After being drafted in the second round just two seasons ago, running back Montee Ball is now unemployed, as the Broncos have waived the 24-year-old, according to Mike Klis of 9 News (Twitter link).
A Hesiman finalist while at Wisconsin in 2011, Ball was selected by Denver in the 2013 draft, and was expected to be inserted as the starting running back in the Broncos’ high-powered offense. But over the course of two seasons, Ball was never able to secure a role as the No. 1 back, losing the job to Knowshon Moreno in ’13 and C.J. Anderson in ’14. All told, Ball saw less than 200 carries during his time with the Broncos, and totaled less than 800 yards on the ground.
Still, given his draft pedigree, it wouldn’t be surprise to see another club take a shot on Ball via waivers. His base salaries for the next two seasons total less than $2MM, so his price isn’t terribly high. A rumor on Friday indicated that the Cowboys were discussing a deal involving Ball, and although that report was ultimately disputed, Dallas still could make sense as a landing spot, even though they already acquired Christine Michael earlier today.
Ball becomes the second notable member of the Broncos offense to be cut today, joining center Gino Gradkowski.