Big concerns swirl about the Denver Broncos' defense as we advance swfitly toward the regular season.
Bracing to play without All-Pro linebacker Von Miller for the first six games, the hobbled defensive unit received some encouraging news Tuesday.
Injured cornerback Champ Bailey wore a boot on his left foot, but he's making progress toward returning.
"It's feeling better," Bailey said, per The Denver Post. "Give me a couple days."
What's more important, perhaps, is the return of defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, who is back at practice just 10 days after being carried off the field on a stretcher, following what looked to be a serious cervical spine injury. Wolfe appears to be on pace for a Week 1 return.
"I thought I was going to be out a little bit longer," Wolfe said. "But every day it was getting better."
Wolfe's versatility makes him a key player on the interior and end of the Broncos' line. He will be asked to fill some of the void left by Miller and Elvis Dumervil, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Having Bailey and Wolfe back for the start of the season would be a huge boon for a Broncos defense that has designs of helping Peyton Manning secure the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed.
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