• I was undrafted, and this is my second year with the Broncos.
• I averaged 6.4 yards per _____ in my 2008 NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts.
• Quoteable: “Wanted the win but we played hard. Put a lil dirt on it an let’s get ready to play our first home game. I love my team!!!!” (via Twitter following preseason week 4)
• Over the past two years, the Broncos have tried out other veteran backups at my position, including former first- and second-round draft picks. I’m still here.

• Measurables: 5’9″, 215, Maryland
• I scored one half of the Broncos’ touchdowns last week.

The correct answer, of course, is RB Lance Ball, who caught a Kyle Orton pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter last week! He averaged 6.4 ypc in his NFL debut with the Colts, who tried to sign him back last year, but the Broncos promoted him from their practice squad instead. The Broncos have added high draft picks such as Laurence Maroney and LenDale White in Ball’s tenure, but he continues to see the field. He’ll have perhaps his most action today against the Bengals.

Denver native LenDale White never got to really suit up for his hometown team. In one calendar year, the sixth-year running back played in only a handful of preseason games for the Denver Broncos before the team released him today, the Denver Post reports. An Achilles tear kept him out of the entire 2010 season.

White, the league leader in touchdowns in 2008, had rushed for 10 yards on four carries in Denver’s first preseason game, a performance that was overshadowed by RB Jeremiah Johnson‘s 28-yard, one touchdown effort Thursday. Already buried on the depth chart behind Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee, and Lance Ball, the writing was on the wall for White.

Bronco fans, we are only a limited amount of hours away from our precious preseason opener. I’m super stoked for this match up, so I’m doing this article real big. Time to name your starters and those who will also light up the show! Brace yourselves, it’s a long read.

Offense

QB: Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Brady Quinn

John Fox is no liar. Kyle Orton will play 12-15 snaps. In those snaps Orton will have a nice couple of throws here and there but will probably lead Denver to a field goal or two. I’m not expecting any touchdowns during game one and on the road.

After Orton’s showing Tim Tebow will come in (if Fox doesn’t want a mutiny from the fans) and most likely play until the mid-way or towards the end of the third quarter.

Brady Quinn will have the rest of the fourth quarter to himself. Adam Weber will most likely keep the bench nice and warm. Hey, there’s always game four buddy.

RB: Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, Lendale White, Jeremiah Johnson, Brandon Minor

Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee will likely play out the first half. Once that’s done, Lance Ball needs to be ready to be the preseason work horse at the running back position. There is no doubt that Ball can make the squad, he’s just going to have to earn it, and there is also no doubt he’ll try his hardest.

Lendale White may get some reps if he is healthy enough. Jeremiah Johnson should be slated for some fourth quarter action. C.J. Gable is a bit too fresh to get some reps and Brandon Minor didn’t practice before the Broncos left for Dallas, but he may heal up in time.

WR: Eric Decker, Matt Willis, David Anderson, D’Andre Goodwin, Britt Davis, Mark Dell, Jamel Hamler

Eddie Royal and Brandon Lloyd both sat out the last practice before leaving so I’m not certain if Fox will risk their safety. Royal and Lloyd are champs and they got nothin’ to prove to no one.

In the absence of the starting two, Eric Decker, Matt Willis, and David Anderson will take the starting three positions.

TE: Daniel Fells, Dan Gronkowski, Julius Thomas, Virgil Green, Donte Rosario

Both Daniel Fells and Dan Gronkowski may get the start, but Julius Thomas and Virgil Green will get all the fun. Richard Quinn is currently injured so he won’t probably see any time, which isn’t too good for someone on the bubble.

OL: Ryan Clady, Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton, Chris Kuper, Orlando Franklin, Herb Taylor, Russ Hochstein, Seth Olsen, Chris Clark, Stanley Daniels, Manny Ramirez, Jeff Byers, Adam Grant

After the starters leave it will the line up will probably look like (from left to right) Chris Clark, Stanley Daniels, Manny Ramirez, Russ Hochstein, and Herb Taylor. After that the Broncos should look to plug and play due to the lack of depth.

Defense

LDE: Robert Ayers, Jeremy Jarmon, Jason Hunter, David Veikune

Robert Ayers will leave after his 12-15 snaps and then Jeremy Jarmon will have to prove why Denver traded for him. FEX obviously saw something in Jarmon if they wanted him in the Jabar Gaffney trade. My guess is that Fox will give him a lot of play time this preseason.

Jason Hunter will see some plays in the third and fourth quarter and David Veikune may see some limited time as well.

DT: Brodrick Bunkley, Kevin Vikerson, Marcus Thomas, Ty Warren, Ryan McBean

This position is where the 12-15 starter snaps rule may be broken. With Louis Leonard and Mitch Unrein hurt the Broncos will be forced to play some of these guys more. Ryan McBean may play every quarter after the second.

