The Denver Broncos Thursday signed free agent running back Garrison Hearst, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced. The 11-year NFL veteran became a free agent after being released Feb. 27 by San Francisco, with whom he had played since 1997.
Hearst (5-11, 215 lbs.) started 12 games for the 49ers last season and rushed for 768 yards and three touchdowns on 178 carries (4.3), while adding 25 receptions for 211 yards (8.4) and a score. He injured his knee Nov. 30 at Baltimore and was inactive for the season’s final four games.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection (1998, ’01), Hearst has played in 119 career games (105 starts) with the Cardinals (1993-95), Bengals (1996) and 49ers (1997-2003) and rushed for 7,885 yards and 29 touchdowns on 1,811 carries (4.4), with a long of 96 yards. He has also caught 227 passes for 2,045 yards (9.0) and nine touchdowns with a long of 81 yards, and has 19 career 100-yard rushing performances. Hearst has posted four 1,000-yard rushing seasons (1995, ’97, ’98, ’01) during his career, including a career-best 1,570 yards in 1998.
Hearst, 33, is the only player in NFL history to win the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award twice, being honored in 1995 and 2001. He missed the 1999 and 2000 seasons after suffering a severe left ankle injury in a 1998 Divisional Playoff Game at Atlanta (1/9/99), but came back in 2001 to start 16 games and rush for 1,206 yards. He entered the NFL in 1993 as the Cardinals’ first round draft choice, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
Good solid move for Denver. Garrison has a few yards left and defintiely will do well in Shannhan's offensive scheme.
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Hearst is a pretty good pickup for them. Everytime you count this guy out, he comes back with a solid season. If he can stay healthy, he should thrive in that offense.
Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation.
Wow ... this is a nice pickup ... I know it's early, but on paper, Denver is shaping up to make a serious run this year ... but Shanahan will probably find a way to fuck it up (and trust me I have nothing at all against Denver).
I guess I would be concerned about his age if he were going to be the feature back but I doubt that's the case.
What's odd to me, Quinton Griffin has always reminded me a lot of Hearst...small, shifty type guy. Griffin could possibly be the back of the future and I can see bringing in another guy as a one-two punch, but usually you would want a runner with a different style...in this case, a big bruiser or something.
But hey, if Hearst was the best available player, you gotta go with it. Just seems like poor planning on their part to me.
I am just like THE ALIEN THE FATHERLESS THE WEIRDO
I think this signing is to make sure that they are adequately staffed in case one of their halfbacks get injured. Otherwise picking up Hearst when you already have Griffin and Anderson makes no sense. Hearst will most likely end up starting, but I expect to see a lot of Griffin next year.
-Jag
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Originally posted by JaguarI'm not aware of Anderson being gone. He did want out, but I think the re-signed him.
Hmmmm, I can't seem to find anything about Anderson on ESPN.com
-Jag
He's still on the roster over at nfl.com and the Broncos home page has the question of the day as who'll be the starting RB, with Anderson one of the options.
Originally posted by JaguarI'm not aware of Anderson being gone. He did want out, but I think the re-signed him.
Hmmmm, I can't seem to find anything about Anderson on ESPN.com
-Jag
He's still on the roster over at nfl.com and the Broncos home page has the question of the day as who'll be the starting RB, with Anderson one of the options.
So he's probably cut already ;)
He took a paycut to guarantee a shot at competing for HB. But with Hearst signing, I'm sure he's pissed again. That being said, I'm sure the Pats would love to give a mid-round pick for him :)
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