This is the week to mimic preparations for the regular season, and to that end, the Broncos are on a daily schedule more typical for two weeks from now than training camp.
But the rehearsal for the season stops there. They haven't spent time studying or putting together an extensive game plan for Sunday's opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, and don't expect them to do much of that in the next two days.
"We're still installing; we're still in camp mode," Broncos coach John Fox said. "We're on a regular-season kind of schedule to get them used to it, but we're still installing, so we're not really game-planning."
Fox hasn't mentioned how long the starters will stay in Sunday's game, and QB Peyton Manning said that Fox hasn't broached the subject in the locker room. But based on Fox's previous preseasons in nine seasons with the Panthers and last year with the Broncos, the first unit should expect to play into and perhaps to the end of the third quarter, depending on how it performs.
Not practicing: DE Jason Hunter (torn triceps muscle), RG Chris Kuper (broken forearm), DT Kevin Vickerson (concussion) and LBs Mike Mohamed (hamstring) and Keith Brooking (hamstring) all sat out.
Back to work: WR Andre Caldwell returned to practice after sitting out Monday and Tuesday with a rib injury. LB Nate Irving was back to full-scale work after being limited because of a rib injury during the Monday and Tuesday practices.
New digits: Rookie CB Omar Bolden changed jersey numbers, from 47 to 31. His new number became available when CB Joshua Moore was waived on Tuesday.