RDE: Elvis Dumervil, Derrick Harvey, Jeremy Beal

John Fox will probably get Dumervil off the field as soon as possible. Once Dumervil departs Derrick Harvey will have the second and some of the third. Beal will come in during the fourth to try to make the squad.

SLB: Von Miller, Lee Robinson, Mike Mohamed

Von Miller will leave before the first quarter is over. Lee Robinson may be ahead of Mike Mohamed on the depth chart but Mohamed should see more playing time.

MLB: Joe Mays, Mario Haggan, A.J. Jones

Unfortunately Nate Irving is injured so he probably won’t play.

WLB: Wesley Woodyard, Braxton Kelley, Deron Mayo

D.J. Williams is still injuried so Woodyard will get the start on this one.

LCB: Champ Bailey, Cassis Vaughn, Perrish Cox, Chris Harris

Cassius Vaughn has had a great camp so he will see a decent amount of starting time.

RCB: Andre Goodman, Nate Jones, Syd’Quan Thompson, Brandon Bing

Syd’Quan Thompson sat out of the last practice before tonight’s game so he will most likely not play. However, since he’s had an amazing camp I will keep him in my lineup out of sheer hope.

SS: Brian Dawkins, Kyle McCarthy, Quinton Carter

It will be interesting to see how Coach Fox splits up the reps between McCarthy and Carter. In the end I think Carter will see more playing time due to the fact that he’s a rookie and Fox has some of his future invested in him.

FS: Rahim Moore, Darcel McBath, David Bruton

How cool is it going to be seeing Rahim Moore lined up next to Brian Dawkins? Every time you read about Moore, you’re just ecstatic to have him on your team. Moore is respectful and one hell of a player. I hope Moore stays in the game longer than the 12-15 snaps. Darcel McBath and David Bruton will have a lot to prove to make the roster. McBath, however has had a better camp and it doesn’t seem like Fox wants to keep Bruton around this season.

Peformers of the night

Tim Tebow, Jeremy Jarmon, Julius Thomas, Matt Willis, Mike Mohamed, Darcel McBath, and Lance Ball.

Phew! That was a whole lot to take in Denver fans. If there’s typos or grammatical errors in this one… sue me. What do you think? SPEAK UP! How will this preseason match go?

USC Trojans running back C.J. Gable. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

The Denver Broncos announced on Saturday evening that the team had waived running back Mario Fannin and claimed running back C.J. Gable off waivers from the New Orleans Saints.  Denver is second in the waiver order, and will be for the entire season.

Fannin suffered a knee sprain in practice on Thursday, after joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent last month.  Gable comes to Denver after playing college ball at USC the past four years.  A return specialist and rotational back, Gable will fight for a roster spot in training camp.

Gable will join fellow backs Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, LenDale White, Jeremiah Johnson, Austin Sylvester and Brandon Minor as the eight runners currently on Denver’s roster.  The Broncos will probably carry four backs during the season with the possibility of another on the practice squad.

A twenty-year old rookie, Gable measures up and weighs in at 6-0, 205 pounds.

Update (9:05 PM MT):  Fannin has cleared waivers and the team placed him on the injured reserve list.

Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller (58) from Texas A&M runs a drill during NFL football training camp in Englewood, Colo., on Friday, July 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

• Denver is trying to sign defensive tackle Jamaal Anderson, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Ty Warren, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2003 draft.  [First-And-Orange]

• Former first round draft pick Derrick Harvey has agreed to terms with Denver, adding more depth to the defensive end position.  [Previously on BroncoTalk]

• Last season, Mario Haggan played outside linebacker.  Entering camp, Haggan was moved to defensive end.  Yesterday, Haggan was moved back to the strongside linebacker position behind rookie Von Miller.  [First-And-Orange]

• Judging from the tweets of regular training camp practice observers, it sounds like the defensive is really starting to click together.  It also sounds as if rookies Von Miller and Rahim Moore are impressing.  [@MaxBroncos]

• The team has released wide receiver Marshall Williams.  [Team's Official Twitter, @Denver_Broncos]

• Just days after saying “I haven’t felt this good in a long time,” Broncos running back LenDale White was held out of Sunday’s practice because of back spasms.  If he is not able to stay healthy, White could see the door.  [Denver Post Online]

• New Broncos coach John Fox used a two running back system during his later days with the Carolina Panthers, with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart sharing the backfield duties.  Now that Denver has signed Willis McGahee to a free-agent contract to join incumbent starter Knowshon Moreno, there could a similar approach — with a twist.  [NFL.com]

• Here is the run-down on the free agents the Broncos have brought in, and guys who can’t actually practice with the team until the new CBA becomes official.  [Mile High Report]

• Andrew Mason of MaxDenver.com notes that McGahee will probably pile up touchdowns more-so than yards and touches on the back’s relationship with Denver’s running back coach, Eric Studesville.  [MaxBroncos]

Premature reports that surfaced yesterday saying Willis McGahee had signed with the Broncos may have just been a few days early.  Fox31 reporter Josina Anderson says there has been some progress made.

