Despite RB Jaleel McLaughlin's absence, the Broncos stuck with a three-man committee backfield in Thursday night's loss to the Chargers. RB Audric Estime led the way with nine carries for 48 yards and a score. But he played just 13 offensive snaps -- 20 fewer than RB Javonte Williams and three more than RB Blake Watson. Williams finished with four carries and a team-high 11 targets, while Watson tallied four carries and two targets. The Broncos even used WR Marvin Mims in the backfield for five snaps.
Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin (quad) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Chargers. That turns this from a three-man committee to a two-man committee, raising the ceilings and floors on both RB Javonte Williams and RB Audric Estime. It's still a backfield we'd rather avoid in fantasy lineups, but Williams lands inside the top 35 RBs in the Week 16 Rankings.
Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Colts with a quad injury. McLaughlin was leading Denver RBs with seven carries and 21 rushing yards when he exited. His absence leaves the backfield to Javonte Williams and Audric Estime.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams went his fifth straight game without a TD in Week 5. But he delivered in the yardage department, racking up 61 yards on the ground; 50 yards through the air.
Broncos RB Tyler Badie (back) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Raiders. We’ll see if rookie RB Blake Watson makes his debut, but RBs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin figure to handle the vast majority of the backfield work.
Broncos RB Tyler Badie is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Jets with a back injury. He appeared to collapse on the sidelines and was taken away on a stretcher. We'll update his status when we know more. Badie's absence leaves Denver's backfield to Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Update: Badie has been ruled out.
The Broncos are sending rookie RB Audric Estime to IR with an ankle injury. The Athletic's Nick Kosmider says only that Estime will "miss at least four games," which makes it sound like a shorter-term issue.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Broncos are expected to move on from RB Samaje Perine. The team is reportedly trying to trade the veteran before Tuesday's deadline to cut rosters down. But Perine looks like a release candidate if a deal doesn't happen.
Broncos HC Sean Payton named QB Bo Nix his starting QB on Wednesday. This was the most likely scenario when Denver took Nix with the 12th overall pick of this spring's draft. Nix bolstered his case with two strong preseason outings, completing 76.7% of his passes at 7.0 yards per attempt with two TDs and zero INTs.
Broncos HC Sean Payton said Thursday that RB Javonte Williams looks like a "completely different player" this year compared to last. Williams, of course, was working his way back from a multi-ligament knee injury last season.
RB Javonte Williams took the first rep in every drill at the Broncos' first day of training camp, per Benjamin Allbright.
Troy Renck of The Denver Post says he believes RBs Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine are competing for a roster spot this summer.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams was one of the least efficient runners in the league last year. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and ranked 42nd among 49 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats’ Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. It's certainly worth noting that Williams was returning from an October 2022 multi-ligament knee injury. He was cleared for the start of training camp last summer, but it’s fair to wonder if the knee was still a factor throughout the season.
After a promising rookie year, Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin continued to develop this offseason. Per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, “McLaughlin’s offseason program turned heads among coaches, teammates, and onlookers at practice. It would not be a stretch to say he was the Broncos’ most dynamic offensive player during OTAs and minicamp.”
Broncos HC Sean Payton said recently that his backfield is an open competition heading into the season. "All these guys, they're all competing for different roles, spots," Payton said. "We never put a cap on what they're competing for. I wanna see it. And then we'll go by what we see."
The Broncos selected Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A four-star prospect, Estime chose Notre Dame over others like Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, and Nebraska. After a quiet freshman season behind Kyren Williams, the New York native split carries in 2022. The result? Team-highs in yards (920), yards per carry (5.9), and TDs (11). His production then rose across the board last fall. He flashed top-notch power with 4.27 yards after contact per attempt and tallied a strong Elusive Rating from PFF (126.5). The raw numbers turned up several career highs (209 carries, 1,341 yards, 18 TDs). While Estime caught all 26 of his college targets, we don’t forecast much of a receiving ceiling in the NFL. He also lacks the top-end speed to rip off explosives at the next level. Estime’s 4.71 forty-time at the NFL Combine was disappointing, but his Relative Athletic Score of 6.58 shows the strength of his complete profile. At 221 pounds, he tallied an 86th-percentile vertical and an 87th-percentile broad jump. Also note: Estime’s ten-yard split placed him in the 53rd percentile. The rookie joins a crowded backfield in Denver alongside Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine – although Williams and Perine are both scheduled to be free agents next offseason.
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