Getty Denver Broncos RB Damarea Crockett carries the ball.
It has been a rough day for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos lost wide receiver Tim Patrick to a season-ending ACL injury, according to Mike Klis of 9news.
Source: MRI confirmed Broncos standout WR Tim Patrick suffered season-ending ACL injury Tuesday. #9sports
Now, the bad news continues, as running back Damarea Crockett has also suffered a torn ACL. Crockett shared the news on Twitter.
“Unfortunately, I just found out that I’ll be sidelined this season due to a torn ACL today during practice,” Crockett wrote. “I never ask God why I just roll with the punches bc I know that it’s His will not mine. He is in control always, and all things work out for our good to make us stronger in the end. I’ll be here in Denver rooting for my guys Javonte, Melvin, Mike, and the amazing RB room and team we have this year! I’LL BE BACK STRONGER THAN EVER!!! Thank you Broncos Country!”
Losing Crockett to a serious knee injury is disappointing, but he seems to be handling the situation well.
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Crockett Was an Important Special Teams Contributor Player for the Broncos
Crockett was not selected in the 2019 NFL draft. He had stints with the Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers before joining the Broncos in October 2020.
Crockett played a large role on special teams last season, as he logged 182 special teams snaps. On offense, he had three carries for seven yards.
Although Crockett did not have a large role on offense, his loss does hurt the team’s depth at running back. The Broncos now have only four running backs on their 90-man roster, so I would not be surprised to see them add another in the next week.
Free-Agent RB Options for the Broncos
Undrafted free agent Max Borghi is a player that the Broncos previously showed interest in. He participated in mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis.
The Broncos have five players participating in mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis:
K Elliott Fry
RB Max Borghi
CB Mykael Wright
TE Garrett Walston
LS Daniel Cantrell
Offensive coordinator Justin Outten was impressed with Borghi’s performance.
“I thought he did some nice things,” Outten said per Mike Klis of 9news. “He’s got a good switch; he’s patient. He waits for that lane to open and he pops it. He did a couple good things in protection as well.”
Borghi was a standout player at Washington State. He led all FBS running backs in receptions in 2019 (86).
Veteran free agent options include Devonta Freeman and Carlos Hyde. Last season, Freeman had 133 carries for 576 yards and five touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens. He also had 34 receptions for 190 yards and one touchdown.
Last season, Hyde wasn’t as efficient as Freeman, as Hyde averaged 3.5 yards per carry for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He rushed for 253 yards and one touchdown.
An interesting younger option is Master Teague. Teague went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. He was signed by the Chicago Bears, but he was waived.
Teague was a standout at Ohio State’s Pro Day. He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and had 27 bench press reps.
40 times from Ohio State’s Pro Day
RB Master Teague 4.44
WR Chris Booker 4.52
WR/RB/DB Demario McCall 4.53
DT Antwuan Jackson 5.15
OL Thayer Munford 5.33
Teague was also top guy on the bench (27), had the best broad jump 10-11, and tied for best vertical with Booker (36).
Teague has the potential to be a good special teams player, as well.