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Phillip Lindsay Explains his 10-Pound Weight Gain

How will Phillip Lindsay's weight gain affect his play-style in 2020?
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Phillip Lindsay is entering his third NFL training camp. Signed as a college free agent following the 2018 draft, Lindsay joined the Denver Broncos and quickly took command of the running back room. 

What ensued was an unprecedented, record-breaking season in which Lindsay eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing milestone and double-digit touchdowns on the way to a Pro Bowl nod. Just when it seemed that nothing could stop him, he suffered a serious wrist injury in Week 16 of the 2018 season and finished the year on injured reserve so he could undergo surgery to repair the problem. 

Fast forward to 2019, and Lindsay once again produced at a bell-cow level, despite his relatively diminutive size. Listed at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, he became only the fourth Bronco to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing season in team history and the first former undrafted rookie to do so in NFL annals. 

However, despite Lindsay's steady production last season, missing were some of the game-breaking, highlight-reel plays that predominated his rookie campaign. He also failed to take that step forward as a receiver that he'd hoped, due to the wrist injury setting him back. 

The other collateral effect of that wrist injury and subsequent surgery was that he couldn't lift weights the way he wanted to. But now 20 months removed from that wrist injury, Lindsay is fully back to full strength. In fact, he's added a few pounds of muscle. 

“I gained about 10 pounds—10 pounds of muscle," Lindsay said on Tuesday during a virtual presser. "I feel good. I feel fast. I just felt like—like I said, that wrist injury really did a toll on me when it came to working out because I came from having to sit out for four, five months to just rushing right into camp. I didn’t get that development like I did this year."

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This time around, despite there being no traditional on-field OTAs due to the pandemic, Lindsay had a full offseason to focus on sculpting his body. And don't worry about those 10 additional pounds slowing down his quickness and twitchiness. 

"I feel really good. I feel healthy," Lindsay said. "I feel explosive. I feel like I’m going to have a hell of a season this year.”

The way Lindsay wins is with his quick-twitch cutting and explosiveness, combined with his excellent vision and speed. While fans will rightly wonder if the weight gain will affect those traits, a 200-pound frame, at Lindsay's height, shouldn't have a negative impact on his game. 

If anything, the added muscle will help cushion and protect him better in 2020 and boost his power. Lindsay is a fearless between-the-tackles runner and at 190 pounds, durability is always going to be a concern for him. Adding that additional weight should alleviate some of those misgivings. 

Having the full use and strength of his wrist has also allowed Lindsay to hone his receiving chops. A regular participant in Drew Lock's offseason workouts away from the Broncos' facility, Lindsay received countless reps with his young quarterback which should go a long way towards the third-year player taking that next step as an all-purpose back. 

“Pass catching-wise, I feel really good. I feel like I’m back to myself," Lindsay said on Tuesday. "The year before, I came off my wrist injury and it was tougher than I thought. I thought the wrist injury wouldn’t be as bad as it was. It was, but this year I feel good. I feel good and at the end of the day I’m going to catch every ball that comes my way.”

Lindsay has some added competition this summer in the form of Melvin Gordon, whom the Broncos signed to a two-year, $16 million deal this past March. Ostensibly added for his power-rushing style and receiving ability, Gordon brings a first-round pedigree to the team's running back stable. 

If Lindsay is going to fend off Gordon from usurping him as the Broncos No. 1 running back, he'll have to prove to the coaches that, indeed, his receiving chops are vastly improved. Lindsay has always been a willing receiver and when he catches the ball, he's a threat to take it to the house. But there were too many dropped passes out of the backfield last year, which likely were due to his wrist not quite being 100%. 

Now that Lindsay is back to full strength with an additional 10 pounds on his frame, he can set about the process of proving to his new offensive coordinator — Pat Shurmur — that he deserves to be the top back in this system. Only time will tell whether Lindsay can do just that, but as a brand-new father, and making $750,000 compared to Gordon's $7M, he's more focused and motivated than ever. 

“You don’t understand until you have kids. It’s different," Lindsay said. "You’re mindset changes... For me, it’s business. I have to handle my business so that my son can have a good future for himself and have a good place to call home and things like that. I’m not going to be to reason why he doesn’t do that.”

Suffice to say, Broncos Country can't wait to see how it all plays out for 'The Colorado Kid'. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHudde.