Broncos Claim Running Back Kolby Smith

There’s the rivalry we know and love. I was getting worried we were headed for hugs. ; )

In 2008 he hurt his knee not sure on the specifics but it put him out the whole season and last year he hurt his ankle but not sure on the specifics either..

I saw it yesterday on a post, but can’t find it now.

He’ll be a runnin’ redskin this year.

but to date Larsen hasn’t seen any LB reps, and he talked like LB was a thing of the past for him. He may see reps there in training camp, but I think he is a true FB now, with LB experience. Without reps I don’t think they will view him as LB depth anymore, though.

However Branson for sure will be considered a dual depth/STs player, so he will be part of the TE 3 on the 53-man roster.

Reading between the lines, Larsen is on the bubble.

It looks like Denver is giving themselves two viable options for the RB depth chart to sort itself out, while providing competition at FB. I don’t see a lot of competition at the top of the RB list, though Moreno and Buck are a good combination of temperaments and should push eachother.

Arrington hasn’t been reported on at OTAs, not even in return duties, so I don’t see his position being any more secure than anyone else’s at this point, however, he has versatility and experience, so I will predict him as a keeper. His 3rd down play alone (blitz pickup, RAC ability from the backfield) may be worth keeping him.

So that puts us at (3). We won’t keep more than 4RB/FBs. I just can’t see that being possible without a serious deficit elsewhere.

Competition at the bottom is heavy: Hall, Ball both have experience on the roster and in Denver’s practices, but aren’t sure things. Baker is the lone young gun from the 2010 rooks. Eckles, Larsen and Branson are all less than sure things at FB, and only Branson scores marks at another active roster position each week outside of FB/STs. Smith is a talented vet with a 50% off tag because his expiration date is past…you never know. Sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with it and you get a steal. Other times it is unusable.

My guess is that Branson beats out Larsen and Eckles, and ? makes it as the 4th RB. I personally would like to see Ball make it, and I hope he is up to the task. We need his ‘type’ in our stable…he would be hell on tired defenses late in the year (squat, heavy, low to the ground), so here is hoping he has the chops to compete.

We aren’t just struggling finding enough numbers to keep RBs, we are struggling to find enough roles. there are good reasons to keep almost all of them, and in the end we may be choosing a backfield identity more than talent.