ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Let’s begin by reporting Javonte Williams did look good.
The Broncos’ No. 1 running back wasn’t carrying a handful of tacklers through OTAs or minicamp, or busted through even one tackle. But the running back movements of running around, cutting, exploding off a plant foot during 7 on 7 passing periods – it all looked promising.
Still, as the Broncos move to within a month of training camp, it’s unclear when Williams will be fully cleared for 11 on 11 team drills or contact as he continues to progress through his recovery from last season’s ACL injury.
Which leads to the next issue for Broncos Country to consider during our 9NEWS Summer Series:
No. 3: What about the Broncos’ running game given Javonte’s uncertainty?
A diminutive, powerful running back, Williams was the Broncos’ second-round draft pick out of North Carolina in 2021 and he met expectations as a rookie by rushing for 903 yards on 4.3 yards per carry, while adding 316 yards receiving off 43 catches. He combined for 7 touchdowns. It only seemed like he produced more because all the national TV football shows that highlighted his tackle-breaking and tackle-carrying runs.
Promoted from 1B back behind Melvin Gordon III as a rookie to 1A ahead of Gordon last year, Williams was off to a decent start in 2022, catching 11 passes in the opener at Seattle while also rushing for 6.1 yards per carry. He had 75 yards rushing on 5.0 yards per carry in Game 2 win against Houston.
But on the first carry of the second half in Game 4 at Las Vegas, Williams tried to drive out of a bear-hug tackle by Maxx Crosby and wound up buried in the grass field, leaving his knee ripped up. That was October 2 and it’s now 9 months later.
The ACL is repaired and while Williams probably could carry the ball in a live game, the Broncos figure to continue to use caution before they let him try.
The Broncos thinking has been: If Williams is ready for the start of the regular season, great. But have a plan B in place if it’s determined its best to hold him back a few more weeks. The season will start 11 months after his knee injury so it would not be a surprise if he’s ready Game 1 against the Raiders.
Plan B, for now, is veteran running back Samaje Perine, who was scheduled for a 1B role, anyway. Perine once rushed for an NCAA still-standing single-game record of 427 yards as an Oklahoma freshman against Kansas in 2014. He rushed for 4,122 yards in three seasons at Oklahoma – 1,374 yards per year. But since joining the NFL in 2017, Perine has been almost exclusively a backup, averaging 314 yards the previous three years with Cincinnati.
If Javonte needs a few more weeks into the regular season before he’s ready for a 15 carry-a-game workload, Perine by himself can’t carry the Broncos’ running game. So who else?
Tyler Badie, a 6th-round draft pick out of Missouri by the Baltimore Ravens last year, was signed away by the Broncos late last season and scored on a 24-yard, catch-and-run off his first NFL touch in the finale. Jaleel McLaughlin, a small college undrafted rookie, would also add much-needed speed to the backfield if he makes the team.
Adding another back with some NFL yards behind his name is possible but such a move may not be made until Broncos head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton get a look at Williams in training camp.
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