Broncos Preseason: Denver Broncos Select 2010 Captains

The Denver Broncos have announced the team's captains for the 2010 season. The only real surprise here is that they went with seven guys.

- QB Kyle Orton
- TE Daniel Graham
- RG Chris Kuper
- S Brian Dawkins 
- CB Champ Bailey
- LB Wesly Woodyard
- LB D.J. Williams

The Broncos kick off the 2010 season this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at 11:00 AM in Florida.

Yesterday, the Broncos announced waiver claim awards on the Giants’ RB Andre Brown and the Vikings’ offensive lineman Chris Clark. The Broncos waived LB Baraka Atkins and RB Andre Hall.

The Broncos also announced their practice squad players: LB Kevin Alexander, WR Britt Davis, TE Riar Greer (former CU Buff), S Kyle McCarthy and LB Worrell Williams.

Check out Mile High Report for more on these transactions.

The 6:00 p.m. ET deadline to reach the 53-man roster for NFL teams has come and passed. Check out Mile High Report for the complete 53-man roster.

The NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi tweets that the Broncos have traded CB Alphonso Smith to the Detroit Lions for tight end Dan Gronkowski:

The underachieving Smith was a second round pick by the Broncos in 2009. The Broncos gave up a 2010 first-round selection to the Seahawks in order to make the choice.

In Gronkowski, the Broncos possibly gain a pass-catching tight end, but this isn’t a huge upgrade at the position to complement Daniel Graham. Gronkowski was a seventh-round selection of the Lions in 2009.

The Denver Post reports that the Broncos have cut ties with wide receiver Brandon Stokley, defensive end Jarvis Green and linebacker Darrell Reid.

Here’s Mile High Report’s take on the matter:

The math is pretty simple: Stokley didn’t play special teams, and the Broncos were looking at establishing their 6th or 7th receiver on the roster. Those days are behind Stokes, and Matthew Willis’ performance shifts the attention elsewhere. The wheel of change moves ever onward.

Denver Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil has explained on Twitter that he will miss the entire 2010-2011 NFL season.

Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post provides these details regarding Dumervil’s recent health.

Dumervil suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the first week of training camp and had surgery in early August. The team held out hope through the rest of the preseason that Dumervil would be able to recover in time for him to return for the final month of the season.

Dumervil joins Denver Broncos teammate LenDale White, who will also miss the season due to injury.

Reports are coming out of Broncos camp that RB Lendale White has a torn Achilles Tendon and will miss the entirety of the 2010 NFL season.

White, who has scored touchdowns in the last two preseason games, was already scheduled to miss the first four games of the season due to suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Knowshon Moreno, the projected starting running back for the Denver Broncos this season, returned to practice for the first time since August 1 according to the Denver Post.

Moreno, who has been dealing a hamstring injury, wore an orange no-contact jersey.

Moreno, who remains No. 1 on the team’s depth chart, pronounced himself “80-some percent” healed from the injury. It’s unlikely he’ll play in the Broncos’ preseason finale at Minnesota on Thursday, however.

Coach Josh McDaniels said he isn’t worried about Moreno being OK for the regular season without a training camp because he went through something similar last season as a rookie, when he held out at the start of camp and then sprained a knee in his first preseason game.

This is definitely encouraging news if you’re a Broncos fan.

Mile High Report has reported that Justin Fargas has been released from the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos on Monday released running back Justin Fargas and designated cornerback Tony Carter as waived/injured, it was announced.

Fargas was signed by Denver as a free agent on Aug. 11 while Carter joined the club as a college free agent on April 27, 2009.

Fargas has struggled since being picked up by the Broncos and releasing him now will allow him the opportunity to possibly be picked up by another team.

The injury bug bites again. The Denver Post now reports that Demaryius Thomas did not suffer a stress fracture in his left foot. He will, however, miss at least the season opener. Thomas missed the NFL Combine with a broken foot earlier in the year and now continues a long line of injuries to the Broncos.

Vic Lombardi is reporting that Broncos first round draft pick Demaryius Thomas has once again injured his foot. The severity of the injury is not yet known.

Thomas has had multiple issues with the foot since he injured it this summer. Denver, still searching for playmakers at the wide receiver position needs Thomas to get healthy and move past this injury as quickly as possible.

Former Cherry Creek High School star and University of Colorado tackle Tyler Polumbus has been waived by the Denver Broncos.

Polumbus was an injury replacement to Ryan Clady and started eight games for the Denver Broncos last year, but has been seen his status on the depth chart drop during this training camp.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels made a statement today that every Broncos fan was dying to hear, confirming that All-Pro tackle Ryan Clady will attend his first practice on Wednesday, August 25 after tearing his patella tendon in a pickup basketball game this summer.

Apparently, the surgery went well and Clady is on his way back to a full recovery. If he is practicing this week, he may be ready by the start of the regular season, giving the Broncos’ patchwork offensive line a huge boost.

In somewhat of an unexpected move, the Broncos have released former Dolphin linebacker Akin Ayodele.

