Phillip Lindsay

After consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, Lindsay fizzled in his final season with the Broncos. The offseason addition of Melvin Gordon initially seemed to merely give Lindsay a different partner in the team's backfield committee, but his Week 1 turf toe injury gave Gordon a chance to establish himself, and aside from a big Week 6 performance against the Patriots when Gordon was sidelined, Lindsay was never able to stay healthy long enough the rest of the season to make an impact or push his way back into a full timeshare. When he's 100 percent, the 2018 UDFA out of Colorado offsets his lack of size with elite speed and acceleration, and prior to 2020 he'd missed only one of his first 32 NFL games. Cut by Denver, Lindsay signed a one-year deal with Houston to provide depth behind David Johnson, though he'll have to compete for backup snaps with Mark Ingram. New Houston head coach 
David Culley comes from a committee-backfield offense in Baltimore, but the fact that offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is a holdover from the Bill O'Brien regime suggests Johnson should stay involved. Even if snaps and touches get spread out more, Lindsay will have to earn a prominent spot in the mix.

Lindsay wasn't quite the dynamic weapon last season that he was as a rookie, but the undersized back still provided the Broncos with solid production as their No. 1 option. At 5-8, 190, his 4.39 speed remains his biggest asset, and Lindsay's burst and low center of gravity can make him tough to bring down even if he doesn't have a lot of wiggle to his running style. His limitations have become more apparent in his two NFL seasons, however. His lack of size makes him a liability as a pass blocker, and he doesn't have reliable hands as a receiver, piling up 12 drops on only 95 career targets - perhaps in part due to ongoing wrist issues that he hopes will be corrected with a second surgery this offseason. Denver brought in Melvin Gordon to supplant Lindsay atop the depth chart, but it's more likely to be a 1A/1B situation rather than starter and backup. New offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has had some success with backfield tandems and committees, notably in 2017 when the Vikings juggled Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon after Dalvin Cook suffered an ACL tear. With a healthier offensive line in front of him as well, Lindsay could return to his rookie levels of efficiency, even if he doesn't see a comparable workload.

Despite a productive college career at Colorado and a sub-4.4 40 at his pro day, Lindsay went undrafted last year thanks to his 5-8, 190-pound frame. He stayed close to home with an offer from the Broncos, and after thoroughly outplaying Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker in preseason, Lindsay seized the lead role and put together the best campaign by a rookie back in Denver since Clinton Portis in 2002. Lindsay's speed, burst, toughness and receiving skill make him a strong fit for any NFL offense, and while his lack of top-shelf elusiveness makes him a bit of a magnet for contact, his compact frame left defenders taking the worst of it until he suffered a broken wrist Week 16. The fact that he was productive behind an injury-riddled offensive line bodes well for 2019 if the unit stays healthy, but the biggest reason to think Lindsay could improve in his second season is the addition of offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, a product of Kyle Shanahan's coaching tree. Shanahan's system is tailor-made for versatile RBs, so that likely spells more snaps in the passing game for Lindsay, without any loss of touches on the ground.

Lindsay collected 4,859 total yards and 39 touchdowns at Colorado and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at his pro day. He still didn't get an invite to the Combine or hear his name called on draft weekend. Early on, he seems like a good bet to add to Denver's legacy of undrafted free agents. He should get his first taste of action as a kick returner, but his speed and receiving ability adds a unique element to Denver's backfield.