The Denver Broncos found a winning formula versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. They did it with aggressive playcalling early that featured a heavy dose of rookie quarterback Bo Nix and then leaned on the running game late.
The box score suggests a shift at running back. Tyler Badie outproduced starter Javonte Williams with 70 yards to 12 yards. Williams still logged most of the team’s snaps at the position. The Broncos might need an upgrade.
Bleacher Report’s BR NFL Scouting Department suggests contacting the Houston Texans.
“Bo Nix has struggled early this season. That’s to be expected. But the Broncos’ lifeless running game has to share some of the blame. Javonte Williams does not look explosive and Audric Estime is on the injured reserve. Jaleel McLaughlin is not a traditional between-the-tackles runner,” Bleacher Report’s scouts wrote on September 23.
“The free-agent market is mostly picked over, so a trade might be the only thing that could bring some juice to this backfield. Dameon Pierce is quickly recovering from a hamstring injury, but Dan Graziano of ESPN noted that Cam Akers could have a big role with Joe Mixon out.”
Dameon Pierce is painfully underrated.
The guy was making plays like this as a fourth-round ROOKIE.
939 yards rushing while missing four games.
Nix bounced back in Week 3. But the Broncos showed the value of having a reliable running game behind the rookie.
That alone could make exploring their other options a worthwhile endeavor.
Dameon Pierce’s Journey From Texans Starter to Backup Could Pave Way for Broncos Trade
Pierce was a fourth-round pick by the Texans in the 2022 draft. He rushed for 939 yards (at 4.3 yards per carry) and 4 touchdowns.
Pierce added another 165 yards and 1 score on 30 receptions, giving him over 1,000 yards.
He took a step back in his second season, finishing with 416 yards, a 2.9-yards-per-carry clip, and 2 touchdowns. Pierce still added over 100 yards on 13 receptions, but found himself relegated to a reserve role with Mixon’s arrival in free agency over the 2024 offseason.
He missed the Texans’ last two games – one win and one loss – with what KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson termed a “mild” hamstring injury.
Wilson reported that Pierce is closer to returning than not.
“Akers took the first-team snaps Wednesday and Thursday with Pierce sidelined with a mild strained hamstring that kept him out of the Chicago game,” Wilson wrote on September 20. Pierce is regarded as close to returning, but not quite there, per a league source.”
His injuries could make Pierce a bargain to land in a trade. But the Broncos are not exactly desperate for bodies.
Williams logged 35 snaps to 13 for Badie. And yet, it was the latter who had the most touches on the ground with nine carries. Williams tied McLaughlin with five carries, though he did catch four passes to none for Badie.
Sean Payton Explains Broncos RB Usage
A trade may not be in the Broncos’ plans. Badie is compact at 5-foot-8 and 197 pounds. Williams profiles as more of a lead back at 5-foot-10 and 220-plus pounds. But Payton said that he wanted to reward the former Baltimore Ravens draft pick.
“I’m used to – right, wrong, or indifferent – it’s easy to work two backs into a rotation,” Payton told reporters on September 22.
“It’s hard with three. It’s hard to feed three, and he’d been practicing well. And there were a handful of “Bad 21” – we just abbreviate his tags “Bad 12” – there were a handful of plays designed with his name on it, and then he’s running well and so he got some other plays. But we’ll keep working that combination and I was pleased that we were able to run the ball.”
Perhaps this means the Broncos are fine with their current stable of backs.
Estime is also built like a bruising, early-down back. He is sidelined with an ankle injury. Pierce could add proven production to the Broncos in a similar package if acquired in a trade.
