Broncos rookie RB Ryan Torain was having a terrific camp before injuring his elbow. Now, he might be out for three months.
His recovery time could be as long as three months, which means the Broncos will have to make a decision by the end of training camp on whether to place him on injured reserve, which would make him ineligible to play this season.
If they think his recovery may be slightly quicker and that he may be able to get back on the field by late October, they could use a roster spot when final cuts are made to 53 players, but they would have to release a healthy player to do it.
Torain suffered a fractured bone near his left elbow Wednesday and was taken for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam as well. That test showed ligament damage that Torain needed repaired Thursday morning.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has called Torain “one of the most gifted running backs I’ve been around, and I’ve been around for a long time, very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in.”
That’s high praise coming from Skeletor, who has a history of jerking his running backs around. Torain was pushing Selvin Young for the starting job, but now it looks like it is Young’s job to lose. He’s a nice pick in the middle rounds when you’re trying to find a third RB. This is Mike Shanahan, so if you want to play it safe, go with someone like LenDale White or Rudi Johnson.
