The Denver Broncos said one of their toughest goodbyes in recent memory, letting restricted free agent running back Phillip Lindsay walk after initially offering him a low-level tender at just over $2 million.
After two stellar years with the team, former Broncos GM John Elway mentioned that the team would like to do something contractually to reward Lindsay for back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. Although Elway never guaranteed a deal would be done, pretty much everyone thought it would.
When it didn’t, it was again assumed that the Broncos had seen enough from Lindsay to at least keep him in their plans for a fourth season in 2021, but that was also not to be.
Although a number of teams could have made sense, Lindsay signed on with the Houston Texans for a one-year contract worth $3.25 million and $1 million in guarantees. Lindsay is looking to bounce back after the 2020 campaign in which he struggled with injuries and didn’t Always look like his usual self out there.
He ran for over 500 yards and just one touchdown on the season and was not shy after the season was over about talking through the fact that he did not feel he was used properly in Pat Shurmur’s offense.
Many Broncos fans would agree with that.
Now, the Denver Broncos will have to fill some pretty big shoes in their offense and in the locker room. Lindsay was an incredible story, of course, but he became so much more than just that early on.
Lindsay was a catalyst for the offense when he was at his best. Although you could argue he was under-utilized as a receiver (there was talk of him being a slot coming out, remember that?), there is no question that the Broncos’ offensive plan (running the ball) became telegraphed when Lindsay was on the field.
The team will be looking to replace him with a back (or multiple backs) with more three-down versatility. Which players could do it?
Let’s take a look at five.
1. Mike Boone
The top candidate to “replace” Phillip Lindsay at the present moment is obviously the guy the Denver Broncos just signed in free agency, Mike Boone.
When it came across the newsdesk, many fans were wondering the same thing — who the heck is Mike Boone?
A fair question when you don’t necessarily recognize the name of a player being signed in the first week of free agency, I’d say.
Boone had made a name for himself in Minnesota with the Vikings’ special teams unit, but he had also taken advantage of his opportunities as a running back. He averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt on 71 career carries and had a 148-yard game in a 2019 Week 17 start against the Chicago Bears.
Boone is a freakish athlete whose background as a wide receiver could come in handy if he’s given an opportunity to contribute on third downs. You have to wonder why, of all the players George Paton could have brought over from Minnesota, this was the guy he went after first.
The Broncos’ front office and coaching staff obviously agreed with Paton on this one and they signed him to a two-year deal to compete for Melvin Gordon’s backup job.
Bonus: Royce Freeman
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the former third-round pick as at least a candidate to replace Phillip Lindsay’s snaps in the Denver offense, but the jury is still out.
Although Freeman has been a solid contributor, he has not been as explosive as he showed early in his rookie campaign back in 2018 nor has he broken as many tackles.
In his rookie season, he broke 16 tackles on 130 rushing attempts and averaged 2.5 yards after initial contact. On 132 carries in 2019, he broke just eight tackles and averaged 1.9 yards after contact per attempt.
In 2020, his most limited year yet, he had two broken tackles on 35 carries.
Freeman needs to regain his 2018 form if he’s even going to make the team.
2. LeVante Bellamy
He didn’t have a preseason to showcase what he can do and become the next super-hyped preseason backup running back by Broncos Country, but just because he was last year’s UDFA flavor of the year doesn’t mean LeVante Bellamy should be forgotten.
Bellamy was outstanding at Western Michigan, running for a whopping 23 touchdowns in his senior season with the Broncos.
He ran between 4.43 and 4.50 at the Western Michigan pro day and also had a very explosive 39.5-inch vertical jump.
The Broncos kept Bellamy around throughout the 2020 season despite an injury putting him down for a few weeks. He ended up getting a handful of touches (four carries, one reception) over the final two weeks of the season, but his primary contributions came on special teams.
Having paid his dues last season, Bellamy could be in line for an increased opportunity to play offensive snaps in 2021 as an in-house Phillip Lindsay replacement.
Obviously, money talks, and Mike Boone is going to get the first crack at it over Bellamy, but he will have a chance to make the most of his reps and perhaps beat out someone like Royce Freeman for a job in 2021.
3. 2021 NFL Draft: Day 1 types
If the Denver Broncos aren’t plotting to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft for a quarterback, I have a sneaking suspicion they will be players early on for a running back.
Does that mean first-round early?
At this point, who knows? It wouldn’t be shocking, however, as the most successful teams George Paton was part of in Minnesota had a big-time running back prospect leading the offense (Adrian Peterson, Dalvin Cook).
We also know that Pat Shurmur has been involved in selecting running backs very high (Saquon Barkley with the Giants in 2018) recently and the Broncos’ offensive line has taken a substantial couple of steps forward with Mike Munchak as their position coach.
This offense could be primed for a higher draft selection at the running back position, though some are vehemently against a first-round running back on principle.
That’s understandable, given the shelf life of running backs in the NFL is relatively short for the most part.
With that being said, there are three guys in this 2021 NFL Draft class — Alabama’s Najee Harris, Clemson’s Travis Etienne, and North Carolina’s Javonte Williams — who might be worthy of first-round status.
Taking a running back in the first round is rarely if ever “best practice” when it comes to team building and positional value, but some players might be worth the investment.
In particular, Najee Harris seems like a rare breed at the running back position, capable of being a lead ball carrier as well as splitting out and playing any wide receiver role asked of him.
Not only that, but he’s good in pass protection as well. He’s just a smart player overall and is going to make an NFL offense instantly better.
Traditional running backs seem like they are a dime a dozen, but guys like Harris are rare.
4. Michael Carter, North Carolina
If the Broncos don’t plan on taking a running back in the first round by trading down or trading up at the back end, they are probably going to miss out on the three guys listed (Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams).
Though there is a chance that at least one of those guys could be available in the second round, one of the best values on day two of the 2021 NFL Draft will be North Carolina’s Michael Carter.
The teammate of Javonte Williams, Carter made a name for himself the past few years with the Tar Heels and really emerged this past season as a dynamic presence, averaging eight yards per carry and nearly 11 yards per reception.
Carter is explosive, dynamic, and a three-down contributor.
A team-captain and recognized as being one of the hardest workers on the team, Carter has everything the Broncos have been looking for in prospects regardless of position since the 2018 NFL Draft.
Although George Paton is calling the shots, he understands the Broncos have a strong scouting staff and he’s been getting along well with them in the early goings. He trusts them enough that he didn’t personally even go to the Senior Bowl to get eyes on this year’s prospects, but instead sent a crew of scouts to Mobile, where Carter and others put on a show.
5. Day three 2021 NFL Draft gem
Although you could point to any number of players for this distinction, one player who could be an excellent Phillip Lindsay replacement through the 2021 NFL Draft is Louisville’s Javian Hawkins.
Hawkins rushed for over 2,300 yards in the past two seasons for Louisville and would provide the Denver Broncos with yet another smaller, more explosive back to add to their rotation.
If the Broncos go more of the “veteran” route among college players, one guy who makes a ton of sense is Missouri’s Larry Rountree.
Rountree has been in the backfield rotation at Missouri since Drew Lock’s last year on campus, and he showed some really nice traits during the week of Senior Bowl practices in Mobile.
While Hawkins is more of the smaller slasher with explosiveness and speed, Rountree is a bigger-bodied back who can help you out in the passing game, do some solid work as a runner, and give your quarterback adequate protection when he’s asked to stand in there and do so.
This year’s running back class — like just about every running back class — has plenty of guys you could use in a rotation at the next level and the Broncos should have no trouble finding help.
The question is — how much help do they want?
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The addition of Mike Boone muddies the waters a bit, but the Broncos should be considered serious threats to take a running back early in the 2021 NFL Draft.