Is Denver Broncos RB Samaje Perine losing his roster spot to a rookie?

As training camp continues, the Denver Broncos could have what might be called a good problem on their hands. The team has a crowded running back room these days, and only so many roster spots to go around.

Even though the team reportedly reached out to Josh Jacobs during the offseason, the team has reason to feel good about its runners. Javonte Williams is looking explosive in his second year removed from an ACL and LCL tear, and second-year man Jaleel McLaughlin is looking speedy as ever.

Then there are the new faces in the room, including 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estime. He’s been coming on strong as padded training camp practices began, and had a buzzworthy moment on Tuesday when he trucked DB Omar Brown in the open field.

Broncos coach Sean Payton praised Estime’s ability to keep moving forward after being hit when asked about the back, referencing the tough running he put on tape at Notre Dame.

“Minus runs, (fewest) in his class,” Payton said. “Really good vision in the hole. Rarely did you see the player lose yards. He had good feet for someone who is 220 pounds. So I saw runner first, and (good) value on where we took him. He was one of those guys that, when the draft starts, every once in a while there’s a player you could say, ‘When this thing is all over with, I’d love to have this player.’ Fortunately, we were able to get this player.”

Is Estime’s Rise Perine’s Fall?

There’s another running back on the Broncos roster that could be in danger if Estime keeps climbing the way he has. Samaje Perine joined Denver as a free agent before the 2023 season, and stepped in to become the best pass-protector in the running back room, and a key player for the Broncos on third downs.

But if Estime shows off the kind of blocking ability and pass-catching juice that Perine did as training camp goes on, the veteran’s roster spot could well be in danger. In 2024, the Broncos kept just three running backs: Williams, McLaughlin and Perine, in addition to fullback Michael Burton.

That could mean a hard decision is coming in Denver this year, as the Broncos could simply not have enough room to keep Perine and Estime both. The Broncos also like undrafted free agent runner Blake Watson, who got $250,000 guaranteed from the team. It could be down to which runner shows the most in training camp on special teams, but Estime certainly appears to be muscling his way into a prominent role for the Broncos, potentially jeopardizing Perine’s spot.