TotalBroncos

By Rich Kurtzman While the Denver Broncos had three players unable to practice Wednesday in backups Matt Willis, Nate Irving and Quinton Carter, they did get back one very valuable piece of their offensive line picture in Chris Kuper. Yes, Kuper was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, but just having him back on the field was big news for the Broncos. Chris Kuper returns to the lineup this week. (Credit, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Kuper, the most veteran offensive lineman and one of the team’s five captains, has been sitting on the sideline since snapping his right forearm in practice on Aug. 14. Kuper’s not necessarily a vocal leader, but just his presence and his understanding of the game give him an ability to lead by example. In his stead has been career backup Manny Ramirez, who played well in Week 1, but gave up a sack against the Falcons and was completely whipped by J.J. Watt of the Texans last Sunday. He doesn’t have what it takes to be the starter, though he was a serviceable guard in a pinch. Now the Broncos should be back up to full speed on their offensive line, despite many others being banged up.