Josh Dover bids farewell to Jaleel McLaughlin after Broncos made a tough call

The NFL roster cut deadline has a way of turning sentiment into arithmetic. Three years of contributions, 1,000 rushing yards, seven total touchdowns. None of it was enough to save Jaleel McLaughlin’s spot on the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster.

The announcement came Sunday. And on a recent edition of “Dover and Cecil” on 104.3 The Fan, Josh Dover processed the departure with the kind of honest clarity the moment deserved.

“Jaleel McLaughlin off of this roster. I’m not surprised, and I’m not really bummed about it either. I think he’ll probably end up on a practice squad, either here in the Mile High City, or somewhere else,” Dover said.

That is a measured reaction to a move that most inside the building likely saw coming. McLaughlin carved out a role in Denver through effort and versatility, 1,093 career rushing yards and a blend of three rushing touchdowns and four receiving scores across three seasons. He was productive when called upon. But productivity in isolation doesn’t guarantee a roster spot on a team that has systematically upgraded the position around him.

Dover acknowledged that his own skepticism about McLaughlin’s long-term fit isn’t new.

“I don’t know that I can even look at that as a big surprise. You know how I’ve felt about Jaleel for a couple of years now, wondering what his role was on this roster,” Dover said.

That question, what’s his role, became harder to answer with each passing offseason. The emergence of Jonah Coleman as a legitimate contributor during training camp effectively sealed the decision. Coleman’s physicality, his ability to run through contact in short-yardage situations, and the coaching staff’s early endorsement of his game made it clear that the rookie was going to occupy a meaningful spot in the rotation. Combined with J.K. Dobbins at the top of the depth chart, R.J. Harvey’s dual-threat versatility, and Tyler Badie rounding out the room, there simply wasn’t a chair left for McLaughlin to sit in.

Dover closed with well-wishes that reflect how the player was viewed inside the locker room, respected, appreciated, and ultimately passed by.

“Wishing the guy nothing but luck. And wherever he may land, if it’s back here in the Mile High City, maybe evolves into a role at some point. But they made the right choice, it was time to move on from No. 38,” Dover said.

The Broncos didn’t cut McLaughlin because he wasn’t good enough to play in the NFL. They cut him because the running back room evolved past the point where his specific skill set warranted one of 53 roster spots. A backfield of Dobbins, Harvey, Coleman and Badie covers every base, power, speed, receiving ability, and short-yardage toughness. McLaughlin’s contributions over three years were real. But the team that exists today is different from the one that needed him, and holding onto a player out of loyalty rather than fit is not how contenders operate.

McLaughlin may resurface on a practice squad, in Denver or elsewhere. His career isn’t necessarily over. But his chapter with the Broncos is. And Dover believes the organization made the right decision. The running back room is deeper, more talented, and better constructed than it has been at any point in the Sean Payton era. That growth is what made the cut possible. And it is what makes the Broncos better heading into September.

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