Denver Broncos Depth Chart
- AFC West
- Stadium
- Empower Field at Mile High
- Head Coach
- Vic Fangio
- Offensive Coordinator
- Pat Shurmur
- Defensive Coordinator
- Ed Donatell
- Special Teams Coach
- Tom McMahon
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
Denver Broncos general manager John Elway was non-committal on whether the Broncos would entertain signing running back Phillip Lindsay to a long-term contract extension. Lindsay has been playing for a bargain rate the last two seasons after going undrafted, but not the Broncos had Melvin Gordon III in the backfield as well after they landed him in free agency. In comparison, Gordon is the sixth-highest paid running back in the league. Lindsay, 26 in July, came out of nowhere in his rookie season and made the Pro Bowl, and he's rushed for over 1,000 yards in both of his two seasons. But with Gordon now in tow, Lindsay won't see as many touches, especially in the passing game. It's clear the Broncos don't see him as a three-down back in this league, but they could still keep him around long-term if they can agree on something that compensates him fairly. Fantasy-wise, Lindsay will likely become a low-ceiling RB3/flex in standard-scoring formats while sharing touches with Gordon and Royce Freeman.
The Denver Broncos re-signed defensive lineman Shelby Harris to a one-year deal that includes $2.5 million in guarantees on Saturday, according to a source. Harris can make up to $3.25 million with incentives. Denver's D-line should be pretty imposing in 2020 with Bradley Chubb, Von Miller, Jurrell Casey and Harris all in the fold. The 28-year-old former seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 2014 had a career-high six sacks in 2019, including 49 tackles (28 solo), eight tackles for loss, six QB hits, nine passes defensed and one forced fumble in all 16 games. He was a nuisance on the interior against opposing signal-callers, mainly deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage.
The belief is that Denver Broncos recently signed running back Melvin Gordon III will be the team's bell-cow back in 2020. We have a long way to go before the start of the regular season and Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman will still get their touches in this crowded backfield, but Gordon could be the lead man in this backfield after coming over from the Chargers in free agency. On the surface, Denver's backfield looks like one to avoid in fantasy because of all the bodies in play, and Gordon's signing surely destroys Lindsay's fantasy upside as an RB2. The question now is how much upside will Gordon have and how large of a share will he command in his first season in Denver? He had a weak 3.8 yards per carry alongside Austin Ekeler in LA in 2019, and the Broncos could change up their plans if Gordon struggles out of the gates as the bell-cow.
The Denver Broncos signed tight end Nick Vannett to an undisclosed two-year deal on Saturday, according to a source. Vannett, more known for his blocking, had 17 combined catches between the Seahawks and Steelers in 2019. He should serve as the blocking complement to Noah Fant in his new home. The 27-year-old was a third-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2016 and hasn't had more than 29 catches or 269 receiving yards in a single season. He won't be on the fantasy radar unless Fant misses time with an injury, and even then he'd be a low-end TE2 without much upside.
The Denver Broncos and running back Melvin Gordon III agreed to a two-year deal worth $16 million on Friday, according to a source. The deal includes $13.5 million in guarantees. Gordon will stay within the division and will form a strong one-two punch with Phillip Lindsay. The 26-year-old (27 next month) held out for a new deal with the Chargers last year and missed four games. He returned and was the second-best back in LA's backfield behind Austin Ekeler, rushing 162 times for 612 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns. He's had at least eight rushing scores in the last four seasons and can also catch the ball out of the backfield. His signing is mostly bad news for Royce Freeman, but it will also put a dent in Lindsay's fantasy ceiling. This three-headed monster will now be a fantasy headache, and we'll have to see how Denver plans to split up the workload in this crowded backfield picture.