ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With the Broncos possibly down to their third right tackle Sunday when they play an AFC West home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver added some much needed depth by bringing back veteran offensive tackle Cam Fleming to their practice squad.
Fleming is an 11-year veteran who played the previous three years for the Broncos, starting 20 of 26 games.
That was just one of several roster moves the Broncos made Tuesday. The Broncos also filled their 53-man roster vacancy by promoting inside linebacker Levelle Bailey to their 53-man roster. Bailey, an undrafted rookie from Fresno State, initially made the Broncos' season-opening 53-man roster in late August, only to be waived the next day.
He's been on their practice squad since, although he was elevated the past two weeks and played in games against the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos had a 53-man roster opening since Saturday when they placed running back Tyler Badie on IR with a back injury.
Besides Fleming, the Broncos also brought back receiver Kaden Davis and signed veteran center-guard Dieter Eiselen to their practice squad. After the league's transaction wire closed at 2 p.m. MDT Tuesday, the Broncos also signed former New Orleans Saints' receiver A.T. Perry to their practice squad.
Eiselen, who hails from Yale, played the previous four seasons for the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans, combining to play in 24 games with no starts.
Eiselen adds insurance depth as Broncos' starting center Luke Wattenberg left the game Sunday against the Raiders with an ankle injury and didn't return. Fleming adds tackle depth as right tackle Alex Palczewski also left the Raiders' game with an ankle injury and didn't return. Palczewski was playing in place of Mike McGlinchey, the Broncos' official starting right tackle who is on IR with a knee injury.
McGlinchey is not eligible to return from IR until next week. Matt Peart, a veteran offensive tackle, replaced Palczewski at right tackle Sunday and also left tackle Garett Bolles for a few plays at left tackle.
Alex Forsyth replaced Wattenberg at center in the Raiders' game. The Broncos are expected to get Peart and Forsyth ready to play this week against the Chargers.
“They both played well,'' Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Monday of Forsyth and Peart. "We'll see how the week unfolds relative to our own guys (Wattenberg and Palczewski). I'm glad we have that kind of depth and experience. Certainly, Matt has more experience than Alex, but it's kind of a little bit of the nature of our business. Guys stepped up, and right away filled in and did the job.”
Perry was a sixth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest by the Saints last year. At the time, Cody Rager was an assistant scouting director with New Orleans. Rager is now the Broncos' vice president of player personnel. Perry had 12 catches for an impressive 20.5 yards per reception and four touchdowns as a rookie last year but missed the first three games this year with a hand injury, then game 4 with a hamstring injury and was cut last week.
He should be able to pick up the Broncos' offense quickly as his Saints' offensive coordinator last year, Pete Carmichael, is a Broncos' offensive assistant to head coach and play caller Sean Payton this year.
Two other Broncos' transactions -- the release of veteran running back Salvon Ahmen and rookie cornerback Quinton Newsome -- could mean running back Audric Estime and cornerback Damarri Mathis are ready to return from their IR stints. Mathis suffered an ankle injury early in the Broncos' final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals and has missed the first five games. Estime suffered an ankle injury on his second carry in the Broncos' season-opening loss at Seattle.
