With free agency 2020 right around the corner, it seems like most of the speculation is focused on only one NFL topic and that’s where Tom Brady will be playing next season. And while that discussion is certainly intriguing and potentially landscape-altering, a lot of other storylines are going largely ignored at this time of the year. One such story is about the Denver Broncos and the recent indications that they might look to add to their rushing attack by pursuing a notable free running back.
This year’s class of potential options is fairly deep, with talents like Derrick Henry, Melvin Gordon, Kenyan Drake, Jordan Howard, Lamar Miller, and Carlos Hyde potentially about to hit the open market alongside dynamic restricted free agents like Kareem Hunt and Matt Breida.
Without question, those are some quality players who any NFL franchise would be lucky to roster, but there’s one very important point to be made before we entertain these possibilities: the Broncos don’t actually need any of them.
The Denver Broncos Are Set At Running Back
To be certain, this franchise had its fair share of failings a season ago but the running game was not one of them. In reality, the Broncos already have a high-end starter at running back in 2018 undrafted free agent tailback Phillip Lindsay.
In the early portion of his career, Lindsay has already emerged as one of the better stories in the league. Undersized coming out of college, no one took a chance on the former Colorado runner, but when the Broncos signed him after the draft, he became a game-breaker right out of the gate and has yet to look back.
Over the first two years of his career, Lindsay has accumulated 416 carries (13th-most in the league) for 2,048 yards (9th-most) and 16 rushing scores (11th-most). And that says nothing of his capability out of the backfield, with 70 grabs for 437 yards and an additional score over his first two campaigns.
Some of Lindsay’s incredible accomplishments include being the first undrafted rookie to ever make the Pro Bowl and then doubling down on his accomplishments by becoming the first undrafted runner to ever record 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of his first two seasons. This man can flat-out play football, and his status as the team’s to runner should be unquestioned.
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Meanwhile, we haven’t even discussed Lindsay’s understudy Royce Freeman, but he’s a significant part of the conversation in his own right. Alongside Lindsay, Freeman was a member of the 2018 rookie class and in fact, the Broncos spent a high third-round selection on him (71st overall) with the expectation that he would come in and compete for the starting role.
A lot of people view Freeman as a bit of a disappointment because he lost the role to an undrafted free agent, but that’s not entirely fair. Lindsay’s emergence was completely unexpected and his success does not mean that Freeman is a failure, by any means. In fact, when given the opportunity, Freeman has often been a productive player and one of his only issues to this point has been a lack of opportunity.
Through his first two NFL seasons, Freeman has only seen double-digit carries in 12 contests, so he’s never really had the chance to get rolling. To date, his biggest chance came at the start of 2019, when the Broncos ran him and Lindsay as a tandem. Freeman actually saw ten or more carries in seven of the team’s first contests, and looked like a capable NFL runner in the process.
While Lindsay ultimately reclaimed lead-back duties (and rightfully so), Freeman had his share impressive moments when he was afforded on the field. In particular, he displayed better-than-expected pass-catching acumen in his second season, snaring 43 receptions for 256 yards and a touchdown.
Over the final eight contests, the team was leaning so heavily on Lindsay that Freeman never saw double-digit carries again and was actually held to fewer than five totes in five of those contests. It’s impossible to be productive on such a limited workload, which begs the following question. If the Broncos were so content to rely on Lindsay as a featured player down the stretch, why the sudden decision to spend big in order to find him a complement now?
Money Matters
Make no mistake about it, if the Broncos want to acquire a notable running back free agent, they’re going to have to compensate him well and that may not be a smart play. Per Spotrac, in 2020 Lindsay is set to count a mere $665,000 against the salary cap, while Freeman is scheduled for a cap hit of $1,081,255. To have a high-caliber starting NFL runner and a solid backup under contract for less than $1.75 million dollars is an incredible value.
Investing millions of dollars in a free agent at a position that has been devalued in recent years, when you already have a capable one-two punch signed for mere pennies on the dollar just isn’t fiscally responsible. Yes, the Broncos currently enjoy over $50 million in cap space, but that’s hardly the point. That money is better spent elsewhere, given the circumstances.
In fact, if the Broncos are so prepared to spend money on the position, their first move should be to use some of that cash to award Lindsay with a lucrative new contract. There’s no question that he’s outplayed his rookie deal by an outlandish amount, and as a former undrafted player, Lindsay is eligible for a new deal after only two seasons instead of three. It’s time to pay the man what he deserves.
The Prudent Approach
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of free agency and it’s not uncommon for money to be spent frivolously at this time of year. However, the Broncos should not be in the market for a high-priced runner. Lindsay should remain the clear lead back and Freeman should be given another opportunity to return as his direct backup.
If the team is insistent on adding another player to the mix, drafting a runner with a mid-to-late round draft pick is likely the best course of action. Big-money free agent running back contracts seldom pay off for the team making the investment, and in the Broncos’ case there’s simply no need to throw money at a free agent with a Pro Bowl caliber starter already in the mix.
Even in a competitive division, 2020 could be a bounce-back season for this franchise, as long as they spend their money wisely. Paying Lindsay what he’s earned and saving the rest for more pressing needs would be the best decision this franchise could make as the off-season rolls on.
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