Lammey: ‘Now the lightbulb’s going to come on’ for Devontae Booker?
Jul 19, 2018, 4:41 PM
The people over at EA Sports may have Devontae Booker as the top running back for the Denver Broncos, but he is not exactly the horse Cecil Lammey is putting his money on.
Filling in on “Schlereth and Evans” on Thursday, Lammey said it’s hard for him to fathom a guy like Booker, whom he believes the light has not come on for, finally having things click in his third NFL season.
“Now he’s supposed to get it? Now the lightbulb’s going to come on?” Lammey said.
In 29 career games since being drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Booker has rushed the ball for 911 yards and five touchdowns at a 3.6 yards per attempt clip. He has also caught 61 passes for 540 yards and one touchdown.
“What’s possible and what’s likely? I think it’s likely that the player who hasn’t got it yet continues to not get it, especially at that position,” Lammey said, “because shouldn’t running backs … make the transition a lot soon, a lot faster, almost immediately to the pro game?”
Just a few weeks ago Mark Schlereth, Lammey’s co-host Thursday, said he doesn’t “believe in Booker,” that he’s not the answer. Instead, Schlereth believes rookie Royce Freeman could be.
“Is Royce Freeman the answer? I think he could be,” Schlereth said. “We’ll have to see exactly how he plays. But it’s all about the potential of this backfield.”
In four years at Oregon, Freeman rushed for 5,621 yards and 60 touchdowns while also grabbing 79 passes and four receiving catches.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.