After holding some workouts on Wednesday, the Denver Broncos have ultimately decided to fill their hole on the 53-man roster with practice squad wide receiver Michael Bandy, the team announced on Thursday ahead of its primetime tilt vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.
Additionally, the Broncos elevated tight end Marcedes Lewis and cornerback Reese Taylor from the practice squad. Bandy was a promotion, meaning he’ll stay on the 53-man roster after Thursday night, whereas, Lewis and Taylor are elevations, so they’ll be placed back on the practice squad on Friday.
Bandy was called into action last week to fill in for the concussed Marvin Mims Jr. as the Broncos’ punt returner. It was a solid showing, until Bandy muffed a punt, which the Houston Texans recovered. It basically cost the Broncos three points.
But the team obviously has plans for Bandy. He’s a savvy slot receiver, which he showcased last week in Houston with his 16-yard reception that moved the chains for the Broncos.
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Aug 18, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Michael Bandy (83) carries the ball in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Joining the Broncos in 2023, Bandy has stuck around Denver as a pet project of sorts for Sean Payton. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver plays with a high football IQ and great route-running. His hands are reliable, too — his muffed punt in Houston notwithstanding.
Going undrafted out of San Diego in 2020, Bandy tried his hand in the short-lived Spring League (TSL), as well as the XFL with the Houston Roughnecks. The 27-year-old wideout spent a couple of seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and 2022 before joining the Broncos. He’s appeared in two regular-season games as a Bronco.
As for Lewis and Taylor, the former joined the Broncos last week to help pick up the blocking slack in the wake of Nate Adkins’ injury, while the latter has been with the team since 2023. Lewis is 41 years old and is in his 20th NFL season.
In the few snaps he garnered last week after being with the team only three or four days, Lewis made his presence felt. With a little more time to soak in Payton’s system and assimilate, Lewis could be in for a bigger bite at the apple vs. the Raiders.
Taylor helps the Broncos’ cornerback depth as they play their second straight game with Patrick Surtain II. The secondary did a good job of covering for Surtain last week, but with Riley Moss a little dinged up (he’ll start, so don’t worry), the Broncos are hedging somewhat by making sure they have one additional cornerback available on gameday.
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