The Broncos could have the best running back group in the NFL
Jun 10, 2023, 8:54 AM
The Broncos have made some massive moves this offseason. The Walton-Penner group went into a frenzy on day one of free agency and handed out over $230 million in contracts, and it wasn’t over. The Broncos later picked up veteran running back Samaje Perine on a two-year deal worth $7.5 million and just signed former Chiefs pass rusher Frank Clark for a one-year deal worth $5.5 million.
The most significant move has yet to come, though. It’s been rumored that the Broncos are after four-time Pro-Bowler running back Dalvin Cook.
The Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are two of the teams that are expected to have an interest in signing running back Dalvin Cook once he officially is released, per sources. There likely will be others, but those two have been monitoring Cook for weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2023
The 27-year-old running back has been one of the best in the league over the last few years. Cook is coming off his fourth straight 1,000-yard season and has 52 touchdowns since he joined the league in 2017. He’s rushed for 5,993 yards in his career and has had 1,794 receiving yards.
Adding this depth to our running back group would be a massive benefit for the team. Javonte Williams has been rumored to be on track to play again this year after suffering a devastating knee injury in 2022, but they need a backup plan in case he’s not ready to go. Even if he is healthy, having Cook, Williams, and Perine is a massive offensive threat.
Cook is a versatile player that can be used as a duel threat in the air and on the ground and should fit quite nicely into Sean Payton’s offensive scheme. Cook and Williams will complement each other’s style of play. Williams is a ground-and-pound guy, while Cook is light on his feet and can be used as a receiving threat. We’ve seen it before with Payton, he likes running a pro-set scheme (two running backs in the backfield lined up side by side instead of one in front of the other), and with the possible addition of Cook, it will keep teams guessing.
Perine is 27 years old and played for the Bengals last season, where he backed up star RB Joe Mixon. Perine ran the ball 95 times and rushed for 394 yards with two rushing touchdowns and had 38 receptions with 287 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. It’s important to note that Perine has played in seven playoff games throughout his career and took 65% of the offensive snaps over Mixon in the AFC Championship Game last season. He’s a veteran that is a reliable third-string player and someone who can be trusted in critical situations if needed.
It’s been clear that the Broncos focused on improving their offensive line this offseason and picked up RT Mike McGlinchey, OG Ben Powers and blocking TE Chris Manhertz. Payton looks like he’s scheming up a much heavier running offense for next year, and with the addition of Perine and the possible pickup of Cooks adds depth and versatility in the running back position.
George Paton has shown optimism that Williams will be healthy for game one, but rumors have been going around that he may not be ready when the season starts. Perine may have an increased role at the beginning of the season while Williams gets healthy, but regardless of the situation, Cook would add a massive threat to this offense and should be pursued no matter what. If they pick up Cook, the Broncos would have the best running back group in the league.
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