What does the Broncos interest in a RB mean for Phillip Lindsay

The Broncos are looking for help at the running back position. It’s been something that has come up in the pre-draft process and their reasons for that interest has me curious as to why.

They already have Phillip Lindsay as the starter and he’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as the Broncos lead back. Lindsay is the only undrafted free agent to ever accomplish that feat in NFL history and could be poised to make it three in a row in 2020.

So, why is the team searching for help at the position when they seem to have an entrenched starter? Could this be more about the backs behind Lindsay or does this interest show some concern about Lindsay’s long-term durability with a featured role?

What does this interest in running backs mean for Lindsay? Let’s take a look.

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Free Agent Backs

There are a couple of quality backs who are set to be unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins.

Derrick Henry is the best back set to become available, but I believe the Titans will do whatever they can to keep him around as the centerpiece of the offense. The Broncos wouldn’t be in the market for his services if he were to hit the open market.

Kenyan Drake was traded to the Cardinals last year and he made an immediate impact for his new team. Drake never produced much when in Miami, but going to Arizona helped jumpstart his career. The team wants to keep him around and may have to perform some salary cap gymnastics in order to afford him this offseason. Even though he’s going to get a cheaper deal than Henry, the Broncos would be unlikely to add Drake if he was available.

Behind those two, there’s not a ton of big names or players who the Broncos should consider. Most of the remaining players come with some baggage – and with inflated price tags compared to rookies, the Broncos had better just pass.

I do like some interesting names like C.J. Prosise or DeAndre Washington as cheaper free agent options. Prosise has never been healthy during his time with the Seahawks, but he has pass-catching ability that would fit in nicely with Pat Shurmur’s offense. Washington has flashed a bit during his time with the Raiders as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. I like his ability to change direction on a dime and he can make defenders look foolish in the open field. He should get a more lucrative contract than Prosise in 2020.

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Backs In The Draft

The most-likely spot where Denver adds talent to the running back room is in the 2020 NFL Draft. They had more than a few formal interviews with running backs at the Scouting Combine last week and those names need to be taken seriously when thinking about who they may want to draft.

Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins is one of the best running backs in this draft class. He has drawn some comparisons to the NFL’s all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith and there are some similarities to their game. Like Smith, Dobbins has incredible contact balance. He doesn’t go down with an arm tackle, as evidenced by his 1,200 yards rushing after contact in 2019. Dobbins has great foot frequency and is tough for just one man to bring him down.

He is one of the best receiving backs in this class and he might be the best when it comes to pass protection – two abilities that are highly coveted in today’s pass-happy NFL. Under Shurmur, expect a lot of passes to the running backs and Dobbins could be the type of back who catches 75-plus passes in a season.

In addition to a formal interview with Dobbins, the Broncos also talked to Florida State’s Cam Akers, Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Boston Colleges A.J. Dillon at the Combine.

Akers is one of the most interesting backs in this draft class. He may not have produced as much as other backs, but the Seminoles were devoid of talent and Akers was pretty much all they had. Akers is a good receiving option out of the backfield and he can stack moves on top of moves to create plenty of space in the open field.

Vaughn initially began his career with Illinois, but he transferred to Vanderbilt to get more playing time. He is a one-speed runner who can build a head of steam quickly and his tough to bring down once that happens. Vaughn doesn’t have a ton of moves as a runner, but his game isn’t about nuance or finesse – he’s a powerful player who makes it tough for defenders play after play.

Dillon is a huge back, measuring in at nearly 250 pounds. He’s a two-down thumper who can wear down a defense as the game goes on. Dillon has a nose for the end zone as evidenced by his 39 career rushing touchdowns. He’s not a natural receiver and that limits his potential in the pros. Dillon is a favorite mid-round back of mine, but he would be an odd fit in the Shurmur offense due to his lack of pass-catching ability.

