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The Denver Broncos have cut running back LenDale White, according to the Denver Post.

White, a Denver native, was signed by the Broncos last year, but he missed the entire year with an injury. He wasn’t going to be counted on as anything more than a backup, and I’m sure Denver is looking for youth behind Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee.

This move is a good sign for Jeremiah Johnson. The second-year Oregon product is making a big push to make the 53-man roster. He played well in the preseason opener at Dallas.

In other Denver notes Tuesday:

A Denver columnist is calling for the Broncos to cut cornerback Perrish Cox. He is going to trial in October on sexual assault charges. He faces a potential life sentence if he is found guilty.

Cincinnati released veteran tackle Tank Johnson. The Broncos could be in the market for a defensive tackle because of the injuries to Ty Warren and Marcus Thomas. Both players were hurt Monday, and Warren could be out for quite some time with a triceps injury.

Tim Tebow was the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos on Thursday.

Whether that’s the case or not when the lockout ends is a different story. But Tebow made his debut Thursday at the workouts organized by Denver safety Brian Dawkins near the Broncos’ facility.

Tebow missed the first few sessions because he said he was traveling around the country and working out on his own. Last month, Tebow was working in Denver with several Broncos’ receivers. He said he was pleased to be at Dawkins’ workout Thursday. Last week, Denver running back LenDale White publicly asked for Tebow to join Dawkins’ workout.

Tebow worked with first-team center J.D. Walton as part of his workout Thursday.

“This part is important to show that we're all together," Tebow said Thursday, according to the Denver Post. "I know a lot of us have been throwing and catching and doing what we need to do in other places, but this is big just to show that we're together. You can come together a few times to show, 'Hey, we've got each other's backs.' "

It’s a good idea for Tebow to work with as many as his teammates as possible during the lockout. If Tebow is going to win the starting job in Denver, he’ll need as much of a head start as possible.

The Kansas City Star looks at the busy rookie season of safety Eric Berry. The paper reports he played every defensive snap in 2010. That is quite an accomplishment for a rookie and quite a show of trust by the team.

The newspaper reasons that Berry could suffer from playing so many snaps. But Kansas City clearly thinks Berry, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, is a special player, and it will expect him to continue to play a major role moving forward.

In other AFC West news:

• The San Diego Chargers named Regis Eller, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Carl Eller, as their Northeast regional scout. He replaces Tom Gibbons, who was just named the director of pro personnel in Buffalo. Eller has been an administrative assistant in San Diego for the past four years.
• Denver general manager Brian Xanders discussed the selection of linebacker Von Miller and the team’s quarterback situation in an interview with the NFL Network.
• NFL.com thinks the Broncos could end up being in a good position when it comes to trading quarterback Kyle Orton.
• Denver running back LenDale White wants quarterback Tim Tebow to work out with the small group of Broncos who are assembled in Denver. Tebow has said he is working with teammates in Denver as well.
• ESPN.com columnist Rick Reilly offers a draft rewind.

Knowshon Moreno will not get a chance to make up for a poor performance in Week 2.

The team has ruled him out of Sunday’s game against Indianapolis. The Denver Post reports he was injured Thursday in practice. Moreno’s name wasn’t on Thursday’s injury update released by the team. Moreno had 51 yards on 24 carries last week. He missed all of August with a hamstring injury.

Correll Buckhalter and newly acquired Laurence Maroney will handle the rushing load for the Broncos against the Colts. Maroney will be making his Denver debut after being traded from New England on Sept. 14.

The Broncos have been ravaged by injuries since camp, especially at running back. Buckhalter dealt with a back injury during the preseason, Maroney came over to Denver while nursing a groin injury and LenDale White was lost for the season with a leg injury.

Denver’s run game has not been able to take off yet, yet quarterback Kyle Orton has been outstanding and Denver, which is 1-1 and has scored 45 points, is surviving on the passing game. Denver has the No. 5 passing offense and No. 27 running offense after two games.

The run game will have to take off at some point to give the unit balance.

In other injury news, right tackle Ryan Harris will miss his third straight game with an ankle injury after being hurt in the preseason finale. The team is hopeful cornerback Champ Bailey (foot) and Andre Goodman (thigh) can play against the high-flying Colts on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos are reportedly planning to put Pro Bowl linebacker Elvis Dumervil on the injured reserve.

This is not a surprise. The only surprise is that it took so long. Dumervil has been expected to miss the entire season since he tore his pectoral muscle early in training camp. The Broncos were holding out hope Dumervil could possibly return very late in the season. But because of several injuries, Denver cannot afford to keep Dumervil on the 53-man roster on the small chance he’d play in 2010.

