Three games into Jonah Coleman’s offensive career, the Broncos have a problem that could reshape how they approach the running back market: maybe the answer is already on the roster.
That was the core of the discussion on a recent episode of “Orange and Blue Today,” where Cecil Lammey and Andrew Mason made the case that Denver should slow down before spending real assets on a back. Coleman didn’t get a carry in Week 1, so Mason framed his early sample as Jacksonville, Arizona and Kansas City - and said the trend line has pointed up in every game.
The argument starts with projection. Coleman’s early production, Mason said, should force Denver to ask what he looks like once the workload grows.
“Before you make any deal, you have to project Jonah Coleman,” Mason said.
He backed that up with a few specific markers: a 51-yard catch and run against Kansas City, a 4.5-yard rushing average that includes goal-line struggles and a sluggish start against Jacksonville, and a pattern of finishing stronger as games wear on. Lammey added another detail from draft analyst Dane Brugler, noting that Coleman had six receptions of 20 yards or more last year, third most among college running backs.
That led Mason to a direct conclusion about a possible splash move.
“Is it wise to give up a lot in draft assets for Jonathan Taylor? I would argue no,” he said.
Sunday’s snap count seemed to support the idea that Coleman is earning more trust. After J.K.
Dobbins lost eight yards on a play, he received four more snaps while Coleman got 34. Mason took that as a sign the sideline was leaning away from Dobbins, while Lammey said the usage made sense because Coleman was the hot hand.
Mason also argued that Dobbins made a bad situation worse by trying to escape it. Coleman’s value, in his view, is that he can still create something when the play looks dead.
“When you dance, you’re more likely to go backwards or get no gain,” Mason said.
Still, the conversation wasn’t only about whether Coleman is good enough now. It was also about what kind of move would actually make sense if Denver wants help for the rest of this season. Harvey and Tyler Badie are both on injured reserve, and Mason raised the possibility that any trade target would just be “a temp.”
That’s where the names start to matter. Tony Pollard is on an expiring deal with about $3.5 million left, and Denver has roughly $4.6 million in cap space. Taylor, by contrast, is signed for two more years at what Mason described as sizable cap figures, and bringing him in would require additional moves to make the money work.
Lammey is high on Coleman too, and he sees a long-term fit alongside Harvey.
“What RJ does, only RJ can do, and what Jonah does, he does it better than anyone else on the roster,” he said.
Even so, Lammey doesn’t believe Sean Payton will ever lean on a true bell cow. He also said Taylor could mean “multiple chances at Super Bowls, plural,” while still arguing that the ground game is the key to this team either way.
Health is part of the equation too. Mason said 75% of the running back room has been on injured reserve, Coleman included, and Dobbins is the only back to have played every game. Lammey said he doesn’t trust Dobbins, adding that he is no longer the back he was a year ago.
So the Broncos are left with a pretty simple decision tree. If Coleman stays healthy and keeps taking steps forward, the need to pay up for Taylor starts to fade. If he doesn’t, waiting could get expensive fast.
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