Broncos rumors: Insider teases trade deadline fireworks

The depth chart shuffled quietly before kickoff, then the result spoke loudly. A few hours before the 18-15 win in Houston, Denver elevated tight end Marcedes Lewis and wideout Michael Bandy to help patch an offense thin at tight end and short on receiver depth.

Lewis, 41, adds blocking and leadership, while Bandy provides another reliable target as Marvin Mims Jr. works back from a concussion. The moves fit how Sean Payton has managed this six-game heater, solve the next problem, keep the run game on schedule, and trust Bo Nix to finish.

Across the league, the curiosity is whether Denver just rides this streak or lights a fuse at the buzzer. As CBS Sports put it, do not sleep on Payton’s fireworks. The Broncos are winning with the group they have, yet evaluators believe they still covet another pass catcher. If any team could turn November 4 into the Fourth of July, it is Denver, and Payton has never been shy about spending picks when the fit is right.

That tension, momentum versus one more upgrade, defines the next 48 hours. A complementary receiver who separates on third down would ease pressure on Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, and it would give Nix another high percentage answer against man coverage.

Denver could also simply stick, cite locker room chemistry, and keep developing in-house, especially with Lewis fortifying the edge for a ground game that has become the offense’s metronome.

Sunday’s finish will only embolden belief. Denver pulled off another late escape in Houston, erasing an eight-point deficit with a fourth-quarter surge, then walking it off on Wil Lutz’s 34-yard field goal.

Nix sparked the rally with a 27-yard touchdown from RJ Harvey and a 25-yard scramble to set up the winner, while Vance Joseph’s defense forced a run of short Texans drives to flip field position. The streak now sits at six, the record at 7 2, and the identity is clear: win close, play disciplined situational ball, close with special teams.

If Payton adds a piece, it will be because he thinks it tilts a playoff game in December. If not, it will be because this group has already shown it can handle the moment, and the head coach believes continuity is his biggest February asset.