This move is more paper work than anything. Denver, internally, came to grips weeks ago that the season likely would be played without Dumervil.

Denver cut seven players and put running back LenDale White on the injured reserve Friday. Among the cuts were second year defensive tackle Chris Baker and seventh-round pick Jammie Kirlew. He could be a candidate for the practice squad. The team had high hopes for Baker, an undrafted free agent last year, but he didn’t do much this summer.

Kansas City cut seven players. Among the cuts was backup guard Ikechuku Ndukwe.

Pittsburgh has allowed veteran center Justin Hartwig to pursue a trade. Oakland and Denver are two teams that could potentially look at centers.

With White out and Denver’s running back crew banged up, perhaps it will consider bringing back J.J. Arrington. He was cut by the Eagles on Friday. Denver traded him for linebacker Joe Mays early in camp. Mays has been terrific in Denver. Before signing White, Denver was also considering Ladell Betts, who was cut by New Orleans.

The Broncos’ injury woes are continuing.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that backup running back LenDale White tore his Achilles Thursday night in the preseason finale at Minnesota. White was going to play a key backup role and be a short-yardage back in Denver. He was slated to serve a four-game suspension by the NFL to start the season.

White was signed because of injuries in the backfield earlier in camp.

Denver starting tailback Knowshon Moreno just returned to practice after hurting his hamstring on the first day of camp. The team hopes he is ready to carry a big load on opening day, Sept. 12 against Jacksonville. Top backup Correll Buckhalter was out for much of the preseason with a back injury. He played against the Vikings.

Denver will surely look for a tailback in the next few days. Denver needs a big back with experience to provide depth for its fragile running back crew. One possibility could be Derrick Ward, who was cut by Tampa Bay this week.

The Denver Broncos' running back crew is as healthy as it has been all training camp, but it is still not in a perfect situation.

Denver has to be pleased that starter Knowshon Moreno is on the mend. Moreno practiced for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on the first full day of training camp about 30 days ago. Moreno said he is about 80 percent healthy. With the season opener at Jacksonville 12 days away, Moreno could be close to being at full strength.

The issue is Moreno may be a bit rusty when the team faces the Jaguars. I’m sure he won’t be overworked in the meantime to protect his injury. So it may be asking a lot of him to carry a huge load in the opener.

Denver’s No. 2 and No. 3 backs, Correll Buckhalter and LenDale White (who will serve a four-game suspension to start the season) are also getting back to health. I would not be surprised at all if the Broncos, who cut Justin Fargas on Monday, look for a veteran running back to help with depth.

That search could begin with Derrick Ward, who was just cut by Tampa Bay. The Broncos studied Ward during free agency last year, so it could be a fit.

Meanwhile, Denver coach Josh McDaniels made a surprising call that the starters will play some Thursday at Minnesota. Usually, starters wear baseball caps on the sideline in the preseason finale.

McDaniels told reporters that neither Tim Tebow nor Brady Quinn has separated himself in the chase to be the No.2 quarterback and they will compete for the spot this week.For what it’s worth, I expect Tebow to be the No. 2 quarterback for Denver on most game days.

This one has to sting Denver: Detroit traded offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus to Seattle for a late-round pick. The Lions claimed Polumbus off waivers from Denver last week. Way to flip a player, Detroit.

The release of Justin Fargas in Denver means a few things.

First, it means Fargas’ career may be coming to an end. The former effective Oakland back showed very little in his 19-day stint in Denver. He had 17 yards on 10 carries in the preseason. He had a hard time getting a job after Oakland cut him in March because of his history of health issues. His short stint in Denver will likely not make teams want to reconsider him.

Also, his release means running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter are probably getting closer to the field. Their injuries were one of the reasons why Fargas was inked.

Denver could scour the waiver wire for running backs. Backups LenDale White and Lance Ball are intriguing, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Broncos continue to study running backs now that Fargas is out of the picture. In addition to Fargas, Denver waived/injured cornerback Tony Carter.

We had a runaway winner in our “you pick it” feature this week.

The easy winner was Denver losing star linebacker Elvis Dumervil for likely the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Dumervil led the NFL with 17 sacks last season. The other candidates were Kansas City putting veteran Thomas Jones ahead of young star Jamaal Charles on the depth chart and Denver signing veteran running back LenDale White.

