Interesting Cut No. 3
Veteran cornerback Tony Carter, who spent five of his six NFL seasons with the Broncos, was also released. Rookie Lorenzo Doss and Curtis Marsh, who signed a future contract with Denver in 2014, will be the third-string cornerbacks and contribute on special teams.
Carter had made frequent appearances on “Surprise Veteran Cuts” lists for several years running, and for good cause. In six years in the league, Carter has managed just 44 tackles in 42 games, with a career high of 23 in 15 games in 2012 for Denver. He also had three career interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
Carter was also a contributor on special teams, even taking an unsuccessful crack at being a return man in 2013, but the continued struggles of the coverage and return units during the preseason made Carter an easy target for release as Gary Kubiak tries to remake the third phase.
Fellow veteran special teamer David Bruton survived the cuts over Carter, mostly because he has been a team leader and captain (and is currently the longest-tenured Bronco), but also because he is the primary backup to T.J. Ward and will start in Ward’s place while the strong safety plays out his one-game suspension to start the season. Bruton, now 29, may have just a year or two left as a senior member on special teams now that Carter is gone, as Kubiak is clearly moving in a younger direction for that unit.
In the wake of these cuts, three big personnel questions are still lingering.
