Report: Former Broncos draft pick set to revive his NFL career for the 2024 season with cowboys.
This previous draft choice of the Broncos is showing his value.
Since the Denver Broncos haven’t been very successful as a club lately, there are plenty of former players in the league that are worth keeping an eye on. In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Broncos may have had one of the strongest overall classes; the class just took a little longer to mature than anticipated.
Third-round running back Royce Freeman, a former Oregon star and pre-draft favorite of the Broncos, was included in that 2018 NFL Draft class. If Phillip Lindsay, an undrafted free agent, hadn’t had a fantastic offseason, Freeman would have gone into the season as the Broncos’ clear top back. Lindsay had an incredible rookie camp.
Lindsay became the first-ever undrafted rookie Pro Bowl running back in the history of the league and the Broncos’ top rusher in his rookie season, but Freeman also had a solid rookie campaign and was anticipated to continue assuming a larger role as his career developed.
Regretfully, such was not the case. Melvin Gordon, a former third-round selection out of Oregon, took Freeman’s spot on the Broncos roster during the 2020 offseason, and he began to move around the league. He moved around from the Panthers to the Texans to the Rams, swiftly turning into a journeyman. Freeman eventually began to show signs of life in Los Angeles, albeit only in little roles.
As a member of the Rams, Freeman averaged 4.1 yards per attempt after struggling for a few years to get three yards a carry. He also scored a couple of touchdowns on the ground. It wasn’t much, but he was able to wow the coaching staff early in training camp and earn a position on the Dallas Cowboys’ 90-man roster for 2024.
“Freeman handles everything really well. He is in very capable hands. possesses a strong grasp of the game and the potential to be one of our key players on special teams. He is therefore a perfect fit for us.”
Cowboys High Court McCarthy Mike Regarding Royce Freeman
In a way, maybe Freeman has to give something back to the Denver Broncos. Even though they are the reason he has been traded throughout the league, the Broncos gave him his special teams debut in 2020. Freeman did not play any special teams snaps prior to the 2020 season. He played a career-high 164 special teams snaps for the Rams in the previous season.
Given his stature, background, special teams prowess, and three-down skills, Freeman should not only make the Dallas Cowboys squad but also contribute more than anyone could have predicted. At the moment, Zeke Elliott is their best back, followed by players like Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Freeman might be able to turn around his entire career and easily defeat the other individuals in a job competition.