Jones and Charles will both get plenty of touches and White will have to fight to make the team. The Dumervil injury was major news. This was a slam-dunk choice. Below are some of your responses. Thanks to everyone who participated:

Bulldog from Arlington Heights, Ill.: As a die-hard Chiefs fan, I think the real story is Elvis (Baby) and the running back situation in Denver. It seems to me that the new staff in Denver is trying to injure themselves out of a job or jobs. When you lose four running backs in practice before the first preseason game, something is wrong, I don't care who the coach is, he is doing something wrong, or the players are not committed to doing what needs to be done. If this was happening to the Chiefs, I would be the first one calling for Haley's head.

Pete from Honolulu, Hawaii: I'm going with Jones ahead of Charles in the Chief's backfield. I mean, really??? I know they will both probably get plenty of run, and that you would like to limit Charles to 20 total touches a game to keep him at his game-breaking best, but come on, he's almost a decade younger, infinitely faster, and he was THE MAN for this offense the 2nd half of last year... Why try to mess with his ego/pride by demoting him this year? I know they all say "it doesn't matter who starts, just who's in there when it counts", but come on, we all know that's just a line. Give the ball to Charles, who is the best chance the Chiefs have for a pro bowler of offense this year, and who's gonna be THE GUY for the next 4-7 years, and do it to start the game.

Cody from Fort Collins, Colo.: The Broncos stories have to be it. It is really disheartening as a Broncos fan to see Doom get his deal and then be finished for the season in theory. That is huge, specifically because 2 first round picks haven't panned out (yet) in Ayers and Moss. That rush off the edge will be missed by this defense. Then, speaking of Moss, who has missed time now because of injury, as well as White coming back to Denver. Unfortunately, injuries have been the story from Broncos camp this year. Let's hope none will be serious or reoccurring.

Travis from Witchita, Kan.: The story of the week should be Dumervil's injury. To lose the league sack leader for potentially the entire season, does a serious disservice to your defense. Dumervil's injury is made even more important when considered in context with the rest of the Broncos injuries. He is just one injured Bronco on a long list. If the team doesn't find a way to avoid the injury bug, then they may usurp the Chiefs and Raiders at the bottom of the AFC West.

John from Castle Rock, Colo.: It has to be Dumervil's injury. LenDale White signing with Denver is marginally important given that Moreno will likely be playing by the beginning of the regular season. As for KC, the depth chart doesn't matter. What matters is who gets most of the carries, and if Jamaal Charles doesn't get the vast majority of the carries, I would be absolutely shocked.Anyway, Dumervil's injury is going to really hurt Denver's defense. Denver has a very good secondary, but without a pass rush, even the best secondary will let receivers get open. Dumervil was their only legitimate pass rusher. Ayers and Moss can't do it. Jamal Williams was always more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher, and I don't see him making it through the whole season healthy. Denver's defense has really taken a turn for the worse, and that means their question marks on offense won't be able to rely on a solid defense to win games.

Steve from Edmonton: Biggest story of the week is without a doubt the loss of Dumervil. You don't just lose arguably the leagues best pass rusher last season and hope to mimic the same success without him.

Gabriel M. from Kansas City: The story has to be Elvis Dumervil's injury. He had a break out year with 17 sacks. Then he received a new huge contract. The worst of it is that the Broncos are lacking in proven talent. Thats why they are desperate picking up free agents.

The candidates are:

Dumervil hurt:Denver star linebacker Elvis Dumervil was likely lost for the season after tearing his pectoral muscle during training camp.

Jones listed as starter: The Kansas City Chiefs released a depth chart, and new running back Thomas Jones is listed with the first team, while young star Jamaal Charles is working with the second team.

White goes home:Running back LenDale White signed with his hometown Denver Broncos.

Hit my mailbag with your pick for the story of the week and why. I will post some of your responses later in the week.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 23

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After he watched one key player after another limp to the training room this summer, Josh McDaniels came to a conclusion: The Denver Broncos are going to find a way to get better as a result.

Call it medical motivation.

“Sometimes, when everybody around you thinks the sky is falling because of injuries, it could rally a team,” the second-year Denver coach said. “That’s what we are doing. We are going to be motivated to show we can withstand what has happened to us. We’re not sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves.”

McDaniels swears Denver is having a productive training camp despite being the most injured team in the NFL. The biggest hit was the loss of star linebacker Elvis Dumervil. He is likely out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Other players who have been lost during camp include running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter, receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, safety Brian Dawkins and linebackers D.J. Williams and Jarvis Moss. Don’t forget that left tackle Ryan Clady is out until sometime in September after hurting his knee in the offseason.

