Denver Broncos roster moves: Shamarko Thomas back on board
The Denver Broncos made a number of roster moves on Tuesday, including signing safety Shamarko Thomas back to the active roster.
The Denver Broncos continued with their roster shuffling on Tuesday after making a couple of moves on Monday as well. The team announced it had signed safety Shamarko Thomas to the active 53-man roster, which previously stood at 52 players.
On Monday, the team released wide receiver/punt returner Isaiah McKenzie from the 53-man roster and didn’t immediately fill his spot.
Let’s take a look at the roster moves the Broncos made, their impact on the gameday roster, and what else might be on the horizon for Denver.
Shamarko Thomas signed to the 53-man roster
The Broncos signed Thomas to the 53-man roster, and he will likely take the place of Keishawn Bierria on the gameday roster on Sunday. NFL teams are only allowed to carry 46 players on the gameday roster for reasons that will never make sense, but Bierria was the team’s fifth active linebacker on gameday and it was rumored before week one that they were interested in somehow getting five safeties on gameday.
Thomas has long been known for his special teams abilities, and he will make his most significant contributions on kickoff and punt coverage.
Kyle Peko and DeShawn Williams released from the practice squad
The Broncos have been moving Kyle Peko on and off the roster for three straight years, so this move is likely nothing new for the former Oregon State standout.
The Broncos only took five defensive linemen into gameday, making DeMarcus Walker a healthy scratch. Perhaps they simply felt like having both Peko and Williams was a luxury they couldn’t afford at this point.
Niles Scott signed to the practice squad
The Broncos signed Niles Scott, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman to the practice squad. He’s a rookie from Frostburg State University, a small school in Maryland.
Scott was wildly productive against lesser competition in college and played fairly well in the preseason for the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.
It’s possible the Broncos released Peko and Williams as a way to get them some workouts around the league to try and live out their dream, as it doesn’t appear there are imminent plans for either to come up to the Broncos’ active roster.
Will Isaiah McKenzie come back to the practice squad?
After releasing River Cracraft, Kyle Peko, and DeShawn Williams from the practice squad and adding Carlos Henderson and Niles Scott, the Broncos have one of their 10 spots available.
It makes sense that the team would try and bring Isaiah McKenzie back to the practice squad as there was no indication he had been claimed by another team on waivers.
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McKenzie may be pursuing his other opportunities, but he was not claimed last time the Broncos waived him and the team was able to bring him back to the active roster easily.
If he was not claimed a second time, the practice squad would be an ideal spot for him for a short period until he can be game-ready.