The Denver Broncos are heading into the 2023 NFL regular season with an intriguing battle royale in their running back room. Last year with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dobbins rushed for a career-high 905 yards. Now, he’s hungry to prove he can be the team’s top option out of the backfield. Under the watchful eye of head coach Sean Payton, Dobbins has completely taken over training camp. He has played the majority of the offensive snaps with first-team guys, positioning himself to have a major role.
Dobbins has already drawn rave reviews from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. He considered Dobbins one of the hardest runners to stop a year ago. Joseph commended Dobbins’ “third-down intelligence,” highlighting its rarity in today’s game. As the Broncos prepare for the upcoming season, Dobbins emphasizes the importance of third downs in the team’s offensive strategy.
“There’s third down, and right now in the league, third down is huge. And in this offense, how we as backs do your job to help [Bo Nix] with the ball, protect Bo without it, is what will be the deciding factor I think.”
And the battle for the starting job doesn’t just fall on Dobbins’ shoulders. R.J. Harvey, a second-round draft pick from last April, has been Dobbins’ shadow in second-team snaps. Add in the quickness and vision he has shown throughout training camp, and Harvey could be in prime position to be a major contributor this season.
Coming back to join Dobbins and Harvey in the backfield will be speedy Jaleel McLaughlin. Payton recently referred to him as the team’s “change of pace” back. McLaughlin has already established his versatility, rushing for more than 400 yards in two seasons and racking up a healthy 55 career receptions. This offseason, he’s bulked up to near 200 pounds so he can be more physical without losing the burst and speed that makes him special.
It’s something I’ve really tried to work on this offseason,” McLaughlin said. I’m really just trying to put myself in the right position and make sure that I’m getting to where they need me to be in the pass game and in protection.
The Broncos feature Audric Estime, who gained momentum down the stretch last season with two touchdowns in his final three regular-season games. Tyler Badie is known this year as the Broncos back with the longest run from last season, a measly 43 yards. Incredibly, he did this even while missing the majority of the year with a back injury.
The Broncos’ top three running backs were all among the league’s most productive performers last season. None of them were able to top a long run of 21 yards. Payton is the first to admit that the team needs to be more explosive on 3rd down.
“We have to be more explosive in that area,” said Payton.
Dobbins echoes this sentiment, explaining that learning how to read defenses and communicate with his OL will be key for running backs in this system. He has been known to emphasize the importance of blocking for the quarterback as much as he does rushing yards.
“You’ve got blitzes to worry about, we have to read that part of the defense, we have to know and we have to pick it up,” said Dobbins. “Otherwise the quarterback is getting hit and guess what? If you’re a running back who’s in there and gets the quarterback hit, you’re a running back who isn’t getting the ball.”
Read on for more from Dobbins on the mentality you need in order to thrive in his discipline.
“It’s a big price tag. You have to have the mentality ‘A blitz ain’t getting by me, no matter what, I’m going to protect the quarterback.’”
As the competition unfolds, Harvey has expressed his awareness of the learning opportunities presented at the professional level compared to college football.
“I’ve discovered a lot of things you’re learning now you didn’t learn in college,” said Harvey. “The detail is just way more. And that third down is extremely important, move the chains, protect the quarterback, get out in your routes and get the first downs; that’s what they need.”
Payton has made it clear that all running backs will receive ample opportunities during practice and preseason games to demonstrate their capabilities on the field.
Once we get past the first month of the regular season, we’ll all be a little better equipped to interpret what we’re seeing. I hope we’ll all come away feeling inspired and invigorated! Payton stated.
As training camp continues to roll on, Dobbins is really putting himself in position to be the team’s starting man. So far, Harvey and McLaughlin are showing to be serious challengers. This competition could significantly impact the Broncos’ offensive strategy and effectiveness as they seek to improve upon last season’s performance.
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