The Denver Broncos have gotten another running back on the roster, finding one of the lesser-talked about names in free agency.
The Broncos have agreed to terms on a deal with free-agent running back Samaje Perine, who has spent the past three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals as the primary backup to Joe Mixon.
After the signings in this free-agent period, it's clear that the Broncos want to be a strong running team with Sean Payton's offense and the team needed to make a move at running back. Though Perine was not discussed much in connection with the Broncos, he is the guy the team is going with and he jumps right into the No. 2 role as of right now behind Javonte Williams.
Perine could be in line for a lot of work in 2023, especially early if Williams is not ready to go when the season kicks off. He is an experienced back who can also help as a receiver out of the backfield.
Originally drafted out of Oklahoma by Washington in the fourth round in 2017, Perine has also had a short stint with the Miami Dolphins before catching on in Cincinnati. For his career, he has rushed for 1,592 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging four yards per carry.
He also has 101 career receptions and six touchdowns. Last season, he caught 38 passes with four of those finding the end zone.
He is not a guy Broncos fans had on their radar and the team has still yet to bring back Latavius Murray. At this point, that move may not even be in the team's plans.
Perine will be 28 years old in September, but Payton must see a fit in his offense for the team to go out and make this move when there were other players out there. His deal will reportedly be worth about $7.5 million over two years.
One fun fact about Perine is that he still holds the single-game record for most rushing yards ever in a college football game, which he set when he rushed for 427 yards against Kansas in November 2014.