The No. 1 goal of new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is to get Russell Wilson’s career back on track, and one way to revitalize the veteran quarterback might be to take work off his plate. The Broncos’ rushing attack ranked 25th in success rate, 26th in DVOA, and 28th in expected points added per play in 2022, but Payton intends to improve upon those numbers.
How will Denver’s current personnel fare? The Broncos signed Samaje Perine to take the load off Javonte Williams, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last October. Do they have enough options on their depth chart, or should Payton and Co. consider adding another veteran to their backfield?
The Denver Broncos’ Running Back Options
“The two greatest allies for a QB are defense and a run game,” Payton said in February. “We need to take (Wilson) off the high dive the whole time. He’ll need to be there 6-8 times per game, though.”
The Broncos certainly approached the offseason as if they were re-designing an offense with the rushing attack as the primary focus. Denver made three of the five most expensive offensive line signings of the 2023 free agent period.
Mike McGlinchey will slot in at right tackle after inking a five-year, $87.5 million deal, while left guard Ben Powers received a four-year, $52 million contract. Both linemen are solid as pass protectors but are better in the run game, a sign that Payton plans to prioritize the ground.
But what about the running back corps? Williams tore his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner in Week 4 of last season. The former second-round pick participated in Denver’s OTAs on a “limited capacity,” but it’s still unclear if Williams will be able to see full work during training camp.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Payton said he’s “optimistic” about Williams’ progress and said the 23-year-old is “doing well.” Williams rushed for 903 yards at a 4.4 yards-per-carry clip and ranked 18th in rushing success rate during his rookie campaign in 2021.
While the Broncos are hopeful that Williams will be ready for Week 1, they hedged against his health by signing Perine to a two-year, $7.5 million pact in free agency. The Bengals wanted to re-sign Perine and offered him nearly identical terms, but the veteran back chose to head to Denver, perhaps because there could be work available.
“What it came down to, really, was how up front Denver was with me as far as playing time and what coach Payton wants to do with me, personally, and what he wants to do as an offense,” Perine told the Denver Post in March.
“The first time I talked with coach Payton when everything opened up — that first day — the thing he really emphasized was his history of using multiple backs, using two backs in his time with the Saints and going through the history of the backs he’s had.”
While Payton believes Perine can be a three-down back, that’s not a role he’s held since 2017. Perine topped out at 197 touches during his rookie campaign and hasn’t crossed the 140-touch threshold since. With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder if the Broncos should consider adding another back, especially given some of the free agents available on the market.
In addition to Williams and Perine, Denver also has former Saints running back Tony Jones Jr., Tyler Badie, and undrafted free agent Jaleel McLaughlin on its roster. In addition, the Broncos worked out ex-Steelers back Benny Snell earlier this week. But let’s take a look at high-profile backs Denver could look at in the coming weeks.
Dalvin Cook
Let’s start with an easy one: the Broncos “do not appear to be in on” Dalvin Cook, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Denver and Miami have been linked to Cook, who was finally released by the Minnesota Vikings last week, but the Broncos are probably going to look in a different direction.
Cook is searching for a salary close to the $10.4 million he was scheduled to collect from Minnesota, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Denver has less than $9 million in available cap space, so that type of contract wouldn’t be possible for Cook unless he’s willing to accept a heavily incentivized deal.
Ezekiel Elliott
While the Broncos weren’t on the list of three teams that Ezekiel Elliott wanted to play for as of March, the former Cowboy might have to take what he can get at this point in the offseason. Zeke hasn’t generated any known interest since becoming a free agent, but Dallas has been open about its interest in a potential reunion.
Although Elliott crawled to a 3.8 yards-per-carry average in 2022, he’s still a capable grinder between the tackles and near the goal line and remains an elite pass protector. He wouldn’t garner a full-time role in Denver, but Zeke’s unlikely to receive his previous workload no matter where he signs.
Kareem Hunt
Kareem Hunt may have enough overlap with Perine that the Broncos won’t consider him. Both veterans are excellent receivers who thrive more in the passing game than on the ground.
Nevertheless, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler called Denver a “team to watch” for Hunt after the Broncos failed to select a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft. Moreover, new Broncos running backs coach Lou Ayeni worked with Hunt at Toledo, so Denver’s staff has at least a tangential connection to the former Browns RB.
