We are into the hottest part of the year and seeing the backside of summer as we inch closer to the end of July. Temperatures are raising but the end of July also signifies the start of something: NFL training camps.

The Denver Broncos, who may have had the most drama filled, catty, and significantly changing off-season of all the NFL teams will open their training camp on the 31st and there should plenty to look out for.

Position battles:

First, who will be the starting quarterback? After the departure of Jay Cutler and the additions of Chris Simms and Kyle Orton to the Broncos roster, the debate began. Orton was named the starter but that may have just been a way to send a message of stability for an organization that looked about as stable as a chocolate skyscraper built in the desert.

The battle should continue with Orton most likely getting the nod because of his experience with this sort of offense at Purdue. But the guy you may want to look out for is Tom Brandstater. Who? The quarterback Denver got with their 174th overall pick. The 6 foot 5, 220 pound signal caller has the right build and skill set to become the next McDaniels “where did he come from” guy--Like Matt Cassel was a year ago.

The next thing to look out for is the battle in the backfield. Rookie Knowshon Moreno seems to be the one with the fast track to the starting job--the Broncos didn’t spend the 12th overall pick on a guy they want to have a nice sideline view. LaMont Jordan, who spent his last season with McDaniels in New England, is also likely to show off his skills and make a run (get it?) at a significant role in the offense. Jordan had four touchdowns last season as he was formed into short yardage pounding back.

There are some other very interesting horses in the race. Mike Shanahan’s former favorite, Ryan Torian, who was compared to Terrell Davis, will also be trying to show he is worthy of some playing time. Torian was injured most of last season but in the one game he was able to play, he had 68 yards on 12 carries. Torian is the only RB left over from the Shanahan era and will have to fight to earn time as there are more backs on the team that can handle the load.

The final two players to watch in the backfield are Correll Buckhalter and Payton Hillis. Buckhalter, who has spent the last nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles, has averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his career and will be looking to get out of Brian Westbrook’s shadow, so keep an eye on him and h is ability to make plays on screens.

Hillis is the fullback that can do it all. He can catch he can run and he can block. There is little doubt that he will be the starting fullback for the team, the question is how will the team use him? After becoming the starting running back last season when the Broncos were killed by injuries, Hillis proved how big of an asset he can be to a quarterback, running back and head coach in need of a playmaker.

Of course, you can’t talk about the Denver Broncos without mentioning Brandon Marshall. The disgruntled receiver said he will be at camp and it’s not because he love the team, but because he’s getting married and doesn’t want to loose $14,000 a day for not attending.

But since he is going to be there, you have to factor him into the equation. Will he get traded during training camp? Will he and Josh McDaniels get along? Will he still be the featured wide receiver now that the pro-bowler is gone and there is a new head coach?

All good queries but we must wait for the answers to those questions. In the mean time, there are other things to talk about when it comes to wide-outs. For instance, Eddie Royal is going into his second year after he blew the top off the league last season. But will he be a starter? He may the Broncos’ version of Wes Welker. Just a slot guy who makes defenses pull their hair out.

Jabar Gaffney is now on the team and makes a little more sense height wise as a starter opposite B-Marsh. But then there is still Brandon Stokley, a guy Shanahan really liked but McDaniels may not. He has gotten injured the past few years but still caught eight touchdowns in that time. With Gaffney possibly being a starter and Royal moving to the slot, this training camp may have Stokley looking elsewhere for playing time.

The final wide-out to watch out for is former South Carolina Gamecock Kenny McKinley. He may be the surprise of training camp like Marshall once was during his rookie season. He is of good size and has the skill to make it in the NFL, if there’s room for him on the Broncos.

On the defensive side of the ball the big question mark remains in the starting front seven. Denver is making the move to 3-4 defense and no one is really sure who will start and more importantly where.

They drafted pass rusher Robert Ayres in the first round but did nothing else to sure up the worst part of the team. It’s a safe bet Ayers will start somewhere, outside linebacker is most likely, but who else will join him? Elvis Dumervil will also start at linebacker or defensive end but after that it’s anyone’s guess who will be in the line-up.

Jarvis Moss and Robert Crowder find themselves in a situation where they need to prove their worth or they could be gone as fast as Boss Bailey. Marcus Thomas is also in that boat if he can’t play solid on the outside or in the middle as an undersized nosed tackle the job could go to the 6-foot-6 Nic Clemons.

They will also be looking to utilize Wesley Woodard, the breakout rookie from last season, along with D.J. Williams at the second level. Each could start outside with Andre Davis coming in from Cleveland to take up one of the middle linebacker spots. The entire front seven is unsettled and should be one of the most interesting battles of the summer.

The final position battle comes in the defensive backfield at the no. 3 cornerback spot. The starting roles have been etched out already for, of course, Champ Bailey and acquired free-agent Andre Goodman. But the nickel back role is still up in the air.

Denver traded a 2010 first round pick to get Alphonso Smith and drafted Darcel McBath directly after. It has been made pretty clear that Smith is the future of the Broncos backfield but only time will tell if he will be able to beat out a former starter in Josh Bell or fourth rounder Jack Williams for the role.

Biggest things to be addressed in Camp:

As I mentioned before, the defensive line is the biggest need but the understanding of the new offensive and defensive schemes will be the breaking point for the Broncos. They have had seven different d-coordinators in the last seven years, so learning a new system will be almost routine but still difficult.

The Broncos won all of their games last season based on an incredible offense, now that offense is different. The quarterback is new, the system is new and the players will need to study to get to the point they would like to be at. Learning a new system is never easy and those who were used to the former ways the Broncos did things will need to forget about last season and focus on getting to know where they should be on the field, or else they won’t even have the chance to blow a three game lead down the stretch.

Surprise Players Watch For:

Every season there are a few players that come to camp, surprise coaches and fans and become a legitimate threat as a player. This year the Denver Broncos have a few a men who can accomplish this feat.

Richard Quinn the second round tight-end will shock those at Dove Valley this year. The 6-foot-4 player who was seen as only a blocker will force the coaches in Denver to make his pass/catching skills known league-wide after they get a better glimpse into what he can do.

Spencer Larson was the first player to start on both sides of the ball in Denver since, well ever. I do not know if there will be room for him back on the offense but in New England, the Patriots loved guys with tons of athleticism--and McDaniels will too. He may end up being the next Mike Vrabel.

Brian Dawkins playing well is hardly a surprise but the folks in Denver aren’t sold on the idea of him being the same force he was in Philly a few years ago, but he can still play. Even if he’s not in on passing downs, the impact he will make on the defense will surprise all those who tune in to Broncos games.

Injury Watch:

Champ Bailey missed seven games last year and the Broncos can’t afford to lose him again for that long. After an entire off-season of getting in shape the eight-time Pro Bowler should be back. Keep a close on eye on the offensive line as well, they have one of the best in the league but one injury could throw them down the rabbit hole and into a failed season.

Overall Impression:

There have been a lot of changes in Denver since last season ended. But the hopes should be high as the team goes into training camp. They have a whiz-kid for a head coach, got a great leader in Brian Dawkins, have a stable of worthy running backs and wide receivers, a new defensive coordinator who can help them get better and B-Marsh is on the team, for now.

If the Broncos can come out of camp feeling confident in the front seven, everyone learns the plays and gets very familiar with their role, and Brandon Marshall keeps his head down the Broncos might be able to overachieve and win more than the four games people in Denver are predicting.