Well, the "slot machine" has finally gotten his chips cashed in, as the Broncos placed him on Injured Reserve while also releasing Jarvis Green earlier today.
The debate on whether Stokley was long for this roster has been one with legs on MHR since before the draft, but as the deadline got closer and Decker got healthy and Willis shined, it became clearer and clearer that Stokley wasn't going to make it.
The math is pretty simple: Stokley didn't play special teams, and the Broncos were looking at establishing their 6th or 7th receiver on the roster. Those days are behind Stokes, and Matthew Willis' performance shifts the attention elsewhere. The wheel of change moves ever onward.
To Stokley's credit, he had morphed into the kind of receiver who saw only a handful of plays in a game, but who capitalized consistently, with 100% of his catches last year earning a first down or touchdown. That is some good sauce right there. But with a reloading team like the Broncos, and Stokley spending much of this offseason banged up, now is simply the time to ask for --and get-- more.
I have heard it suggested that Stokes might be good in a coaching or mentorship role, but I think he will try to find somewhere to produce, and that is the way it should be, if he can get back to 100%. I'm sure Stokes will be remembered fondly by the vast majority of Broncos fans.