Following the Denver Broncos final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, I’m going to release my one and only 53 man roster. Here is my best educated guess, based on what I’ve seen and what the Broncos have done in the past. I’ll go position by position, putting the total player counts in parenthesis:

Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler and Patrick Ramsey (2)

Cuts: Darrell Hackney (1)

Full Backs: Cecil Sapp and Peyton Hillis (4)

Cuts: none

Running Backs: Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Ryan Torain and Michael Pittman (8)

Cuts: Anthony Aldridge (2)

Tight Ends: Daniel Graham, Nate Jackson, Tony Scheffler, Mike Leach (12)

Cuts: Chad Mustard and Brett Pierce (4)

Wide Receivers: Brandon Marshall, Darrell Jackson, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley and Clifford Russell (17)

Cuts: Keary Colbert, Glenn Martinez and Marquay McDaniel (7)

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Don’t know what it is about today, but having heard, seen and read nearly every season preview on the Denver Broncos; I can’t remember a good thing necessarily about one of them. Not today though, today everyone seems to be on the Broncos side.

As I’m typing this 13% of the readers polled on NFL.com believe that the Denver Broncos will be the non-playoff surprise team in the AFC. Deion Sanders does too, on the NFL Network, Prime time chose the Denver Broncos to be his surprise team in 2008. Adam Schein on his Afternoon Blitz show on Sirius NFL Radio changed his stance and picked the Broncos as one of his wild card teams.

However, shhh, please national media. We were completely copasetic in our quiet mountain town. We weren’t bothering anybody; we were simply slowly building an army, planning on testing our sites on the West and then moving onto the nation. Thanks for the attention, but respect our privacy.

In all of my time as a Bronco fan, I can only remember one or two seasons when we’ve been predicted do well and done well and vice-versa. I, as most fans were encouraged to see the Denver Broncos ranked somewhere between the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers. Power ranking schmower ranking Bill Williamson should know better.

Either way, I’m sure it has happened before, but I cannot remember a Denver Broncos coach guaranting that the Broncos would make the playoffs.

@
Broncos @ Cardinals
Preseason Week 4
Fri, Aug 29, 2008 7PM MST LIVE

In their final tune-up before the regular season, the Denver Broncos (1-2) close out the 2008 preseason on the road against the Arizona Cardinals (2-1) on Friday. Kickoff at University of Phoenix Stadium is set for 7 p.m. MST, and the game will be televised locally on KCNC-TV (CBS 4). Live coverage is also provided by the NFL Network. KOA 850 AM will provide radio coverage, which can also be heard on Sirius Channel 125.

The Broncos will end their preseason against the Cardinals for the fifth consecutive year and travel to Arizona after losing 27-24 at home to Green Bay in their most recent action on Aug. 22. With the starters riding the bench, expect a super-sized helping of Darrell Hackney tonight. #2 QB Patrick Ramsey isn’t expected to play unless needed after suffering an injury against Green Bay in Week 3.

Denver faces a Cardinals squad that posted a 24-0 victory at Oakland in its last game on Aug. 23. Arizona, which has won its last two games, held the Raiders to 2.9 yards per play (56-165) in earning the shutout win.

Weather Report

Check out Jonathan’s thoughts and predictions for the game. Feel free to discuss the game here! Go Broncos!

Raiders FB Oren O’Neal suffers a season-ending knee injury. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – Linmoo:.

As Polumbus demonstrates the proper sh**ting position, Kuper exclaims “Oh! That’s why I’ve been getting splashback!”

Remember to leave your caption for the top photo. Happy captioning!

• “Coach wants to see you.  Bring your playbook.”  For players on the bubble, worse words can’t be expressed.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• DJack is positive the Broncos can beat the Raiders sans BMarsh.  [Denver Post]
• Reasons the Broncos will fulfill Mike Shanahan‘s playoff promise.  [Scout.com]
• Armstrong wants to see some havoc from the d-line.  [DPO]
• Klis gives his five points for the game.  [DPO]
• Woody Paige likes the idea of an 18-game season as well.  [DPO]
• Goodell seems to indicate it could happen in 2010 at the earliest.  [ProFootballTalk]
• The Chiefs squeezed out a 4 point win.  Against the Rams’ twos.  With their starters.  [Yahoo!]
• OT: And that’s another reason I no longer inhabit Yuma, AZ.  [The Sports Point]

Denver Bronco faithful: I’ve always promised to bring the East Coast Media bias closer to Denver. Here is my first attempt. Page 6 is BroncoTalk’s rumor section… These are not your unfounded rumors, not your, “I think that so-and-so is in Shanahan’s dog-house,” types of typing. These are legit; straight from the mouth types of rumors.  It’s a unique new column we hope will keep you coming back to BroncoTalk time and time again.

