Broncos Insider Shares Troubling Take on RB Royce Freeman
When the Denver Broncos signed RB Melvin Gordon to a two-year, $16 million deal in March, many in the Mile High City jumped to conclusions on what it meant for Phillip Lindsay. The running back who actually bears the most implications from Gordon's arrival, however, is Royce Freeman.
Undoubtedly, it was a shot across Freeman's bow as the Broncos' 2018 third-round draft pick went squarely from factoring into the starting conversation to third-string in two years' time. Part of the reason for that was the meteoric and unforeseeable rise of Lindsay — a former undrafted rookie.
However, Freeman carries his own fair share of the blame for the Broncos' decision to make plans at the running back position that do not seem to really include him. Adding insult to injury, the Broncos signed LeVante Bellamy out of Western Michigan after the draft, giving him the highest signing bonus among all of the team's 2020 college free agents, while also guaranteeing a portion of his salary.
Now, it's not so much about how Freeman fits into the Broncos' plans at running back, but whether he's viewed as a part of the solution at all. On Monday, we received additional insight into Freeman's outlook when KUSA's Mike Klis shared his view on the issue in an appearance on 104.3 The Fan's Orlando and Sandy show.
“He’s the No. 3 running back right now and the No. 3 running back last year was Devontae Booker who got two carries for nine yards all season," Klis told hosts Orlando Franklin and Sandy Clough. "Now, that was a different offensive coordinator but this offensive coordinator—[Pat] Shurmur—is even more of a one-back guy than [Rich] Scangarello. Yes, I would say Freeman is on the bubble."
As mentioned in that segment on The Fan, which I advise all Broncos fans to listen to, Freeman's usage in the offense declined slightly from his rookie year to last season. In 2018, per Cecil Lammey's research, Freeman accounted for 33% of the carries in the Broncos' backfield. That number dropped slightly to 32% in 2019.
However, it's worth noting that Freeman missed two games in 2018 with a high-ankle sprain, which is what ultimately gave rise to Lindsay's emergence. Freeman did not miss a game in 2019 and yet his usage plummeted slightly still. His production with those touches correspondingly dipped from averaging 4.0 yards per carry to 3.8 in Year 2.
As Klis intimated, we're talking about different coordinators. In fact, Pat Shurmur will be the third OC in as many years in Denver, which hasn't made it any easier on Freeman to fit in and find his groove. But the same applies to Lindsay, and yet, he's found a way to thrive.
The question now is usage and how do you get more bang for your buck in a Shurmur offense, which prioritizes the pass-catching running back? Catching passes has never been Freeman's forte, though I would say that he's shown a much more natural propensity for it than I anticipated through two years.
It could very well come down to which RB presents better receiving skills between Freeman and Bellamy. Only time will tell, and we still don't know what the Broncos' roster math will be at the RB position, especially with fullback Andy Janovich dealt to Cleveland.
"You do need three running backs, not two," Klis told Franklin and Clough. "You carry three on gameday, one of them has to play special teams and I think Freeman could probably do that. They got Bellamy who to me—he's a smaller guy—smaller guys, if they don't return [punts/kickoffs], aren't much on special teams, so I think Bellamy would probably be a practice-squad type guy. I think Freeman is okay as a No. 3, but I’m not sure what No. 3 looks like in Pat Shurmur's offense. He very well might end up with a reduced role."
Almost certainly, if Freeman sticks, he'll have a reduced role. But I say 'almost' because we still don't know how Freeman will react to the arrival of Gordon and the unspoken indictment on Freeman's play and place with the team.
If Freeman responds with intensity, he could potentially force his way into the rotation. Or, he could wilt under the pressure and kind of fade away as so many highly-drafted, once well-regarded draft picks have done throughout Broncos' annals.
One thing's for sure; it's put up or shut up for Freeman. GM John Elway has made it clear in recent years that he's not above cutting high-round draft picks who aren't pulling their own weight and justifying their pedigree.
Just two summers ago, Elway cut ex-first-rounder Paxton Lynch, third-round CB Brendan Langley, and fifth-round WR Isaiah McKenzie. Heck, Elway once cut 2013 second-round RB Montee Ball in the height of his prime. Hopefully, that message isn't lost on Freeman.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
