When he addressed his team Thursday, Broncos coach Vic Fangio pointed out the hard math about this unique preseason.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Broncos would normally have 48 days to prepare for their Sept. 14 opener against Tennessee, including 39 days until the roster cutdown.
This year? Not even close.
When the Broncos held their opening practice Friday morning, the final cut was 24 days away (Sept. 5) and their first game 32 days away.
Translation: The race is on for the Broncos and the other 31 NFL teams and it represents a juggling act, practicing enough situations to get the starters tuned up for the Titans and creating enough snaps to evaluate who makes up the back of the roster.