Q. Is Chad Pennington guaranteed to be the Dolphins starter? Seems like they should really consider Chad Henne since they haven’t had much luck with anybody else since Marino.
— Joey Martin, Orlando, Fla.

A. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. But Pennington was not signed to waive pom poms or carry clipboards. The intention clearly is for him to start. Trotting out Henne as a rookie with that offense at the beginning of the season would not be in the best interests of developing the player. Nor would it be in the best interests of winning the games. Eventually, I could see Henne stepping into the starting lineup. But not in September.

Q. How much will Brandon Marshall's suspension affect Denver? Do they have a chance to make the playoffs this year?
— Carin Haseltine, Las Vegas, Nev.

A. It's going to be tough for the Broncos to make the playoffs. To win the division, the Broncos will have to count on the Chargers not playing up to their potential. To make it in as a wildcard, the Broncos will have to hope that a lot of other very talented teams beat each other up and knock each other out of the playoff picture. The Broncos will miss Marshall during his suspension and that could lead to a tough start. The hope is that rookie Eddie Royal will step up and account for some of Marshall's production. Royal has looked great in camp, but looking great in a regular season game is something else entirely. The Broncos are going to be a young team. It remains to be seen if they can stop the run. And they're going to need Jay Cutler to have a monster season if they are going to be a contender.

Q. Hey Dan, can I expect Larry Johnson to rebound from an OK season last year? Or is he ever gonna be the same after the Chiefs ran him into the ground?
— Gene, Paola, Kan.

A. If you study the history of running backs who have carried the kind of loads that Johnson did in 2006, there is some reason for concern about him. But he still is a relatively young player with relatively low mileage for his career, so if Johnson can stay healthy I would think he would be able to regain his form. He has looked good in camp. The bigger issue for him may be getting help from his teammates. The Chiefs' line could be suspect, and they might not have the kind of passing game that will force defenses to back off the safety. No running back can be a one man team.

Q. What player gets the most out of the least amount of talent?
— Madelyne Pierce, St. Louis, Mo.

A. It's difficult to pick one. There are a lot of players who could fit this description. Among them are Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas, Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher, Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, Ravens defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, Colts center Jeff Saturday and Giants safety Sammy Knight. I don't mean to insult any of those players by saying they lack talent. Rather, I mean to compliment them by saying they are among football's most resourceful players. There are others, to be sure. If I had to pick one, I'd pick Vasher, a player who is shorter and slower than virtually every wide receiver he covers, but who makes as many plays on the ball as almost any corner in the game.

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