The Denver Broncos have faced a litany of injuries so far this year, with most of the attention being paid to Elvis Dumervil and the $43 million pectoral muscle he’ll have operated on today.

As troubling as Dumervil’s injury may be, the offensive line is also facing its share of injuries, which could leave the front five looking more like a patchwork of players than the strong starters team coaches had envisioned at the beginning of the season.

The Denver Post writes that “the Broncos now have a question mark of injury or youth at each of their five blocking positions.”

Star left tackle Ryan Clady (pictured) hurt his left knee in an off-season pickup basketball game, and star right tackle Ryan Harris is coming off a toe injury that kept him off the playing field half of last year. Both are expected to start the first game on September 1 in Jacksonville against the Jaguars, although some doubt remains.

The rest of the guys up front are a jumble of rookies and players with very little experience.

“We’ve got five guys out there trying to work together,” 312-pound, former Cherry Creek star tackle Tyler Polumbus tells the Post. “Who’s lining up come Jacksonville? Who knows.”

That’s precisely why MaxDenver.com’s Andrew Mason wants to shift the focus to the position of quarterback, writing, “Broncos fans, Kyle Orton is your quarterback. Accept it. Embrace it. Because with each injury, the season’s fate rests more on his right arm.”

For a quick rundown of the quarterback candidates, their strengths, weaknesses, and what others are saying about them, check out the “QB Conundrum” from our 5280 Football Preview.