Thrown out of work in Detroit, tailback Tatum Bell was studying cell phone rate plans rather than a play book. After his unceremonious release by the Lions in September, Bell was hired as a manager to run a T-Mobile kiosk inside a Denver area mall. There, in a tiny booth located just across from the Disney Store, Bell waited for a second chance, not really expecting one anytime soon.

After losing seven running backs to injuries this season, the Denver Broncos brought in some reinforcements on Tuesday.

A dismal December has the Denver Broncos on the brink of a colossal collapse. Not since division play began in 1967 has a team held a three-game lead with three weeks to go and failed to make the playoffs. The Broncos (8-7) have led the woeful AFC West by themselves for four months, but they will miss the postseason party altogether with a loss Sunday night at San Diego, which began the month 4-8.

Tatum Bell didn’t talk to anyone the rest of the night. Brandon Stokley lost sleep thinking of the catches he couldn’t quite snare. Even Monday, the bewildered Denver Broncos were still agitated over letting a chance to capture the mediocre AFC West slip away with a 30-23 loss to Buffalo. Now, they’re trying to salve their psyche in time for their all-or-nothing game at San Diego on Sunday night.

INVESCO FIELD — Greetings from a very chilly Invesco Field.
First things first: Champ Bailey is back in uniform for the Broncos, for the first time since he partially tore his groin on Oct. 20. Seeing No. 24 back on the field is about the best news the Broncos could hope for.
Injured offensive linemen [...]

Broncos rookie Josh Bell is a cornerback who aspires to one day be a chemist. Naturally he takes a scientific approach to his play, as if it were a lab experiment. Through trial and error, Bell has concocted a fruitful formula as he fills in for Champ Bailey, who’s sidelined by a torn groin and listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

The Denver Broncos re-signed safety Herana-Daze Jones on Wednesday, replacing recently released running back Cory Boyd. Boyd, who was released earlier in the week, was re-signed to the Broncos’ practice squad. The team also released running back Steve Baylark from its practice squad. Jones, whose first name is pronounced “Hernandez,” is a third-year safety signed by Denver on Dec.

DOVE VALLEY — Buffalo coach Dick Jauron said Wednesday morning that his quarterback, Trent Edwards, took some snaps today for the first time since injurying his groin against San Francisco two games ago.
The team is hopeful Edwards will be able to start, but Jauron said that if Edwards can’t go — and those of us [...]

Matt Prater hasn’t lost his sense of humor — and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan hasn’t lost his faith in his slumping kicker. Prater is a perfect 5-for-5 beyond 50 yards but just 4-of-10 on field goal attempts between 40 and 49 yards and hasn’t been the same kicker over the second half of the season. “Maybe I should ask next time if we go out for a 48, ‘Do you mind if we back it up three yards?”‘…

DENVER — In honor of Denver linebacker Wesley Woodyard — who by normal people standards would certainly qualify a big guy, but is considered small by NFL linebacker standards — we here at the All Things Broncos blog have put together a list of five of the best “too-small” small players in the NFL.
Then [...]