Coach Vance Joseph said Freeman will play in Thursday's preseason game against the Cardinals, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.
Freeman has been much better than Devontae Booker in the running game this preseason, making a strong case to get a sizable chunk of the Week 1 workload. The rookie does have a lot of room for improvement as a receiver and pass blocker, which might explain why Joseph wants one of his key players to take some snaps in the final preseason game. In addition to Booker and Freeman, the Broncos gave undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay some work with the first-team offense in Friday's preseason win over Washington. Freeman profiles as the bruiser and potential lead runner in what could be a two- or three-man backfield.