Still, McDaniels said it’s not a time of despair, because everyone but Dumervil is expected back in the near future.

“It hurts to lose Elvis, but maybe the other injuries are good that they happened now,” McDaniels said. “We are not worrying about who is not here. We trust our depth and we’re dealing with it.”

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. How will the Tebow factor affect the team? There is not a rookie in the NFL who is getting the attention that Tim Tebow is receiving. From special Nike shoes to a hideous training-camp haircut to operating in short yardage situations, the Tebow Watch is in full force.

The question is how his work in camp will affect the team on the field. The former Florida star quarterback has operated in short-yardage situations and he will likely be used in the Wildcat formation and in the red zone. That likely means Denver will keep quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn and Tebow on the 45-man roster on game days. In June, McDaniels said he was leaning away from that.

But it is clear that Tebow is being groomed to be active as a rookie. Unless Tebow completely leapfrogs Quinn in training camp and in the preseason, Denver could be using three quarterbacks on game days, which will take away from another position.

2. Can this team forget the final 10 games of 2009? Denver was the most perplexing team in the NFL in 2009. It shocked the league by starting 6-0. However, it suddenly fell apart and lost eight of its final 10 games.

Which team will we see in 2010? McDaniels, of course, won’t guarantee anything, but he believes Denver is heading in the right direction because of a strong training camp.

He said the team is making big strides this year because his program is established after 14 years under Mike Shanahan. McDaniels pointed out how much smoother and productive Denver was in its team scrimmage last weekend compared to last year’s scrimmage.

“It’s night and day,” McDaniels said. “Everybody knows the system now and that has helped camp.”

3. Can the running backs stay healthy? Moreno (hamstring) and Buckhalter (back) are supposed to be ready this month. But seeing the top two running backs go down on the first full day of camp had to be scary for Denver. The team has big plans for Moreno and Buckhalter.

Denver brought in veteran LenDale White to help in camp and perhaps as a short-yardage runner once he serves a four-game NFL suspension. The team is discussing signing former Oakland tailback Justin Fargas, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.

This is still the Moreno and Buckhalter show, but the Broncos have been forced to look at other options. Expect Moreno and Buckhalter to be handled very gingerly for the rest of camp and in the preseason in an attempt to ensure their health for the start of the regular season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

The Broncos are excited about their receivers.

Brandon Lloyd and Matthew Willis have been outstanding. Eddie Royal is playing well in camp and the team hopes he can bounce back from a poor first season under McDaniels. After catching 91 passes as a rookie, Royal had just 37 catches last season.

Add rookies Thomas and Decker and Denver could have a decent receiving crew. That looked shaky after the team sent talented but troubled Brandon Marshall to Miami in April.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

How can it be anything other than the injury to Dumervil? He is arguably Denver’s best player and he just signed a huge, new contract. Denver was looking for him to have a dominant season. Dumervil led the NFL with 17 sacks last season.

Denver will have to find a pass rush elsewhere. A top candidate is 2009 first-round pick Robert Ayers. He struggled as a rookie. But he has been good in camp. Ayers will get every chance to turn it on and help make this bad situation workable.

