The Denver Broncos waived wide receiver Glenn Martinez Tuesday, whom the club signed only a few weeks ago. The move allowed the team to sign Tatum Bell to their active roster.

Prediction: In two weeks, in another surreal switch of former Broncos I thought would never again don the orange and blue, the Broncos will bring back Todd Sauerbrun to take Bell’s roster spot… I never, EVER thought Bell would be a Bronco again. Press release after the jump.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos on Tuesday signed free-agent running back Tatum Bell and waived wide receiver Glenn Martinez, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

Bell (5-foot-11, 213 pounds) is a fifth-year running back who begins his second stint with Denver, which selected him in the second round (41st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft from Oklahoma State University. He spent his first three seasons with the Broncos before he was traded to Detroit on March 2, 2007, and played for the Lions last year before he was released by the club on Sept. 2.

In 47 career games (19 starts), he has rushed 525 times for 2,524 yards (4.8 avg.) with 14 touchdowns while catching 61 passes for 362 yards (5.9 avg.). Among running backs with at least 500 carries since 2004, Bell’s 4.8-yard rushing average ranks third in the NFL. His 4.9-yard rushing average (481-2,342) during three seasons in Denver also represents the second-best career mark in club history among players with at least 250 carries.

During his final year with the Broncos in 2006, Bell started all 13 games played and registered the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career with 1,025 yards on 233 carries (4.4 avg.) with two scores. He started all five games played with the Lions last year, rushing 44 times for 182 yards (4.1 avg.) with one touchdown and catching 14 passes for 63 yards (4.5 avg.).

Bell finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma State ranked sixth in the school history in career rushing yards (3,409). He attended DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, and was born on March 2, 1981.

Mike Shanahan’s afternoon press conference centered around two announcements this afternoon. The first, that Denver has placed wide receiver Clifford Russell on injured reserve. The second, that Denver has signed free-agent wide receiver Glenn Martinez to replace him on the roster.

Russell suffered a sprained neck Sunday, in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. Martinez had been cut by Denver, after seeing limited action during preseason. Martinez was notified of the cut during their final roster trimming prior to the season.

Martinez has spent the last three seasons with Denver and is also the last Bronco to have scored a touchdown on a punt return. Expect to see Martinez play immediately, alongside Andre Hall on kickoff returns.

First a blind item:

• Although it has been reported at another outlet, which former member of the Denver Broncos allegedly stole a recently signed free agent’s luggage? Then took it to a girlfriend’s house and asked her to, “Hold on to it for a little while?” After being cut.

Onto the rest:

• Did Denver make an offer for Lito Sheppard involving Domonique Foxworth? It’s possible as the Philadelphia Eagles are now admitting that they turned down an offer on their star second-string corner within the last few days.
• What is taking news on Tom Nalen so long, is he delaying the inevitable or is he actually returning? Given the fact that he has not been cut or placed on injured reserve, he is actually returning.
• Broncos worse off at safety than expected? Yes, they signed three in two days. With Marquand Manuel’s thumb injury, a day-to-day Hamza Abdullah and the trade of Domonique Foxworth; the Broncos could be in trouble quick at a shallow position.
• Last week we reported that Keary Colbert would lose his depth chart position to Clifford Russell and then Colbert became the third leading receiver on the Broncos preseason roster- all in one play.
• Was the Denver Broncos newest signing in retaliation to the Oakland Raiders most recent signing? Of course not, but we would like to point out that imitation is the highest form of flattery- thanks Al!
• Recently cut Broncos receiver Glenn Martinez is drawing interest from the Tennessee Titans where he could very easily walk into third on the depth chart. Mike Heimerdinger, former Broncos assistant head coach, current Titans offensive coordinator brought Martinez in and was one of sthe reasons Martinez stayed so long in Denver.

As always, we welcome comments from everyone on all of our posts, but we’re betting that someone is going to guess the blind item right off the bat in the comment section.

Today’s Create-A-Caption:

Dallas DB Orlando Scandrick lays out Glenn Martinez. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments…

Friday’s winner – previous Create-a-Caption

Herc — “You do not screw with Nate Websters helmet. You just don’t do it. That thing is a sentient being. It will kill you and everyone you care about.” (Photo by Getty Images)

Honorable mention: daveb, dstall.

Again – leave your caption for the top photo!

