Denver Broncos: Three running backs vying for one roster spot

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 29: Khalfani Muhammad #33 of the Denver Broncos rushes against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter during a preseason National Football League game at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 29: Khalfani Muhammad #33 of the Denver Broncos rushes against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter during a preseason National Football League game at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
4 of 4
LeVante Bellamy, Denver Broncos
KALAMAZOO, MI – AUGUST 31: LeVante Bellamy #2 of the Western Michigan Broncos runs for a 64-yard touchdown against the Syracuse Orange in the third quarter of a game at Waldo Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

LeVante Bellamy

The Broncos made LeVante Bellamy one of their priorities in the 2020 undrafted free agent crop, giving him a $25,000 signing bonus and guaranteeing $35,000 of his 2020 salary.

Even if Bellamy doesn’t make the final roster, he’s a very strong practice squad candidate with $60,000 in his pocket.

Bellamy, like a number of backs on the Broncos’ roster, is a bit small for his position at 5-foot-9, 192 pounds. On tape, Bellamy looks like he’s a 4.3-something-speed guy and he showed out athletically with a 39.5-inch vertical jump and a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash with 16 bench press reps at 225 pounds.

When you combine those traits with this kind of play on tape…

https://twitter.com/WMU_Football/status/1035692517805707264

Western Michigan has timed him at 4.32 in the past:

Bellamy ran for over 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons for Western Michigan and had an NCAA-leading 23 rushing touchdowns in 2019.

This guy’s speed and burst are outstanding, and his touchdown production from this past season is a really good sign of what he can be for you.

https://twitter.com/WMU_Football/status/1041102320891817985

He’s a threat to score at any level of the field, and if history is any indication, the Broncos like his odds of cracking the 53-man roster. He has experience returning kicks in the past and could give the Broncos a dangerous threat in that phase of the game initially.

Bellamy represents the latest ‘new thing’ for the Broncos at running back but he certainly has an intriguing combination of production and an elite trait (his speed).

Schedule