HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On WR Brandon Marshall --
"If I made comments every time I heard a rumor, I'll be talking to you every day and have to answer every question you (the media) ask. Let's deal with reality. We'll let you guys know when we know something."

On why LB Nate Webster is ahead of LB Niko Koutouvides on the depth chart --
"We have to start somewhere. Nate earned the chance to start just by what he's done here in these first eight days. It's very close. We are going to switch off in the middle linebacker position. By no means anyone has that job locked up. Most guys get a chance to work with the first unit. At the end of the preseason, we will come out with a winner. Either way, we have two good football players that will help us win."

On if he likes releasing a depth chart --
"You have to put a depth chart out during the week of the first preseason game. It's mandatory, and we had to do it last night, but I think we all know there are a number of positions that are very close. You got to put down a first team and second team even though we really don't know it's really that close. So Nate (Webster) will get the start against Houston, and we'll switch it off with Niko, and like I said that's part of the preseason and we'll see how it folds out."

On RB Michael Pittman's status on the depth chart --
"Michael plays both at fullback and tailback. He's a guy that can play both, very similar to Mike Bell. Michael has a lot more experience at both positions, and he looked it today coming back from his hamstring (injury)."

On DT Marcus Thomas being listed as a starter on the depth chart --
"We had (Kenny) Peterson as a starter in OTAs. Marcus has had a good first week. It's still close, but Marcus has earned a chance to work with the first unit. Hopefully, he could keep it. He's very solid and he's in excellent shape and hopefully he can keep on getting better."

On the possibility of players who are currently low on the depth charts making the team --
"To be honest with you, with 80 players we have guys that are very close and that's what preseason is all about ,which is getting the chance to evaluate these guys not only in practice situations but also in game situations. You really don't know. We had Terrell Davis way back when and didn't know if he was going to be on the final roster and he played really well in the last preseason game. That's when you get a chance to see some of these guys that are free agents right now that we haven't talked about. They have a chance of not only be part of the 53 (man roster), but part of the 45 (man roster). We have some talented young kids on this team, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in game situations."

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First, my apologies for the tardiness of this report.  With the Broncos taking the afternoon off to celebrate Gary Zimmerman's induction into the Hall of Fame, I was fortunate enough to get an early flight back home Saturday afternoon/evening.  Then, of course, I had to get involved with being a dad again, something all fathers know whenever they are away for a few days.  That left little time to get this out and for that I apologize.

That said, I want to take a moment to thank the Denver Broncos Media Relations staff, including Patrick Smythe and his folks for making me feel welcome and giving me anything and everything I needed to make my job easier.  I also want to thank the Broncos internal Media staff, including Kyle Sonneman, Dave Gaylinn and others for making sure I didn't feel the wrath of Fred, the resident bad-ass security guy for the Broncos.  We have talked many times about the CLASSY type of organization the Broncos are, and it doesn't stop on the field.  These guys and gals are all class off the field as well, and it starts at the top with Mr. Bowlen and goes all the way down to the interns in the media room.  Thanks to all of you again!

With all the Thank You's out of the way, let's break down what I saw on my final day of seeing practice up close and in person.....

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BRONCOS HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On LB Boss Bailey's absence from practice --
"His knee was a little inflamed today so we kept him off."

On his confidence in this year's team --
"What I said is you have to be a little bit lucky, fortunate and healthy. Like I said, in the two Super Bowl years we lost 10 starters (games) one year and we lost 15 starters (games) the next year. Last year we lost 72. I've got some high expectations for this team and hopefully we will get there."

On S Hamza Abdullah's health --
"Same thing, a little tight; his groin was a little sore. We kept him off the last two periods. He practiced everything except the last two."

On Gary Zimmerman being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame --
"It's a great tribute to Gary and this organization. Obviously the first Super Bowl we won he was a big part of that. Like I said, he's a guy we never had to worry about making a play. You don't say that very often in the National Football League, especially at that left tackle position. I gave an illustration of this one where his shoulders popped and he refused to come out until John (Elway) did. That gives you an idea of how tough he was as well. We will be down there (in Canton, Ohio) with about nine or 10 coaches that were with Gary. We are looking forward to it."

