The Denver Broncos parted ways with 37 players over the last three days, and 23 of them are subject to the NFL’s waiver wire because they have fewer than four years of experience. If they clear waivers, the players could be candidates to return on Denver’s practice squad.

“The claiming order obviously is the draft order,” Broncos coach Sean Payton explained Tuesday. “So if you’re Tennessee and you want to claim a player, there’s a 100 percent likelihood you’re getting the player. If you’re the Eagles, you better hope no one else claims a player. Explaining that to them [the players] — I never knew that. I had been cut three or four times, I just knew I had to leave. That’s all I knew. Explaining that to them.

“The other thing that’s real important, because it happens, as they leave I always say, ‘The door’s never fully closed or fully open.’ [There have been] so many different occasions where I’ve met with a player, and a month later, two weeks later, days later, the player’s back in the building. That happens. You just see that over time.”

Here’s a quick look at five players that Denver could lose on the waiver wire.

Broncos players who could be claimed off waivers

1. RB Audric Estime: Still only 21 years old, the former fifth-round draft pick could draw interest from NFL teams still seeking a third-string running back. Estime has upside, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get picked up.

2. WR Courtney Jackson: The undrafted rookie receiver demonstrated his ability as a returner during preseason. If he makes it through waivers, Jackson will likely be a top practice squad candidate for the Broncos.

3. ILB Levelle Bailey: Denver made a surprising move on Tuesday when they cut Bailey. He’s a second-year defender who played well on special teams last season. Bailey could end up on another 53-man roster.

4. ILB Jordan Turner: The undrafted rookie probably isn’t as likely as Bailey to get claimed off waivers, but Turner is another name to watch. He recorded 10 tackles and one sack in preseason.

5. CB Damarri Mathis: A former fourth-round draft pick, the 26-year cornerback has 18 career starts on his resume. Mathis was the victim of a numbers crunch in Denver as the Broncos have an extremely deep secondary.

Denver also released three veterans who could draw interest from other clubs as free agents: quarterback Sam Ehlinger, offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton and safety Sam Franklin. Ehlinger and Throckmorton might be candidates to return on the practice squad, but Franklin isn’t.

Waiver claims will be processed at 10 a.m. MT (noon ET) on Wednesday, Aug. 27. After that, the Broncos will build a practice squad. We will track all the news — including any players claimed off waivers — on Broncos Wire.

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