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More About Freeman

So, does this interest in running backs have more to do with the backs behind Lindsay like Royce Freeman? The short answer is simple: Yes. The long answer is a bit more complicated, but this is a fair question worth exploring.

Freeman was supposed to be the Broncos main back when they picked him up out of Oregon in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was a productive starter in college and looked to be a great option as a lead back for the Broncos after C.J. Anderson moved on in free agency. Instead of taking over at the position, however, Freeman has failed to stay healthy and failed to produce at the expected level.

What happened to this talented runner?

I think Freeman has lost confidence in his game. While he was banged up as a rookie with a high-ankle sprain, Freeman sat and watched as Lindsay took over. Not only did Lindsay produce on the ground as the starting running back, but he became even more of a fan favorite with every big game and good performance. This has to be the explanation for why Freeman has struggled as he has a good skill set in terms of his blend of size and power. Plus, the Broncos have been using the wide-zone system that he worked in during his time with the Ducks.

Instead of taking over, Freeman is now likely to be competing for the No. 2 job in training camp this year.

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All in the Wrist?

Lindsay had another wrist surgery this offseason. That means back-to-back offseasons where Lindsay is recovering from the same procedure.

After his rookie season, Lindsay had to have a more serious surgery and it kept him out of action mostly until training camp. Lindsay didn’t take a handoff during OTAs and minicamp and he didn’t take any handoffs either. The Broncos were wisely safe with him during the recovery process and it paid off with another solid season as the team’s starter.

This most recent surgery isn’t as severe, but the team might be taking it easy on Lindsay again during the offseason. There is no need to aggravate the injury during the offseason, so Lindsay might be limited in what he can do. He may not like that (Lindsay was chomping at the bit to get going last year), but it’s more about his long-term health.

Lindsay is not a huge back, so injury concerns have been there from day one. He hasn’t had a devastating injury like a knee or an Achilles’ injury, but Lindsay’s wrist has been problematic to say the least.

The Broncos want Lindsay to be a better receiver out of the backfield this year under Shurmur. The wrist injury did not impact him as a receiver last year according to head coach Vic Fangio, but it certainly didn’t help.

Lindsay didn’t seem natural as a receiver in either of his seasons in the NFL. He has 70 catches during two years (35 each season), but in the Shurmur offense, he could be asked to catch 70-plus catches in a single season. He can’t even practice catching passes because of this surgery, so any improvement he can make catching the ball will have to wait.

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Summary

I don’t think the Broncos should add a running back in free agency. The top backs are out of their reach and the rest of the free agents at the position aren’t that good.

The Broncos will select a running back in the 2020 NFL Draft. Where they add one will tell you a lot about what it means for Lindsay. If they were to move back into the end of the first round for Dobbins, it would be a serious threat for Lindsay’s spot at the top of the depth chart. Dobbins isn’t a part-time player and arguably would be the best running back on the roster if added.

If the Broncos add someone like Akers in the second round – or Vaughn or Dillon in the mid rounds – that would be a better sign for Lindsay. Those backs can serve as change-of-pace backs to Lindsay and complement what he does on the field. All three of those backs could unseat Freeman as the second-string back behind Lindsay.

Freeman is certainly on the hot seat this year and he’s quickly on his way to becoming the new Devontae Booker. He is a talented runner, but he needs more confidence with the rock so he can be productive on the ground. Freeman is a much better receiver than most expected when he came out of college, but that’s not enough to lock in his spot on the depth chart.

Lindsay is the clear-cut starter for the Broncos at this time. The interest in running backs is real and the Broncos will add to the position this offseason. We need to see Lindsay become a better receiver out of the backfield, but that will require patience because he won’t be able to practice catching passes until his wrist is fully healed.

If he has the type of season that he could, Lindsay is in line for a contract extension. The team is going to wait until later this summer to address his contract and the talent added at running back could impact the type of money he could get with a new deal.

So, why are the Broncos looking at running backs? It’s simple – they want to upgrade at the position if possible in any way they see fit.

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