Broncos' Audric Estime: Handles five carries against Saints
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Estime rushed five times for 29 yards and lost a fumble in Thursday's 33-10 win over the Saints.
In just his second game back from injured reserve due to the ankle injury suffered in Week 1, Estime recorded season highs in rushing attempts and yards, while also playing a season-high six offensive snaps in the contest. With that said, these modest totals should keep the rookie off the fantasy radar for the time being as the No. 3 option behind starter Javonte Williams and second-year running back Jaleel McLaughlin, and the lost fumble in limited playing time may not help his cause in the short term, either. It's possible, however, that Estime could see his role grow over the course of the season, as he handled one more carry than McLaughlin despite playing eight less snaps Thursday. The 21-year-old Notre Dame product will have his next opportunity to get more involved in the offense when the Broncos host the Panthers in Week 8.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Officially active Sunday
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Estime (ankle) is active for Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the Chargers.
The rookie will therefore be available to aid Denver's ground attack for the first time since hurting his ankle in his Week 1 NFL debut. Estime was just activated from injured reserve Saturday, and in Sunday's divisional clash, he figures to slot in as the No. 3 running back behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Could play after coming off IR
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Estime (ankle) was activated off injured reserve Saturday. The rookie running back is still listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Chargers, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.
The Denver backfield appears to have a bit more of a cadence than it did early on, with Javonte Williams averaging about 33 snaps per game and Jaleel McLaughlin mixing in somewhere in the range of 17 to 23 snaps most weeks. Estime probably won't play much to start, but he does profile as more of a thumper than anyone currently on the depth chart and could earn more opportunities as the season progresses.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Returns to practice
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Estime (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for him to be activated from injured reserve, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.
The Broncos can place Estime back on the 53-man roster any time before Oct. 30, at which point he would revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season. He injured his ankle Week 1 and has now missed the minimum of four games, potentially opening the door for a third man to get involved in a backfield that's featured Javonte Williams as the lead runner and Jaleel McLaughlin in a supporting role. Both struggled earlier this season but have been more efficient with their touches in the past two games.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Lands on IR
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Denver placed Estime on injured reserve Wednesday with an ankle injury, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
As a result, Estime will miss at least four games, but the 2024 fifth-round pick isn't expected to require surgery to address his injury, per Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Estime's upcoming absence leaves Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Blake Watson as Denver's healthy running backs.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Handles two carries in loss
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Estime rushed twice for 14 yards in Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Seahawks.
Estime played just three of the Broncos' 69 offensive snaps Sunday while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin dominated in running back snap counts with 36 and 24 snaps, respectively. The rookie tried to make a highlight play by hurdling a Seattle defender on one of his carries, but he ended up fumbling the ball before it was recovered by a teammate. It appears Estime is well behind Williams and McLaughlin in the pecking order, though his role could increase as the season progresses, especially if the Denver backfield is hit with the injury bug at any point this year. Estime should remain off the fantasy radar when the Broncos host the Steelers in Week 2.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Gets into end zone Sunday
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Estime carried the ball five times for 18 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-12 preseason win over the Cardinals. He also caught his only target for 14 yards.
The rookie running back got the start and saw a healthy workload on his only drive, capping it with a three-yard TD run. Estime appears to be heading into the season as Denver's No. 4 back behind Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin, none of whom played Sunday in the team's preseason finale. Despite that seemingly inhospitable role, Estime could have some fantasy value in 2024 if he becomes the Broncos' short-yardage and goal-line specialist.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Five touches against Packers
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Estime rushed four times for 14 yards and caught one of his two targets for seven yards in Sunday's 27-2 preseason win over the Packers.
Estime's 15 offensive snaps were the most played by any Broncos running back in the contest. The rookie running back has impressed Denver's coaching staff during training camp due to his physicality as a rusher, so he could be an intriguing option for early-down and goal-line work behind Javonte Williams. Nonetheless, Estime is also competing with Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine within Denver's backfield rotation. The Notre Dame product will likely see a good deal of work in the Broncos' preseason finale against the Cardinals.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Has TD, fumble in NFL debut
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Estime rushed 10 times for 31 yards and a touchdown, caught all three of his targets for 13 yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's 34-30 preseason win over the Colts.
Estime was the fourth running back into the game for the Broncos after Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine all saw action in the first quarter. The rookie fifth-round pick is considered more of a threat to Williams' early-down touches than McLaughlin or Perine's reps in pass-catching situations, though Estime showed himself to be a capable pass catcher by securing all three of his targets Sunday. Estime scored a two-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter but put the ball on the ground on his very next carry and watched the Indianapolis defense scoop and score on the play. With the knee injury that kept him sidelined during the spring now in the rear-view mirror, Estime will likely handle another substantial workload in Denver's next preseason game against the Packers.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Avoids PUP list before camp
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Estime (knee) avoided being placed on the active/PUP list by the Broncos prior to the start of training camp Tuesday, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.
Estime missed the majority of the team's offseason program while recovering from a knee scope, but as head coach Sean Payton said earlier in July, the running back appears to be on track to participate immediately at training camp. Estime was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and will compete with the likes of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine for touches out of the backfield this preseason.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Should be ready for camp
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Coach Sean Payton expects Estime (knee) to be "full go" for the start of training camp, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.
The rookie fifth-round pick missed most of Denver's offseason program after undergoing a minor knee scope this spring. Kosmider suggests Estime could challenge Javonte Williams for lead-runner duties in an offense that also has Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine as strong candidates for backfield roles. It'll likely shape up as some form of committee again, with the 227-pound Estime a candidate to provide a power element if Williams fails to regain the explosiveness he showed early in his career before a multi-ligament knee tear in Oct. 2022.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Undergoes knee scope
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Estime underwent a small scope on his knee last week, but he is expected to be ready for training camp, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.
Estime is expected to rehab his knee, so he will not be present at OTAs or mandatory minicamp in June. At 5-foot-11, 221 pounds, the Broncos' fifth round pick of this year's draft is projected to bring a physical style to the running back room. Assuming his health is back up to par by training camp, he will presumably be competing with the likes of Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson for a depth role behind Javonte Williams in this year's backfield.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: More power in Denver backfield
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The Broncos selected Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 147th overall.
Estime is a load to bring down at 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds with a powerful anchor and physical running style. He played sparingly as a freshman before having his role expand in 2022 with 156 carries for 920 yards (5.9 YPC) and 11 scores. Estime truly took off as the starter in 2023 though, racking up 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns on 210 carries (6.4 YPC). He was still available at this stage after posting a 4.71 in the 40 at the combine, but Estime has the skill and power to be an asset in the Broncos backfield eventually. Javonte Williams is still the starter and Estime is a bit redundant to him in terms of play style, plus the rookie lacks the pass-catching chops to carve out an alternative type of role. Samaje Perine is still on the roster for now and Jaleel McLaughlin impressed as a rookie, so while Estime is a nice addition for Denver, the Notre Dame product's fantasy projection is murky for 2024.
