Each member of the Broncos’ 10-player draft class is signed after third-round tailback Royce Freeman signed his contract on Thursday.
The 71st overall pick, Freeman’s four-year deal is expected to be worth just under $4 million with a $1 million signing bonus per the league’s slotting system.
Freeman will count $731,829 on this year’s salary cap.
The player drafted right before Freeman – San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner – remains unsigned, but the two players behind Freeman – the ’ Nathan Shepherd and Miami’s Jerome Baker – had previously signed.
“It felt amazing, just to come in here and sign and be official,” Freeman said on the Broncos’ website. “Itap definitely a moment I’ve been thinking about since I was young and to finally complete (it) just feels great.”
Freeman is expected to compete with and De’Angelo Henderson for the starting tailback role. Freeman is one of three rookies in the tailback mix, joined by seventh-round pick David Williams and undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsay.
In 51 games for Oregon (he missed only two games), Freeman carried the ball 947 times for 5,621 yards and 60 touchdowns. Since 2000, Freeman ranks 10th in carries, third in yards and sixth in rushing touchdowns among FBS running backs.
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