Denver Broncos 2014 Schedule, Training Camp & Roster News: Denver's Running Backs Too Young and Inexperienced?
When you think of the Denver Broncos, there's a good chance the first thing that pops to mind is Peyton Manning. The five-time National Football League MVP rewrote the record books last season with one of the greatest seasons in NFL history by a quarterback, ever. But, as good as Manning is and can be, he can't do everything by himself. He's certainly not a mobile quarterback.
Which leads us to the Denver Broncos' biggest question mark and possible problem going into next season -- their running game. The Broncos lost their most effective rusher from last season, Knowshown Moreno, to free agency. Moreno was drafted No. 12 overall back in the 2009 draft and had 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
The Broncos running back depth chart currently consists of Montee Ball, CJ Anderson, Kapri Bibbs, Brennan Clay, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, and Jerodis Williams.
Who, who, and who?
Those seven running backs are all under the age of 24 and have a combined career rushing total of 1,142 rushing yards and just four rushing touchdowns. Incredibly, only Ball, Hillman, and Anderson have seen actual game experience. Bibbs, Clay, and Thompson are all rookies and second-year player Williams hasn't played a game yet.
There's no doubt who will have the most pressure facing him on the ground this season: Montee Ball. Ball was drafted by the team in the second round last year and he played very well at Wisconsin. He did a decent job last year at backing up Moreno, but this year he's going to have to carry the ball at least 15 times a game. Only time will tell if he's up to the challenge.
Of course, not all of those running backs will make the final 53 man roster. Regardless, the Broncos are still presently without a veteran experienced running back on their squad. With Peyton Manning still quarterbacking this team, opposing defenses will always hang back in coverage thus opening up the run game. Stacking the box won't happen often against this team with Manning at the helm, which should open up things for runners.
Broncos General Manager and longtime great John Elway spent a lot of money this offseason, specifically on defense. His most notable defensive additions were Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, and Terrell Ward. The Broncos even added Emmanuel Sanders as wide receiver. Maybe Elway and the Broncos' front office should have focused more on the running game. They put a lot of stock in Moreno returning in free agency and are putting even more stress on Mannng's arm next season.
With the Broncos having the least experienced rushing attack in the NFL, there's no reason to believe Manning won't win his sixth MVP award.
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