Dan Koppen Injury: What's Next For Denver Broncos at Center Position?

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

The Denver Broncos have already been trying to fill the void at the center position this offseason, but now it appears the team will once again need to find another replacement in the same spot after Dan Koppen's injury.

According to the Denver Broncos official Twitter feed, Koppen tore the ACL in his left knee during practice on Sunday and will miss the entire 2013 season. It's a huge blow for a team already in trouble at the all important center position.

MRI results reveal that Broncos C Dan Koppen has torn the ACL in his left knee. He will miss the 2013 season.
— Denver Broncos (@DenverBroncos) July 28, 2013

Koppen was signed to a one-year deal after he did a stellar job replacing the injured J.D. Walton last season.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reported that Walton is experiencing a slow recovery from his respective ankle injury, and the team's No. 4 center, C.J. Davis, was carted off the field on Saturday.

So the center carousel continues to spin for the Broncos and now they will have to become creative to fill the void.

Torn ACL for Dan Koppen. Serious infection delaying J.D. Walton's left ankle recovery. No. 4 center C.J. Davis carted off Saturday.
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) July 28, 2013

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reports that the team will likely go with guard Manny Ramirez who has been working as a center during the offseason program. That's especially important because it means he has some experience working with Peyton Manning.

Second-year guard Philip Blake is another option for Denver as he had experience playing center in college and snapped the ball to that Robert Griffin III guy, but his lack of experience will be a huge negative in his hopes of getting the starting nod.

Also, Williamson notes that the Broncos signed Steve Vallos on Sunday, who is expected to be a backup this season. Denver will also likely continue to look at the waiver wire for more help, but it isn't likely to come from there because of how important centers are in the NFL.

Add to that the fact that Manning is behind center for the Broncos and it makes it even more difficult to fill the void. Not just anybody can work with the Hall of Fame quarterback--especially at center.

Manning is always changing plays and snap counts at the line of scrimmage and having a center who is smart enough and familiar with Manning's decision making is vital to the success of the offense--both running and throwing the ball.

As far as the Broncos go as a whole, these injuries to their centers will no doubt hurt but this team has more than enough talent to overcome such difficulties. At the end of the day, this is just a bump in the road for a team that will likely contend for a Super Bowl this upcoming season.