After more than 1,000 touches, nearly 6,500 combined yards and 64 touchdowns, Royce Freeman, the most productive back in Oregon history, is a Denver Bronco after being selected in the third round of the draft.
Given that the Broncos recently released stalwart C.J. Anderson, the Broncos’ stable of backs is inexperienced and no one in it has established themselves at the NFL level.
That may give Freeman the inside track to the starters’ job as a rookie, something that head coach Vance Joseph alluded to when he said the running back competition in camp and preseason would be wide open.
In an interview with Les Shapiro of Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7, Freeman said that he expects to come to Denver and make a difference from Day One.
“I mean, I’m ready to contribute,” Freeman said. “Hopefully, we all just mesh and bond and help each other out. I feel thats what makes teams stronger, and I feel we can do that.”
Freeman noted that he was already familiar with one of his teammates, Devontae Booker — the man that Freeman will have to unseat for the starter’s job. “‘Book’ played at Utah, so I saw him play for a little bit. I think we played against him. I’ve caught a couple games with him on the Broncos; just knowing that he’s from the PAC-12 is crazy.”
Even though Freeman will be in the mix to start, he respects that he’s a rookie, and he’s planning on earning his carries. “The guys that are on the roster have been here before, so I’m trying to contribute in any way possible. This is all about competing, and like I said, this will make us better. So I think that’s goal No. 1: to compete and to get on the field however, whether that be special teams, whatever.”
Click here to listen to the full interview with Royce Freeman, including what he thinks about being a power runner among speedy backs, how his experience helps his adjustment to the NFL and more, or listen to the podcast below.
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