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3 hours ago
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The Denver Broncos have a lot to figure out in their running back room ahead of the 2025 season. The team added two new running backs to carry the load this season in second-round pick RJ Harvey and free-agent acquisition JK Dobbins.
Behind them, the team has Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson. How many of them make the 53-man roster remains to be seen.
Sean Payton will likely use his familiar committee approach to the position and rely heavily on the backs to come up big in the passing game, which will help keep Bo Nix on schedule in year two. But if the new-look backfield isn't as effective as the team hopes, it could lead to the team looking for new options next season.
David Latham of Last Word on Sports can see that as a possibility. The Los Angeles Rams will be facing whether or not to give their top back, Kyren Williams, a new deal before he hits free agency next offseason, but Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic does not see that happening.
With that information in mind, Latham predicts that the Broncos could turn to Williams.
"The Denver Broncos will only sign Kyren Williams to a massive contract if RJ Harvey disappoints as a rookie. The second-round pick has an impressive skillset, but nobody in the draft community thought he would be a second-round pick in such a loaded class. Perhaps Payton saw something the rest of the world didn’t, but if consensus is correct, this team could use a more traditional runner to pair with Harvey. If nothing else, Williams and Harvey could be a poor man’s version of the Mark Ingram-Alvin Kamara backfield Payton utilized with New Orleans", wrote Latham.
There are a lot of moving parts here, and many things would have to go wrong for the Broncos to sign Williams. Harvey was drafted in the second round ahead of players rated much higher than him, so there is something Payton sees in him. He's not going to give up on him that easily.
While Dobbins' deal is only for one year, the Broncos will bring him back if he has a big season, as he is only 26 years old. If he struggles, there will be cheaper options out there to replace him than Williams.
Williams has been a strong running back, collecting over 2,500 yards on the ground and scoring 26 touchdowns on the ground in his career so far. He has also chipped in as a receiver out of the backfield and could fit Payton's offense nicely. However, he will be looking for a big deal, as running backs don't get many opportunities to find those and the Broncos will likely still be tied to Harvey's development as the team's featured back.
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