Denver Broncos 2012 Training Camp Preview

The 2012 Denver Broncos won't play their first regular season game until Sunday night September 9th, but the season will officially kick off the season this Thursday with the beginning of training camp. As we head into another season, let's take a look at all the key facts surrounding the Broncos as they are about to embark on their 2012 campaign.

Where We Left Off: The last time we saw the Broncos in action it was a chilly night in Foxboro as the Patriots were putting the finishing touches on a 45-10 blowout of the Broncos in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. Tom Brady sliced and diced the Broncos secondary on the way to throwing six touchdown passes, and the Broncos offense was completely manhandled by the Patriots defense. As the game got out of hand-it was over by halftime- there wasn't a complete sense of doom and gloom. The Broncos had their playoff moment with a stunning 29-23 overtime victory over the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers the week before in the AFC Wild Card round in Denver. Although Denver got embarrassed by the Pats, there was a sense of accomplishment for a team that went from 4-12 to the playoffs in one year under new head coach John Fox. Tim Tebow's story gripped the football world, and the Broncos were headed in the right direction. The feeling from that game was that the Broncos were on the right track, and the major question leaving Boston that night was how much was Tim Tebow going to progress in year two of his career as the Broncos starter. It is hard to believe that game was the last time Tebow would don a Broncos uniform.

What Happened Since? Well, after that night took place, the Broncos went through one of the craziest offseasons in franchise history. Everything changed the day that Peyton Manning was released by the Colts on March 7th. From that point, Manning targeted the Broncos as one of his potential playing destinations, and the Broncos went "all in" to get him. Just a few days after his release from Indy, Manning was on Pat Bowlen's private jet, and John Elway and John Fox were recruiting Manning to come to the Mile High city. Denver was the favorite to land Manning from that first visit, and two weeks later Manning signed a five year $90 million dollar contract with the Broncos. The Broncos had landed the biggest free agent in NFL history, and now the question was: What are they going to do with Tim Tebow? That question was answered a day later when the Broncos shipped Tebow to the Jets for a fourth and sixth round pick. It was a whirlwind of events that saw the Broncos sign one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and trade their most beloved player since John Elway. The move to get Manning will define the franchise in the coming years, but it is also puts the Broncos back at the forefront for another Super Bowl title. After all of the Manning and Tebow drama died down, the Broncos got back to business of reshaping their roster. The Broncos signed tight ends Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme and wide receivers Brandon Stokley and Andre Caldwell. The Broncos added some help on the defensive side of the ball with the signing of cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence. Denver also added defensive tackle Justin Bannan, who started for the Broncos back in 2010. Unfortunately, the Broncos lost some key players to free agency. The biggest hits were the losses of DT Broderick Bunkley, who was their best run defender last year and the explosive Eddie Royal, who was a fan favorite on offense and in the return game. In the draft, the Broncos traded out of the first round and selected Derek Wolfe from Cincinnati in the second round. Wolfe can play both DT and DE, and he should be able to find his way into the rotation right away. Denver added QB Brock Osweiler and RB Ronnie Hillman in the second and third rounds respectively. CB Omar Bolden was also a key pickup in round four.

Position Battles in Camp: If there is any position to watch this upcoming training camp, then you should focus on two areas: Linebacker and defensive line. The Broncos need to get better at stopping the run, and their front seven is still a big question mark. On the defensive line, you need to see who steps up at defensive tackle. Kevin Vickerson is coming back from missing 13 games last season, and Ty Warren is coming back after missing all of 2011 with a triceps injury. If you add the return of Bannan, and the addition of Derek Wolfe, then you have to think those guys will be fighting it out for the starting jobs on the interior of the defensive line. At linebacker, look for someone to step in for D.J. Williams. Williams will miss the first six games due to a suspension for PEDs. Wesley Woodyard will certainly play a role in filling that spot, but look for a guy like Nate Irving to get his chance to step up and fight for that other linebacker spot as well.

Surprise Roster Cuts: There are always surprise cuts around the NFL during training camp, and the Broncos might have a couple in store for us. The first one could be D.J. Williams. Williams is already suspended the first six games, and if anyone really steps up and takes his job and plays well, then there could be an option for the Broncos to go ahead and make that move. Another name that could be on the chopping block come cut time is Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos added another running back in draft with the selection of Ronnie Hillman, and Willis McGahee looks like he will continue to be the featured back in that backfield. Lance Ball and Moreno might be fighting for one of the last spots on the roster, and Moreno is coming off an ACL injury he suffered last November. It would no shock me at all if Moreno got moved in a trade at some point in camp or if he got released outright. He is going to have to fight very hard to make sure he is on the roster come cut down day.

Out of Nowhere Players: The Broncos have had some good luck with finding some quality players in the undrafted market. Keep an eye on LB Steven Johnson from Kansas. He is a guy who might benefit from a position in doubt and get himself on the roster. Also, Mario Fannin, an undrafted player from 2011, will make a strong push to make the roster as a running back. Fannin was considered one of the brightest young players in camp last year until he got injured before the season started, and he spent the entire year on the injured reserve list. The sentimental favorite to make the team will be defensive lineman Ben Garland. Garland is a product of the Air Force Academy and spent last year fulfilling his military obligations.

Biggest Questions that Need to be Answered: Forget about the defensive line and front seven for a moment. The biggest question this training camp will be about one man: Peyton Manning. How does Peyton Manning look? That is the biggest question in camp this year. It will be interesting to see how Peyton does at practice everyday, and as long as he is healthy, he should look pretty sharp. You just want to hear good things about Manning everyday, and you don't want to hear that he looks too rusty or too old. I'll bet that Manning will look sharp through most of camp, and that his health won't be an issue. The 2012 Denver Broncos will be about Peyton Manning. Training camp will provide a real glimpse into what is in store for both Manning and the Broncos. Everyday you hope to hear that Manning looks good and the team is healthy. If those two aspects are going, then the 2012 season will be off to great start before one real game is even played yet.