ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With the regular-season opener now less than a week away, the Denver Broncos are close to being as healthy on the offensive line as they have been since early in training camp. It's something worth noting, given two of the quarterbacks on the Broncos' roster -- starter Trevor Siemian and rookie Paxton Lynch -- have not attempted a pass in a regular-season game and will likely face defenses a little more willing to be aggressive in the pass rush against them.

After Thursday night’s 38-17 preseason loss against the Arizona Cardinals, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak had some optimism that three of the Broncos' injured offensive linemen could be ready to at least practice in the coming week. But much like last season, it's possible the starters to open the season will not have worked together all that much before the season opener.

That's because guard Ty Sambrailo (right elbow) has not practiced fully since early in training camp, guard Darrion Weems emerged from the league’s concussion protocol this past week and guard/center James Ferentz, who had arthroscopic surgery in the preseason to clean up cartilage issues in his knee, are all closing in on their return to full participation on the practice field.

Whether all three will be available for Thursday night’s regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers remains to be seen. But as the Broncos formally turn toward the Super Bowl 50 rematch, it is the most upbeat Kubiak has been about a position group that hasn’t had every player available to practice for weeks, and will likely have center Matt Paradis as the only player who is in the same spot on the offensive line that started the title game last February.

Weems was held out of the preseason finale in Arizona, but he did practice this past week. Sambrailo worked without a brace on his arm during Tuesday’s practice and is closing in on a return.

"They are both there," Kubiak said. "Obviously Ty is behind Weems right now ... Ty still hasn’t went out there and banged on somebody. But I think we are really close, and hopefully we’re talking about this week."

Weems was a late find in training camp after the Broncos moved him into the right guard spot after Sambrailo suffered his injury. The coaches liked what they saw from Weems enough to leave him with the starters for much of the time until he suffered his concussion. Sambrailo had opened training camp as a starter at guard.

Ferentz, who spent the 2015 season on the Broncos’ roster after the team had claimed him on waivers last September, has been in the Broncos’ plans as a backup center to Paradis. He can play guard as well. The Broncos tried to time his surgery, after Ferentz had some issues with the knee in training camp, to coincide with being ready for the regular season.

Kubiak said Ferentz is expected to return to practice soon.

"He’s ready," Kubiak said. "We cleaned his knee up. He had some cartilage issues going on. We felt like we could get to Carolina with him if we went and took care of it, so we did that. He is up and around."

Kubiak added that Ferentz had "a good camp" before his surgery, and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has repeatedly said "we'll get the best five out there when the season opens, and we'll feel good about what the group can do."

It all means the Broncos, who have had to move players in and out of the guard spots since all three of the players had missed significant practice time, will at least start the regular season with the ability to keep seven offensive linemen active on the 46-player game-day roster.

Kubiak has repeatedly said he’d like seven offensive linemen in uniform on game day, instead of eight, to provide a little more flexibility on special teams or at another position. But to keep seven offensive linemen active on game day, the Broncos would like one of the reserves to play either tackle or guard, like Michael Schofield or Sambrailo, and one of the reserves to play either center or guard, like Ferentz.