New Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph will let summer competition determine the team's pecking order at running back.
"Absolutely. I mean, every position on our football team is going to be competitive and that's the way you want it every year," Joseph told Troy Renck of KMGH-TV in Denver. "You want guys to come in and compete for jobs every year. Obviously the guys who win the jobs win but the guys who don't can be capable backups. Every spot on the football team is going to be up for competition.
"The running back position -- you need two or three guys who are going to carry the load. There's no longer a one-guy position. So I'm excited to have Jamaal, Book, C.J. and even DeAngelo in the mix there. It's a good group, it's going to be competitive and that's the way it should be."
Joseph was referring to former Chiefs star Jamaal Charles, C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker and 2017 sixth-round pick De'Angelo Henderson. Booker led the team last year with 612 yards -- less than 200 yards more than Anderson, who played in just seven games (knee).
Should Charles become even a remotely productive specialty back for the Broncos, the team will boast a sneaky-deep rotation across the board. Denver obviously plans on going run-heavy again in 2017 but is doing so wisely. By pairing the workhorse coming off injury (Anderson) with a veteran and a pair of first or second-year options, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is layering scheme with different skill sets. The competition could end up producing a clear-cut favorite, but Joseph and McCoy are probably more focused on backs developing within their roles.
