Just so there’s no misunderstanding, Mike Shanahan would rather have Terrell Davis.
A backfield run out of a socialist system worked well for the Broncos this past season. Almost historically well. Had Tatum Bell not essentially missed two games because of injuries, he and Mike Anderson would have become the first teammates in 20 years to each rush for 1,000 yards or more.
But the running game stalled late in the season, particularly in the playoffs. And don’t start with how tough the defenses are in the postseason. When the Broncos won Super Bowls in 1997-1998, Davis rushed for 184, 101, 139, 157, 199, 167 and 102 yards in his seven postseason games.
When the yards get tough, an aristocratic backfield has proved effective.
Problem is, the way the NFL has evolved, Shanahan knows if he is to remain the czar of the Broncos, he must have his backs share the rock until another Davis comes along.
“I think everybody would like a franchise back,” Shanahan said. “That would be nice, to have a guy that you could give the ball 30 times a game to, but those guys aren’t always out there. You pick them, usually you’re picking them for the next coaching staff.”
The Houston Texans, for example.
To get in position to draft running back Reggie Bush with the No. 1 pick, the Texans had the kind of season that got coach Dom Capers fired.
The Broncos? Their backfield next season could again feature a rotation, only with Ron Dayne replacing Anderson as the lead back and alternating with Bell. The Broncos could also explore the possibility of trading for Miami’s Ricky Williams and making him their feature back.
There’s a slim chance the Broncos could draft a running back, such as LenDale White (USC) or Laurence Maroney (Minnesota) with their 22nd or 29th pick. White, a former Chatfield High School star, has been in Sarasota, Fla., working out to lose weight and improve his 40-yard dash time. He played in the national championship game at 245 pounds, but his uncle Herman White says he’s down to 239 in hopes of posting an impressive 40 time for pro scouts at USC’s timing day April 2.
“He’s doing all the right things,” said Herman White, who is serving as his nephew’s adviser. “If he runs a 4.5 low or 4.4 high, I don’t see why he wouldn’t go in the top 10. Although I’m not a Bronco fan, if they were in the top 10, I wouldn’t squawk about it. But they’re so far down, if LenDale is still there by the time the Broncos pick, then he didn’t do his job.”
Most likely, the Broncos will try to find a running back in the second, third or fourth round. Bell and Clinton Portis were second-round picks.
And Olandis Gary was taken in the fourth round. Count Davis and Anderson as two of the best sixth-round picks in NFL history.
“A good second-round pick for them might be Brian Calhoun,” draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said of the talented if undersized Wisconsin and former Colorado running back. “He’s a very good back, kind of like Clinton Portis coming out. Portis didn’t have great size; people questioned whether he could become a feature back.”
So who will be in the backfield this fall? Because of age, it might not be Anderson. By 15 1/2 months, Anderson was the oldest of the NFL’s top 20 rushers this past season. He will turn 33 following the second game in the fall.
“Maybe if Mike were in the situation where he was the main back, period, he might have been run down by now,” Dayne said. “But the way they used him with other backs, and how Mike stays in great shape, I think he’s got a couple more miles on those legs.”
As they stand still today, however, Dayne may be running ahead. He will be 28 next season and is coming off a season in which he had only 53 carries.
“He should be fresh,” Shanahan said.
A free agent, Dayne was called in to meet with Shanahan on Monday, the day after the Broncos’ season ended with the AFC title game loss to Pittsburgh. Dayne left Dove Valley knowing he would be given the chance to earn the starting tailback position.
“Just hearing that from the head coach and knowing he believes in you and he’s going to give you another chance to play, and chance to start, that’s priceless,” Dayne said.
But Anderson isn’t the only back Dayne will have to beat out. Bell vows to bulk up to 215 pounds by the start of training camp. He reported to camp at 210 this year and slipped to 205 during the season.
“That hurt me a little bit,” Bell said. “I got a few more carries, played more, got exposed a little bit as far as picking up the blitz. I showed I could pick up the blitz at times, but I know I have to show it more consistently for me to be a starter. They would tell me Mike can do this, Mike does this.
“This year, I want to be the man, regardless. I’m sure we’ll rotate backs because we do every year. That’s fine, too.”
Running ahead
With the No. 22 and 29 overall picks, the Broncos have no shot at USC’s Reggie Bush. But there are running backs who might interest them. A look:
DeAngelo Williams: SR., Memphis, 5-feet-8 1/2, 208 pounds. Comment: Best one-cut back, but Broncos would have to move up to 10th pick.
LenDale White: JR., USC, 6-2, 235. Comment: The draft’s best big back. Mel Kiper Jr. projects pick from 15th to 30th.
Laurence Maroney: JR., Minnesota, 5-11, 205. Comment: Powerfully built, explosive and experience with zone-blocking scheme. A first-rounder.
Joseph Addai: SR., LSU, 5-11, 210. Comment: An all-purpose, Tatum Bell type. Late first- to early second-round pick.
Brian Calhoun: JR., Wisconsin, 5-10, 200. Comment: Former CU Buff has top-end speed. Strong if undersized. Second- to third-round pick.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
