Keeler: Is Broncos’ Sean Payton setting Audric Estime up to fail? Maybe, but Estime’s failing just fine on his own

Sean Payton coddles Audric Estime the way Lucy Van Pelt coddled poor Charlie Brown Like Lucy Payton keeps promising Estime the football Like Lucy Sunshine Sean keeps pulling the rock away at the last minute We knew we required two-thirds of the encounter to get to Blake Watson and Audric and I think we were able to accomplish that Payton declared after the Broncos stomped Arizona - in the Backup Bowl on Saturday at Empower Field It s not an exact science But those guys got a lot of work I thought they did a good job with their opportunities What opportunities In the third quarter Estime carried the rock just twice netting minus- yard Watson one of Audric s primary competitors to make this roster as a third or fourth running back logged four totes for yards on the ground while catching two more passes For the evening Watson wound up with touches for all-purpose yards Estime had nine touches for yards While his peers ran with authority he plodded All of em I thought played well Payton announced of his backs Which I don t know if that clears up our competitions but look I thought we got into the defense we got downhill into the defense a number of times and I thought as the match wore on our down and distances our third down s were much more favorable than theirs The plan was early on it was RJ Harvey and then it was going to be RJ obviously Tyler Badie was going to get work Then Jaleel McLaughlin Audric and then Blake Only the rotation was Harvey then Badie then McLaughlin then Watson then Groucho Chico Harpo Zeppo Gummo Snap Crackle Pop and then Estime The latter sat until there was left in the third quarter Related Articles Sean Payton on Broncos receiver Troy Franklin making Year leap It s happening Inside Broncos LT Garett Bolles work in Colorado juvenile detention system My life has done a complete Broncos Davis Webb draws rave reviews for play-calling vs Arizona He s an incredible coach Broncos stock document Jarrett Stidham might be NFL s preseason MVP Broncos Journal Alex Palczewski on his quietly critical role handling compliments and MOT blocks Once No checked in he chugged for yards on his first carry On the next snap Estime got a -yard gain off right guard wiped out by an illegal shift penalty Denver s fifth pre-snap flag of the evening Alas poor Audric Blink and you missed him Arizona defenders sure didn t You could argue with a straight face that Estime the Broncos fifth-round pick from the draft is being set up to fail That he was stuck behind second- and third-team blockers That a so-called big back a power back requirements a village to move the chains consistently And that s fair On the other hand every other tailback on the Broncos roster Saturday playing with those same offensive line backups also landed several kind of moment to hang on the wall Harvey located the inside seam on an -yard touchdown run sprinting like a man possessed Tyler Badie ran a kickoff back yards Jaleel McLaughlin gashed the Cards for a -yard gain Blake Watson snared a -yard pass Estime Estime lost a contact lens Allegedly We all push each other each and every day during practice offered Harvey the second-round pick out of Central Florida And it s a gratification to be around all those guys We all get along and I want to see everybody go out there and make plays It s real good to be in a room full of great backs One of them s got to go J K Dobbins is one of those solid all-around veterans you can trust to catch or block on third down Harvey is the young workhorse McLaughlin is the shifty home-run hitter Badie is the special teams weapon Ask yourself this What does Estime right now do well Catch the ball Convert on short yardage On third-and- at the Arizona with left the big guy took a shotgun pitch and this instant got swarmed for a -yard loss Maybe Payton s running the best preseason subterfuge campaign ever to make Estime look bad on film Maybe he s trying to sneak the kid through waivers Or maybe Estime just isn t meant for this roster Maybe he s this year s Baron Browning favored with enough talent to stick on somebody s Just not this one Not now Estime left the locker room late Saturday without talking to reporters But if his dauber s down he sure hasn t shown that to Harvey He s still young I m young too We re just learning the rookie communicated me And whatever questions I have he comes with answers and he s willing to help me Like a big brother I appealed Yeah Harvey replied with a grin But I m literally older We ve been messing with each other about that Harvey s Estime s with a birthday coming up on Sept With the latter that raises questions about ceiling about foreseen about mileage and tread About not giving up on a young back too soon And yet Broncos radio disclosed during the contest that Estime at one point couldn t enter the fray because he d misplaced a contact August is when blockheads get cut And it doesn t take vision to see where Payton s going next Want more Broncos news Sign up for 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