ENGLEWOOD • Running back Ryan Torain’s recovery time has been set at three months, worse than the initial diagnosis of six to eight weeks, meaning he might not be ready to make a major contribution until his rookie season is almost over.

Torain broke a bone near his elbow in Wednesday’s practice. The Broncos hoped he would need only six to eight weeks to recover, but an MRI showed ligament damage, which pushed the timetable to three months. Torain will have surgery today.

“It’s obviously more serious than we first thought,” coach Mike Shanahan said.

The Broncos had high hopes for the fifth-round pick. Shanahan compared him to a young Terrell Davis on Wednesday.

Now Torain will likely miss the entire preseason and about half of the regular season if he is kept on the active roster. If he is placed on injured reserve, the Broncos would lose him for the season. Torain might not get back into playing shape and be ready to play a major role for a few weeks after he comes back.

Shanahan said it was too early to tell if Torain could contribute as a rookie.

“We’ll see how the recovery is, see how the operation goes, see what the doctors say,” Shanahan said.

Paulescu first

Sam Paulescu punted in Denver’s last regular-season game, and as the incumbent, he’ll punt first in Saturday’s preseason game at Houston, special-teams coach Scott O’Brien said.

Paulescu and undrafted rookie Brett Kern are competing for the punting job. They will rotate on each punt through Saturday’s game.
O’Brien warned that just because Paulescu is first on the depth chart doesn’t mean he’s got a lead over Kern. He called the competition even.

“They’ve competed well and the numbers in preseason will say what they are,” O’Brien said.

Alridge ready

Undrafted rookie running back Anthony Alridge has been one of the most exciting players in training camp, often using his blazing speed to break a long run. The former University of Houston star will make his professional preseason debut not far from his college home.

“Being in the NFL has been my dream since I was little,” Alridge said. “Being out here in practice making plays, hopefully I can transfer that into preseason games and hopefully into the season.”