ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Audric Estimé will get his chance.
Even though the Denver Broncos used a second-round pick to pick a prominent prospect at the same position — the electric RJ Harvey, who already has caught the attention of onlookers and earned some praise from quarterback Bo Nix — Harvey won’t carry the burden on his own.
And given Sean Payton’s preference for a tandem arrangement at running back, there’s room for someone else to step into the mix for at least a one-two punch — if not a 1 and 1-A arrangement.
Having three running backs rotate — as was the case for a spell late last season, when Payton attempted to cycle among Estimé, Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams as he tried to find the right back each game — proved to be too much. Payton admitted that.
But a two-back arrangement has long suited Payton.
And with Estimé, a fifth-round pick last year, Payton wants to see the traits that led the Broncos to draft him in the first place
“Just running style, his physicality … the things that got him drafted, the things that we saw,” Payton said.
“A little bit harder for him last year, for a handful of these guys. I don’t want to say the grade was incomplete, but they just didn’t have enough — he’s a back that requires enough touches.
“He’s going to get those opportunities.”
PAYTON TELEGRAPHED THIS FOR BRONCOS RUNNING BACKS IN MARCH
When he discussed what he was looking for in potential running backs leading into the draft, Payton gave a lengthy answer, but at one point issued a reminder about the runners still on hand.
“Make no mistake about it: We’re wanting to see our group at home get these opportunities now,” he said at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach on March 31.
And that time is now.
Sure, Harvey has plenty of Broncos buzz. But it’s also Estimé’s time, too.
McLaughlin looked spry and quick last week. Tyler Badie and Blake Watson are also firmly in the mix, too, poised to try and make their mark in a competition that promises to be more wide-open than it might seem on the surface.
Still, Estimé’s skill set appears to complement that of Harvey’s the best. And Harvey would seem in line to have a sizable workload; you don’t use a second-round pick on a runner to limit him to a fringe role.
So, at that point, it’s on Estimé to show that he can avoid the bugaboo of 2024: fumbles. He fumbled once in 24 preseason touches and twice in 81 regular-season opportunities.
At one point he was forced to carry a football around Broncos Park Powered By CommonSpirit, with teammates instructed to try and poke the football free from his grasp.
A massive role could be in Estimé’s hands — as long as he doesn’t fumble it, a concern that might be as literal as it is metaphorical as the summer progresses.
