Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Denver first-round pick Knowshon Moreno was back on the practice field Tuesday. It was Moreno’s first action since he suffered a knee injury against San Francisco on Aug. 14.

Barring any setbacks, Moreno is expected to be able to play some in Denver’s regular-season opener Sept. 13 at Cincinnati.

Moreno will need plenty of practice time, though. He was hurt shortly after signing and ending an extended contract holdout. Moreno really hasn’t had much practice time this summer. Still, Denver coach Josh McDaniels told reporters Tuesday that he is encouraged that Moreno is back on the practice field.

“He didn’t take a ton of reps today,” Moreno said.”He took some and looked fine doing it. We are going to work him back in the way we should, not 100% of the reps the first day, but he took plenty (of reps) in the passing game and did some stuff in the running game. We didn’t have pads on, so it is a little different, but he was fine.”

McDaniels continued to be cryptic about the opening day availability of quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton suffered an injury to his index finger on his throwing hand in a loss to Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

“I don’t know that,” McDaniels said when asked if Orton could play against the Bengals. “I am hopeful we will have all of our players ready to go on opening day. Again, the timetable for that, I would be totally guessing and (would be) probably wrong if I started guessing about that kind of stuff right now.”