Denver Broncos Injury Updates

Following Denver's 40-10 preseason game loss at Seattle, Head Coach John Fox gave a lengthy injury report. In addition to Derek Wolfe's neck injury, Fox reported the following players also left the game with injuries: Wes Welker (right ankle), Champ Bailey (left foot), Louis Vasquez (left knee) and Stewart Bradley (left wrist). After Vasquez left the game, DenverBroncos.com editor Gray Caldwell tweeted from the press box that "Word is that Vasquez's knee injury is not serious."

As for the other injuries, Wolfe was released from the hospital and was able to fly home with the team on its charter. Defensive end Derek Wolfe hopes to be ready for the NFL opener versus the Baltimore Ravens after going down with a scary cervical spine injury last week. Derek Wolfe emerged from the locker room and walked toward the Denver Broncos' practice field late Thursday morning. But he isn't ready to join his teammates just yet, and Wolfe admits getting emotional when he thinks about the last time he was on a football field. It was five days ago and he was being strapped to a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance that had driven onto the field at CenturyLink Field in Seattle after Wolfe had gone motionless after a head-to-neck hit in the first quarter of a preseason game. Wolfe, the Broncos' starting left defensive end, never lost consciousness after the collision with Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson. The scariest part, Wolfe said, was that though he knew he could move his legs and arms while he face-down on the grass, his limbs had gone numb.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out briefly at Broncos practice with injury. Champ Bailey already has shed his crutches but remains in a walking boot after suffering a strained foot last week. The veteran cornerback is expected to be sidelined for several weeks. Coming off his second knee surgery of the offseason, tight end Joel Dreessen reportedly moved well through conditioning drills. The Broncos now believe Dreessen has a chance for a tuneup in the final preseason game. Dreessen could end up with a reduced role now that Julius Thomas has emerged as one of Manning's favorite targets.