2001 BRONCOS
	Terrell Davis finds himself in a crowded backfield.
	Head coach: Mike Shanahan. 2000 record: 11-5. AFC West finish: 2nd. 2001 preseason: 2-1. Season opener: Sept. 10 vs. Giants. Schedule | Depth chart

Their new defensive coordinator is intense, their new stadium is Invesco Field and the way this whole season shapes up is now mighty interesting.

During the offseason, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and head coach Mike Shanahan became one human ATM, spitting out money as if there were an endless supply. They handed out more than $61 million in signing bonuses, most of it to re-sign their own players, some of it to round out their roster.

Quarterback Brian Griese collected $12.6 million, defensive tackle Trevor Pryce $10.6 million, linebacker John Mobley $7.5 million, offensive tackle Matt Lepsis $6.6 million and offensive guard Daniel Neil $4.92 million. Now the Broncos have their own pricey team to display on their own pricey playground.The hope is that Denver's new-look defense is as different as the stadium the team will open Sept. 10, a Monday night, against the Giants. If so, the return on the Broncos' investments could blow away any results Invesco has reported.

Offense
Quarterbacks: For all the injuries the Broncos' backfield suffered during training camp, none involved Griese's right shoulder. This might have been the Broncos' best training-camp development. During the past two seasons, Griese has suffered three shoulder injuries that required two surgeries. This past offseason, the Broncos put him on a modified meal plan. Protein shakes in the morning and at night. Small meals every three hours. Constant eating so his body was never empty. Consequently, Griese came to camp about eight pounds heavier than last year and looking much stronger. The Broncos thought they would be even stronger with his backups too, but then doctors discovered a partially torn tendon in Steve Beuerlein's surgically repaired right elbow. He will be out at least eight weeks and could be placed on injured reserve, leaving Gus Frerotte as the man behind The Man.
Grade: A-minus.

Running backs: The Broncos knew their running backs would take some hits. But not the big ones they did. Terrell Davis continues to battle lingering right-knee and hamstring injuries, fullback Howard Griffith suffered a neck injury that probably will end his career and Olandis Gary suffered a strained shoulder during Denver's preseason opener in Dallas. Good thing the Broncos decided not to trade Mike Anderson last April; they would have regretted it. Now the deepest backfield in football has more questions than it should. However, any of Denver's top three running backs still are capable of going for 100 yards in any game and 1,000 in any season. At fullback, the Broncos are using converted tight end Patrick Hape, who played a little at both positions with Tampa Bay the past four seasons. Also, the Broncos are high on former Patriots starter Tony Carter, who has battled a rotator-cuff injury throughout the summer.
Grade: A.

Receivers: Not only has Denver finally found a quality receiver to back up standouts Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey, but it also has found quality backups to back up the backups. Eddie Kennison has emerged as the Broncos' No. 3 wideout and a dependable target. When Smith was excused from the Broncos' preseason trip to Dallas, Kennison caught a team-high five passes in less than one half of work. But behind Kennison are Scottie Montgomery, maybe the most improved player in camp; rookie Kevin Kasper, another sixth-round steal; Chris Cole, probably the fastest Bronco; Travis McGriff, a feisty overachiever; and Keith Poole, possibly good enough to start in Kansas City, a team he considered signing with. Moving Hape to fullback has deprived the tight end position of a quality player, but the Broncos still have starter Dwayne Carswell and backup Desmond Clark, whom the Broncos think could develop into a future Pro Bowler.
Grade: A-minus.

		The Broncos' defense should be vastly improved, with the additions of Chester McGlockton, Leon Lett, Denard Walker, Lee Woodall and Eric Davis. It will give the offense more opportunities with the ball. They should stop drives. Denver has more depth and a great ability to have some big rotation along the defensive front to keep players healthy and fresh. They will give an incredibly potent offense even more touches with the football. More opportunties will equate to a lot of points and a lot of wins for the Broncos.

Offensive linemen: Last year's left tackle, Tony Jones, was cut, left guard Mark Schlereth retired and offensive line coach Alex Gibbs stepped down rather than battle the long hours and constant grind of being an NFL coach. Yet the difference between this year's performance and last year's could turn out to be as subtle as Gibbs' new part-time role -- which is to say not very different. Gibbs spent every day in training camp, yelling, screaming, hollering, cajoling, doing everything he did when he was a full-time coach. Some retirement. Trey Teague is expected to succeed Jones at left tackle, and Lennie Friedman will step in at left guard. The Broncos' line might not be as good early on, but by later in the year, it should be one of the league's best.
Grade: A-minus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Mocked around the league for his attitude, Broncos defensive tackle Chester McGlockton is playing as if he wants to repay Shanahan for showing faith no other coach would. "He's tearing that middle up, taking up two or three blockers on every play and making my life a whole lot easier," Broncos linebacker John Mobley said of the 334-pound McGlockton. "He's a better player in the middle than we've ever had here before." The Broncos also have another great inside player in Trevor Pryce, and a quality backup in Leon Lett, who figures to get 25 snaps per game. The questions are at defensive end. The Broncos promoted Keith Washington from a backup job with the Ravens to a starting role. Right end Kavika Pittman started strong last year but faded. Their backups are second- and third-round picks Paul Toviessi and Reggie Hayward, respectively.
Grade: B.

Linebackers: The starters -- John Mobley on the weak side, Al Wilson in the middle and Bill Romanowski on the strong side -- have been good. But they can be even better, and in Ray Rhodes' defensive system, they probably will be. The scheme is set up to highlight a different player each week, and each linebacker is expecting a better season than he had last year. The Broncos' backup linebackers also are first-rate: Ian Gold, Keith Burns and Lee Woodall, a trio that would be good enough to start for some teams.
Grade: B.

Defensive backs: If the Broncos have one glaring defensive question mark, it would have to be in the secondary. The team received inconsistent play last season from safeties Eric Brown and Billy Jenkins. This summer the Broncos have liked what they have seen more, but as a precaution, the team also has begun to work last year's second-round pick, Kenoy Kennedy, into the safety rotation. At cornerback, free-agent addition Denard Walker is reliable on the right side, but the Broncos still are not convinced that Deltha O'Neal will be ready to start the season on the left side. If he is not, the team has veteran Eric Davis waiting.
Grade: C-plus.

Special teams
Denver's fourth-round draft choice, Nick Harris, has a huge leg, impressive hang time and Pro-Bowl potential. Yet the Broncos could wind up deciding he is a risk they would rather not carry. Veteran punter Tom Rouen delivers his punts noticeably quicker than Harris. Plus, Rouen is placekicker Jason Elam's trusted holder. "And by far, he's the best holder we've got," Elam said. If Denver elects to go with Harris' potential -- and seldom do teams use fourth-round picks on punters without having them make the roster -- then the Broncos are putting themselves at risk for blocked punts and messy field goals this season. But they could be rewarded big time for their decision in future seasons. At presstime, Kasper and Cole were battling to be the return men.
Grade: B-plus.

Adam Schefter covers the Broncos for the Denver Post.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com