1. Niko – Is he for real?
I have no doubts about D.J. Williams at WILL or Boss Bailey at SAM. My concern is for the middle. Niko is said to have loads of talent and the drive to lead, but I’m keeping my eyes open and ears tuned for little things that might give us an early indication about what we truly have in the middle. I also think that watching Nate Webster is important. If Webster stands out and Niko has a slow start, I think Shanahan will give Nate a shot at the top spot.

2. Full-on Fight at Fullback?
With Converted RB Cecil Sapp and incoming FB Peyton Hillis we might have a pretty good position fight to watch this camp. Unfortunately, we can’t count so much on the mainstream media on this one, as this position is just not a glamorous as running back, wideout or QB. So, I’m really watching the blog coverage and reports from on-hand fans to see if we can get a feel for how this battle is unfolding.

3. Awesome Depth at Wideout, but who wins the #2 spot?
We have more depth (read: talent) at WR this year than most seasons I can remember. We currently have Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, Darrell Jackson, Glenn Martinez, Eddie Royal, Taylor Jacobs, Keary Colbert, Marquay McDaniel, Samie Parker, Lorne Sam, Clifford Russell and Edell Shepherd. That’s 12 guys fighting for 7-8 spots. We all know Marshall is our number one guy. I would put Darrell Jackson, Martinez and Royal on the second tier level with the best chance to win that second spot. I see Stokley remaining in the slot (with Royal giving him a run for his money if Eddie doesn’t win the #2 spot). That leaves us with 7 other guys scrapping for the last 2-3 roster places.
However, it’s that fight for the #2 spot that has my attention. I like ALL three of these guys and with the issue of Brandon Marshall’s possible suspension looming it will make this position battle that much more intense.

4. The O-line… Aging men, Young rookies and backups?
I love Ryan Clady… but he isn’t going to single-handedly going to fix all the issue we have this year along the O-line. We’re going to have good fights all along the line. It should be fun! :)
On example of this is our backup Center… I know we all have mad respect for Tom Nalen, but he’s not a young pup any more. And Hamilton is coming off a serious concussion injury last year, so he’s one good lick away from leaving the game entirely. Since Ben Hamilton has traditionally been Nalen’s backup, if he was to go down with another head bump in camp or the preseason what would that leave us behind Nalen at Center? Another old guy and a rookie. So I am very interested in what veteran Casey Wiegmann and rookie Kory Lichtensteiger can bring this camp. Like many of the other O-line position battles, the backup Center job is not going to garner much mainstream media attention, so we’ll all need to keep a close eye on those first hand accounts from camp.

5. Safeties… Is this Lynch’s Swan Song?
Watch closely folks, this might be John Lynch‘s last training camp. We saw Nick Ferguson supplanted by Hamza Abdullah last year. So, what will our young rookies bring to this year’s camp? Can any of them prove to the coaches that it would be better to split time between Run Defense and Pass Defense with Lynch in on running plays and a faster youth in on obvious passing plays? It’s possible… and early in camp we might get a feel for this (things like Roderick Roger‘s INT for example)
Mark my words, if Lynch thinks his playing time will be reduced this season he’s going to walk way.

I’m also looking forward to see how Jay Cutler is doing (seems very good to me so far), who will impress the coaches at Running Back (go Andre Hall!) and what rotation in the middle of the D-line will finally fix our run defense.

Studs

• The consensus is that rookie FB Peyton Hillis is everything fans have cracked him up to be, at least after one practice. Our friends at the Orange Mane (requires registration) Oskie and 24champbailey are contributing reports, and both like what they see in Hillis.
• Glenn Martinez is receiving praise on all fronts, apparently outplaying Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert in day one.
• Eddie Royal had a nice diving catch, but also fumbled once.

Duds

• FM 104.3 The Fan reports that starting RG (and my boy) Montrae Holland was not allowed on the practice field due to weighing in eight pounds too heavy. Funny enough, he was suited up and ready to go for the afternoon practice. Chris Kuper filled in his spot at right guard in his absence, and Ryan Harris started at right tackle.
• Punter Sam Paulescu had an up-and-down start, first driving a punt home before fumbling a snap and performing a dirty punt.

Injury Watch

• We already reported that DT Carlton Powell is out for the year. That’s a big loss at a position that needed depth.
• Brandon Marshall was up and down, hauling in some one-handed grabs but dropping easy passes as well. His right injured arm was wrapped for most of practice, before the wide receiver took it off himself.
• Tony Scheffler‘s foot was fine – his hand was being wrapped after practice, though.

