Report: RB Theo Riddick 'expected to sign' with Broncos

If you would have asked me when training camp opened which position groups were among the strongest and deepest for the Denver Broncos, running backs would have been near the top.

However, with 10 days of camp in the books, the Broncos apparently aren't completely satisfied with their stable, as the team brought free-agent RB Theo Riddick in for a visit shortly after the Detroit Lions released him.

Riddick (5-foot-9, 201 pounds) is a seventh-year back out of Notre Dame originally drafted by the Lions in the sixth round. He's one of the NFL's preeminent pass-catching running backs, with 285 career receptions under his belt.

According to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, Riddick is 'expected to sign' with the Broncos. When exactly that will be remains unclear.

In 2018, Riddick caught a whopping 61 passes for 384 yards, while also chipping in 171 rushing yards on 40 totes. More slot receiver than running back, Riddick does bring a unique skill-set to the table.

It's unclear what kind of money Riddick will get from the Broncos, but I would assume it's more than what the New Orleans Saints were offering. As many as 10 NFL teams showed interest in Riddick but it appeared as if his decision came down to playing with Joe Flacco and the Broncos or Drew Brees and the Saints.

At 28, Riddick is still in his prime but he steps onto a RB depth chart absolutely teeming with talent, including an incumbent Pro Bowler and a second-year former third-round pick. Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman are locks to make the Broncos' 53-man roster but the arrival of Riddick squarely puts Devontae Booker on thin ice.

Booker's path to the final roster might not have been guaranteed but heading into a contract year, it was expected that he would make it. Booker is coming off his most efficient year as a pro, showcasing his own polished ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Theo Riddick hasn't signed yet. But suffice to say, if indeed the Broncos plan on signing Riddick, the team brass has to hope that Booker acquits himself well in the preseason opener so that maybe, just maybe, he can be dangled as trade bait for a RB-starved team.

The prospective arrival of Theo Riddick will give OC Rich Scangarello another arrow in his quiver. However, not only is Riddick's presence likely to push Booker off the roster (a former Broncos' fourth-round pick) but it could mean less touches in the passing game for the Pro Bowler Phillip Lindsay.

That's a line Scangarello and company will have to walk.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.