5 trades the Denver Broncos should make before 2021 training camp

3. Trade Royce Freeman to a new team

At one point in time, Royce Freeman appeared to be the next RB1 for the Denver Broncos.

The former third-round pick out of Oregon ascended quickly in his rookie camp for the Denver Broncos in 2018 and was tough to bring down. Phillip Lindsay’s outstanding camp and preseason stole all of the headlines, but it certainly looked like Freeman was bound to become the thunder to Lindsay’s lightning.

After suffering an injury in his rookie season, Freeman was never really the same. He ended up having an expanded role as a receiver in 2019 before being all but cut out of the offensive game plan in 2020 with just 47 touches.

The Broncos have now added Javonte Williams and Mike Boone in 2021 after signing Melvin Gordon in 2020, and Freeman’s days with the team seem numbered, to say the least.

Who knows what kind of value the Broncos could get for Freeman at this point, but some team should be willing to take a shot on him. If he’s fully healthy, Freeman is capable of being a starting NFL running back and should be given another shot to prove he can handle RB1 or RB2 duties.

Freeman has connections around the league like Vance Joseph who works for the Arizona Cardinals (who could use running back depth), Rich Scangarello in San Francisco, and others.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has been talking about the “three” running backs the Broncos are hoping to involve in the offense this season, and Freeman’s name has not come up among them.