Broncos' best fit at running back in free agency named (and it may not be who you think)

The Denver Broncos should be looking at every possible option at the running back position in free agency. With a better running game, the Broncos likely would have played in Super Bowl LX. 

The team has RJ Harvey, who is coming off a strong rookie season, but an experienced veteran who can do a little bit of everything is what this offense needs. A player whom Harvey can feed off of, to an extent. 

Options that could be available to the Broncos include Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne and Tyler Allgeier. There is also the possibility that the team turns back to J.K. Dobbins, who played quite well before suffering a foot injury in Week 10. 

But if you ask Matt Bowen of ESPN who the team's best fit at running back is, he would tell you Rico Dowdle. 

Dowdle would step in for free agent J.K. Dobbins to pair with RJ Harvey in Denver's backfield. In this scenario, Dowdle would split touches with Harvey, and his decisive, downhill running style works on the goal line in coach Sean Payton's offense. Dowdle rushed for 1,076 yards and had 26 carries of 10 or more yards last season with the Panthers", wrote Bowen. 

Broncos connected to Rico Dowdle as possible free-agent fit

If you remember back to the free-agent cycle a year ago, Dowdle was mentioned by some as a player the Broncos should consider as they looked to improve the backfield. Instead, the Broncos drafted Harvey in the second round and then signed Dobbins later. 

Dowdle was terrific last year for the Carolina Panthers, but the team curiously began to limit his usage as the season wore on. He still crossed the 1,000-yard mark, rushing for 389 yards in Weeks 5 and 6. He was working on only a one-year deal, which is what led him to the free-agent market again. 

The Panthers may look to bring him back, but he will be in a timeshare there with Chuba Hubbard. In Denver, he would likely take on the bulk of the carries while the Broncos used Harvey as a change-of-pace player. 

Spotrac estimates a deal in free agency to be worth about $6.5 million per year for Dowdle, which is cheaper than what it will cost to bring in either Hall or Walker. 

MORE: Could Broncos' top free agents follow former coach to new team in 2026?

Dowdle is 28 years old now, so there could be questions concerning how much more tread he has on the tires, but the Broncos have a wide-open Super Bowl window and need to take advantage of that. If options like Hall and Walker are gobbled up quickly on the market, a player like Dowdle could be a great place for the Broncos to pivot. 

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