Rookie Running Back Is Forcing A New Level Of Competition

The Denver Broncos had an established pecking order of sorts at running back last season, but it definitely didn’t produce the kind of production that coach Sean Payton wanted. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman is trying to change that, and he also wants to test Payton’s theory that it’s tough to feature three running backs. 

“I think it’s a good problem to have,” Payton said Thursday when he was asked by Luca Evans of the Denver Post if he still believes in his own adage. “I know you can feature two. I think three is difficult sometimes. But I’m not worried about that right now. Just — let’s go, and these guys are all competing for their spots.”

But running backs coach Lou Ayeni disagreed with that slightly, as he claims he did find concrete roles for RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, especially after lead back J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury. 

"Listen, if you’re a good player, we’ll find a way to use you," Ayeni said this weekend. "Like, yeah, I understand what coach is saying about – I don’t know if it’s about featuring them, or putting them all in the right position to help us win games. I think that’s what we’ll do with those guys.”

Coleman brings something different to the table, however. He’s a load at 220 pounds, and part of the Broncos reasons for drafting him included Coleman’s ability to step in and be reliable in pass protection. Ayeni likes his potential as a receiver, too, along with his all-around approach to the game. 

"You just see a guy who doesn’t get rattled," Ayeni said on Coleman. "He can solve problems on the field. He’s a quick processor. And there’s just no panic in his game. There’s a lot of little savviness to him, for a rookie. Which is kind of hard to – usually, you grow into that. And he’s already got it. 

“And I think the biggest thing for me with him is, like, man, he’s a lot better route-runner than you think. Got a little more quickness than you think. Better hands than you think. He’s just a good football player.” 

The competition is forcing each back to step up in different ways, and that’s giving the Broncos some much-needed weapons and improvement at the position. New offensive coordinator Davis Webb is finding new ways to use them, and it will be interesting to see who’s able to do what during the preseason games. 

"Name six running backs on an NFL team," Webb said over the weekend, "that are as good as our depth right now."