Ayodele started both of the Broncos’ first two pre-season games, so his release comes as something of a slight surprise, though the Broncos have been stocking up at inside linebacker since training camp began.

Ayodele has been in the NFL for eight years, and the Broncos signed him on the final day of the 2010 NFL Draft.

This release could mean one of a couple of things. It could mean that the team is impressed enough with Joe Mays or Wesley Woodyard to give them a starting spot, or they are moving forward as though Jarvis Moss will take on Elvis Dumervil’s starting spot on the outside, allowing Mario Haggan to move back inside.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Tim Tebow left practice today “holding his left ribs or left abdomen and jogged off to the locker room.” Tebow is now, what, player 500 to be injured in Broncos camp?

The Broncos made some small moves today, signing linebacker Johnny Williams and releasing linebacker Nick Greisen. Williams spent last year as a member of the Steelers practice squad and played his college ball at Kentucky.

The hits keep on coming. Via the Denver Post:

Second-year outside linebacker Robert Ayers left the practice field Wednesday with an apparent injury to his left elbow/arm.

However, a little while later Ayers came out fine:

“I’m OK,” he said. “‘I just got checked out. I’m fine.”

Phew!

The Denver Broncos have had their fair share of injuries to running backs over the past several seasons and this preseason hasn’t been any different.

With Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and LenDale White all likely out for the rest of the week, the Broncos are bringing in a replacement according to the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter.

Former Raiders RB Justin Fargas scheduled to fly to Denver tonight to take a physical and try to finalize a deal with Broncos. Deal likely.

Fargas has played seven NFL seasons with his best being the 2007 campaign with Oakland. That season, the running back picked up 1,197 yards from scrimmage and scored four touchdowns while starting seven games.

The signing became official today.

Finally, a little bit of good news. The Broncos first round draft choice, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, looks to be OK as x-rays on his injured left foot have come back negative.

X-rays on Demaryius Thomas's injured left foot were negative, but the rookie wide receiver is sidelined as the Broncos return to practice Tuesday afternoon.

Thomas appeared to injure his foot while coming down after leaping for a touchdown pass during Saturday's practice. He immediately hobbled to the sideline under his own power and did not return.

There is still some concern around the injury as it's the same foot that he injured this summer, but hopefully he will be back on the field practicing soon.

Because of all the injuries to the Broncos running backs, it appears as if Lance Ball will be in the backfield when the team takes the field on Sunday. Via the Denver Post:

With Moreno definitely out against the Bengals, and Buckhalter and White unlikely to play, the Broncos are expected to start Ball, who spent most of his first two NFL seasons on practice squads for St. Louis, Indianapolis, Tennessee and Denver.

If this were the regular season opener in September, I’d be worried. But for now it’s not a big deal.

Via Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post:

Broncos outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil will have surgery Tuesday to repair a chest injury that will keep him out for most, or likely all, of the season if doctors find the damage that is expected.

Broncos head team physician Ted Schlegel is scheduled to perform the surgery. Dumervil visited Dr. Michael Dillingham in San Francisco – he heads the medical team for both the San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants – Friday to get a second opinion on the surgical diagnosis that was made by the Broncos’ doctors.

Come back better than ever, Doom.

Last night, two more Broncos left practice with injuries: Eric Decker with one to his left ankle or foot and Demaryius Thomas with his left ankle.

The team must be getting its injuries out early in the year so everything will be OK during the regular season. Right?

Jarvis Moss has had his injured hand x-rayed and the prognosis is isn't good. Moss suffered a broken hand and will now be out be held out of practice for two to three weeks.

Surgery routinely is done to repair such fractures. Moss is expected to be held out of practice for two weeks, then can wear a cast over the hand to participate in the workouts and preseason games.

Safety Brian Dawkins did the same thing during last year's preseason after he fractured his hand early in training camp.

The news out of Broncos training camp continues to get worse as more key players have getting dinged up, something that has now become a daily occurrence.

Obviously it is good news that Moss, Kuper and White were all able to leave the field under their own accord, but if Moss has seriously injured his hand or arm then it could be another big blow for Denver.

Stay tuned to Mile High Report for up to date reports.

Earlier today, the Denver Broncos signed wide receiver Patrick Carter and Britt Davis. The team waived WR Patrick Honeycutt.

The team is not expected to sign any defensive line depth as of yet, and are waiting on a second opinion on Dumervil’s injury before making any further moves.

Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post reports that Doom has suffered a torn pectoral muscle and could miss the entire season:

Dumervil could miss most — or all — of the season since recovery time is usually four to five months. The Broncos would have to decide, after consulting with their doctors, whether or not to simply put Dumervil on injured reserve and then he would miss the season.

Dumervil recently signed a $61.5 million extension with the team. The hits keep on coming, but when will they stop?

From the Denver Post, this was the last thing Broncos fans needed to hear during training camp:

Head trainer Steve Antonopulos accompanied Dumervil to the locker room. Dumervil was holding his right arm tight against his chest, with his hand grasping the neck area of his jersey.

