The first notion filtered through the media corps as the Broncos went through pre-practice warmups and calisthenics, where onlookers murmured to each other, asking “Where is Simeon Rice?” and “Do you see (No.) 97 out there?”

The answer came after practice, when Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced that the 12-year veteran defensive end was released following an eight-game tenure in which he was inactive twice, started once and logged 11 total tackles and a pass breakup during the six games in which he played. Most notably, he didn’t record a sack, and now has two sacks in his last 14 games played after notching 56.5 sacks in the previous four seasons.

“When we lost Ebenezer (Ekuban), we went out to try to find a proven player that we thought could help us,” Shanahan said. “In the current situation, we felt like we were better with the younger players that we do have. They gave us the best chance to win. That’s the direction (in which) we’re going.”

The team added three younger defensive ends this week — Josh Mallard and Paul Carrington, who played under current defensive-line coach Bill Johnson in Atlanta last year, and rookie Larry Birdine.

When asked whether the release was related to Rice’s shoulder — which has been problematic since last season and led to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ decision to release him in July — Shanahan declined to specify the reason why Rice’s production was below expectations.

“I really can’t tell you what it is,” Shanahan said.

“I wish him well. He’s going to keep on trying to play for another football team. I’ve watched Simeon for a lot of years and he’s played exceptionally well in the National Football League. It just didn’t work out for us.”

Safety John Lynch, who played with Rice during the 2001-03 seasons with Tampa Bay as well as this year, said he was “disappointed” at the news.

“I feel partly responsible for urging him to come here, and from the start it never worked out,” Lynch said. “Everyone, I’m sure, has their reasons. He’s a Hall of Fame player in my mind, and I’m just sorry it didn’t work out here. I’ve seen him at his best, and he’ll go on to have success if he wants to play elsewhere.

“He was frustrated from the start. He’s a guy who demands a lot of himself. He takes a lot of pride in his profession. I think early on he was still struggling with the injury. He thought he was well here, and it just wasn’t working out. Sometimes everyone’s not a match, and this wasn’t a match. It’s disappointing for me because I like both sides and I would’ve liked to see it really work out, but it didn’t, so both sides moved on.”

Also from the practice …

Running back Travis Henry and Lynch were limited in their on-field work; both will be game-time decisions … Shanahan also expects Jay Cutler to be ready to play Sunday.

Well, it happened … Simeon Rice is a Bronco.

After two days of speculation, the Broncos agreed to terms with the former Buccaneers and Cardinals defensive end. Terms were not disclosed.

In a league where nostalgia is what you had for breakfast, as Harlan Ellison would say, it’s easy for Simeon Rice’s relatively recent accomplishments to be dismissed; after a two-sack, injury-ruined season in 2006, his previous success might as well have been in the Cenozoic Era in the eyes of some.

But even with shoulder injuries limiting him to just eight games and 0.25 sacks per game in ‘06, Rice’s best days are closer than they might appear in the rear-view mirror.

Not only does Rice have more sacks than any active player not named Michael Strahan, but he has the third-best sack total in the last five years; his 69.5 sacks since 2001 are one less than Strahan and 5.5 fewer than Miami’s Jason Taylor.

He is also 20 months removed from a 14-sack season; until ‘06, his sack totals were 15.5, 15, 12 and 14 in the ‘02, ‘03, ‘04 and ‘05 campaigns, respectively. He has as many double-digit sack totals in the last five seasons as he did in his first six NFL campaigns, and four of his six seasons with 12 or more sacks have come since 2002.

Further, there is only one player with five double-digit sack seasons since 2001. It’s not Taylor; it’s not Strahan; it’s not Dwight Freeney — it’s Rice. Taylor, Strahan, Freeney, Leonard Little, Julius Peppers and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila each have four double-digit sack campaigns since ‘01, but only Rice has a quintet.

Until last year, Rice’s career stood as evidence of a player who was seeming to blossom with age, rather than decline.

The spectre of injury, of course, alters perception. Just like it did on John Lynch in March 2004 after the Bucs released him. But the Broncos signed the safety, and three Pro Bowls later, one can say the pickup worked out pretty well. If Rice is half as successful at Lynch, then bringing him aboard was worth it.

The other factor for Rice involves the impact he can have upon the defensive line; one can only assume that he’ll teach a trick or two to Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder and Elvis Dumervil. Even if Rice only plays a single season in Denver — he agreed to a one-year deal — his impact could continue to be felt for years beyond of Crowder, Dumervil and Moss become successful pros.