Virgil Green against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE)

After a four game suspension for violating the NFL’s banned substance policy in his rookie year, tight end Virgil Green is back.

Because Green couldn’t step inside Dove Valley during his suspension, he stayed in Denver and worked out with private trainer Loren Landow.

Now he will rotate in with Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme, and give Peyton Manning a great skill player to throw to.

“I think Virgil proved to us last year in the amount of camp that he was allowed to go through that he’s a good blocking tight end,” John Fox said. “He’s got good pass catching skills to go with that. It’s kind of an area where we’ve been holding our breath a little bit and we’ve been fortunate because Joel’s been healthy and been good. That gives us another ‘Y’ tight end option.”

Thus far, Dreessen and Tamme have combined for 22 receptions, 200 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 17 first downs. Green has got to be chomping at the bit to get in there especially after last season where the passing game turned into an off-shoot of the running game.

Green had just 3 receptions for 24 yards in 15 games his rookie year.

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D.J. Williams a game against the San Diego Chargers. (Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE)

Former Bronco and current Ravens defensive tackle Ryan McBean settled his lawsuit against the NFL and as a result, his six game suspension was dropped to three games. McBean was accused of violating the NFL’s performance enhancement policy.

Linebacker D.J. Williams and tight end Virgil Green were also accused of violating the league’s performance enhancement policy. Williams has no plans to settle. That could change, however, if the league drops the punishment to a one or two game suspension, or no suspension, but a fine.

The Broncos did not let McBean sign his restricted free agent tender last month. The thinking is that McBean settled his case because no other team would have taken him with a pending lawsuit against the league.

Green did not file a suit. He will serve a four game suspension to start the 2012 season.

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Julius Thomas during a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. (Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE)

When the Denver Broncos selected tight end Julius Thomas in the fourth round (129th overall) of last year’s draft, heads turned a little bit.

Sure, the former basketball player was being compared to Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzales, but his body of work didn’t necessarily lend itself to the Broncos taking him early on in the draft. He only played one year of football at Portland State where his primary sport while going to school there was basketball. In that one year on the turf, he had 29 receptions for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The 6’5″, 255-pound tight end didn’t have much of a chance to prove himself in his rookie year due to suffering an ankle injury in week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had just one reception last season and was listed as a game day inactive for 11 games.

Thomas had surgery to repair his damaged ankle ligaments last week and he should be ready to go for training camp come August.

This will be a huge off season for Thomas developmentally. Basketball players, specifically power forwards, seem to make the transition to tight end fairly easily because they are tall and understand how to box a guy out while jumping up to grab the ball. Many of those skills are applicable to football which is why the Broncos think Thomas will be a natural.

Thomas has a lot of work to do this off season not only rehabbing from injury, but improving his skills to compete with guys like newcomers Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen, as well as returning tight end Virgil Green.

If there’s one guy who can make Thomas’s transition to the NFL easier, it’s Peyton Manning. Manning has made guys like Dallas Clark and Austin Collie household names. Thomas could easily be another beneficiary with his size and great hands.

For Thomas, simply making the roster is the first step, however. The rest comes in time.

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