Broncos eyeing top free agent running backs

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 3, 2020, 5:00 AM EST
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Why did Broncos General Manager John Elway say running back Philip Lindsay would have to wait until after free agency before the team would consider renegotiating his contract? Perhaps because Elway thinks the team may upgrade at running back in free agency.

Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver reports that the Broncos have interest in some of the top free agent running backs. Klis names Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake, Melvin Gordon, Carlos Hyde and Jordan Howard among the running backs the Broncos would consider.

NFL teams have recently found that the running back position just isn’t that valuable, and fewer of them are willing to spend a lot of money on running backs. But Elway, who won two Super Bowls as a player in large part by handing off to Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis, may not see it that way.

The Broncos are in the top quarter of the NFL in salary cap space, with about $70 million available. That’s good news for veteran running backs hoping for a big payday.

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23 responses to “Broncos eyeing top free agent running backs”

  1. Maybe Hyde or Howard can be signed for a bargain price. As for the others – well – if you look at recent history there is a 100% chance that the contract will turn out bad.

  2. There is no reason to sign Phillip Lindsay to an extension, he’s a RB that’s only been in the league 2 years. The Broncos have greater needs than RB even if this was his 4th year. Sign him when his contract is done or draft another RB next year and let him hit the FA.

    Protecting Lock is priority #1
    Retooling the D is #2 (loses in the FA)

    If there was one lesson in 2019 it was o-lines make RBs look good (Le’Veon Bell).

  3. I think that Derrick Henry proved the RB still is valued. He almost carried an offense to the Super Bowl. I get teams use the QB’s and WR’s in the running game more then ever, but a bell cow RB can sure help with the W’s in December and it looks like you can get some good value there in free agency.

  4. Melvin Gordon did himself no favors by sitting out pre-season and having a mediocre 2019 season. 600 yards, 3.8 YPC sounds like a #2 RB, I’d rathe rdraft someone than pay Gordon a few million.

    Derrick Henry will be in demand but he won’t get paid anywhere near what Gurles, Zeke, or LeVeon Bell got because teams realize those were mistakes. Henry will get paid, just les sthan he will expect.

  5. Well it really doesn’t matter who’s back there for Denver because the OL need to be overhauled. Need RG. Need RT. Need better play from LT also.

  6. But Elway, who won two Super Bowls as a player in large part by handing off to Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis, may not see it that way.

    If this is why Elway is considering paying top-dollar to a RB then maybe it’s time they find a GM who is interested in winning instead of reliving the past. It’s a passing league now, not a running league. Don’t they have other positions to address instead of breaking the bank on a RB? Elway has made some questionable moves at QB after Peyton but it looks like they finally have their QB of the future. Spending a ton of money on a RB doesn’t make sense.

  8. Apparently Elway has been dozing again and missing teams like the 49ers turning undrafted free agents into running back successes. The rest of the AFC W must be hoping he continues to never wake up.

  9. Nice, pay a running back heading towards the backside of his career instead of paying the undrafted RB who has exceeded all expectations by a mile. No Wonder elway can’t put a winning team together.

  10. Thought Lindsay was solid, they need help elsewhere like upgrading their OL or another #2 RB like Melvin Gordon for change of pace back.

  11. PhD says:
    March 3, 2020 at 8:23 am
    Apparently Elway has been dozing again and missing teams like the 49ers turning undrafted free agents into running back successes. The rest of the AFC W must be hoping he continues to never wake up.
    —————————-

    You do realize that Phillip Lindsay is an undrafted running back and ran for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons right?

  12. Sing Gordon and Lindsay can play the Austin Ekeler role. Booker is going to be heading out so they do need another RB.

  13. Philip Lindsey has done everything asked of him and maybe more. It’s the coaches fault they literally stop giving him the ball especially after halftime. And Elway seems to be losing his mind. Davis brought him his super bowls but he was one of kind also. Other than Henry there nobody on this list.

  14. It seems the media is trying to create a story. Lindsay is under contract for another year. Maybe the Broncos throw him a bone,if possible, after the free agency period? There is no mention of signing a FA RB just a perhaps. C’mon PFT.

  15. I think Derrick Henry is going to get a deal similar to Zeke’s, worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $15MM/year and maybe not as much guaranteed, as Zeke got $50MM . . . Henry maybe around $40MM. So I don’t see the Broncos coughing up that kind of contrcat regardless of their cap space.

    But I do think Elway would be wise to sign a bit of a bruiser type running back to complement Lindsay. If his health checks out I think Howard could be a really nice complement to Lindsay. Running Lindsay on the outside and throw him the ball, let his speed take over and then pound a cheap FA bigger back like Howard right up the middle . . . assuming the O-line is worked out.

  17. Lindsay is undersized and not big/rugged enough to be a bellcow. Hats off to his compete level, but he’s not a Bellcow

  18. apalmer7 says:
    March 3, 2020 at 10:41 am
    You do realize that Phillip Lindsay is an undrafted running back and ran for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons right?
    —————————————-
    Which is even scarier. To know he can have success with UFA and still want to dump millions on free agents. Sounds like senility has set in.

  20. The Broncos won two super bowls because they had a HOF QB, John Elway, and a HOF coach, Mike Shanahan. Defenses can’t key on a RB when you have a HOF QB. Terrell Davis was great, but it’s never been a RB league. Shanahan might not be in the HOF, but he’s a much better coach than several who are in the hall.

  22. I have to think that this is a smoke screen on what they really want to do in free agency. They cannot be that delusional to think that their o line is good enough and does not need upgraded right? Or their D line needs players, or a inside linebacker, or corners. All these are needed more than a new shiny RB. I agree they need to replace Royce Freeman, but not Lindsay. and the priority is way less than the before mentioned positions.

  23. If anything his time in Denver as a Qb should have taught him that RB’s can be found anywhere…T.D. was a 6th round pick, then there were guys like Mike Anderson, and Olandis Gary, guys who were undrafted or late picks. They cycled rb’s so effectively at one point people looked at Denver like anyone could rush for 1,000 yards there. I get the move to upgrade but replacing Lindsay is a mistake. If you upgrade it’s by replacing Freeman. Which is why Henry, or Howard make sense. If you don’t resign Lindsay and try and replace him with Carlos Hyde you may as well resign from your job too Elway.

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