The biggest questions facing AFC West running backs

Denver Broncos

Running Backs: Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, LeVante Bellamy

Is the Broncos’ backfield too crowded?

The premise of this question feels a little misguided. There are fewer and fewer examples of proper “workhorse” running backs these days. The 49ers relied on numerous running backs last season and choreographed them in inventive ways—a strategy that nearly won them a Super Bowl.

However, the Broncos backfield feels crowded in a different sense of the word. They added Melvin Gordon, who had a rather ineffective holdout while he was in L.A., but will undoubtedly expect a fair share of touches. Phillip Lindsay, meanwhile, has dramatically outperformed his undrafted status.

There’s reason to think that Lindsay, underpaid as he is, will request the Broncos commit to him and offer him a contract commensurate with his production in the near future. In fact, he’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of this season. No question, Lindsay will be looking to produce this year in search of an extension.

So it doesn’t seem crazy to wonder about the chemistry of this backfield. Gordon and Lindsay are both eager to prove something: Gordon, that he’s the stellar back most people thought he was before a dismal 2019 season, and Lindsay, eager to prove that he is worthy of an extension. Heck, even Royce Freeman has shown his share of flashes in his short career. Time will tell if this Broncos backfield can coexist and remain content throughout the season.