5 free agent running backs the Denver Broncos could target

Believe it or not, one of the top needs for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 offseason will be at the running back position. It's pretty easily written off by folks who feel like the team is going to be just fine with some combination of Javonte Williams, Latavius Murray, and a late draft pick, but I don't think that could be any further from the truth. The Broncos may re-sign Latavius Murray in the coming weeks, but what they get out of Javonte Williams in 2023 -- coming off of a major knee injury -- is another question mark entirely.

Chase Edmonds is under contract, but the team will either need to release or restructure him to get it to a more palatable number. Tyler Badie will be around for the offseason program and is a reasonably exciting dart throw, but the Broncos' brain trust includes two guys who have long prioritized the RB position in GM George Paton and HC Sean Payton.

Given the fact that the Broncos should be approaching Javonte Williams with the utmost patience, it's almost too good to be true thinking about this year's free agent crop of running backs and the Broncos' current situation. They may not break the bank for someone, but I think this team will be players in this particular market. Let's look at some potential fits.

5 running backs the Denver Broncos could pursue in 2023 NFL Free Agency

1. Kareem Hunt, Browns

Some people will hate this idea because of Kareem Hunt's past, and I can't blame you for that. I also don't think this option can be ignored as a possibility, either. There were rumors last offseason that Hunt was trying to get traded away from the Cleveland Browns thanks to their commitment to Nick Chubb, and you can't really blame him for wanting that in a contract year. Hunt played in all 17 games but only managed to average 3.8 yards per carry.

He still caught 35 passes and had four total touchdowns, but it was clear that Hunt was the secondary guy this past season and Chubb did the majority of the heavy lifting for the Browns. Hunt will undoubtedly move on from Cleveland this offseason, and who knows? Maybe he returns to the AFC West.

On the field, what Hunt has always done well is provide value on all three downs as well as run hard and break tackles. The 2022 season was not his best, in that regard, but given the price to sign Hunt is not likely to be prohibitive, he could end up being a pretty good bang for your buck as far as free agency goes.

2. Alexander Mattison, Vikings

It's not a bad idea to look to guys at the running back position in NFL Free Agency who didn't get a lot of carries at their previous destination because they were playing behind a bell cow. That was the case for Alexander Mattison with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was unfortunately playing behind Dalvin Cook, one of the best backs in the league.

Mattison was a third-round pick out of Boise State in the 2019 NFL Draft and he wound up playing a pretty effective RB2 role for them over the last four years, averaging about 100 carries per season at 4.1 yards per attempt and 14 total touchdowns. He showed his value on all three downs, and given the fact he doesn't even have 500 touches over the last four years?

Well, NFL teams might see that he's ready to really break out on a second contract. Why would the Denver Broncos have interest here? Well, it stands to reason that Broncos GM George Paton, who was with the Vikings front office in 2019, would perhaps still like Alexander Mattison and his upside. At worst, he looks like he'll be a strong RB2 for you. At best, maybe you get a guy who proves he can do a lot more with more carries and more of a workload.

Signing a player like Mattison to a two-year deal could be exactly what the Broncos need at the position, and I don't think this player is going to break the bank, by any means.

3. David Montgomery, Bears

One of the more intriguing players in this free agent market is Chicago Bears free agent running back David Montgomery. Montgomery was not selected by the current regime in Chicago -- front office or coaching staff -- so it seems like his days as a Bear are in the past. If that's the case, he would be a fascinating addition to Sean Payton's offense in Denver.

Montgomery is going to be 26 this coming season. He has proven himself as a three-down player with 155 receptions in his first four NFL seasons and over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of those four years.

This is an every-down back and Sean Payton would know exactly how to maximize his talent. The Broncos obviously need to get better in the run blocking department, so offensive line is going to be an emphasis, but that doesn't mean we won't see some of the free agency money spread out to other positions like this.

A player like David Montgomery could come in and be a difference-maker in Denver right away, and whenever Javonte Williams is healthy, those two players would be very difficult to deal with on a week-to-week basis.

4. Devin Singletary, Bills

One player that Denver Broncos fans were once very glad to see Sean Payton steal away from the Chagers organization is Darren Sproles. Sproles only had more rushing yards in his entire career against one other team (Giants) besides Denver. He also only had more yards receiving against one other team (Bucs) than the Broncos. His five TDs against the Broncos were tied for the most he had against any individual team.

Why am I talking about Darren Sproles? Well, it's certainly not a one-for-one comparison, but you can't help but wonder if Broncos head coach Sean Payton might see some Sproles in the 5-foot-7 Devin Singletary.

When you look at size, you can understand why some have made those comparisons in the past, and certainly the quickness with which both guys play/played factors in. Singletary has become an effective pass-catcher at the NFL level and has found a way to eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of the last two seasons for the Bills as well as 14 total touchdowns.

Singletary would obviously come as a secondary piece to the puzzle at running back, but he's an intriguing name to keep an eye on given Payton's usage of Sproles in the past. In his three seasons with the Saints, Sproles had 420 total touches with over 3,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns.

He didn't have to be the featured back to be someone the Saints leaned heavily on. It's fascinating to look through the years at Sean Payton's different ways of deploying all types of offensive weapons, from small backs to Sproles to players like Taysom Hill, a former basketball player like Jimmy Graham coming in and having massive success, and so many others.

A player like Singletary could have a huge impact in Denver if they can steal him away from Buffalo.

5. One of the big names

I thought about not talking about these big-name backs at all because it feels like they're going to get franchise tagged, but here are some of the top names on the free agent running back market:

- Josh Jacobs, Raiders
- Saquon Barkley, Giants
- Tony Pollard, Cowboys
- Miles Sanders, Eagles

And those names are before roster cuts are made. There have been some rumblings that players like Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, and Joe Mixon could enter the fold as well. There's no telling what the coming weeks could bring at the running back position, but we've already heard Sean Payton say he hopes other teams will look at Jacobs, specifically, to get him out of the AFC West. And then he chimed in, "Maybe we'll look at him."

I think the RB position will be emphasized this offseason in Denver and any one of these guys would be a big-time signing at the position. Perhaps the most likely to leave their respective teams right now are Jacobs and Sanders, although anything is possible. Someone like Jacobs could make so much sense for the Broncos, stealing from a division rival and really getting that physical brand of running you crave.

Although I think names like we discussed earlier in this post are more likely, if any of the top players actually becomes available in 2023 NFL Free Agency, don't be shocked if the Broncos are one of the bigger players on that running back market.

Will they re-sign Latavius Murray? It makes a lot of sense to do so. Does that prevent them from signing another back? Absolutely not. We will have to keep an eye on which assistant coaches are brought into Denver this offseason and what kinds of connections they have to this outstanding free agent class.