Jordan Leslie Announces He's Been Cut By Broncos

By Zack Kelberman

DENVER (247 SPORTS) - Jordan Leslie is the first figurative shoe to drop as the Denver Broncos begin assembling their final roster.

The third-year wide receiver announced on Twitter Friday that he's been released by the Broncos.

"Back to back years of leading a team in receptions/reception yards and still being cut... Crazy business," he tweeted.

Leslie had a whale of an outing in Denver's preseason finale on Thursday night, recording a team-high five receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. As said, he finished the exhibition period with a Broncos-high 110 yards and the score on nine receptions.

But Leslie fell victim, as most bubble players do, to the numbers game. The Broncos have four receivers (Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton) locked into spots, and two others (Tim Patrick, Isaiah McKenzie) fighting for placement. He understands better than most that every rep counts -- and sometimes it's just not enough.

"I just haven't performed to the level that I expect myself to," Leslie said on Aug. 5. "Being in this league for a while, I understand that being in the position I am, I need to catch every pass that's thrown at me. I need to get open, catch the tough ones and the contested ones, and that's kind of not what I've been doing like I have in past camps. I need to step it up."

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Leslie, 26, entered the NFL in 2015 as an undrafted free agent, signed by the Minnesota Vikings. He bounced around on various practice squads, going from Jacksonville, Atlanta, Tennessee and Cleveland, before landing in Denver last year. He ended the 2017 campaign on the taxi team before signing a reserve/futures contract in January.

Leslie's release will trigger a domino-effect of moves as the Broncos work to meet the 53-man roster requirement prior to Saturday's 2 p.m. deadline.