On status of C Tom Nalen's return to practice --
"I don't know. Tom is such a tough guy. When he's feels like he's ready to go, he'll go. When that will be, I really don't know. He's smart; when you get older, you understand what you can do and what you can't do. There is a difference between being injured and being hurt. Tom knows the difference. So when he can play he'll be back in the lineup."

On the importance of signing C Casey Wiegmann --
"That's the reason we signed him. Not only was he a veteran player, (but) we thought he was kind of the nuts and bolts of the offensive line at Kansas City all these years. I don't how many snaps he made in a row. He was a guy that held that offensive line together a lot of years. He did a very respectable job at Kansas City. Having him on our football team and playing the way he has is a plus for us."

On his impressions one week into training camp --
"Obviously we talk about a lot of things. The main thing is we just want to get better every day. There is not just one thing in training camp. What we are trying to do is get better every day as a team and focus on the now. Don't worry about what happened in the past and just worry about what's happening in the future. If guys go out there with that mindset, then you have a chance to play a little football."

On G Montrae Holland's return --
"I don't know. I'll tell you when his weight is down. His weight is not down right now. When his weight does go down to the weight that we wanted, then he'll be out there practicing."

On how Holland will fit in the lineup --
"Anytime you give guys an opportunity to get in front of you, it's never good. I'll answer that question when he comes back."

On T Ryan Harris and G Chris Kuper's performance --
"They are doing a good job. Not much experience there, but playing very well. I'm hoping we have one of the better offensive lines we've had in a long time."

On the Canadian Football League scouts at practice --

"What they do is evaluate our players, just like we evaluate college players. If somebody is cut at the end, they have a pecking order too, just like we do through free agency and what we do in college. If the guy is not picked up, and they think he might help their football team, we want them out here. We feel like all these guys are working their rear ends off. If for some reason they don't make it with us, they have an opportunity in Canada to play as well."

Another glorious Colorado morning welcomed all of us to this morning's workout and let me tell ya, it was HOT!  I mean, HOT, HOT!  Yesterday was pretty tolerable because there really isn't any humidity.  In Cleveland, when it gets to 90 or so the weather is almost intolerable becuase of the humidity.  Today feels a bit juicier and I could feel it.  If I could, the players could as well.

I took into account all your requests.  I tried to focus on the O-Line and D-Line, but it gets difficult for 2 reasons.  From the media vantage point, which is from the End Zone to the 20 yard line on either end of the field, it is hard to see the one-on-one battles.  Even more difficult is the practice setup.  While the players are in helmets and pads, it can't really be considered a "full contact" practice, especially on the interior.

I'm afraid to get a true indication of what is going on in the trenches we'll need to pay close attention to the pre-season games.  Some things do stand-out, however, and I will tell you what I saw.

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BRONCOS HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On Thursday morning's practice --
"It was a great practice. We had good tempo and had great spirits. We got a lot done."

On the competition at defensive tackle --
"It's good; we have some good competition there. Every day you come out here you see one guy that flashes. We have a number of preseason games to put our defense in, but I'm looking forward to seeing them in live conditions. We've got some great effort; we've some young guys with a lot of potential. We'll just wait and see."

On DE Ebenezer Ekuban not practicing --
"It's very similar to what I've done with Tom Nalen, what I've done with (Dewayne) Robertson. Here is a veteran guy that came off surgery and missed six practices in a row and didn't complain and didn't want to miss practice, but I thought it was the best for him."

On the status of Tom Nalen --
"He's going to have an MRI today to just check everything out and make sure if there is something we have missed. According to (Head Athletic Trainer) Steve (Antonopulos), it's not the knee, it's beneath the knee. The bursa sac is causing him a little irritation right now. He doesn't think it's anything serious, but to prevent anything we are going to check it with an MRI and hope it'll be fine and just a little bit sore."

