According to the Denver Broncos, they have waived defensive end Kenny Anunike and re-signed safety Ryan Murphy.
#Broncos waive Anunike, add a safety " https://t.co/GlGBqp4vgO pic.twitter.com/zkUiBVk8D2
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 8, 2016
The Broncos added Anunike as an undrafted Free Agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played at Duke, and his pass rushing abilities earned him a shot with the Broncos, but he did come with some red flags. He had two knee injuries while at Duke, and those problems continued while in the NFL.
The oft-injured Anunike turned into a Training Camp and Preseason fan favorite the past few years, but each year injuries derailed his season. Each year, he didn't participate in a single snap during the regular season and was placed on the injured reserve.
Now entering his third season in the NFL, the injury bug continued to slow him down. The knee injury that cost him his 2015 season wasn't 100% healthy and he started the beginning of Broncos Training Camp on the PUP list. The Broncos are now 11 days into camp, and only a handful of days away from their first preseason game and Anunike was still on the PUP. The Broncos decided to move on from Anunike early today.
It's a shame because when healthy, Anunike was a dominant force on the football field. I remember last preseason against the Seattle Seahawks when he basically unblockable and looked like a rising star. Unfortunately, we will never know what could have been with Anunike.
Replacing Anunike's roster spot is safety Ryan Murphy. He spent the entire 2015 season on the Broncos Practice Squad in 2015 but did pop up in the news during Super Bowl week for all the wrong reasons . Murphy just adds some depth at the safety position but his odds of making the roster or even being a member of the Broncos after the first series of cuts are long.