Be wary of anyone who says they know exactly how the Broncos are going to utilize their running backs this season. That’s very tough to project before training camp, especially in Denver’s complicated situation.

Without a doubt, Knowshon Moreno is the favorite to lead the team in carries and yards. Denver didn’t ignore their glaring defensive needs with the 12th overall pick to draft someone that wouldn’t play a lot as a rookie. But Moreno didn’t get the Ryan Clady treatment. Clady was a starter from his first offseason practice last year. Moreno ran third on the depth chart behind LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter this offseason. That will change, but it’s tough to pinpoint when, and how much Moreno will take over the tailback position when he does get promoted.

After the Broncos drafted Moreno, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels went out of his way to praise Moreno’s all-around ability. Of course he can run the ball, as he showed often at Georgia, but he can catch it and pick up the blitz too. The ability to play on third down has limited the playing time of many rookie running backs over the years. Coaches can’t afford a rookie back missing a blitz pickup in a crucial situation. Moreno shouldn’t have that holdup. And there were no signs in minicamps that Moreno couldn’t perform at a very high level in the NFL. Assuming he performs to his talent level during training camp, he should rise up the depth chart.

But Moreno might not become a Terrell Davis-type workhorse right away. The Broncos didn’t draft Moreno 12th overall to sit on the bench, but they also didn’t sign Buckhalter and Jordan to have no role at all. Buckhalter has been an effective NFL running back, averaging 4.5 yards per carry in his career and about 5 yards per carry the past two seasons. Jordan knows the offense after being with the Patriots last season and McDaniels knows what he can do. Jordan averaged 4.5 yards per carry in New England last year.

More than the presence of two veterans, McDaniels’ previous use of tailback committees, and his success with that approach, is what might keep Moreno from carrying the ball 20 times per game. Last year New England had five tailbacks get significant time, and only one (Sammy Morris) had more than 83 carries. Even Morris wasn’t a one-man show, with just 156 carries on the season. Morris started seven games and only once got more than 16 carries in a game he started. And it wasn’t like New England was a passing team – the Patriots were fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts and sixth in rushing yards. McDaniels just decided to spread the wealth most of the time. The previous season wasn’t much different – Laurence Maroney led the team with 185 carries, Morris was next with 85.

Injuries played a big part in New England not relying too much on one tailback the past two years, so perhaps if Moreno stays healthy he will get enough carries to break past 1,000 yards. Being able to catch the ball will help his statistics, as well. But Denver has two natural goal-line candidates in Jordan and Peyton Hillis, which might limit Moreno’s stats, and if McDaniels decides to keep his tailbacks fresh by splitting the carries, that will also affect Moreno’s numbers. Anyone drafting Moreno in fantasy football is taking the risk that he’ll have some 12-15 carry days with very little goal-line work. Of course, Moreno could have such a good training camp that he forces the coaches to keep him on the field most of the time. Moreno does have the talent to earn that kind of role. That’s why it’s tough to predict before training camp. During camp, it will be interesting to see how and when Moreno’s responsibilities grow.
No matter who the carries go to, Denver appears set to be a pretty good running team. The Broncos have a good offensive line, a fantastic blocking tight end in Daniel Graham and three tailbacks (four if Hillis is included) that can play at a high level.

Elsewhere on the roster, Ryan Torain is coming back from a knee injury. He was participating in some activities in the last minicamp. Mike Shanahan loved Torain’s ability and probably would have been more patient with him than the new regime. Now Torain has to prove himself all over again in a crowded backfield. J.J. Arrington seemed like a natural fit for the role Kevin Faulk played with the Patriots, as a shifty back who is great catching the ball out of the backfield. But Arrington never recovered from knee surgery and was released. Texans castoff Darius Walker has a chance to be that type of player, but again – it’s a crowded backfield.

Hillis should have gotten a chance to prove he can be a NFL tailback, considering he had some fantastic games at the position last year when pressed into duty. However, for now it appears most of his work will come at fullback, although he will probably touch the ball more than most NFL fullbacks. Hillis is a fantastic receiver out of the backfield. Spencer Larsen spent a lot of time at fullback in minicamps, and appears set to continue his role as a two-way player and special-teams standout.

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