On the defense --
They are still learning the system; we still have some great competition and we are trying to get 11 guys on the same page. That's pretty tough against our offense because we throw so many formations at them. We are picking up things very quickly. Like I said it's a great competition out there."

On QB Jay Cutler --
"(He is having a) good camp. He has his weight back. Anytime you are in your third year you feel a lot more comfortable-the terminology, the system, the supporting cast and the defenses. Most quarterbacks in their third year want to go out and prove themselves."

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Shanny readies for practice

My first practice and my goal was to take in as much as possible.  It was great to see the Orange and Blue close up and get a real feel for just how fast, how big, and how powerful alot of these men are.  I have read through the comments and will try and touch on as much as possible.  I focused on the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, wanting to see how the team looked when simulating game action.  As the week/weekend moves on I will focus on different parts.

There is hope, with the off-day following on Sunday, that the team may go full-pads on Saturday morning.  I certainly hope that is the case.

Here are some of my musings, in no real order....

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8:00 AM mst - Good Morning from the Press Room at the worldwide headquarters for the Denver Broncos.  With The Denver Post on one side of me and the Rocky Mountain News on the other, MHR has taken the next big step towards complete respectability.  I know the Broncos read this site, so let this be my public Thank You!  It means a lot to this lifelong fan to be given a tremendous opportunity and I plan to make the most of it!

In true Guru fashion, I have once again stumbled onto this day at the perfect time.  John Lynch has left the Broncos, though there will be a press conference with him after the morning practice.  I'll listen in, and give you my thoughts afterward.

A few things I am going to watch for this morning include -

--Who is running with the first team at safety now that Lynch is gone? 

--Just how awesome does Josh Barrett loook in person?  People have been raving about him throughoout camp and I want to lay eyes on him for myself.

--What is the general mood of the team during the workout.  Players will aways say the right things to the media, but find it hard to mask it when it comes to their enthusiasm and effort.  There will definitely be a letdown, especially in the leadership department, and how quickly the players get over it is something to watch.

--I'm just psyched to watch some football!!!

Stay tuned to MHR all day.  Today more than ever, MileHighReport is YOUR SOURCE FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS!

Is Hamza the top Safety in Denver?

[Editor's Note: John Lynch has left the Broncos to weigh his options.  While that changes the fact the Lynch should be listed here, I will leave him for now since Styg's breakdown fit Lynch's proposed role perfectly.]

If you are a fan of defense, particularly if you are into the nuances of the safety position, it is probably safe to say that Denver has been disappointing for years. Its not completely the talent, of course, since no one would argue that Lynch was less than a future Hall of Famer. And it isn't the selection or marketplace, since great safeties have been cropping up fairly regularly around the league, and Denver has had plenty of fair opportunities to go after them.

The thing is, they just haven't.

While not completely ignoring the position, the Broncos have certainly not placed any kind of tremendous priority on it, with the most notable moves in recent history being the signing of Lynch and the recent pickup of Josh Barrett in the draft. And while Lynch was a good pickup, I'm sure that there is no lesson in "NFL GMing 101" that says how wise it is to sign a player recovering from a serious neck injury and going into the second decade of his career. The Broncos put their money on Lynch the person, not Lynch the player, and the bet turned out to be a good one. But guys like Lynch are few and far between. Similarly, Barrett may be one of the best pure talents out of the draft to don Broncos' blue and orange in years, but he slipped to the seventh round for a reason, and the jury is still out.

2008 looks to be the year of the NOW for the safety position. Whether any of the players on the roster will have impacts that resonate deeply for the Broncos for years to come will be an intriguing, and LONG struggle to witness, promising to be one of the final positions to get straightened out in the offseason, and continuing on throughout the regular season as well. Each player brings unique assets and questions to the struggle, and they each bring a dynamic that could make 2008 the beginning of the road, or the end of the road for any of them. Lets take a look at who they are, and what they bring.

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