Tag: Samaje Perine

Broncos’ updated RB depth chart after 3 cuts at the position

The Broncos cut three running backs in less than a week. Where does that leave the team’s RB depth chart? Here’s our projection.

Less than a week after they cut running backs Jacques Patrick and Tyreik McAllister, the Denver Broncos also parted ways with Damarea Crockett.

Following those three roster cuts, the Broncos are now left with just five running backs on the 90-man offseason roster: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Tony Jones, Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin.

So, why was Denver OK with cutting three RBs in less than a week? One potential possibility is that the Broncos continue to feel good about Williams’ recovery from a knee injury he suffered last October.

Denver coach Sean Payton has said that he expects Williams to be ready not only for Week 1 but even for training camp. That seems hard to believe, but actions speak louder than words and Williams has been practicing (on a limited basis) at OTAs and the Broncos have been trimming down their RB room before training camp even begins.

The team’s roster moves seem like a good sign that Williams truly is trending in the right direction.

Broncos Running Back Depth Chart

Conor Orr predicts Russell Wilson won’t start majority of Broncos’ games in 2023

Conor Orr has predicted that Russell Wilson won’t start a majority of Broncos games this season.

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Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated recently published a list of 100 bold predictions for the 2023 season and his prediction for the Denver Broncos might raise some eyebrows.

Orr has predicted that quarterback Russell Wilson will not start the majority of Broncos’ games under center in 2023. That’s right, Orr is predicting a majority of Denver’s games (at least nine) will feature a starting QB not named Russell Wilson.

Here is Orr’s reasoning:

Why? Sean Payton is particular. He’s the head chef, and, while the quarterback is an integral part of making up his game plan, if you’re not running the plays as designed, he’s going to find someone who will. Jarrett Stidham, fresh off a solid end-of-season run with the Raiders, looks to be a kind of Payton muse while the coach formulates the real, long-term solution that he likely spent this entire offseason plotting.

Payton did say earlier this offseason that the team views Stidham as a promising young quarterback who could develop into a starter in the NFL.

Orr also predicted that Denver running back Samaje Perine will have a big season in fantasy football, particularly in PPR formats. Take note, fantasy football managers.

To view all of Orr’s predictions for the 2023 season, click here.

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Sean Payton feels ‘really good’ about Broncos’ running back room

“I feel really good about our group of veterans,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the team’s running back room.

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The Denver Broncos are set to go into the 2023 season with four holdover running backs from last year and four new arrivals. By the time the 53-man roster is set, the new arrivals will likely outnumber the holders.

The Broncos signed Samaje Perine during free agency and he will serve as a fill-in starter if Javonte Williams (knee) is not fully recovered by Week 1. Denver also signed Tony Jones, a former New Orleans Saints backup who might be the early favorite for RB3 duties this season.

“I feel really good about our group of veterans that are here in the building,” coach Sean Payton said on May 13. “When we signed Samaje, this is a guy that gave us flexibility. We know that he can play and be an every-down back. Our current starter [Javonte Williams] is doing extremely well. I would tell you that we expect him to be ready for the start of training camp and that’s good news.”

In addition to Williams, Perine and Jones, the Broncos also have veteran Jacques Patrick, holdovers Damarea Crockett, Tyreik McAllister and
Tyler Badie, plus undrafted free agent signee Jaleel McLaughlin.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver carry four running backs on the initial 53-man roster, and the team will likely carry two more on the practice squad. Right now, Payton is pleased with how the depth chart stacks up.

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Sean Payton reveals Broncos’ reasoning for signing RB Samaje Perine

“I was taught a long time ago to stack them up at that position [RB],” coach Sean Payton said. “It’s a tough position in our league.”

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The Denver Broncos made Samaje Perine a priority during free agency, signing him to a two-year, $7.5 million contract in March.

Denver signed Perine despite already having Javonte Williams on the roster. It wasn’t a surprising move, though, given that Williams is recovering from a serious knee injury.

Perine will be a capable fill-in starter if Williams is sidelined early in the season, and there will be snaps for both RBs when they are healthy.

“We signed him because we knew he was durable and reliable,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Perine during rookie minicamp last week. “He played on first and second down and he played quite a bit of third down, if you really look at the snaps for Cincinnati.

