Broncos running back Justin Fargas
Broncos running back Justin Fargas (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Actions, at times, speak more loudly than words.

While the Broncos continue to publicly express optimism about the overall health of their running back corps, they continue to sign running backs to put on the practice field.

It remains to be seen how all of this shakes out by the time the Broncos start the regular season Sept. 12 at Jacksonville.

The Broncos continue to say privately that Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter are on track to be in uniform for the Jacksonville game.

But they signed LenDale White, who's facing a four-game NFL suspension to start the season and is trying to recover from a leg injury, and now they have signed Justin Fargas.

Fargas was on the practice field for the first time Wednesday, having passed his physical. He didn't pass a physical with the Raiders this year, the Raiders citing past knee problems. Fargas worked out for several NFL teams in recent months, including the Seahawks, but none signed him. That's especially curious in the Seahawks' case because this is their depth chart at running back: Julius Jones, Leon Washington, Justin Forsett, Quinton Ganther and Louis Rankin.

If a team wanted a running back or two just to get through training camp, White and Fargas don't fit that job description. But if a team wanted to see what a running back can do, how much he has left in the tank, how his conditioning is, can he still contribute, Fargas and White are worth signing.

The Broncos aren't just signing running backs to get through practice. They're doing it with an eye on the 2010 season. It implies the Broncos are concerned about when Buckhalter will be able to come back and contribute as Moreno's top backup.

White needs to get on the field, but it's difficult for a player who has been working out on his own instead of in a team's offseason program to maintain the fitness level and flexibility required to just jump into a training camp that's already underway and not suffer some kind of muscle injury.

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With his suspension looming, White has to show the Broncos he has value worth keeping for when he is reinstated by the commissioner.

Fargas likely will get a few carries in the Broncos' preseason opener Sunday night at Cincinnati if he can show during training camp that his conditioning is fine and he doesn't have any issues with his knee.

Moreno should be ready to carry the ball in the regular-season opener, but what the depth chart will look like behind him is still a question mark.

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or