Denver Broncos depth chart fallout after signing Theo Riddick

The Denver Broncos didn’t sign Theo Riddick to be a camp body — he’s going to make the team. What is the depth chart fallout of this move?

The Denver Broncos did not just sign running back Theo Riddick to add depth to the roster for training camp, to bring in a ‘camp body’ to be cut later, or because they felt like throwing something at the wall to see if it would stick.

Riddick was brought in to have a role on this team for 2019, and the proof is in the contract he signed with the Broncos. According to Mike Klis, Riddick signed a one-year deal with the Broncos worth $2.5 million and a $1 million guarantee. He also has incentives that can take his deal up to $3.3 million.

Even with just the $1 million in guaranteed cash, you know the Broncos are keeping this guy around barring any sort of injury. John Elway is pretty frugal, and wouldn’t just throw a million bucks at a guy to see if he could stick through camp.

This team is keeping Riddick, and he will almost assuredly make the 53-man roster as the third running back behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman.

So what does this mean for the rest of the roster? The fallout of this move is pretty interesting because it wasn’t like the Broncos had poor performance or an injury at running back dictate their interest in Riddick. They viewed him as a scheme fit and an upgrade over the depth they already had.

Although there are a number of scenarios that make a lot of sense, I would not be surprised if the addition of Riddick ultimately meant the Broncos would be keeping four or possibly five running backs as well as only five wide receivers on the 53-man roster.