“We felt like we got another solid runner — you guys have been around him — who’s built in a strong way. There are a lot of things he does well. When we signed him, there was still uncertainty [at the position]. I was taught a long time ago to stack them up at that position. It’s a tough position in our league.”

Perine rushed 95 times for 394 yards and two touchdowns last season while adding 38 receptions for 287 yards and four more scores as a receiver out of the backfield. He played in 16 games with the Cincinnati Bengals, earning two starts.

Perine will start if Williams misses time in 2023, and the two running backs will likely rotate backfield snaps when they are both healthy.

Broncos’ projected running back depth chart after NFL draft

Samaje Perine might serve as a fill-in starter for the Broncos early in the season if Javonte Williams is not fully recovered by Week 1.

The Denver Broncos did not select a running back in the 2023 NFL draft, leaving the team with an interesting RB depth chart going into OTAs.

Here’s a quick projection of where Denver’s running back depth chart stands at the moment.

Projected starter: Javonte Williams is recovering from a serious knee injury that might make him a candidate to begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which would rule him out for the first four games of the season. Williams is the obvious starter once healthy. 

RB2/Fill-in starter: Samaje Perine proved with the Cincinnati Bengals that he’s a quality RB2 who has the ability to serve as a fill-in starter. If Williams does begin the season the PUP list, Perine will start in his place.

RB3: Tony Jones seems to be the early favorite to win the third-string running back job given his familiarity in Sean Payton’s offense. Jones started four games for the Saints in 2021, rushing 54 times for 142 yards that season. Last year, he split time between New Orleans and the Seattle Seahawks.

Competing for RB4: Damarea Crockett, Tyler Badie, Tyreik McAllister, Jaleel McLaughlin and Emanuel Wilson will likely be competing for the final active roster spot and one or two practice squad spots. Crockett has the most experience in this group. Badie made one appearance last season and McAllister has spent time on Denver’s practice squad. 

McLaughlin and Wilson are expected to be among the team’s undrafted free agent signings, which are yet to be officially announced.

Unless the Broncos are comfortable with Jones potentially serving as the default RB2 if Williams is sidelined early in the season, the team could be in the market to sign a veteran free agent running back. The list of RBs still available includes Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, Kareem Hunt and Phillip Lindsay.

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Marvin Mims headed to the Denver Broncos in the 2023 NFL Draft

With the 63rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos add an elite offensive weapon, selecting Oklahoma Sooners WR Marvin Mims.

Marvin Mims is the second Sooner to be selected in the 2023 NFL draft. He went at the end of the second round with pick 63 to the Denver Broncos.

The Sooners wide receiver will be a fantastic target for Russell Wilson in the Denver Broncos passing game. He should be used in a variety of ways, with Sean Payton being the offensive mastermind that he is.

Mims jumps off the screen due to his blazing speed. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He’s an incredible athlete for the receiver position. With fantastic speed, great hands, and plus athleticism, Marvin Mims is a player that will provide an instant impact in the Broncos offense.

He’s 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds. He’s got experience playing both on the outside and in the slot. Given his frame, perhaps more of a role in the slot would make sense in the short term as he adjusts to the physicality of NFL corners playing press-man coverage.

Mims had 123 receptions, 2,398 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns in his three years at Oklahoma. He led the Sooners in receiving yards in each of his three seasons. In 2022, he had his first 1,000-yard season for Oklahoma after considering transferring during the coaching change in the winter of 2021.

In the Mile High City, Mims will reunite with former Sooners’ teammates [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag] and [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag]. Also in Denver are Sooners that came before Mims including [autotag]Samaje Perine[/autotag] and [autotag]Ben Powers[/autotag].

Denver is a great fit for Mims with Sean Payton at the helm of the offense and Russell Wilson’s ability to air it out. Payton will move him around to find different mismatches he can offer on offense. With Mims’ experience returning punts, he’ll have a chance to play on special teams early in his NFL career.

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16 running backs Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

The Broncos should consider these 16 running backs during the NFL draft this week.

The Denver Broncos will have a great running back duo in Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine when Williams recovers from the ACL/LCL injury he suffered last season.

