Denver Broncos sign Royce Freeman, finish 2018 NFL Draft class

All the draft picks are inked, signed and ready for action as the Denver Broncos locked up Royce Freeman closing the door on the 2018 Draft Class.

Royce Freeman was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and there is buzz he may get significant amounts of playing time as a rookie with the Denver Broncos.

Freeman is an all-around running back capable of hurting defenses north and south or east and west.

He even exhibits a quickness that goes unnoticed. This trait can help him in the passing game as a viable receiving option out of the backfield.

One of the many reasons Freeman is garnering plenty of buzz is due to his heavy workload at the University of Oregon and the loss of former starter CJ Anderson, who signed this offseason with the Carolina Panthers.

Anderson was the bell cow for the Broncos over the past four years, when healthy.

In the draft phone call between Freeman and Elway, the word bell cow was given because that’s exactly the type of back Freeman is. Freeman’s type of skill set can help him be a consistent 1,000-plus yard rusher.

Another factor for early success with Freeman will be the new wave of youthful running backs in the NFL.

Ezekiel Elliot, Todd Gurley, Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette and Alvin Kamara top the list of young backs to produce quickly. Freeman is capable of being that same type of back.

Next: Ranking the top 5 running backs in the AFC West

Devontae Booker and DeAngelo Henderson are in some ways unproven. Freeman is too, but there’s more production to his name than the others.

Freeman can get a stranglehold of the starting position at running back in Training Camp and the preseason. Let’s keep an eye on Freeman as the new “Rolls-Royce” in the Denver Broncos’ backfield.