With the Denver Broncos signing linebacker Andre Smith this week, the team needs to make room on their roster. That’s bad news for one rookie tight end.
According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette via ProFootballTalk, the Broncos have cut tight end Dylan Leonard out of Georgia Tech. Leonard signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent with $27,500 guaranteed and a $5,000 signing bonus.
Last year with the Yellow Jackets, Leonard was mainly deployed as a run blocker. He had 14 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown in 2023 and 41 receptions for 387 yards and a touchdown for his career.
Replacing Leonard on the roster is Smith, a former seventh-round pick who has appeared in 62 games over the past six seasons and is coming off a career year with the Atlanta Falcons. Smith had 19 tackles and a fumble recovery in 11 games for Atlanta last season, including his first-ever NFL start.
The Broncos already appear to be pretty stacked at wide receiver and tight end. Getting any reps, let alone a starting job was always going to be a tough ask for Leonard.
We’ll see if Leonard is able to latch on to another team before the start of training camp in order to keep his NFL dream alive.