NFL Insider: Broncos' Javonte Williams could make Adrian Peterson-like recovery

May 20—In his NFL Insider, Denver Gazette beat writer Chris Tomasson takes you around the Broncos and the NFL:

Could it be Adrian Peterson, Part Two?

OK, so don't expect Javonte Williams to rush for 2,000 yards next season. But optimism surrounding the Broncos' difference-making running back increased last week when coach Sean Payton said "Pookie" could be ready for the start of training camp in late July after suffering a serious knee injury last Oct. 2 at Las Vegas.

Former Broncos star Chris Harris wants to play a 13th NFL season but is in no hurry

Williams suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral cruciate ligament (LCL). The injury conjured memories of Peterson, then a star running back for the Minnesota Vikings, suffering a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in a Dec. 24, 2011 game at Washington.

Now we'll see if Williams' recovery time conjures up memories of Peterson's. The Vikings star made it back for the 2012 regular-season opener, and rushed that year with 2,097 yards, the second-most in NFL history.

Williams' injury occurred 2.5 months earlier in a season than Peterson's did, so that certainly helps his chances of being in good shape when Denver's season opens Sept. 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High.

Still, nobody knows how Williams is going to look. So it's not surprising the Broncos have been beefing up their running back room.

In free agency, they brought in Samaje Perine and Tony Jones Jr. And after a tryout last weekend at rookie minicamp, Denver signed Jacques Patrick, who was second in the XFL in rushing during the recently concluded spring season with 443 yards in 10 games for the San Antonio Brahmas.

Patrick is an intriguing signee. He's a physical back, being 6-foot-2, 231 pounds, and said he's a much better player now than the one who has been with four different NFL teams and has never gotten into a regular-season game after going undrafted in 2019 out of Florida State.

"Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to," Patrick said of his stints with San Francisco, Baltimore and Carolina and two with Cincinnati. "But I've always believed there is something better ahead and that's why I keep going and being resilient and being persistent."

Even if Williams is fully healthy by the opener, the Broncos are expected to implement a two-back system. So Williams, who rushed for 903 yards as a rookie in 2021, might not get enough carries to have a 1,000-yard season, let alone a Peterson-like 2,000-yard campaign.

Perine is the leading candidate to be the No. 2 guy after Williams. Patrick, who spent time with Perine in Cincinnati, acknowledges his friend is a solid back but isn't about to concede anything in his quest for playing time in Denver.

"It's a great opportunity, and I'm looking forward to taking advantage of it," he said.

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Broncos sign linebacker Drew Sanders, putting entire five-man draft class under contract

WHAT I'M THINKING

—I'm all for the NFL having a draft lottery like the NBA and NHL's. Roughly 700,000 watched the television specials on the NFL schedule being released May 11 even though the schedule was on the internet when the shows started. Millions upon millions would watch an NFL lottery show, and one knows how much the league loves TV ratings.

—The Detroit Lions aren't ready to be fed to the Kansas City Chiefs on the opening night of the NFL season. The Lions were supposed to be much improved last season and they stumbled to a 1-6 start. Yes, they rebounded to finish 9-8 when fewer folks were paying attention. But the Lions might not be ready yet to be thrown on the national stage at Arrowhead Stadium.

—I don't see Aaron Rodgers, who turns 40 on Dec. 2, joining Warren Moon, Brett Favre and Tom Brady to become the fourth quarterback to make the Pro Bowl after turning 40. Rodgers didn't look like the same player last season with Green Bay. While he will improve the Jets, he's further down a loaded list of AFC quarterbacks.

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WHAT I'M HEARING

—Recently signed Broncos quarterback Ben DiNucci throws an interesting ball. At least that's the word from Babe Laufenberg, a former NFL quarterback and the longtime radio analyst for Dallas who watched DiNucci regularly with the Cowboys from 2020-21. "You've got to close your eyes occasionally when he throws the ball because the ball comes out at some weird angles," Laufenberg said. He compared DiNucci to Ted Abernathy, who threw an underhanded "submarine" ball while pitching in the majors from 1955-72.

—Former Broncos Pro Bowl guard Mark Schlereth, now a broadcaster, needs to see more from third-year Denver guard Quinn Meinerz. "I'm not 100 percent sold on their right guard," Schlereth said. "He's young. I like his aggressiveness, but I think he's got to learn nuances. Hopefully he continues to get better, but it remains to be seen."

—Recently signed Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith played in Kansas City's opener in 2019 before being waived. The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl that season and Smith could have pursued trying to get a ring. "We engaged in conversations but I kind of left it out to dry," he said. "I want to deserve a ring. I want to earn a ring the hard way."

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Broncos cornerback Riley Moss shrugs off stereotypes as NFL career begins

WHAT I'M SEEING

—The Broncos will play three straight road games in December: at Houston, at the Los Angeles Chargers and at Detroit. That might be bad news for Denver. It's just the fourth time this century they will play three road games in a row. Previously, they went 0-3 in 2010, 1-2 in 2014 and 0-3 in 2017.

—Broncos rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. is one smart guy. In fact, he originally committed to Stanford before opting for Oklahoma, closer to his home in Frisco, Tex. It remains to be seen how much Mims plays from scrimmage as a rookie, but it would be a surprise if he's not the primary punt returner.

—Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Broncos receiver Lil' Jordan Humphrey is definitely not little. But that is the actual name on his birth certificate. The story goes that Humphrey's older brother, Terry Michael, wanted him to be named after Michael Jordan. Since the receiver's mother didn't want to have two Michaels, she settled on Lil' Jordan.

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THE LISTS

—The Broncos are in line to run into a left-handed quarterback in Week 3 at Miami in Tua Tagovailoa. Here are the best southpaw quarterbacks in NFL history. Sorry, Tim Tebow didn't make the list:

1. Steve Young. First lefty quarterback in the Hall of Fame, won a Super Bowl with the 49ers.

2. Ken Stabler. The second and only other lefty QB in the Hall, won a Super Bowl with the Raiders.

3. Boomer Esiason. Threw for a left-handed record 37,990 career passing yards.

4. Mark Brunell. Made three Pro Bowls and threw for 32,072 yards.

5. Michael Vick. Career stalled due to jail time for dog fighting but made four Pro Bowls.

—Broncos running back Samaje Perine, listed at 5-10, 236 pounds, is known for his tremendous strength. Here are his top three feats:

1. In college at Oklahoma, a woman got a flat tire and didn't have a jack. So he lifted the car for the tire to be changed. He modestly said, "I mean, it was a Smart car."

2. While in high school in suburban Austin, Texas, he regularly did pull-ups while hanging from a second-floor balcony.

3. At Oklahoma, he bench pressed 440 pounds.