The votes are in.

The questions, for the most part, have answers. And the Broncos, with only their preseason finale remaining and no starter expected to play Friday night, largely have turned their attention to their regular-season opener Sept. 8 in Oakland.

"It's all about opportunities," said Broncos tight end Nate Jackson, who moved up the depth chart far enough this offseason that he now gets plenty of snaps with the starters. "You don't know how many opportunities you're going to get, in practice or in games, so you have to take advantage every time you have one.

"That's what offseason workouts are about, that's what training camp is about and that's what preseason is about. The people who take advantage of the opportunities show what they have to offer for those 16 games to try and get into the playoffs."

And when the Broncos' regulars finished their preseason's work against the Packers on Friday night, the quest for most of the remaining starting positions that hadn't been spoken for also concluded.

Especially at middle linebacker, where the Broncos entered March in pursuit of Niko Koutouvides in free agency with the idea he would play there.

The Broncos got most everything they wanted from Koutouvides in the offseason program and in training camp, but they also got a surge from Nate Webster. And it is Webster who won a tight race for the job, by a jersey thread or two.

"Signing Niko just made me lock in and focus a little bit more coming into camp," Webster said. "I was thinking that was a bit on the edge, but Mike (Shanahan) is a man of his word and he said it was going to be a fair battle and may the best man win."

"He did a hell of job out there . . . ," Koutouvides said. "That can motivate anybody. You sign a guy . . . so he probably felt, not disrespected, but a little motivated. . . . Obviously, I didn't get it done."

Koutouvides was not a defensive starter in his time with the Seahawks - he was in line for the job just before the team selected three-time Pro Bowl selection Lofa Tatupu in the 2005 draft.

Webster, who has battled some knee injuries in his career, started 13 games at strong-side linebacker for the Broncos last season, which was more than the 11 combined starts in his previous seven years in the league.

The ninth-year veteran still is considered a quality striker by opposing personnel executives, but many worry about his durability over the long haul. With at least two knee surgeries in his past, he played in only six games in the three seasons combined before he came to the Broncos.

Webster said he knows the landscape as well at the Broncos' Dove Valley complex and that nothing is chiseled in marble on the depth chart.

"Yeah, man, knowing coach (Shanahan), if I don't do what I'm supposed to do, he'll play somebody else," Webster said. "That's every position. I hold that to myself to be a pro and stay focused and handle business week in and week out."

Added Koutouvides: "I'm not going to sit here and give you a bunch of excuses. . . . Two guys competed, one guy wins."

Moving into position

In the offensive line, guard Chris Kuper officially has won a job that wasn't really slated to be open for bidding when camp started. But when Montrae Holland arrived at least 25 pounds overweight and spent the opening two weeks being held out of practice to get his weight down, Kuper went about making himself a starter at right guard.

Kuper, a third-year player, won the job despite playing with a cast on his fractured right hand throughout the preseason. Off his right shoulder, second-year tackle Ryan Harris also officially made the most of his opportunity.

Broncos coaches like the way Harris rebounded from a four- penalty game in Houston to start the preseason.

Having played both tackle spots in his career at Notre Dame, Harris had the savvy to adjust and showed his quickness in his next two starts.

Harris also held his own against the likes of Dallas' Greg Ellis and Green Bay's Aaron Kampman - a combined 241/2 sacks in 2007 - as neither had a sack in limited playing time against Harris in the preseason.

"Those guys have done a great job up front," said quarterback Jay Cutler, who was not sacked during the preseason. "You couldn't ask for more."

Competition continues

At punter, though, the Broncos are going to take one last look Friday against the Cardinals (8 p.m. MDT, CBS 4). But visions of Dallas punter Mat McBriar might be dancing in the Broncos' heads as they consider the two.

Most personnel executives polled Monday consider rookie Brett Kern to have a more powerful leg overall, but that Sam Paulescu, with a little more NFL experience, is the more consistent of the two.

McBriar was in Broncos camp in 2003 as an undrafted rookie, but Denver chose consistency over his booming leg and he was traded to Seattle for a conditional draft pick.

He since has been named to a Pro Bowl (2006) in Dallas while finishing fourth and first in the league during the past two seasons in gross punting average.

"We'll rotate this game," Shanahan said. "Sam will start it off and we'll see; hopefully, we won't get too many punts."

Kern also has been the first- team holder for kicker Matt Prater throughout the preseason.

"We are trying to get the best 53 players, top to bottom, that give us the best chance to win games," Shanahan said. "And I've always said it's a day-to-day evaluation. We have starters, but they are starters as long as they practice that way and play that way.

"So we're making decisions, but decisions aren't always final."