The new Broncos RB coach worked with both Hunt, Montgomery in college

Running back could be a priority for the Broncos in free agency next month.

With promising young star Javonte Williams shredding his knee in Week 4 of the 2022 season against the Raiders, Denver may need someone else to carry the load, especially early on. And while Latavius Murray was solid to end the year, he’s a free agent. He has connections with new head coach Sean Payton, but the Broncos would need to hammer out a fresh deal.

And what if GM George Paton aims to sign a bigger name? Well, there are two obvious ones to keep an eye on after some news broke on Monday morning. The team will hire Lou Ayeni to be their running backs coach, according to multiple reports. Ayeni isn’t a household name, but has a good reputation after more than a decade of coaching college running backs.

How about this? Ayeni coached Kareem Hunt at Toledo in 2013 and David Montgomery with Iowa State from 2016-2017. Both are very solid NFL backs, with Hunt ranked as the No. 6 free agent running back by CBS Sports and Montgomery as No. 5.

Hunt had a bit of a down year with the Browns in 2022, but his opportunities were limited because he backed up arguably the best back in the league in Nick Chubb. Montgomery rushed for more than 800 yards with the Bears, a milestone he’s hit in all four of his pro seasons.

Ayeni’s making a leap from college to the NFL, and that happens all the time. But consider he knows two of the top-6 free agent running backs on the market, and the move makes you think a little further. Perhaps Payton and Paton hope Ayeni can help lure either Hunt or Montgomery, perhaps it’s a coincidence.

Regardless, Payton’s staff is now essentially complete, with Ayeni a late addition to a group that largely came together late last week.

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