  In the framework of a dynamical gluon mass model recently developed, we
investigate the effects of two essential parameters in the description of
elastic $pp$ and $\bar{p}p$ data at high energies: the soft Pomeron intercept
and the dynamical gluon mass. By considering relevant numerical intervals for
both parameters and fits to the experimental data up to 1.8 TeV, with good
statistical results, we discuss the predictions of the physical quantities at
the LHC energies (7 and 14 TeV). We conclude that these quantities are
sensitive to those variations and the predictions are correlated with the
intervals considered for both parameters. This conclusion puts limits on the
reliability of QCD inspired models predictions at the LHC energies, mainly
those models with ad hoc fixed values for the mass scale and the Pomeron
intercept.
