A few teams uncomfortable with their tailback depth placed calls to the Broncos this weekend.
These teams noticed how the Broncos have moved Mike Bell to fullback. In 21st-century football, tailbacks carry the ball while fullbacks generally do not. Bell rushed for eight touchdowns and a 4.3 yard-per-carry average as a rookie backup last season.
Other teams wondered: Would the Broncos be interested in trading Bell?
Not likely. The Broncos want Bell to rotate with Cecil Sapp at fullback with the No. 1 offense. And they also want Bell as tailback protection.
"You get people that go down and the halfback's got to play the fullback position," coach Mike Shanahan said after the preseason game
Thursday against Arizona. "We've seen that happen here with a number of players - Reuben Droughns to name one. Mike Anderson could play both."
For now, the Broncos are pleased with their tailback depth with Travis Henry as the starter, rookie Selvin Young as the backup and Andre Hall, who spent his rookie season last year on the Broncos' practice squad, as the No. 3 runner.
But the next NFL carry for both Young and Hall will be their first. Bell had 157 carries last year for 677 yards.
More than any other position, Broncos tailbacks are subject to produce-this-week-or-else pressure. Young and Hall are hot now, but with patience Bell may have a better chance to get a decent number of carries with the Broncos this year than he would by starting over with a new team.
Practice squad
As expected, the Broncos re-signed No. 3 quarterback Darrell Hackney and seven others to their practice squad Sunday. Hackney showed enough arm strength and mobility during the preseason for the Broncos to invest more coaching in him. Hackney completed 10-of-22 passes for 113 yards in the preseason.
Also signed to the practice squad were center Greg Eslinger, former University of Colorado lineman Mark Fenton, defensive tackle Stephen Harris, receiver Glenn Martinez, tackle Cliff Washburn and safeties Steve Cargile and Roderick Rogers.
Bloom available
Former CU receiver Jeremy Bloom went unclaimed Sunday after he was cut by Philadelphia.