Broncos claim former Bills wide receiver Andre Holmes off waivers

With the devastating news that wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had torn his Achilles in practice on Wednesday, the Denver Broncos moved swiftly to pick up some depth by claiming former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Holmes off waivers.

Holmes, 30, was waived by the Bills on Tuesday along with fellow veteran wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin as the team looked to get more playing time for the younger wide receivers on their roster. Holmes has 12 catches for 157 yards this season.

For those who might be wondering why the Broncos went after Holmes instead of Benjamin, you may only need to look to Bill Musgrave who coached Holmes in 2016 with the Oakland Raiders.

The seventh-year wide receiver will likely come into Denver at or near the bottom of the depth chart, but he’ll likely see a few snaps now and then.

Replacing a player like Emmanuel Sanders isn’t going to happen from a waiver claim, so it will be on the rookies to once again rise to the occasion as they have done all year long. Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton will need to be the guys who get open on critical third downs for Case Keenum. Their time is now.

“He’s ready,” Head Coach Vance Joseph said of DaeSean Hamilton. “He’s ready to go. He’s worked all year. It’s Week 14. He’s no longer a rookie, so he has to go play - along with Tim Patrick and River Cracraft. We have capable guys and I’m very comfortable with that room. It’s young, but it’s a proven room.”

Never has ‘next man up’ meant more to a team than it does with these Broncos as they look to overcome losing their sixth offensive starter for the season.