"It has taken some time for running back Knowshon Moreno to heal enough to return to the practice field, yet the Broncos need him to have a quick start when the regular season begins Sept. 12 at Jacksonville.

Moreno missed virtually all of training camp with a hamstring injury, and now the Broncos don't want a little slice of history to repeat itself.

Moreno missed virtually all of the preseason last year — his rookie season — after a brief holdout was followed by a sprained knee he suffered in the preseason opener against the 49ers.

Moreno did not play again until the regular-season opener at Cincinnati. He then rushed for just 19 yards against the Bengals, a game in which the Broncos needed a deflected pass to win.

And while he had flashes — he led all rookies in rushing yards that season — he did not have a 100-yard rushing game, didn't have his second rushing touchdown of the season until November and appeared to wear down as the Broncos struggled down the stretch.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels has said Moreno had a quality offseason and that he was ready for the workload.

The difference this year is if Moreno doesn't come out of the gate with a strong showing his backup isn't at full speed either. Correll Buckhalter has also missed virtually all of the preseason with a neck/back injury and may need some time to get all the way back.

Last season, Buckhalter averaged at least 5.8 yards per carry in each of the Broncos' first four games and was over 6 yards per carry in three of them, including in a 108-yard effort against the Raiders.

The Broncos did sign LenDale White this time around, but he isn't a factor in the first four weeks of the season because of a league-mandated suspension."