Broncos RB Melvin Gordon (groin) returned to practice on Tuesday. He missed the team's preseason opener but should be fine going forward. Gordon remains the favorite to open the season as Denver's lead back, but rookie Javonte Williams is breathing down his neck after a strong showing in his preseason debut.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon sat out Saturday's preseason opener with what HC Vic Fangio called a "minor" groin injury. Fangio added that Gordon isn't expected to miss much time. We'll see when he's able to get back on the field. Rookie RB Javonte Williams started Saturday's game and carried 5 times for 29 yards.
Broncos RB Mike Boone is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a quad injury, insider Mike Klis reports. That puts him right up against the start of the season. Denver's likely #3 RB, Boone wasn't really on the fantasy radar. But we thought there was a chance that he siphoned a handful of carries per game from RBs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. That's now less likely in the beginning of the season. Klis said Boone was having a "terrific camp" before this injury.
Broncos OC Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that RB Javonte Williams has been "terrific" early in camp. “His running ability is very obvious, but the things that we see are his instincts as a football player," Shurmur continued. "Some people just ‘get it’ and we’ve all been around people who just don’t quite ‘get it’ and they wake up every morning and start over. He gets it and it shows up in his pass protection, it shows up in being able to get lined up (and) his awareness. He’s got a really bright future.” The pass protection praise is especially noteworthy for a rookie RB. Melvin Gordon has reportedly been running as Denver's clear starter so far, but there's plenty of time for Williams to change that.
Benjamin Allbright of KOA Radio in Denver tweeted this week that "Melvin Gordon is CLEARLY RB1 for this team so far." That likely comes from the usage of Gordon vs. Javonte Williams over the 1st few days of training camp. It's early, of course, when many coaching staffs defer to veterans. It's noteworthy, though, that Gordon didn't appear to lose standing for the OTAs he skipped. We'll certainly be watching the usage in this backfield through the rest of camp and preseason. We're not currently excited about drafting any Denver RB in fantasy football.
The Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran predicts that RB Javonte Williams will lead the Broncos in carries this season. He adds that RB Melvin Gordon could open the season as the starter with Williams getting a bigger and bigger role each week. "The Broncos traded up in the second round for Williams and they weren’t high-fiving and fist-pumping in the draft room because he will watch this year," O'Halloran writes. This will be an important backfield to monitor in August. Williams has climbed into the 5th round in recent FFPC best-ball drafts, while Gordon has slid into the late 8th.
Broncos HC Vic Fangio said he doesn’t see “any limits” with rookie RB Javonte Williams. “We could work him and Melvin, just spelling each other as we go, and one could go in and predominately do third-down stuff,” Fangio said via the Denver Post. “(The rotation) will work itself out and we think (Javonte’s) capable in all downs and distances and all situations for us. And I also believe that him and Melvin will be a good combination back there, along with Boone.” We’re not buying Boone as a real piece of Denver’s backfield rotation. But it’s nice to hear the early confidence in Williams, who the Broncos traded up to select in Round 2. He’s a potential RB2 right out of the gate.
Search