Of course we can never guarantee anything, but we do look forward to what you have to say.

First of all, my friends:

• Colbert on the bubble. Keary Colbert is on the outs. Let him show and prove himself against the Arizona Cardinals, or backup Clifford Russell will take his spot.
• Royal not a starter yet. Eddie Royal will stand behind Darrell Jackson in game two. Know that there will not be an Eddie Royal/Brandon Marshall show until the rookie proves his worth. He’s got one game to do it. The San Diego Chargers should expect Darrell Jackson starting opposite of Brandon Marshall in the NFL’s second week.
• Another guard trade coming? Trades are not over. Sirius NFL broke it, but the Indianapolis Colts need help at guard. The Denver Broncos currently employ that help – in Dylan Gandy. He knows the Colts offense, and with Jeff Saturday taking a break, Gandy is perfect. Let’s see what happens.
• Roster spot for P.J. Longtime backup offensive lineman P.J. Alexander is a sure thing this season. He can play any of the five offensive line positions. That makes him a perfect fit for the seven man suited lineup for the Broncos.
• Torain Train arriving before the bye. No worries for Ryan Torain. He will make the team, and they expect him back by Week 7, when the Broncos take on the Miami Dolphins.

Bronco faithful, what do you think? This is your opportunity to sound off. Let us know! Are we crazy or not?

UPDATE: It’s confirmed. Marshall will still be docked two game checks, it sounds like.

Gary Miller over at CBS4 Denver reports that Brandon Marshall‘s NFL suspension has been reduced to one game. The move comes after Marshall met with NFL officials in New York on Tuesday.

Sources say Marshall will now only be suspended one game and one paycheck after he was initially suspended three games.

Marshall was summoned to Goodell’s New York offices on July 18 to explain a series of off-the-field misdeeds over the past year, most notably his March 6 arrest on a domestic violence warrant filed by his former girlfriend in Atlanta.

This is certainly encouraging. The San Diego Chargers have just been put on notice.

Before we move on to the regular season we have to play our toughest game of the year – our last preseason game. I say that because more players are cut after this game than any other single game of the year… and that makes it tough.

This is a game that every non-starter of the Broncos must see as their best (and possibly last) time to show the world what they can do. This weekend every team must cut their roster down to a trim 53 man squad. That means Friday night’s game against the Cardinals will be the last time some of our players wear a Broncos uniform. However, even if they don’t make it onto our roster, having a great game tomorrow evening might get them a spot on another team. I expect that we will see a lot of heart-felt football passion on NFL fields this weekend and I wish everyone good luck!

And with that, let’s get to some thoughts and predictions…
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Tyler Polumbus and Chris Kuper

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – PG-13 alert – jibbons:.

“After 15 minutes you stop sitting on it, and it really does feel like a stranger.”

Yes, totally inappropriate. I apologize for the virgin ears/eyes. That’s just too funny though.

Remember to leave your caption for the top photo. Happy captioning!

Straight out of the “WTF Files,” the Denver Broncos have traded guard Montrae Holland to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2010 5th round draft pick.

After reporting to training camp overweight, Holland spent two weeks pushing the sled and getting back into football shape. A 16-game starter in 2007, Holland was arguably the Broncos’ best offensive lineman. His absence in training camp was a surprise, and he subsequently lost his starting job to third year versatile OL Chris Kuper.

There was nothing apparent to suggest that he was in Mike Shanahan‘s fabled “doghouse” – comments from the coach and staff were encouraging, and sounded as if they were supporting Holland’s battle back to the football field. This comes as a big surprise 11 days from the start of the regular season in Oakland.

I hate this move. Simply hate it. Holland gave us phenomenal depth, in one person. Anyone goes down, and the Broncos could shuffle a few of their current starters around (particularly Kuper), move Holland up to RG, and not miss a beat. Now the depth is shaky to say the least. I like the confidence in Kuper, but having 6 (7 counting Nalen-Wiegmann) starting-caliber linemen is never a bad thing! I simply hate this move. You?