .
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 'Really tough' Jaleel McLaughlin cut was one of Broncos' last decisions
