The Denver Broncos on Monday signed safety Roderick Rogers to their practice squad, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

With Rogers' signing, all eight spots on the Broncos' practice squad are now filled.

Rogers (6-foot-2, 187 pounds) is a second-year player who rejoins the Broncos after he was waived on Sunday. He spent his rookie season with Denver, which signed him as a college free agent from the University of Wisconsin on May 2, 2007.

The safety was on Denver's practice squad for the first 15 weeks of the 2007 season before appearing in the club's final two games of the year. During the 2008 preseason, he tied for fifth on the Broncos with nine tackles (8 solo) while appearing in all four games (1 start).

At Wisconsin, Rogers was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection.

Rogers attended Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., and was born on Sept. 7, 1984.

2008 DENVER BRONCOS PRACTICE SQUAD

S Roderick Rogers
S Josh Barrett
DE Ryan McBean
RB P.J. Pope
WR Travis Wilson
QB Darrell Hackney
OG Mitch Erickson
DT Steven Harris

The Denver Broncos on Sunday signed safety Josh Barrett, guard Mitch Erickson, quarterback Darrell Hackney and defensive tackle Steven Harris to their practice squad, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

Barrett (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) is a rookie from Arizona State University who was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round (220th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played in all four Denver preseason games in 2008, ranking fourth on the club in defensive tackles (11) and tying for third in special-teams stops (2). A two-year starter at Arizona State, Barrett attended Reno High School in Reno, Nev., and was born on Nov. 22, 1984.

Erickson (6-foot-6, 290 pounds) is a rookie from South Dakota State University who entered the NFL with the Broncos as a college free agent on April 28. He appeared in all four preseason games for Denver in 2008 following a collegiate career in which he received first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press as a senior at SDSU. Erickson attended Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Minn., and was born on May 14, 1985.

Hackney (6-foot-0, 248 pounds) is a second-year player from the University of Alabama-Birmingham who spent the final eight games in 2007 on Denver's 53-man roster after beginning that season on its practice squad. In four games (1 start) with the Broncos in the 2008 preseason, Hackney completed 24-of-38 (63.2%) passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions (94.7 rtg.). A first-team All-Conference USA selection at UAB as a senior, Hackney attended Douglass High School in Atlanta and was born on Aug. 7, 1983.

Harris (6-foot-5, 305 pounds) is a second-year player from the University of Florida who entered the NFL with the Broncos as a college free agent on May 2, 2007. Harris, who saw time in all four preseason contests for Denver in 2008, played four games for the Broncos in 2007 and totaled six tackles (all solo). A member of the Gators' National Championship team in 2006, Harris attended Coral Gables High School in Coral Gables, Fla., and was born on Aug. 14, 1984.

       @       

  Dallas Cowboys      @          Denver Broncos

August 16th, 2008 - 7:00pm MST
Invesco Field @ Mile High
Denver, CO

   To Follow The Week From The Cowboy's Perpective, Check Out Blogging The Boys! 

The Broncos open the home portion of their pre-season schedule tonight against the Dallas Cowboys still looking to answer many of the questions we have been asking all reloading season.  Last week, many of my target areas were general as I focused on the play of the O-Line as a group, or the defensive line as a group.  As the pre-season continues, my focus grows more and more specific, tageting players.  That will start tonight.  Like last week, I have also included what the other contributors on MHR are looking for tonight as well.

1.  The Two Ryan's(Harris and Clady) -- I will be watching closely to how Clady progresses from last week to this week.  Nothing like being thrown right into the fire, with Clady going up against Mario Williams last week and Demarcus Ware this week.  If Clady can hold his own tonight, not only in pass protection, but in avoiding penalties and silly mistakes, I will feel good about where he is at this early in his rookie year.  I am also looking for Clady to become more of a physical presence in the running game.  Early on last week, the Broncos O-Line struggled in the run game, leaving Selvin Young gasping for breath in the backfield.

Much of the same goes for Harris, who struggled early but seemed to settle down as the game wore on.  We need to remember that Harris was a Left Tackle in college, and learning to play from the oppisite side is kind of like learning to write with your left hand if you are a right-handed person.  I am looking for Harris to also become more physical in the run game.  If Harris struggles again, it could open the door for Montrae Holland to re-emerge.  While Hollad's weight will always be an issue, there is little doubting his physicality.

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D-Rob will still have a chance to get to Brady

Last season the Broncos entered Training Camp with the beef necessary to make an impact in the AFC West.  Or so we thought.  Sam Adams, Jimmy Kennedy, Gerard Warren and others were going to stop the run, create havoc in the back field and make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.  Too bad Defensive Coordinator Jim Bates never got the message.  Before the season started, Warren was so expendable the Broncos traded him to the Raiders and Kennedy was simply thrown on the trash heap for the like of Antwon Burton.  It didn't take long to show those moves, and the entire defensive interior, were a complete train wreck. 

Even now the stats are hard to look at.  Only two teams  - Oakland and Miami - gave up more yards on the ground than the Broncos in 2007.  The 2282 yards allowed on the ground were nearly twice the amount given up by the Minnesota Vikings, who led the NFL in Rush defense(1185).  While the defensive tackles can't take all the blame, there was certainly enough to go around, it is safe to say the group was a major disappointment.

If the Broncos are going to improve in 2008 it has to start at DT.  It is a young group, with only two players with more than 2 years experience, but it is a group filled with talent as well.  In my mind this group comes into Training Camp with the biggest question mark attached to their back.  No one really knows what we are going to get.  Every team has those question marks somewhere, that's were a little luck comes in.  The Broncos need a few breaks to fall in their favor.  A group of defensive tackles that exceed expectations is one of them.  Let's break 'em down --

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