The Denver Broncos excited their fanbase by drafting promising running back RJ Harvey out of UCF.
Then they confused things a bit by signing J.K. Dobbins.
Now, there's a bit of a competition going on, and head coach Sean Payton isn't saying anything that gives away the full plan.
But in the preseason opener, there may have been a hint. Harvey was in on early downs, and Dobbins came in on third downs and for longer distances that were obvious for passing.
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ESPN's Jeff Legwold broke it down in a new write-up on Thursday:
"The Broncos haven't decided yet. Head coach Sean Payton has promised to pump up the run game this season, and has promised both Harvey and Dobbins will get work in that plan. But at the moment it's still unclear how those promises will be kept. The current scenario, at least the one in the preseason opener, was Harvey in the starting offense on early downs with Dobbins in for third-down situations or longer passing downs because he is more reliable as a route runner out of the backfield and as a pass protector. They are the top two backs and Dobbins was indeed signed in June because of his reliability as a third-down protector and receiver. That said, the Broncos have yet to make the call about which player will have more carries."
This definitely feels like something that could be a hot-hand situation in the early going.
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Payton is also a coach who enjoys his pass-catching running backs, so that could lead to a lot of Dobbins on the field if he's doing well in that role.
Clearly, though, it's Harvey who aligns with second-year QB Bo Nix the most as far as a contention timeline goes. Denver will want to make sure Harvey thrives and develops in the best way so that this offense can be powerful for years to come.
But as far as Week 1 goes, it may be a bit of a mystery. At least the Broncos provided a sort of hint in the preseason opener, and if that trend continues for the rest of the preseason, it'll be the most likely split to expect.
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