When the Broncos’ first practice of training camp was over, the top two running backs on the depth chart were already on the shelf.
So that went well.
Depending on the severity of the injuries, this would be an issue for any team, but it’s especially problematic for the Broncos for one reason:
If you had to designate a first-team offense right now, it wouldn’t include a single playmaker who scares opposing defenses.
Knowshon Moreno, the team’s top running back and top draft pick of a year ago, was at least a candidate to become such a player this season. He still might, depending on the extent of his injury and whether it lingers. But as omens go, carting off your starting running back on the first day of training camp is not what you’re looking for.
Nor did it help that his principal backup, the oft-injured Correll Buckhalter, also had to leave practice with a leg injury that was later characterized as a back issue.
“Certainly you don’t want to see two of your guys that you really count on in the same position to come off the field on the first day of training camp,” coach Josh McDaniels allowed.
It was just last week that the Broncos traded running back J.J. Arrington to Philadelphia for Joe Mays, a linebacker who makes his mark on special teams.
Remaining on the depth chart after Moreno and Buckhalter are, in alphabetical order, Toney Baker, Lance Ball, Bruce Hall and Kolby Smith.
Or, to put it another way: Uh-oh.
In his first 18 months on the job, McDaniels has reconstituted the Broncos’ offense by jettisoning the best-known playmakers of Mike Shanahan’s final roster, including quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall.
Whatever you thought of those guys, they made the Pro Bowl, and opposing defensive coordinators had to game plan for them. As if to rub it in, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald issued this report on Twitter from Dolphins camp Sunday: “Practice over. Another big day for Brandon Marshall. Tough day for DBs . . .”
Former practice-squad receiver Matthew Willis made a couple of nice catches at Dove Valley, but the Broncos’ first practice didn’t have a star, unless it was rookie quarterback Tim Tebow running the ball through tacklers not allowed to tackle him. The quarterbacks wear orange jerseys to remind defenders they are untouchable.
The Broncos introduced Marshall’s replacement when first-round draft pick Demaryius Thomas made his debut after coming to terms on his first pro contract. As a receiver who played in a triple-option offense at Georgia Tech, Thomas has a longer learning curve than many rookies. He also missed most offseason work with a foot injury.
So the question remains: Who on the Broncos’ offense is going to scare opposing defenses? Who will opponents game plan to stop?
McDaniels has made the case that an offense doesn’t need stars to be productive. Rather, it needs team-oriented, hardworking guys who will devote themselves to executing complex plays precisely.
It’s a nice theory, and in the age of the athlete as narcissist, one we’d all like to believe. Still, experience tells us that the better NFL offenses almost always have at least one player who presents matchup problems for the opponent because of size or speed or all-around ability.
If you had to draw up a depth chart for the Broncos’ offense right now, the starting receivers would probably be journeyman Jabar Gaffney and third-year player Eddie Royal, with perhaps veteran Brandon Stokley in the slot.
A young player such as Thomas, Eric Decker, Kenny Mc- Kinley or even Willis might blossom in the preseason and move up. But for now, this is not a group likely to inspire fear around the league.
The starting tight end is Daniel Graham, a fearsome blocker and honorary offensive lineman. But his career high for receptions in a season is 38.
Kyle Orton has proved to be a steady hand at the wheel, but to this point he has not been a quarterback who keeps defensive coordinators up at night.
And now, with Moreno and Buckhalter hobbled, the Broncos are in the position of searching other rosters for surplus running backs who might be waived or traded as teams cut down in preparation for the season opener.
With any luck, the Broncos will get them back sooner rather than later. But the dual injuries highlight the team’s need for offensive game-changers as camp gets underway.
Dave Krieger: 303-954-5297, dkrieger@denverpost.com or
