The Denver Broncos have released experienced fullback Michael Burton

According to DNVR's Zac Stevens, the Denver Broncos have released veteran fullback Michael Burton. It looks like Sean Payton and the Broncos will be without a true fullback to start the season.

Burton was the oldest player on the Broncos' roster at 34, and the team is making significant moves to rejuvenate itself with this cut. This move also appears to support keeping running back Blake Watson on the original 53-man roster. Denver didn't want to risk losing the rookie runner via waivers this week.

Let's not forget that Sean Payton was keen on Blake Watson after college and even compared him to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.

“Look, we use the term 'wild card' a little bit,” Payton said of Watson. “That was one of the traits that stood out, though. He was one of those guys again in the seventh and sixth rounds, but we saw a player who caught the ball naturally. That was a big draw. When we evaluated a player, that was a draw for his vision. What is the vision? So we're learning more about him now. I'm not making a comparison, but if [the Saints] elaborated [Saints RB Alvin] Kamara, we saw that vision, but we didn't see the other things in the running game. On the first handoff in the preseason against the Chargers, I think he ran 52 yards for a touchdown. And we thought, 'Man, we can hand him the ball.' But if you ask me about the traits that attracted us to Blake, it was certainly what we saw in the passing game, and you saw a pretty good football IQ as well. So good question.”

For now, the Broncos will likely use a tight end on plays that require a fullback in the lineup. That's probably the best way to move forward anyway.