Broncos' Moss recovery right on track

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Jarvis Moss plans to be fully healed in time for training camp.

Jarvis Moss has given the Broncos the boot.

The team's 2007 No. 1 draft pick walked into the training room Tuesday and turned in the walking cast that he has worn for all but the past week during the last three months.

Moss also recently ditched the crutches that have been extra appendages and is able to wear normal walking shoes, something he considers a significant step since breaking his right fibula and suffering ligament damage to his ankle in a practice mishap Nov. 1.

"I'm actually pretty far along," the defensive end said of his rehabilitation to date. "I'm kind of getting it down to where I barely walk with a limp now. So I'm making progress. My ankle is as strong as the other one right now. It's just a matter of learning again how to use my ankle and foot again."

Moss is doing range-of-motion and balancing exercises to try to get his muscles firing normally.

It's Moss' expectation to begin some weight work on his legs for the first time today as part of a four- to five-day-per-week workout routine that will give him a jump over many of his teammates.

Moss could be jogging lightly in about four weeks, well before the start of the team's offseason strength and conditioning program March 24.

And if he's not fully ready for the start of that team workout program next month, Moss won't sweat it.

"If I have to ease into it, that's what I'll do. I don't want to risk anything," he said. "But already by that time, I should be 85-90 percent, so there won't be too many things in the offseason program that I'll miss on; maybe early, but two weeks in, I should be full-go in the program."

Moss also has no doubts about his preparedness for training camp since everything is healing and progressing as planned.

"I plan on being in training camp, first practice, doing everything," he said.

rasizerl@RockyMountainNews.com