Project Broncos Opening Day Active Roster...

And now, in the "I care, but who else does" department, here who I'm tentatively saying will make up the 45-man active roster for the Broncos against the Jaguars on opening day:



Offense (21)
WR Brandon Lloyd, Demaryius Thomas
OT Ryan Clady
OG Stanley Daniels
C J.D. Walton
OG Chris Kuper, Russ Hochstein
OT Zane Beadles, D'Anthony Batiste
TE Daniel Graham, Dan Gronkowski
WR Eddie Royal, Eric Decker
WR Jabar Gaffney, Matt Willis
QB Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow
FB Spencer Larsen
RB Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, Lance Ball


Defense (21)
DE Ryan McBean, Marcus Thomas
NT Jamal Williams, Ronald Fields
DE Justin Bannan, Kevin Vickerson
OLB Jason Hunter, Moss
ILB DJ Williams, Wesley Woodyard
ILB Mario Haggan, Joe Mays
OLB Robert Ayers
CB Champ Bailey, Perrish Cox
SS Renaldo Hill, David Bruton
FS Brian Dawkins
CB Andre Goodman, Nate Jones, Cassius Vaughn


Special (3)
K Matt Prater
P Britton Colquitt
LS Lonie Paxton


Inactive (5)
OT Chris Clark
OT Ryan Harris
C Eric Olsen
CB Syd'Quan Thompson
S Darcel McBath

Corner, not Center is position to watch for UF against USF...

I admit I'd be shocked if the Gators lost at home to USF, BUT I will give you a scenario where it could happen, and it has NOTHING to do with Florida's offense which has been all the talk this week.  Instead, it has to do with one very important position on the defensive side: cornerback.

Florida's top corner, Janoris Jenkins, is flat-out tremendous. In NFL scout's eyes (before combines, of course), he is arguably even more highly regarded than Joe Haden was after last year.  Opposite him right now is Jeremy Brown, who basically missed his first 2 years at UF from a back injury.

Even if you believe that Brown is as good as he was billed when he first arrived on campus (he was actually ahead of Jenkins on the depth chart back when his initial back injury occurred), you're still talking about a guy coming off a major back injury who is completely unproven when it comes to NCAA receivers and offenses.  Add in the fact that you have to now count on him an entire year, it should be troubling.

Now, ADD to that fact that the other returning corner -- Moses Jenkins -- hyperextended his elbow against Miami of Ohio and is now out for a reported 6 weeks AND that Brown had an ankle injury going into last week's game that kept in crutches and boot that MORNING, and it's even more troubling.

Finally, just to add a cherry on the fear sundae, consider that EVERY other corner in the rotation is a true freshman:

5-11 Jaylen Watkins

6-0 Joshua Shaw

5-9 Cody Riggs

What happens if Jenkins and/or Brown get dinged up?  What if Matt Elam (also a true freshman and the nickel back), who seems more of a safety, is overmatched in nickel packages against a quicker, faster receiver?  What if there is a continuance of the little to no pass rush from defensive ends Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou, who played a combined 93 snaps against Miami of Ohio without a sack to my knowledge?

That said, my role is that of optimist.  I'm honestly not overly concerned.  However, I will be watching to see how Brown is doing, whether other cornerback depth is being developed, how the spread is defended, whether there's a pass rush, and, of course, if any corner comes up gimpy...