After adding Evan Engram to the fold on Wednesday afternoon, the Denver Broncos have crossed most everything off of their offseason to-do list. They've addressed a need at tight end, a need at inside backer, have added a starting safety opposite of Brandon Jones, and replaced Tremon Smith at gunner with Trent Sherfield.
The team's only glaring hole is now at running back, where free agent options have thinned out. As the world waits on the draft and any potential Christian McCaffrey trade talks, all that remains is a veteran-heavy free agent market. They may wait until the draft to address the position, but these remaining free agents are the best options for Sean Payton on the open market.
3 running backs the Broncos could add in NFL Free Agency
JK Dobbins
JK Dobbins had a strong season for the Chargers last year and is probably the best remaining free agent running back. The former Raven totaled 905 rushing yards and nine scores in 2024, setting a career high in rushing and tying a career high in scores. He doesn't turn 27 until late December and only has 429 career rushes to his name. There's solid reason to believe that there is still a significant amount of tread on his tires, and he could become the main feature back in what is likely to be a deep stable next year.
Miles Sanders
The Carolina Panthers recently released Sanders in an effort to preserve cap space, and he could quickly find a new home in Denver. Sanders turns 28 before the start of next season, and his high volume of work since breaking into the NFL in 2019 could suggest that his best days are behind him. Despite that, Sanders could still be worth the risk for the Broncos.
For one, any Miles Sanders contract is likely rather inexpensive. He last broke the 1,000 mark in 2022 with the Eagles but hasn't returned to any of that form with the Panthers. Injuries limited him to just 11 games in 2024, and he rushed for a minuscule 205 yards as Chubba Hubbard ran away with the Panthers' starting role after a strong 2023 campaign. Sanders was able to remain a strong pass-catching threat despite his rushing struggles, hauling in 24 catches for 148 yards. For his career, he averages just over 250 receiving yards a season.
Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb had a strong claim to the most interesting free agent when the tampering period opened on Monday and is now undoubtedly the most interesting man on the market. At one point, he was far and away the best running back in football. From 2018 to 2022, Chubb ran for 6,341 yards, scored 48 times, and averaged 1,662 scrimmage yards per 17 games.
In early 2023, Chubb tore his MCL and suffered damage to his ACL in the same knee, ending his season early and keeping him out into 2024. Chubb has suffered his fair share of knee injuries since his time as a Bulldog at Georgia, leaving many to wonder what kind of explosiveness and rushing skills he has left.
If Chubb has anything left in the tank, it would be a major boost to the Broncos. His explosiveness, play-making abilities, and strong contact skills would be a welcome change in a Denver backfield that missed most all of those traits last year. The worst case, if he doesn't, is that you can cut him and try to fix the issue at the trading deadline. A risk on Nick Chubb could be well worth it for Denver.