The Lighter Side

• Rookie Ryan Clady, $17 million richer, led the stretches in a little dance that showed off his “Sweet Feet.” Royal described Clady’s dance moves as “ugly. I don’t know what thing was.” Everyone has come to the same conclusion – this guy’s a mammoth.
• Mike Shanahan apparently invited a small child onto the football field before practice to play catch with LB Louis Green. Cute.

Full transcript of post-practice comments by Mike Shanahan, Jay Cutler, and Eddie Royal after the jump.

HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On the first practice of training camp
“Typical first day, especially in pads. Any time you don’t practice for about 15 days, it’s really hard to look sharp, but I know we had some good effort. It was a little bit hot with player in full pads, [but] it’s nice to get back in football shape.

“We’ve been going for about a month, but any time you’re away from football-related drills, it takes a while. The first day is always the toughest, especially with shoulder pads on, but the guys worked extremely hard and over time we’ll eliminate mistakes and hopefully get better day by day.”

On WR Brandon Marshall’s health
“Good. He’s fine. He’s been going full speed for a month.”

On QB Jay Cutler’s health
“He’s controlling the diabetes. Obviously he has a game plan. He’s gained his weight back—the majority of his weight—and he looks good.”

On DT Carlton Powell’s injury
“It happened a number of weeks ago. His Achilles popped in the offseason conditioning program, and he’s obviously out for the year.”

On T Ryan Clady signing the first day of camp
“We got it done at about 4:30 this morning. The guys worked extremely hard to get it done. A lot of posturing back and forth, but it’s nice to have him in camp.”

On G Montrae Holland
“He’s OK. He’s a little overweight. We’re not going to have him practice until he gets back to his reporting weight. When he does, we’ll let him practice, but until then we’re going to keep him in that weight room with [Strength & Conditioning Coach] Rich [Tuten] and get him back into football shape. When he is at the required weight we will let him practice with the team.”

BRONCOS QUARTERBACK JAY CUTLER

On the first day of training camp
“The first day went well. Obviously we have some kinks to work out with guys being off for a few weeks, but we got the pads on and it went well.”

On the heat
“It got a little hot on us. We had a little bit later practice because we had some meetings this morning. The rest of camp will be a little better, hopefully not this bad.”

On how diabetes has changed things
“I feel good. I don’t really think about it, but I have Greek [Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos] and he has all my stuff and he checks it and makes sure I am OK. If I need a Gatorade, they get me some Gatorade. Once I hit the field, I am not really thinking about it. I have a monitor that monitors my blood sugar every minute. Greek just walks by me and tells me where I am at. If I am feeling OK, then I feel ok. I do have a pump, but when it gets really hot out it gets a little sticky and I don’t like messing with it.”

On WR Brandon Marshall’s effort
“He looked good. I think he is a little out of shape and he needs to run a little bit, but he caught the ball well and he was physical. I am excited to see him in a few weeks. He has been through a lot this offseason and to come out here and not think about stuff, do what he loves and just play football is good. I knew he would be fine. He said his hand was fine and he caught a few one handed on the right arm. He looked good.”

On rookie wide receivers being more prepared for training camp after participating in OTAs
“It helps a lot. These guys came in during OTAs, they came in and stepped up and learned the playbook quickly. There were not a lot of mental errors today by the wide receiver group. They know what is going on, they know where to be and they know how to catch the ball.”

On being motivated
“That is the good thing about the NFL. Every year is a new year, and everyone comes in with a clean slate. We feel good about where we are at. Obviously we didn’t get done what we wanted to last year, but we have a good group of guys. We are just going to take it day by day, practice by practice and hopefully during the season we are where we want to be.”

On his grasp on diabetes
“I know all the information I need to know about it. Obviously it is an on-going struggle every day just keeping the levels where I want them. We are doing a great job with my food and my insulin intakes. It has went well so far. I am going to try and do what I did last year. Last year my body just wasn’t reacting. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the end of the season to tell you the truth, but this year I am at the weight I kind of want to be at and ill maybe gain a little bit more through camp. I just have to keep doing what I have done my whole career and that is get in the weight room and stay in shape and hopefully avoid injuries.”

On his offseason
“The first month we took it slow. We didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what working out and the heat and stuff was going to do to me. We took it slow and eased into it and once I felt comfortable and had a good grasp on it they let me loose. All the monitors and pumps just make it easier. When we start going south to some teams, it is going to be a little bit different. When it gets hot I start dropping lower and I have to watch it.”

On his charity work relating to diabetes
“We are just kind of tapping into that. Once the season is over, I will take that to another level. The support we have received is amazing, not just from diabetic organizations but from kids in general. I get letters daily and e-mails with support and giving me advice. I definitely want to get back into that area but it is going to have to wait until we are done.”

