The Broncos' defensive scheme will be different under Jim Bates, who has the title of assistant head coach/defense but will be in charge of that unit. Bates likes big tackles, which the Broncos have with Gerard Warren and Michael Myers, and fast linebackers who make tackles. That won't be a problem because the Broncos' trio has plenty of speed.

Denver will have to find some defensive ends who can line up wide and get after the quarterback. Ends like Trace Armstrong and Jason Taylor have had huge years playing for Bates.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACK
Starter -- Jay Cutler. Backups -- Jake Plummer, Preston Parsons.

Cutler played as well as the Broncos hoped when they replaced Plummer with five games to go in the season. He started slow but had the offense performing well by the end. The Broncos hope he carries that momentum into 2007 and has a big season. He has all the physical tools and picked up the offense well. Plummer's days as a Bronco are very likely done. He will be shopped in a trade, and if there's no interest he will be released. Parsons was on the practice squad all season but has a chance to stick as Cutler's backup. Otherwise, the Broncos will look for a veteran in free agency.

RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- TB Tatum Bell, FB Kyle Johnson. Backups -- TB Mike Bell, TB Damien Nash, TB Cedric Cobbs. Injured reserve -- FB Cecil Sapp.

Tatum Bell was good at times but finished the season on a down note. He lost a costly fumble in each of Denver's last three games, and didn't run as strong as he did early in the season. He missed some time in the middle of the season with two turf toe injuries. He still broke 1,000 yards but he might not enter 2007 as the every-down starter. The Broncos will look at free agency and the draft for tailbacks if they feel Tatum Bell is best suited as a change-of-pace back. Mike Bell played well at times but was inconsistent, which is expected from a rookie. Neither Nash nor Cobbs distinguished themselves. Sapp was having a good season before he broke his leg. He and Johnson are restricted free agents who are expected back.

TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Stephen Alexander. Backups -- Tony Scheffler, Chad Mustard, Nate Jackson.

Alexander has been good for the Broncos in the running game, and by the end of the year Scheffler was a good complement in the passing game. Scheffler, a rookie, came on late and showed why the Broncos invested a second-round pick on him. He runs well and has good hands, but he suffered through confidence problems in midseason, which affected his practice habits and led to him being inactive a few times. Mustard and Jackson were role players who had good moments in 2006.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Javon Walker, Rod Smith. Backups -- Brandon Marshall, David Kircus, Brian Clark, Quincy Morgan. Injured reserve -- Domenik Hixon.

Walker played well in his first season after suffering an ACL injury in 2005. The team's quarterback issues hurt his final numbers, but he was a big play threat and also reliable on third and short. Smith, who will be 37 in May, had a tough season. His numbers plummeted, and the Broncos will have to reevaluate his role. Marshall came on late in the season and looks like a future starter. He has a great size and speed combination and is smart, so he didn't struggle picking up the offense. Morgan had some moments late in the season as a kickoff returner, but he's a free agent. The Broncos could use some more depth.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LT Erik Pears, LG Ben Hamilton, C Tom Nalen, RG Cooper Carlisle, RT George Foster. Backups -- T Adam Meadows, G Chris Kuper, G/C Chris Myers. Injured reserve -- LT Matt Lepsis, C Greg Eslinger.

Lepsis' injury was a huge blow for the Broncos' offense. Lepsis is good in the running game and an excellent pass blocker at left tackle. Pears, who replaced Lepsis and struggled at times, will be better for the experience. He's a good athlete and could have a future on the line, perhaps at right tackle. Former first-round pick Foster hasn't lived up to expectations, was benched in midseason and got his starting job back after Meadows got hurt. Carlisle is one of the team's few unrestricted free agents, but Kuper or Myers could be a capable replacement if he leaves. The line didn't have its best year but it should be back strong in 2007 with a healthy Lepsis.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- SDE Ebenezer Ekuban, DT Gerard Warren, NT Michael Myers, WDE Kenard Lang. Backups -- DE John Engelberger, DT Kenny Peterson, DE Patrick Chukwurah, DE Elvis Dumervil, DT Antwon Burton, DT Demetrin Veal. Injured reserve -- DE Courtney Brown.

The starting four was solid, not spectacular. The Broncos have built some depth on the line and have an effective rotation. The unit took a hit in the preseason when Brown had knee surgery and never recovered. Lang went in the starting lineup and had a good year. Chukwurah and Dumervil were quick off the edge and would probably work well in new coordinator Jim Bates' system. Chukwurah is an unrestricted free agent. So is Myers, and underrated run stuffer who has had two good years for the Broncos. Warren had toe injuries all season and didn't have a big year after getting a big contract. If healthy, he should rebound in 2007.

LINEBACKERS
Starters -- WLB Ian Gold, MLB Al Wilson, SLB D.J. Williams. Backups -- OLB Louis Green, MLB/OLB Nate Webster, MLB Keith Burns.

The starting three remain among the top units in the NFL. The team often struggles with how to get Williams more playing time, because he comes off the field in nickel situations. The playmaking abilities of Wilson and Gold dictate they stay on the field at all times. Wilson was banged up a bit this season but still made the Pro Bowl. The Broncos don't have great depth but Webster is a capable backup at all three positions. The Broncos' linebackers should see their tackle totals increase in new coordinator Jim Bates' scheme. The scheme benefits fast linebackers, and all three starters are quick to the ball.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- RCB Darrent Williams, SS Domonique Foxworth, FS John Lynch, LCB Champ Bailey. Backups -- S Curome Cox, S Hamza Abdullah, CB Karl Paymah, S Steve Cargile, S Quentin Harris. Injured reserve -- S Nick Ferguson, S Sam Brandon.

The Broncos lost Williams, a popular and talented teammate, in a tragic shooting on Jan. 1. Emotionally, it will be tough for the Broncos to deal with that loss. Foxworth, who was playing safety at the end of the year because of injuries despite his 180-pound frame, will likely move into the starting lineup to replace his good friend Williams. Bailey had one of the best seasons a cornerback could possibly have, with 10 interceptions despite many teams rarely throwing his direction. He's the least of Denver's worries. Lynch and Ferguson are aging and the Broncos will have to find replacements soon. Losing Brandon and Ferguson to knee injuries hurt the entire defense. Brandon was counted on as an heir apparent to either Lynch or Ferguson, but he'll have to prove he can rebound from the injury.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Jason Elam, P Paul Ernster, LS Mike Leach, KR Quincy Morgan.

Elam had a very good season, setting a career high by hitting 93.1 percent of his field goals. His last miss was Oct. 22 at Cleveland. Ernster took over punting and kickoff duties after Todd Sauerbrun was suspended for four games and released when he came back. Ernster finished 28th in the NFL in gross punting average, but should improve. He was only a year removed from an ACL injury. The Broncos special teams as a whole struggled all season. They had trouble finding reliable return men, although Quincy Morgan made a few plays late in the season. Williams, who was shot and killed Jan. 1, had the ability to break a long punt return.

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