Lammey: What does Justin Forsett bring to the Broncos?

On Monday afternoon, the Denver Broncos were awarded running back Justin Forsett off waivers after the Detroit Lions parted ways with him on Saturday. Denver needed to do something at the position with Kapri Bibbs suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 13.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak hinted that the team could be looking at adding depth to its running back corps during his weekly press conference earlier Monday.

“It’s a concern right now. We’ll see. Obviously it’s something that (general manager) John (Elway) and I always look at. Obviously we’re thin there,” Kubiak said.

Shortly after the press conference, the Broncos moved Bibbs to injured reserve and added Forsett.

With C.J. Anderson also on IR, the Broncos have been struggling to run the ball. Now, they get a seasoned veteran with plenty of experience in the Kubiak system.

Forsett’s best NFL season came with Baltimore in 2014 when Kubiak was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. Starting 14-of-16 games that season, he rushed for a career-best 1,266 yards — fifth most in the NFL — on 235 carries (5.4 average) with 8 touchdowns. Forsett also caught 44 passes for 263 yards (6.0 average) and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection.

Why did Forsett fail to stay with the Ravens or the Lions this year, and what does he bring to the Broncos?

Let’s look:

Knowledge of the system

Kubiak’s offense is known to be complicated with verbiage that can confuse players trying to learn the system. Forsett has had more than one stop under Kubiak. In 2014, Forsett was able to flourish, but it’s worth noting that Forsett originally played under Kubiak back with the Houston Texans in 2012.

It’s rare to find a player at this point in the season that needs little-to-no time in order to learn the system. Forsett will not only be able to suit up on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans but also could get on the field for more than a handful of snaps if the Broncos want.

The Broncos tried to claim Ronnie Hillman off waivers about a week ago. They lost out, with the Chargers, higher on the waiver priority, being awarded the one-time Broncos back. While they didn’t get him, they find someone in Forsett who is just as knowledgeable (at least) and has been more productive in the system than Hillman.

Forsett’s versatility

Measuring in at 5-foot-8, 195 pounds, Forsett is not built to break tackles. He’s a slippery back with the ball in his hands, and he can sneak through small creases that others can’t.

His vision allows him to see cutback lanes, and his crisp footwork allow him to change directions without losing much speed. Toss plays and draw plays are his hallmark as a runner.

There’s no tipping off the defense when Forsett is on the field. Go back and watch Bibbs on the field, and you’ll notice that he’s not put in many pass protection situations.

There are no concerns with Forsett in that department, which gives the Broncos the versatility to run or pass with no worries about getting the quarterback hit.

Forsett has always been known as a good receiver out of the backfield. Watching him on film this year, Forsett still shows the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. He naturally looks the ball into his hands and could be used effectively on screen passes.

A veteran presence

One of the biggest things the Broncos have been missing since Anderson went down is a veteran presence in the backfield. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback and a rookie running back when Paxton Lynch and Devontae Booker are in the game. It’s not much better if Trevor Siemian is in at quarterback, as he’s only a second-year player.

The days of having Peyton Manning under center are over. Defenses couldn’t fool Manning, but they can show Lynch and Siemian the young quarterbacks have never seen before. Anderson may be the one player who learned the most from Manning, and having him out there is like having a coach on the field.

You didn’t get that with Booker or Bibbs, but you can with Forsett.

He’s bounced around to two different teams this year, playing three games for the Ravens and two games for the Lions. His 3.1 yards-per-carry average is nothing to write home about. However, it is greater than the 2.8 average that Booker has had since Anderson went down.

Forsett is unlikely to be the lead back for the Broncos, but don’t count out the possibility of a 50-50 split with Booker. In the Jaguars game, Bibbs was the spark for the offense, and it seemed he was working his way into a larger role. That spark now could come from Forsett.

What do the Broncos have in Forsett? Perhaps more than some people think.