On his arm strength
“It is definitely stronger than it was last year. I have taken a couple weeks off, so I am still kind of getting back into it. Now in camp and in OTAs, I still have the zip that I have always had.”

On being a vocal leader
“We have so many veterans on this team. I think when you go out there and lead by the way you play and do the right thing on this team. I am the quarterback and I am going to be vocal and we want to get a feel for each others. Once we get to the final roster that is when the leaders will step up. We have to take ownership of the team.”

WR EDDIE ROYAL

On what he wants to accomplish in his rookie season
“Just coming out to help the team any way I can. Whatever the coaches want from me, I’ll do. I’m just out here trying to work hard every day and just trying to help the team any way I can.”

On the defense stripping the ball from him when he was out of bounds
“[CB] Dré Bly got me. It was a good move. [You have to] protect the ball at all times. You never know, so it was a good lesson. You have to expect that as a rookie. They are going to come at you in all ways. They made [T] Ryan Clady dance at the beginning of practice, so I’ll be working on my dance moves.”

On T Ryan Clady’s dance moves
“That was ugly. I don’t know what that thing was. But it’s all in fun. He had a good time up there, so it wasn’t too bad.”

On training camp compared to OTAs
“It’s fun. These pads make a world of difference. Just getting out there, it’s a little bit more banging. The contact, you have to expect that. You saw a few guys get hit pretty hard today, so it’s fun banging around.”

On why he did not carry any veterans pads off the field
“I don’t know, they must have forgot I was a rookie. Maybe I’m playing so well they forgot I was a rookie.”

For the latest Denver Broncos Training Camp news and notes, check out our home page,  updated multiple times daily!

The 2008 Denver Broncos report for training camp this Thursday, July 24, with practices beginning at 8:30 11:15 AM on Friday. On offense, the Broncos face several questions at different positions: Who will play wide receiver as the team’s No. 2 opposite Brandon Marshall? Will Selvin Young keep his starting running back job? Who will be the team’s starting right tackle and fullback? We break it all down for you today.

• Sunday – Overview
• Monday – Rookies
• Tuesday – Special Teams
• Wednesday – Offense
• Thursday – Defense

Wide Receiver

The Broncos have yet to find a solid one-two punch at wide receiver since Ed McCaffrey retired in 2004. Brandon Marshall is the obvious #1, a centerpiece of our offense, and, if he can stay healthy and out of trouble, a future star in this league. No one is certain who will be playing opposite him though, and the Broncos have no less than four guys who are in the mix.

Keary Colbert joined the Broncos through free agency in this year, and the early plan was that he’d fill the Broncos need at #2. Since then the Broncos brought in two other free agents and a 2nd round draft choice to compete, but Colbert is the only one who has both NFL experience and a long term commitment from the Broncos going for him. Since his rookie season, Colbert has been less than impressive. Last year, he bounced back a bit, gaining his best totals since his rookie campaign with 332 receiving yards, but that still won’t be enough for what the Broncos are hoping will come out of the #2 spot. The Broncos want him to win the job, but Colbert still has to put in a lot of work to earn it.

Darrell Jackson signed a one-year deal with the Broncos a few weeks before the draft, boasting the best resume of any of the new players the Broncos brought in. He struggled in San Francisco last year, but outside of that and an injury-riddled 2005 has been a very productive receiver in the NFL. He’s a prototypical West Coast Offense receiver who brings yards after the catch abilities the Broncos want. He’s also the oldest of the group, signing a one-year deal to prove he’s still got ability in the NFL (and to get that next big paycheck).

Samie Parker wasn’t the most popular addition among fans, but I disagree and think he could be a nice pickup for the Broncos. I’m not sure if he’s #2 material, but there’s definitely room for him in this offense. Last year was his worst year since his rookie campaign, but that has more to do with the offense, coach, and quarterback than anything. He’s a speedy stretch-the-field type of player (unofficially the fastest player on the Broncos roster), but that’s not enough to win the #2 spot. Will Samie Parker make the team? I think he will.

Eddie Royal was drafted by the Broncos to improve the special teams work as a returner immediately while growing with the team for future wide receiver work. Apparently he’s already impressed, and rumor has it that the Broncos are impressed enough to consider giving him the #2 spot. I think this excitement is preliminary and the Broncos will conclude that impressive work in shorts in June doesn’t equate to NFL starter material – at least not yet. At least early on, Royal’s main contributions will be in the return game.

