The Denver Broncos are likely going to be in the market for at least one new running back following the injury to Javonte Williams on Sunday.
Javonte Williams went down with a knee injury during the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Williams was seen on crutches after the game and the fear is that the injury is of a serious nature.
An MRI on Monday will offer a true diagnosis.
If the Broncos should need to replace Williams in the backfield, and odds are they will, who should the team look at? Four weeks into the season, it’s not the best time to be needing a new running back.
The Broncos do have Melvin Gordon, but his fumbling issue is more than troubling.
The Broncos can not count on a duo of Gordon and Mike Boone. This is a spot where they need to look outside the organization to bring in another player. The free-agent market is pretty bare, so the Broncos may need to consider some trades or possibly even the idea of invading another team’s practice squad.
Broncos should consider signing Alex Collins
Alex Collins is currently a free agent but he would bring an experienced veteran presence to the backfield.
Collins was a fifth-round pick in 2016 and has nearly 2,000 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns during his career. He carried the ball 108 times for the Seattle Seahawks last season while the team dealt with injuries to both Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny.
He also has experience playing with Russell Wilson and is still just 28 years old. The Broncos could bring him in for the rest of the season to share the backfield with Gordon and Boone.
He should be one of the names at the top of the list.
Broncos could trade for Myles Gaskin
George Paton could give the Miami Dolphins a call and see what they would like in return for Myles Gaskin, at one time the team’s starting running back but one who seems to have fallen out of favor with the current coaching staff.
Gaskin has been inactive for three of the team’s games this season but has rushed for over 1,300 yards with seven touchdowns in the three seasons he has been there prior to 2022. He is also extremely effective as a receiver out of the backfield.
The Dolphins have leaned on Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert to lead their rushing attack this season and Gaskin is lost in that mix. As a result, they may not even need much in return to get him off their roster.
The Broncos could bring him in to give Wilson a good check-down option in the passing game and one with over 350 career rushing attempts to help take the load off of Gordon.
Broncos could trade for Raheem Blackshear
Raheem Blackshear is currently on the roster of the Carolina Panthers as their No. 4 running back but he looked quite effective running the ball for the Buffalo Bills during the preseason.
The Broncos got a good look at that firsthand when they played the Bills in the preseason. Blackshear gained 58 yards on just five carries in that game.
The Bills did not have room for Blackshear on the 53-man roster so he was added to the practice squad. That’s when the Panthers swooped in ad signed him.
The Panthers have a lot of injury concerns with Christian McCaffrey as seemingly every week he is dealing with something, but they still have D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard ahead of Blackshear on the roster.
This would be an under-the-radar move that would not garner a lot of headlines but if the Broncos could get him for a seventh-round pick they could have a young player that they could mold into a star.
Broncos could go get Phillip Lindsay
You knew this was coming, even if a reunion between the Broncos and Phillip Lindsay is unlikely.
Lindsay is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad, so the Broncos would not have to give up anything to get him. He had a solid preseason with the Colts and was projected by most to make the final roster but his inability to play special teams cost him a roster spot.
That would be the case in Denver too, but the Broncos can use Boone for that role. Lindsay has worked with Gordon before and quite frankly, was the more effective back when they were together.
We can argue that Lindsay is not a “fit” for the team’s current offense, but he still has young legs and he runs with a purpose. He could come in and help the team and if nothing else, there is one thing that Lindsay does not do.
Lindsay has carried the ball 622 times in his career and he has never fumbled. Not once. To put that into contrast, Gordon has carried the ball 34 times just this season and he has fumbled four times.
Give me the guy that does not turn the ball over.
Broncos could trade for Antonio Gibson
This is a move that would definitely make some big headlines and it is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Though Antonio Gibson has been the starting running back for the Washington Commanders this year, that was not going to be the case prior to a shooting incident involving rookie Brian Robinson.
Though that left much in doubt for Robinson, reports suggest that he will rejoin the team as early as this week.
During the preseason, Gibson was being used as a kick returner and did not seem to figure into the team’s offensive plans much. The Commanders also have J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams on the roster along with Jaret Patterson on their practice squad.
If Robinson is able to return to form, the team could be more than willing to move Gibson depending on what a team was willing to send in return.
Gibson is having a down year this season, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry but he rushed for 1,832 yards and 18 touchdowns during his first two years in Washington. A change of scenery could put things back on the right track for him.