Broncos let go of former Texas football DB PJ Locke
Former Texas football safety/nickelback and three-star recruit P.J. Locke III had some volatility on the Denver Broncos waiver wire this weekend.
More rounds of roster cuts were announced over the weekend around the NFL ahead of the opening week of the 2020 season. Among those former Texas football players that were released in the latest round of roster cuts by the 32 NFL teams over the weekend was the now ex-Denver Broncos defensive back P.J. Locke III.
An official team release on Sep. 5 announced that Locke would be one of more than 20 players released by the Broncos heading into their season opener next weekend. Other significant names that the Broncos released this weekend included former Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien, Western Michigan running back/wide receiver LeVante Bellamy, Texas Tech defensive back/wide receiver Douglas Coleman, and Oregon linebacker Justin Hollins.
The 23-year-old Beaumont, TX, native Locke originally signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. But the Steelers cut Locke shortly after they signed him as an undrafted free agent last offseason.
He stayed on the roster with the Broncos for more than a year up to this point, as they signed him after getting released by the Steelers last offseason. And it appears that his time in the Mile High City might not be over yet.
https://twitter.com/PjLocke4/status/1302657354161418240
Locke appeared to be both grateful and optimistic in a post on his Twitter timeline on Sep. 6 following the news of his release from the Broncos. But the Broncos are reportedly interested in bringing back Locke in a spot on the practice squad just after his initial release this weekend.
Safety PJ Locke in process of signing back with Broncos practice squad. So with only 3 safeties on 53, Broncos ave two safeties (Locke/Holder) on practice squad. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) September 6, 2020
During his four years playing for Texas, Locke registered 160 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, 12 pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The 6-foot and 205 pound defensive back Locke was given All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after the 2018 season, which was his last on the Forty Acres.
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Locke is a former three-star safety recruit that signed with the Longhorns 2015 class. He rated just inside the top 600 high school prospects in the nation for that cycle. And he made an early impact during his time with the Longhorns, in which he was a four-year defensive back that made some consistent and valuable contributions.