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The Denver Broncos are poised to become one of the top teams in the NFL during the 2025 NFL season. However, there is still work to do. The Broncos trade rumors are going wild, but they might need to make one critical move to strengthen a position that is still thin. Before Week 1 hits, this team must figure out whether they have the right players.
Denver currently has +2500 odds to win the Super Bowl this season, according to FanDuel. Significantly, that is higher than any point last season. This team has a second-year quarterback in Bo Nix and an experienced coach in Sean Payton. Now, it's time to analyze what might be a weakness.
One legendary running back believes the Broncos will be good this season. Ironically, running back is the position that the team might need to upgrade. While many Broncos trade rumors are swirling, there is one potential deal that could help the team immediately. It's time to dig into the plan at Mile High and what this team might need.
The Broncos upgraded this offseason
Let's start with the good news. So far, the team has had a great offseason. The biggest signing came when the Broncos signed star linebacker Drew Greenlaw to a multi-year contract. Amazingly, that was not all they accomplished. No, the team did even more. The Broncos signed Talanoa Hufanga to a multi-year contract to patrol the secondary. When healthy, Greenlaw and Hufanga are two of the best defensive players in the NFL. This defense will be tough to move against.
Sean Payton and friends also made small upgrades to the offense. Notably, they added Evan Engram as their tight end. Nix now has one of the more solid tight ends in the league to throw to. While that looks good for the offense, there is still a major deficit in the running backs room.
Why the Broncos' running back depth is still questionable
The Dallas Cowboys signed Javonte Williams to a free-agent contract this offseason. This left Denver with a major hole at running back. Yes, it was not the biggest loss, considering Williams was not effective. Nevertheless, it made their running back room worse. The team responded by drafting R.J. Harvey and signing J.K. Dobbins. Also, the team retained Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime.
Despite all that, the Broncos might need more. Alarmingly, Dobbins has struggled to stay healthy over the years. Harvey is 5-foot-8, very small for the typical running back. What happens if both running backs go down? McLaughlin and Estime have not proven to be reliable, and could be very questionable options if the first two go down.
Rachaad White would be an upgrade in the 2025 NFL season
Rachaad White would be a great option for the Broncos. If the team were to trade for an established running back before Week 1, White would be a good option. Significantly, he ran 144 times for 613 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry in 2024. Before that, he ran 272 times for 990 yards on a 3.6 yards per carry mark for six scores while catching 64 passes for 549 yards and three touchdowns.
White is not the best running back in the league. Yet, he has proven that he can run the ball efficiently enough to help a team move the chains. White is also the exact type of player that would thrive in a Sean Payton system.
Why White might need a change of scenery
But why would White even be available? He is currently sharing the backfield in Tampa Bay with Bucky Irving. White has a friendly competition with Irving, but the latter is the starting running back. Additionally, Sean Tucker and Josh Williams are waiting in the wings. There will come a time when the Bucs don't want to shell out a lot of money for two running backs.
Things are more complicated by the fact that White has a groin injury, and his return is unknown right now. Still, when healthy, he is a reliable option to run the ball. If the Broncos were to trade for White, it probably would not take much more than a 2026 fourth-round pick. Although it seems that there are no immediate plans to trade for a running back, the team will feel the pressure. If Harvey and Dobbins struggle, it will be tough to get the offense going.
Payton obviously won't give up on either running back since he engineered the acquisition of both. Regardless, they might need to trade for a RB, and White could be a great choice.
