POSTED 12:53 a.m. EDT, August 17, 2006

PFT PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS:  NO. 3

We didn't write 29 of these damn things to bail on the last three.  We're going to unveil No. 3 now, and then we'll do a double entry of No. 2 and No. 1, since the suspense as to who's No. 1  will be pretty much shot once we name No. 2.

The Denver Broncos.

It took some serious stones for coach Mike Shanahan to trade up to No. 11 to get quarterback Jay Cutler in the draft, given that there are other needs that could have been addressed in order to better equip the team for a run at the Super Bowl.  The move also is a not-so-subtle indictment of career head case Jake Plummer, who'll respond to Cutler's presence either by having his best season ever, or one of his worst.

Of course, even if Plummer tanks, Cutler could be good enough to come in and run the show without missing a beat.  He looked great in his preseason debut, but it's only the preseason so whether that means anything come September is still an open issue.

Other newcomers could be major factors on offense.  Undrafted rookie Mike Bell could be the go-to guy in the backfield, if he can hold onto the ball, and receiver Javon Walker could become the main man at receiver, if his new ACL holds up.

Sure, there have been plenty of losses -- defensive end Trevor Pryce, running back Mike Anderson, tight end Jeb Putzier, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.  But under Shanahan the Broncos have shown an uncanny ability to reload on the fly, and always be competitive.

They still need to deal with the Ashley Lelie situation, and punter Todd Sauerbrun will miss the first four games.  And Courtney Brown a/k/a Cavity Sam is hurt again.

But the Broncos are in one of the weakest divisions in the conference, and we think that the constants over the past decade -- good, sound coaching and depth -- can get this team deep into the postseason again.

And anyone who comes to this site on a regular basis knows that it pains us to admit that fact.  We love to twist the tail of the guy who graduated from Coach Teflon to Coach Kevlar by earning an unlikely berth in the AFC title game last year.  Still, we've got to call it as we see it, and we see the Broncos as a perennial playoff team that, taking both sides of the ball and the coaching staff into consideration, deserves to be on the short list of elite teams.

Oh yeah -- and if Cutler becomes the guy that motivated football's Coach K to make the move up to get him, the Broncos could be among the top-shelf AFC teams well into the future.

Now, the fantasy grades.

Quarterback:  With Jay Cutler breathing down Jake Plummer's neck, we're not comfortable with either of them.  We'd consider Cutler in a keeper league.  Beyond that, avoid these guys.  

Running back:  Mike Bell could be the next Terrell Davis.  Or not.  It's still too early too tell.  Besides, the Broncos' glut of tailbacks suggests that none of them will be a superstar.

Wide receiver:  Rod Smith had solid numbers in 2005, but he's getting old.   Javon Walker has had only one great year in his career.  Again, we're leery.

Tight end:  We really like rookie Tony Scheffler, but we don't think he'll have big numbers in 2006.  In a keeper league, grab him.

Defense:  Middle of the pack in yardage allowed, the Broncos created plenty of havoc in 2005.  But they plan to blitz less in 2006, which could mean less turnovers.  They fall into the "crapshoot" category.

Kicker:  Jason Elam is still one of the top kickers in the league.  A-.