OBSERVATION DECK

• [+] Enlarge
  Jeff Fishbein/Icon SMIKyle Orton passed for 3,802 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the Broncos last season.
  Orton has quietly been a star in camp. He had a strong offseason and is, by far, the most accurate of three quarterbacks. While the future is Tebow’s in Denver, Orton is going to do everything he can to make 2010 special before he hits the free-agency market in 2011.
• Quinn, the current No. 2 quarterback in Denver, has been inaccurate often. The Broncos still like Quinn, who was acquired from Cleveland in March. However, with Orton being the immediate starter and Tebow being the future starter, he has his work cut out for him to find a spot in Denver.
• Keep an eye out for fifth-round pick Perrish Cox. He’s been outstanding in camp. “Every day, I look up and Perrish is making another big play,” Royal said. Cox is second at left cornerback behind star Champ Bailey. Cox will likely be the nickel cornerback. He is also dynamic as a return man.
• While Cox is ascending, second-year cornerback Alphonso Smith is still not progressing. Smith was the No. 37 overall pick in 2009. Denver gave up its first-round pick for Smith in 2010 (which was No. 14). He floundered as a rookie and he is not showing much improvement in camp as Cox is stealing the show.
• Richard Quinn, a second-round pick in 2009, is blocking very well in camp. He still must improve as a receiver, but Denver should feel comfortable with him in double tight-end sets with starter Daniel Graham.
• So far, defensive end Ryan McBean is holding off free-agent pickup Jarvis Green. However, the team likes Green and he is very versatile.
• Denver likes what it sees in former San Diego defensive tackle Jamal Williams in the early stages. With Dumervil out, a lot of Denver’s defensive burst must start from him at nose tackle. That may mean Williams may be on the field more than Denver likes. But he is showing, even at 34 and after missing all but one game in San Diego last year, he could still be a force.
• Denver knows it won’t all be roses, but it is at terms with rookies J.D. Walton (center) and Zane Beadles (guard) starting. Both players have showed intelligence and toughness in camp. Most importantly, they are big and strong and they are well suited for the power-blocking scheme McDaniels is adopting. Denver is scrapping the zone-blocking scheme used during the Shanahan era. One of the reasons is McDaniels wants a bigger offensive line that can stay fresh throughout the season.
• D’Anthony Batiste is doing well at left tackle. The Broncos think he will be a valuable backup when Clady returns from a knee injury in September.
• Inside linebacker Joe Mays, acquired from Philadelphia for running back J.J. Arrington less than two weeks ago, is impressing. He has worked some with the first team. He is likely to be a key backup and a special teamer.
• Veteran defensive lineman Marcus Thomas is buried on the depth chart. If he doesn’t pick up the rest of camp, he could be a candidate to be cut.
• Punter Britton Colquitt, the younger brother of Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt, is doing well and he will likely win the job. He is going unchallenged, but if he falters, Denver could scour the waiver wire. So far, he is showing that may not be necessary.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Browns announced they have officially signed former Oakland running back Justin Fargas.

That means he has passed a physical. That is significant for Denver because Fargas had trouble passing physicals earlier this offseason. He was cut by the Raiders in March and has had knee issues.

Fargas brings depth to a depleted Denver running back crew. Starter Knowshon Moreno (hamstring), Correll Buckhalter (back) and newly signed LenDale White (lower leg) are all out. All three players are expected to be back soon.

Fargas will be given a chance to make an impression as a short-yardage back. In his prime with the Raiders, Fargas was a tough-nosed yards eater. He has 2,269 career yards in seven NFL seasons.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Denver Broncos are not done collecting veteran running backs.

This time they are looking at a former division foe:

Schefter reports that former Oakland Raiders running back Justin Fargas will take a physical for the Broncos on Tuesday and a contract is likely. Fargas was cut by Oakland in March. He had knee trouble and that’s why teams were staying away from him. Perhaps he’s now ready to pass a physical.

Denver has been looking for rushing help this camp. It signed LenDale White last week. White, who is currently banged up, is facing a four-game NFL suspension to start the season. If he’s signed, Fargas could vie for short-yardage work.

He was effective early in his Oakland career and he is bruiser. But the game has taken a toll on him in recent seasons. Denver is thin at running back. Starter Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and Correll Buckhalter (back) are out. The team expects both back sometime this month.

Here are some early Monday AFC West notes to chew on:

Last week, I wrote about the role Oakland owner Al Davis played in the holdout of New York Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis. Davis has extended three players to record deals in the past two offseasons, including cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. He is in the second of a three-year, $45 million deal. Now, Revis wants more money than Asomugha. The Jets are balking.

The New York Daily News now has quoted an unnamed NFL general manager who is blaming Davis for Revis’ holdout. The quotes are pretty harsh. My take remains this: Davis goes about business his own way and I’m sure he isn’t losing any sleep that another team is suffering because of his decisions.

In an Insider piece on ESPN.com, Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. has a fine look at Denver’s pass-rush situation after the Elvis Dumervil injury, which will likely keep him out for the season. Williamson illustrates just how much Dumervil will be missed.

Third-year Kansas City cornerback Brandon Carr is struggling some in camp. Yet, the Chiefs are standing by Carr. However, if second-round pick Javier Arenas continues to look good, Carr could lose some playing time.

Because of intense heat, the Chiefs have moved the late practice of their remaining two-a-day schedule to 6 p.m. from 4 p.m.

In a radio interview, new Denver running back LenDale White talks about hoping playing in his hometown will re-energize his career.

Not sure what his sponsors will have to say about this, but Denver's Tim Tebow has debuted a new look. Looks like the former Heisman Trophy winner isn't above a little rookie hazing.

Teammate LenDale White tweeted a photo of Tebow earlier today, then got the hashtag #timtebowshaircut started, offering a suggestion of, "Looks like the rose bowl."

Pick up where White left off. We're stumped for a caption. We need your help. Leave one (or two, or three) in the comments section of the post.

As always, keep it clean.