Time for Some Rookies to Make Their Move

The Broncos are ending "Week 3" of training camp, the team almost made it through, but it was going to catch them eventually.  It's the injury bug, and it's something that is rarely missed at this point of the year in the NFL.  The Broncos entered training camp fairly healthy for the most part.  In fact, the team was getting players back it seemed like on a daily basis from injuries that were sustained from the 2011 season.

Well, now that the rigors of the camp has caught up to the team, adjustments are going to have to be made and players that were either experiencing lack of playing time or in the cusp of being cut are counting their blessings.

Some vets such as Robert Ayers should be grateful at the moment with the recent loss of DE Jason Hunter.  Hunter's training camp was having a phenomenal camp be defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio that he had moved Hunter to first team.  Hunter's intensity will be missed; he is expected to miss at least two months, if not the entire season with a torn triceps injury.  He suffered the injury during Wednesday's practices with the blocking sleds.

This injury has become common now for the team as Ty Warren suffered this injury going into the 2011 season, and Elvis Dumervil in 2010.  Both players suffered the injury in camp and missed most or all of the entire season.

As for OG Chris Kuper, he can't seem to catch a break...actually he caught two.  He had just recently recovered from the broken fibula late in the 2011 season against the Kansas City Chiefs.  He didn't play in the first preseason game against the Chicago Bears but had been participating in training camp up until recently.  Earlier this week, Kuper had suffered a broken forearm in practice while at the bottom of a pile during team drills.  His recovery is expected to take four to six weeks.

Derek Wolfe and Philip Blake...step on up!  Your calling might sooner that you think!  Ayers did have a sack in the game against the Bears, but what has really impressed coaches has been Derek Wolfe's speed as a DT, actually having moved Wolfe all over the line now and putting him in packages to make sure this kid see's every down on the field.  Well, with Hunter's injury, the right DE position is now thin and with the performance Wolfe put on against the Bears, tallying two sacks, a tackle for loss and two QB hits, he quickly has caught the eye of the coaching staff and he could very well be starting at DE Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.

As for the guard position and replacing Chris Kuper, this will be a tough act to follow.  Kuper is one of the more underrated guards in the game.  Behind him are C.J. Davis and Philip Blake.  Davis is in his third season and can be considered a "journeyman" already.  Since joining the league in 2009, he spent '09 on IR, played in seven games for the Carolina Panthers in '10 and was a free agent in '11.

Blake doesn't have much competition ahead of him; in fact, his versatility makes him more valuable to the team.  Blake, like guard Zane Beadles, played center at their respective colleges and was asked to make the move from center to guard.  Fortunately, moving from center to guard is an easy transition.  Having that experience though in college at center and playing guard now in the NFL will make Blake a commodity for the team.

The Broncos also has been looking to get tougher and "nastier" on the like, Beadles, Walton and Franklin are the recent draftees that come into the league with that nasty streak the team is looking for.  Blake had a chance to play behind a stud in Walton who in his time at Baylor received some good accolades.  In 2009, his last season in college, he was an All-American and a candidate for the Outland and Rimington Trophies.  Blake should have learned a thing or two from Walton.

With the recent injuries, the Broncos do look thin now at some positions, and it's up to the rookies to answer the call of being a starter early for the team.  The Broncos will find out soon enough how good their 2012 draft class will be.