Glenn Martinez is less a possibility for the #2 receiver spot than a possible roster cut. He had a decent 2007 season at WR and PR, including one return for a touchdown on Monday Night Football, but the influx of new guys has to make it difficult for him to make the squad. I’m guessing he’ll be competing against Parker for the roster spot.

Right Tackle

Two young players will duke it out for the right tackle spot – 2006 5th round pick Chris Kuper and 2007 3rd round pick Ryan Harris. Kuper was the Broncos’ starting left guard for the last 11 games of the 2007 season, while Harris contributed to special teams and saw limited snaps at both left and right tackle late last year. The main concerns with Kuper are his ability to move to tackle at the pro level, and to improve upon his performance last year. The main concerns with Harris are his recurring back injury and his inexperience at the NFL level. This one should be an interesting training camp battle. The Broncos have Kuper penciled in as the starter, but I’m still predicting Harris takes the job.

Running Back

Selvin Young has the starting job locked up for the moment, but that hasn’t been a guarantee of anything in many Denver Broncos training camps past. In his season ending press conference, Head Coach Mike Shanahan even indicated that he didn’t think Young had the durability to tote the rock as a full time starter. Injuries sidelined him in college, and last year Young struggled at times with an elbow injury. His last few games as a starter were disappointing. All that being said, he still managed to tally impressive numbers (over 5 yards per carry) and has promised a 2,000 yard season. He’s the guy unless he goes down or someone trumps him on the depth chart.

Ryan Torain, the rookie 5th round draft pick, has many fans buzzing about his size and power. The main concern involving Torain is his health – he’s coming off Lisfranc foot surgery that usually takes over a year to fully recuperate. However, Torain underwent a different form of surgery (an experimental type – ooh, ah!) that has helped him already see significant work in practices. A running back who comes from a similar system as the Broncos’ zone blocking scheme, Torain could steal carries from Young, even early and often.

Andre Hall is a hard guy to get a read on, in all honesty. Last year he played very well in both the running and return game, if inconsistently. Our local Hall-guru Jonathan Douglas said it best himself in Hall’s bio: “…often follows long breakout runs with disappointingly short gains.” He’s a valuable player on the roster because of his special teams work, but he’ll have to impress to impact the running game this year.

Michael Pittman joined the Broncos just before the team’s mini camps, and will have to put in the most effort among tailbacks to make the team. He has the physicality you look for, but I just don’t think he brings enough at his age to warrant a roster spot. When you consider how deep into the depth chart the Tampa Bay Bucs had to go last year, and Pittman still wasn’t seeing the field – well, he’ll be even more hard pressed to land here.

Fullback

The last training camp battle of note is at fullback, where the incumbent lead blocker Cecil Sapp will be attempting to hold off the young rookie Peyton Hillis (and the hype and clamoring of Broncos fans that come with him). I seriously can’t remember a group of fans being this excited about a 7th round pick, ever. Hillis’ third round grade and pass-catching potential have most fans remembering Broncos fullback days of old. Shanahan doesn’t use the fullback as often as he does the tight end these days, but if Hillis’ drafting marks the return of more versatile play calls involving the FB, then I’m all for it. I’ve said a few times now I think Hillis will be the starter on day one.

Tomorrow we conclude our look at training camp with the defense. Stay tuned!

Sources in Denver say Broncos WR Samie Parker needs to carve out a role in the passing game fairly quickly if he wants to make the team. With Brandon Marshall, Keary Colbert, Darrell Jackson, Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley appearing to be roster locks, Parker could very well be the odd man out by the end of training camp.

As we saw in the daily links, Glenn Martinez may also have trouble securing a roster spot.  I think that could be an even greater shame; to cut a player who showed a good bit of improvement last season and was productive on the field in key situations.  If you factor in how well Royal is supposedly geling with the Broncos it becomes a tough battle to make the receiving corp this season.

So we ask you – which wide receiver will pull ahead in the training camp battle and earn the #2 spot across from Brandon Marshall?

Your choices (in alphabetical order):

• Keary Colbert – Free agent who the Broncos hope earn the job.
• Darrell Jackson – The most prior success of any player.
• Samie Parker – Former Chief whose game only tailed off upon the arrival of Herm Edwards.
• Eddie Royal - Rookie 2nd round pick hopes to impact more than just Special Teams.
• Other – Don’t forget Martinez and even Stokley, who’s the default to be given the job if no one else takes it.

We look forward to your input!  BroncoTalk will be breaking down each position of interest before training camp, and these polls are the best way to get started!