Broncos coach Josh McDaniels says running back Laurence Maroney, traded to Denver from New England on Tuesday, is a good fit for the Broncos’ offense.
“I’m familiar, certainly, with the player. I know the kid. He’s a good kid,” McDaniels said today. “He can be productive in our offense.”
McDaniels was New England’s offensive coordinator and Maroney’s position coach from 2006-08. The Broncos sent a 2011 fourth-round pick to New England in exchange for Maroney and the Pats’ 2011 sixth-round selection.
Maroney, who amassed a career-high 835 yards on 4.5-yards per carry during the Patriots’ 16-0 season in 2007, was New England’s first-round pick (No. 21 overall), in 2006 out of the University of Minnesota.
He amassed 757 yards last year but was inactive in New England’s opener last week because of a thigh injury.
McDaniels wasn’t sure if Maroney would practice later today, but said: “He’s a guy that can do a lot of good things. This guy has a lot of football in front of him and we’re excited to have him.”
McDaniels began shopping for a running back when LenDale White was lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon during the preseason. The Broncos’ depth chart at running back before the trade was Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and Lance Ball/Andre Brown.
“We wanted to have a third back that played (in this system) before,” McDaniels said. “Certainly Lance has done a decent job in the preseason; he’s come a long way in terms of his understanding of what we ask him to do. But I just think it made us more comfortable to have a third player at that position that we could count on, so that if we had a guy that gets injured we’re not down to really one player that’s really played in the NFL.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