Shortly after Josina’s tweet, Mike Klis of the Denver Post reported that McGahee would be visiting the Broncos either tonight or Sunday.  According to Klis, the Broncos want to take a look at McGahee and give him a physical before finalizing a deal.

It appears that only formalities remain before McGahee is officially a Bronco, which would solidify Denver’s backfield.  Joining up with fellow backs Knowshon Moreno, LenDale White, Lance Ball and Mario Fannin, McGahee would become part of Head Coach John Fox‘s running-by-committee approach.

According to regular practice observers, Denver has been practicing a lot more running plays this training camp than in year’s past.  Fox is known for producing productive rushing attacks, so it is expected the Broncos running will vastly improve from last season.

Klis’ report also said Denver is making progress in their efforts to re-sign defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.  Denver has yet to sign a defensive tackle in free agency that did not play for the team last season.

Here’s hoping McGahee signs and the Broncos acquire a defensive tackle before they all sign elsewhere.

We know Dawkins' upper body is in shape, but does he still have the speed to beat out two rookie safeties in Training Camp? (Video screenshot courtesy of Fischer Sports)

Union reps for the league owners and players will vote Wednesday on a new collective bargaining agreement proposal, which could result in the lockout being lifted as soon as Thursday.  If everything goes smoothly, the Denver Broncos may start training camp next week in Dove Valley.

The team is scheduled to begin practicing next Thursday which would give them two weeks to prepare for their 2011 preseason opener in Dallas against the Cowboys and would give the players fewer than two weeks to prepare for camp.  Many Denver players however, have been preparing for months.

Offensive lineman Zane Beadles is a perfect example. “Even though this is clearly not a regular offseason I’m trying to approach it as it is a regular offseason,” said Beadles in March. “This thing could end at anytime and when it does I want to be ready so I am training just like I would always prepare.”

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins, who is currently in Washington D.C. as Denver’s player representative in the labor talks, first organized unofficial team workouts in May, which were attended by approximately two dozen different players on separate occasions.  As many as 18 players attended each workout, including one on Tuesday.

Known as workout warriors, quarterback Brady Quinn and linebacker Joe Mays have been attending many of the team’s workouts along with most of the team’s offensive linemen, including Beadles.  All three quarterbacks have made separate sessions, never on the same date however.  Among the notable players that have been absent from the team workouts are running back Knowshon Moreno and many of the rookies, presumably hopefully they have all been working out on their own.  Moreno did show up to the team’s training facility when the lockout was briefly lifted earlier in the year, he was however turned away like other players across the league.

Running back Lance Ball has been putting in a lot of work with teammates, as has fellow back LenDale White. Second year quarterback Tim Tebow has gotten the chance to throw to many of the receivers, he even flew several into Florida on one occasion just to get some extra reps with his targets.   Incumbent starter Kyle Orton has also worked with several of the receivers, most frequently with second year player Eric Decker.   Orton has worked out with Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald in Minnesota.

Young receivers Britt Davis and Matt Willis have attended many of the team’s unofficial practices, while Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) and Eddie Royal (hip) have been absent due to lingering injuries, from which they are recovering with no known setbacks.

Overall, a good portion of the team appears to be in football shape (or at least ready for camp) and most of the players have been working out with at least one teammate.  Many of the players (including all three quarterbacks) did receive the team’s playbooks, when the lockout was placed on hold, and have had a chance to study them.

Two things we may see more of this year than in years past during Training Camp and the preseason are injuries and sloppy play, due to the lack of mandatory workouts and practices because of the lockout.  Denver however may fare better than other teams in those two areas because of the dedication shown by many of the returning starters during the extended offseason.

Stay tuned, because things are about to get crazy.  When (if) the lockout is lifted this week, the Broncos will be signing their drafted rookies, signing undrafted free agents and FA’s, re-signing players and perhaps trading others leading up to their first schedule practice session on July 28th.

Running back Knowshon Moreno has been productive since arriving in Denver, gaining over 2,300 yards from scrimmage in two seasons. He has yet to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, however. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

During the Mike Shanahan era, the Denver Broncos enjoyed years of reliable rushing attacks.  From Terrell Davis to Tatum Bell — and the four backs in between — Denver had a slew of 1,000 yard rushers over the last decade, but it all came to a screeching halt in 2007.

