The skies above Dove Valley were drab Tuesday morning, and Head Coach Mike Shanahan felt that the performance of his team was equally so after a two-and-a-quarter-hour session that he termed “below average.”

“The intensity is there. Guys are tired, but they’ve got to work through it,” Shanahan said. “That’s what football’s all about; that’s what training camp is all about.”

However, one welcome sight was the return of tight end Tony Scheffler to the practice field. His time in his No. 88 jersey, however, was limited, as he went through calisthenics and installation drills, running a few routes before retreating to rehabilitation work.

“We tried to work him through about a 30-minute period, trying to get him used to running some routes,” Shanahan said. “He’s still a ways away.”

Jarvis Moss remained sidelined following the Monday morning scare he experienced with his left knee; he was on the field throughout the practice walking smoothly with his knee wrapped in a bandage. Other injuries, however, shook up the Broncos’ alignment as practice wound forward.

JOHN LYNCH: The 15th-year safety left the field late in the session after suffering a slightly bruised sternum on a collision with Travis Henry. Hamza Abdullah took his place with the first unit for the final periods of the morning.

“I’m all right. I’ve just been banging into Travis a little bit too much,” Lynch said. “Usually I grind through it, but they pulled me out … I’ll just come back and be ready to go tomorrow.”

MATT LEPSIS: The offensive tackle suffered what Shanahan termed “a little bit of a groin pull” and was replaced on the first unit by Adam Meadows for the final 45 minutes of practice.

“I’m not sure how serious it is right now, but it’s enough to keep him out,” Shanahan said. Lepsis did stay on the sidelines after incurring the injury.

MIKE BELL: The third-team running back was walking around slowly after being hit during team drills midway through practice and did not see much playing time thereafter, although he remained on the field.