ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --After three weeks of training camp and three preseason games, the Broncos are one step closer to the final, 53-man roster.

On Sunday, the team announced 11 transactions to trim the roster to 77 players -- two days ahead of the official deadline to cut down to the required 75 players on Tuesday by 2 p.m. MDT.

"There is not (a tougher week) with the cuts coming up," Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway told CBS at halftime of Saturday's win against the St. Louis Rams. "Since the middle of April when we started the offseason program and all those guys worked their tails off to get to where we are right now -- now we have to basically let 35 of them go. It's always tough to do."

Wide receiver Kemonte' Bateman, cornerback Mario Butler, tackle Manase Foketi, quarterback Ryan Katz, linebacker Uona Kaveinga, cornerback Nigel Malone, tight end Deangelo Peterson, defensive end Lanston Tanyi and center Quentin Saulsberry were waived Sunday afternoon. Wide receivers Quincy McDuffie and Greg Orton were waived/injured.

Butler is the most tenured player on the list, having spent time on the Dallas Cowboys' active roster in 2012. The other 10 players waived are either rookies or first-year players.

After Tuesday's 75-man cutdown deadline, the Broncos play the Arizona Cardinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the club's preseason finale on Thursday. Saturday marks the deadline to get the roster down to 53 players.

"That's the toughest," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said of cutdowns after Saturday's win. "You make friends with new guys and see everybody working hard. It's not easy. It's a 53-man roster and we've got like 90 now. It's going to be tough to see guys go away just because everybody on this team competed and there's a lot of potential out there. I wish the best to everybody."

Below is a look at Sunday's transactions, which got the team to 77 players.