What would be the beginning of the end for Shanahan, continued on (and was exploited) during the Josh McDaniels era.  Though an offensive guru (or so we thought), McDaniels was never able to establish a good running game in Denver.  Casting away several promising backs (Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torain among them) and bringing in older models (such as Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan), undoubtedly contributed to McDaniels’ rushing attacks ranking near the bottom of the League in back-to-back seasons.

In 2009, McDaniels tried to address the problem by drafting Georgia star running back Knowshon Moreno.  The 23-year old back still hasn’t lived up to his high draft day expectations, however.  Although he has shown flashes of greatness and still has loads of potential, Moreno has just been a band aid to a wound that has been penetrating deeper and deeper.

With the defense and running game in shambles, the Broncos have turned to former Carolina Panthers Head Coach John Fox to fix their mess, and he appears to be just the man for the job.  A task this momentous will call for some reinforcements.

Addressing the problem

Will John Fox reunite with DeAngelo Williams in Denver? Don't count on it. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Fox has made it quite clear that the team is looking for a back to pair up with third-year running back Knowshon Moreno.  Whether they find that back through the draft or free agency is yet to been seen; names of a few possible candidates have been thrown out there, however.  One that has been brought up several times (13.7 Trillion times to be exact) is Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams, who is set to become a free agent (one of the most sought after free agents it should be noted).  Contrary to all the reports however, Williams-to-Denver isn’t as practical as you might think.

• There is a possibility that the Panthers will in fact retain Williams – they certainly hope to.  DeAngelo recently told a Miami radio station that his decision to stay in Carolina hinges on who will play quarterback for the team next season.  If the Panthers draft Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, he would most likely be tempted to stay.

• And even if he does not stay in Carolina, the Broncos don’t appear to be on top of his ‘possible destinations’ list.  He has said that he would love to play for the Miami Dolphins, who would most likely be willing to pay him a contract that he and his agent could agree upon.

• Which is something Denver may not be willing to do.  Because of the uncertainty of the lockout, it would be more logical for Denver to draft a running back over planning on signing one to a big contract in free agency, especially a back who is coming off an injury that caused him to miss most of the previous season.

In fact, if Broncos Vice President of Football Operations John Elway isn’t just blowing smoke, and the Broncos are keeping their options open and legitimately considering every position and all the top prospects, the team may trade down in the first round on draft day and take Alabama’s Mark Ingram.  Albeit, Denver drafting Ingram is a bit improbable, selecting a running back in the first three rounds however, is a big possibility.

The Broncos have visited and/or worked out over half a dozen different running backs entering this year’s draft and have shown a lot of interest in them.  Baylor running back Jay Feely was at the team’s facility in Dove Valley earlier this week as well as Kansas State’s 230-pound running back, Daniel Thomas, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.  On Monday, Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure will visit the team.

Several free agent options include:  San Diego’s Mike Tolbert (who is a bruiser), Miami’s Ricky Williams (who is on the wrong side of 30), and Baltimore’s Le’Ron McClain (another bruiser who would be hard to pry away from his current home).  Many of the power running backs that will be available in free agency will be pursued by several other teams and come at a high price, making a younger, 2nd-3rd round draft choice a more appealing solution.

Denver may already have Knowshon’s future running mate on the roster

Running back LenDale White showed potential in 2010 before going down with an injury. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

Let’s assume the Broncos are being as open minded about the running back situation as they are the quarterback situation.  They don’t know, but they may already have their guy, as Elway has said concerning the quarterbacks.

Correll Buckhalter can pretty much be scratched off the list, at age 32, Buck’s days in Denver appear to be numbered.  There’s also Lance Ball, and while his effort is commendable, he’s not the kind of power back Fox is looking for.

That leaves LenDale White, who missed all of the regular season in 2010 after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in preseason.  White however, is recovering and ready to compete for playing time in 2011 (if there is a 2011 NFL season).  Coming in at 6’1 and 235 pounds, White is a prototype of what Fox is looking for to pair up with Moreno – a big, powerful back.  Expect White to at least get a good look in Training Camp (if there is a training camp).

I’m as big a fan of Williams as anyone, and would love for Denver to sign him.  It’s just not that practical.  Seeing as there may not even be a free agency period this year, drafting a back to pair up with Moreno allegedly is the most realistic option.  Big thanks to Kreager G. for suggesting we touch on the above mentioned subject.

Kevin Vickerson chases down David Garrard in 2009. (AP Photo/John Russell)

The Denver Broncos have added defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson formerly of the Tennessee Titans and more recently of the Seattle Seahawks.

Vickerson was part of the LenDale White deal that sent both players from Tennessee to Seattle in exchange for a fourth and a fifth round pick in the 2010 draft.

Vickerson was cut Sunday by the Seahawks.

UPDATE: Josina Anderson of Fox31 is reporting that her sources are saying the Broncos released Le Kevin Smith to make room for Vickerson.