Peyton Manning has revealed that Montee Ball features heavily in the Denver Broncos' plans for the 2013 NFL season.
The AFC West champions used their second-round Draft pick to acquire the 22-year-old running back.
The team's quarterback told USA Today: "We're just kind of going through plays, going through games, getting him comfortable hearing audibles at the line of scrimmage, because we are going to count on him in a big way this year. He's a rookie, but coach [John] Fox isn't going to bring him along slowly.
"I can tell you Ball [and rookie tackle Vinston Painter] have been studying their playbooks and not playing much golf, which is a good thing."
Willis McGahee led the Broncos in rushing in 2012, with 731 yards and four touchdowns.