Williams is facing an uncertain recovery timeline, though, putting his early-season availability in doubt. Perhine proved with the Cincinnati Bengals that he is a capable fill-in starter, but the Broncos will need another running back to pair with him if Williams is sidelined early in the season.

With the possibility of Williams missing time in 2023, Denver seems likely to draft a running back this week. Here’s a quick list of 16 names to watch for during the NFL draft.

Will the Broncos select a running back in the NFL draft?

The Broncos have Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine, but Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson didn’t stop the Saints from drafting Alvin Kamara.

The Denver Broncos plan to select “the best player available” when they go on the clock during the NFL draft this week, but the team also has several needs that could coincide with the BPA at certain points of the draft.

One position where the Broncos could use more depth is running back. Javonte Williams (knee) is facing an uncertain recovery timeline, and Denver will need a capable third-string running back to pair with Samaje Perine early in the season.

The Broncos won’t reach for a running back, but if one falls to a point they like in the draft, Denver will add one this week.

“I think that was one of the plusses with Samaje being available in free agency,” coach Sean Payton said last Thursday. “We felt like there’s flexibility there. Even in New Orleans, we were discussing this scenario [where] we had Mark Ingram and we had just signed Adrian Peterson. We felt like with the top two guys, we were in a good position.

“Then [Alvin] Kamara fell [in the draft]. We traded back into it and drafted Alvin. Those are value decisions. That’s the significance of the free agency process, and George [Paton] alluded to it a little bit. You’re hoping that you free yourself up a little bit to give yourself more flexibility in the draft so you’re not taking the toaster over the double oven.”

Our most recent mock draft has the Broncos selecting Texas A&M running back Devon Achane in the third round. The draft will begin on Thursday, with Denver scheduled to make its first selection on Friday evening.

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What Samaje Perine’s Joe Mixon comments could mean for Bengals RB room

Samaje Perine offered possible insight on Joe Mixon and the Bengals.

While addressing why he chose the Denver Broncos over the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, Samaje Perine had some interesting comments on Joe Mixon and the outlook of the team’s backfield.

Perine told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette the following: “You know good stuff happens when Joe (Mixon) touches the ball, but I just didn’t want to get stuck in that cycle that he’s getting 75, 80, 90 percent of the touches and just stuck with leftovers on third down.”

It feels like a really telling comment from Perine, too, or at least meshes well with an outsider’s view of the situation.

The Bengals, at least publicly, haven’t made an effort to re-work Mixon’s massive $12.8 cap hit in 2023. But it’s safe to presume they would like to free up some of that money, even if it’s just to help put immediate cash on extensions for Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow this summer.

But given that there hasn’t been any traction on that front and the Bengals haven’t added a running back in free agency (despite serious interest from Ezekiel Elliott), it seems like it’s draft-or-bust for changing up the running back depth chart.

And if the Bengals don’t add a prospect somewhat early in the draft, it’s safe to presume Mixon will be back no matter the contract. If that happens, it’s Trayveon Williams — a guy the coaches love — in Perine’s spot next year.

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Samaje Perine explains choosing Broncos over Bengals despite similar offers

Interesting comments from the former Bengals RB.

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine has opened up a little bit about his departure from the team in free agency.

As previously noted, Perine says uncertainty about his role and a desire for more playing time were big factors in his decision to sign with the Denver Broncos despite the Bengals offering a similar deal for him to return.

“I just felt it was time for me to make a name for myself wanting to do more offensively just because I didn’t know what they were going to do with Joe (Mixon). Obviously, he’s still a great back,” Perine said, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “‘I know how it goes when you’re paying your lead guy X amount of money, so they’re going to get their work out of him, I don’t blame him.”

Perine also said he didn’t want to just be stuck with limited third-down reps if Mixon returns as the lead back next year.

Looking at it broadly, neither party looks at fault or bad here. The Bengals weren’t in a position to promise Perine he would see more usage next season, not with Mixon on the roster and the draft upcoming. Perine couldn’t just wait around, especially with the Broncos offering similar money and promising a bigger role.

As always, the Bengals remain a candidate to take a running back early and potentially move on from Mixon if something about his contract doesn’t change.

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