Dumervil and the Broncos pass rushers were participating in a one-on-one pass rush drill against offensive linemen when Dumervil was injured.

Sign a new contract, start training camp, and then get injured. Not exactly the best line of progression.

Earlier we noted that the Denver Broncos signed running back LenDale White. ProFootballTalk.com is now reporting that “per a league source, White has signed a two-year deal to join the Broncos.”

White will sit out the first four games of the NFL season to serve an NFL-imposed suspension.

For everything Broncos, check out SB Nation’s Mile High Report.

Earlier today the Broncos waived RB Kolby Smith and signed free agent RB LenDale White:

White, a Denver native, is a former second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the first four seasons of his career.

In his career, he has carried the ball 628 times for 2,349 yards and 24 touchdowns, adding 42 receptions for 204 yards through the air.

With Knowshon Moreno out for three weeks, the Broncos need more running back bodies. However, this shouldn’t affect the Broncos long term.

For more check out Mile High Report.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post checks in with some observations out of today’s practice:

Kyle Orton got the job done in the practice-ending 2-minute drill. Actually there was 1:50 remaining, the ball on the 20 and the Broncos’ first-team offense was down 17-14. Orton completed a 20-yard pass to Brandon Lloyd, who made a splendid catch from his rear. Another completion to Lloyd was followed by a sack.

Orton then got the first down on a Lance Ball reception and eventually hit Jabar Gaffney for 40 yards and the TD.

Now this is interesting piece of information in an otherwise pretty slow day. Jason La Canfora is reporting that former Redskin Ladell Betts will be visiting Denver later this week. Betts is looking to sign with a new team after suffering a bad knee injury in 2009 forced him to miss the last five weeks of the season.  Betts was a very solid back up in Washington and Denver may be looking to add some more depth to the position after injuries to running back's Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter on the first day of training camp.

Via the Denver Post:

Buckhalter left the Broncos’ first training camp practice Sunday morning after suffering an injury to lower neck/upper back. He was taken to a local hospital where he was checked out and released. The Broncos are being cautious with Buckhalter. He was held out of practice Monday and he get another day or two before returning.

The Denver Post updates us on the injuries to Moreno and Buckhalter:

Broncos starting running back Knowshon Moreno is expected to be out three weeks after an MRI exam revealed no significant tear to his hamstring, according to an NFL source. Moreno suffered the injury. […] The expectation is the veteran Buckhalter will let the trauma rest for about a week.

As training camp opens, so do the injuries. Running back Correll Buckhalter was reportedly feeling numbness in his leg. He was checked into the hospital and has since been released with what is being called an “upper back injury.” This does not appear to be serious.

Running back Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos' first round pick in 2009, appears to have suffered a more serious fate, as he appears to have a “serious hamstring injury.” Hopefully it turns out to be less than that, but it is a story we will update as information becomes available.

Rookie WR Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos’ first pick in the 2010 draft, has agreed to a five year deal with Denver worth $15.5 million, $9.35 million of that guaranteed. With this signing, the Broncos have now reached agreements with all of their 2010 rookie class and every player will now be in Dove Valley for the official start of camp.

The Denver Post reports that a deal between first-round pick WR Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos should be finished before Sunday morning:

[…] Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 224-pound deep-threat receiver, is expected to be signed by the time training camp starts at 8:45 a.m. Sunday. […] Negotiations between Broncos general manager Brian Xanders and Thomas’ agent, Todd France, picked up considerably late Friday afternoon.

The Denver Broncos sent reserve RB J.J. Arrington to the Philadelphia Eagles for LB Joe Mays Friday Night, according to multiple reports. According to MileHighReport, Mays will provide depth on the coverage units, something he was solid at during his two seasons with the Eagles:

Joe Mays (5-11, 246) is a 3rd Year linebacker from North Dakota State. The Eagles drafted Mays in the 6th Round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Mays was mainly a Special Teams player, starting just one game in his 2 seasons in Philadelphia. He finished 4th on the Eagles last season with 19 ST tackles.

Head over to MHR for more on the trade and Broncos Training Camp 2010

Tim Tebow has passed all of his required conditioning and physical tests and has started practicing with the team.

Tebow, the team’s second pick in the first round of the draft, is third on the depth chart and took snaps behind veterans Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn in the third day and fourth practice of the rookie camp. Orton and Quinn previously chose to participate in the camp, partly because of Tebow’s unofficial holdout, and both again took the field during Tebow’s much-anticipated debut.

As the Denver Post reports:

Veterans report Saturday and will be on the field for their first practice Sunday morning, but [Jamal] Williams has been designated physically unable to perform (PUP) by the team this week. Players are designated as PUP in training camp when they cannot participate fully in practice when camp opens.

From 1998 to 2009, Williams played for the San Diego Chargers and signed with the Broncos to be the big man in the team’s 3-4 defense. Hopefully Williams will not be on the PUP list for too long.