We are in the final days of the worst time of year in pro football (aka, July) and I’m pretty sure the Broncos chose to end this misery Wednesday because they knew it was my birthday (thank you, Broncos!) And then it will be off to the races as the full team joins next week and training camp gets underway.
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In an interesting conversation on denverbroncos.com, Aric DiLalla made an interesting point about who might emerge as a breakout player:
“It could be a week-to-week deal,” he said. “Sean Payton is so good at using different personnel groupings, game planning, using a matchup to his advantage that one week, maybe it’s Evan Engram that’s getting 10 targets, maybe it’s Courtland Sutton that they feed, maybe it’s ‘hey we want a heavy dose of RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins.’ So week to week, I think there’s a bevy of weapons for Bo Nix and this offense.”
So if the Broncos are interested in giving me a great birthday present (you owe me, Broncos!), then I put my request in for a “heavy dose” of tight end-centric plays this year. Now that Denver has a quarterback who can see over the O-line and attack the middle of the field, the tight end room could become Nix’s favorite (second only to the O-line room, of course).
Not that I don’t look forward to seeing enhanced chemistry between Nix and his wideouts, or that I’m not interested in what should be a much-improved running back crew, but this offense desperately needs game-changing tight ends — and this year’s squad seems promising.
With veteran standout tight end Evan Engram joining the roster, Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull ready to build off a decent 2024 season, and basketball-player-turned-footballer Caleb Lohner adding intrigue, Denver may finally have a TE room that Payton can use to his advantage — tight ends who can block, run routes and get separation to create the mismatches that give Payton his “jokers.”
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Back in the day, Shannon Sharpe was my favorite player. And who didn’t love watching Peyton Manning connect with Julius Thomas for multiple touchdowns in 2013 and 2014?
Of the “bevy of weapons” Nix will have at his disposal this season, it’s an Elway-Sharpe/Manning-Thomas connection I most look forward to watching develop.
