As Broncos training camp nears, a battle is brewing at running back

It is no secret what is going on out at UCHealth Center this offseason. The Denver Broncos, after winning a Super Bowl title with a less-than-impressive offense, are transitioning back to the old school.

Head coach Gary Kubiak is bringing back the balanced offense that was so formidable in the late 90s. The one he was a part of as an offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan. C.J. Anderson and his new contract will be carrying the workload but who will be No. 2? There are three players in line, and they can’t keep them all.

Ronnie Hillman, Kapri Bibbs and Devontae Booker will enter training camp in just under three weeks to compete for the vital responsibility of carrying the ball 10-15 times a game, knowing all the pass protection and lastly giving Anderson a break in order to stay healthy for the entirety of the season. At this point, nobody’s job is safe.

“They all look good. C.J. [Anderson] is in great shape. He looks really good,” Kubiak said May 24. “I think Ronnie [Hillman] looks like himself. I think Kapri [Bibbs], it was obvious today that Kapri is a different player than the one I had last year. We have a very competitive group with Booker coming along. It will be a good group to work with.”

The two familiar faces are Anderson and Hillman. Anderson seems safe at the moment having recently received a hefty, four-year, $18 million contract. Kubiak recently stated that keeping Anderson healthy is the top priority in regards to the run game as a whole.

That leaves the three remaining players to compete for the second job. Hillman would likely have the best shot having led the team in rushing the last combined four seasons with 453 carries for 1,845 yards (4.1 yard average) but only after getting little attention in free agency did he return to the Broncos on a one-year, $2 million contract. After a career-best 2015 regular season, tallying 863 rushing yards (led the team), Hillman faded down playoff stretch and was not a factor in the Super Bowl as he carried the ball just five times for zero yards. He will have his work cut out for him immediately as training camp begins.

“It’s going to be a fun backfield. It’s always fun to have competition,” Anderson said May 24 of the group. “I just made a joke about [WR Demaryius Thomas] and [WR Emmanuel Sanders]. I know they’re probably looking behind [themselves] saying, ‘We’re good.’ But we can’t do that in our room.”

Bibbs, in his upcoming third season, has big expectations for himself but more importantly from the coaching staff. Kubiak, in particular, has praised Bibbs for his offseason work ethic and also noted that the change they were hoping to see has been noticeable from minicamp.

“It’s time to make a jump,” Kubiak said of Bibbs in May. “I think he’s taken this offseason very seriously. He’s worked hard for Luke. He looked like a different guy here.”

Bibbs has appeared in just one game in his two years with the team, but Kubiak’s comments make it clear that he is right in the running for a roster spot this fall. His impressive senior year at Colorado State University in which he led the nation with 31 touchdowns is the type of player the Broncos hope he can be in the professional ranks.

The last running back to watch out for is the least known, which feeds the intrigue. Booker was drafted in the fourth round of this year’s draft out of Utah. As a Ute, he ran for over 1,000 yards in a season twice, broke several school records and was simply a force, finishing his career with an astonishing 120.6 rush yard average per game. He’s a formidable combination of strength and speed. You couple that with the “me against the world” attitude he entered the league with and he makes a tough competitor for anyone up against him.

At the NFLPA Premiere in May, he stated that he isn’t here to carry someone’s pads and that he was out to take someone’s job. That mentality didn’t bother his new coach or his teammates. Kubiak stated he hoped all his players have that confidence, and Anderson said as long as he comes to work he has no problem with it. Booker slipped on many draft boards due to meniscus surgeries, and that fall has fueled his mentality.

“This isn’t anything new to me,” he said May 7. “Me dropping in the draft, I really didn’t care about it. As you said, I’ve been overlooked pretty much my whole career playing ball. Just for me to fall down or whatever or however the situation was, I’m just blessed to be here and be in this position today to go out and contribute to the organization.”

The running back will be arguably the biggest role change on the entire team in 2016. While Anderson seems to have a stranglehold on the starting job, the entire unit knows how important the opportunity that training camp presents. Kubiak is returning to a run-first offense; a running backs dream but for one current member of the team it may soon turn into a nightmare. The Broncos reconvene July 28 and every ball carrier better come ready for a fight to the finish.