Royce Freeman will be entering his third season with the Denver Broncos, but it seems unclear what his role will be.
Last season, Royce Freeman was in a true time-split with Phillip Lindsay. Pro Football Reference shows that Lindsay was on offense for 513 offensive snaps, while Freeman saw action on 506. You can’t get much closer to a 50-50 split.
Freeman’s numbers carrying the ball have been similar in each of his first two seasons with the team, averaging about 508 yards rushing per season. But he really stepped up as a receiver in 2019.
Freeman finished second on the team with 43 receptions. He proved to be a solid check-down option as 10 of his catches were converted into first downs, moving the chains in key situations.
Had the Broncos decided to stick with the combination of Lindsay and Freeman, there likely would not have been many complaints from the fanbase. But the team didn’t go that route. In somewhat of a surprising move, the team brought in Melvin Gordon to join the backfield.
The moment that signing was confirmed, the talk all centered around what it meant for Lindsay. Does the team not have confidence in him? Does the team not see him as an every-down back?
These were the questions being asked, but few people were talking about what it meant for Freeman.
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But let’s be honest. Lindsay is going to be fine. He is still going to be involved in the running game. The signing of Gordon may in fact even benefit him. The guy that Gordon’s signing hurts is actually Freeman.
There are only so many carries to go around in a 60-minute game. While Lindsay and Freeman split the load evenly last season, the team’s No. 3 running back, Devontae Booker, carried the ball just twice last season. Two carries in 16 games. That’s it.
That is not to say that Freeman’s role with Gordon on the roster will be reduced that drastically, but it will absolutely be reduced. What will the Broncos do with their third-year back, one they used a third-round pick on? That will be a key question to answer heading into the 2020 season.
Freeman recently turned 24 years old and should have plenty to still offer the team. Will the Broncos create a three-headed monster in the backfield? Will Freeman become the team’s third-down running back because of the numbers he put up as a receiver last season?
Freeman will be an interesting player to track this summer.