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Denver Broncos

Offseason spending spree gives fans high hopes

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2001 schedule Head coach: Mike Shanahan (seventh season, 71-33-0 career) Stadium: Invesco Field at Mile High Broncos all-time record: 328-301-10 2000 rankings: Offense, 2nd ; Defense, 24th 2000 team statistics 2000 season results Broncos alerts from CNNSI.com! City Page: Denver, Colo.

Denver opens its training camp at Northern Colorado University in Greeley, Colo., on July 26.

By Jon A. Dolezar, CNNSI.com

After an 11-5 season, most teams would sit tight, hope their draft picks can contribute a little bit and be happy with another 10- or 11-win season. Not Mike Shanahan and the Broncos. Denver went out and spent liberally this offseason, re-signing its own key free agents and attracting many veteran free agents with incentive-based deals in hopes of a Super Bowl run.

The Broncos can make the playoffs if … one of their three running backs remains healthy. Having three backs with 1,100-yard seasons on their resume in as embarrassment of riches, so Denver will almost certainly deal either Olandis Gary or Mike Anderson during the preseason. Two franchise running backwill surely be enough to get the Broncos to the postseason for the fifth time in six years.

Pivotal games: Sept. 10 vs. N.Y. Giants; Nov. 5 at Oakland. Invesco Field at Mile High will open in grand style on Monday night in Week 1, with the Broncos playing host to the NFC champion Giants. Week 9's Monday night affair has the Broncos and Raiders battling in Oakland, a game that surely will impact the race for home field in the AFC.

On the hot seat: Former MVP Terrell Davis has played in only nine games in the past two seasons. After scampering for 6,413 yards and 56 touchdowns in first four seasons, Davis has only 493 yards and four TDs in the past two injury-plagued seasons.

Up-and-coming: Second-year linebacker Ian Gold will have a lot of competition to even get on the field with new arrivals Lee Woodall and Henri Crockett also pushing starters John Mobley, Al Wilson and Bill Romanowski for playing time. Gold had 16 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in his rookie year.

Sports Illustrated's season preview will post Aug. 29.