I’m not sure anyone’s happier about the start of the season than Montrae Holland.

Yes, there’s eagerness throughout the locker room. In one corner, there’s Selvin Young, who flashes a broad, toothy grin when asked about how he progressed from undrafted fifth-teamer to Travis Henry’s backup. In another, there’s three rookie defensive linemen who all worked their way onto the second team — and, one would think, into the front-line rotation by Sunday, assuming they’re among the active 45 players. The locker room is pregnant with expectation and, it seems, oozing with confidence.

But as Holland wrapped tape around his hands and thumbs in the locker room this week, he paused to ponder just what he’d managed to do. On a team where linemen are usually cultivated patiently from the draft and the undrafted rookie pool rather than imported via trade or free agency, Holland is poised become the first offseason veteran pickup to be a part of Denver’s opening-day starting offensive line since Ephraim Salaam in 2002. (Salaam also started the ’03 opener; that would be his final Broncos season.)

And given the fact that Holland spent the last eight games of 2006 and the playoffs as a game-day inactive, there are many reasons why he admitted he couldn’t remember starting a season with such excitement and anticipation.

“Man, I don’t know,” he said after mentally scanning through the years to compare this season with the others of his football life. “I can’t even tell you. I’m overwhelmed just to have another opportunity to go out with a great team.”