Injury-Depleted Broncos Sign Running Back White
With their two top running backs injured on their first day of practice, the Denver Broncos were forced to look into free agents. The team signed former Tennessee Titans running back Lendale White as a short-term solution.
The Broncos were in immediate need of a running back when both Correll Buckhalter (back injury) and Keyshawn Moreno (hamstring) were injured. The terms of the deal with White have not been disclosed yet, although it’s safe to assume it is a one-year deal.
Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said that although the Broncos had enough depth at running back to make it through camp, they elected to play it safe just in case there were further injuries: "Right now, we're in a lot of one-back sets," McDaniels said before the White deal was announced. "If we have another guy go down, we might have to think about it."
White is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He can still practice and play in the pre-season games. Unfortunately he will miss the Week 4 game in which the Broncos will play the Titans.
The Denver native has struggled with weight issues his entire career and saw his role reduced with the Titans once Chris Johnson was drafted and wound up rushing for 2006 yards last season.
White’s best season came in 2007 when he rushed for 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2008, he rushed for fewer yards with 775 but he scored 15 touchdowns. White brings a strong presence on short-yardage situations and is excellent near the goal line, which explains his 15 touchdowns in 2008.
Due to White’s reduced role, he grew frustrated with the Titans as he watched from the sidelines this past season. He gained only 222 yards and two touchdowns as CJ stole the show. He has also been criticised for poor work ethic which factored in to the Titans trading him to the Seattle Seahawks on draft weekend. White didn’t last long with his former USC coach Pete Carroll and was released upon news of his substance use.
White will now get another chance to prove he’s a legitimate NFL running back. He’s trimmed down from 265 pounds last year to 235 this year. It will be interesting to see how much the Broncos use him this season.
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