Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - ASCENT: Why Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix Can Become MVP CANDIDATE In 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 Bo Nix's second season for the Denver Broncos, it was impressive. But going into year three, he has a chance to become an MVP candidate. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's happening at Broncos country? I'm Cody Rourke, joined as always by Sarah Beninger. And on today's episode, Locked on Broncos, we're going to tell you why it's time to renew your excitement for Evan Ingram inside of the Broncos offense.

Starting point is 00:00:33 on top of that. A healthy J.K. Dobbins could mean great things here for this Broncos team in 2026. We're going to kick things off by talking about Bo Nix, being in line for an ascension-type season, going into his third year where he could become a potential MVP candidate. We'll tell you about all of that on today's episode of the show. Sarah, let's start off with Bo Nix here. Now, look, it's the off-season. The Broncos, they haven't made too many moves.

Starting point is 00:00:56 They've made some big moves, though, right? Adding J. Lin-Waddle into the mixer, giving Bo Nix another legitimate weapon alongside Cortland Sutton. And now in paper, we're sitting here just wondering what that's going to look like this upcoming season. But I think if we look at Bow and obviously his first two years, 24 wins for him, which tied Russell Wilson for the most wins by a quarterback in NFL history in their first two years. He's in a really good position right now to keep ascending, as we have seen, like what we saw in the Buffalo Bill's game, we saw Clutch Bow Nicks.

Starting point is 00:01:27 We saw Clutch Bow Nicks all of last year to where it almost feels like, man, if the Broncos, they're in a situation where you've got to win it. You have this trust now in Bo Nix and now he's got more weapons around him. Let's talk about maybe Bo being a candidate for a player who could be under the radar in terms of ascending into a potential MVP conversation going into year three. I think Bo Nix is an MVP.

Starting point is 00:01:50 He's in that conversation. He's in the conversation for MVP. And it starts with what we saw in that divisional round, Cody. And really towards the back half of the 2025 season in general, right? We saw Bo Nix put. the Denver Broncos on his back. We saw him, I mean, literally just taking all that pressure and all that, that burden of responsibility upon himself and doing everything that needed to be done to get the team

Starting point is 00:02:15 to the AFC championship game, even with the ankle injury that he was dealing with there at the end of that game. And with all due respect to everybody involved, I mean, we're talking about he was throwing touchdown passes to little Jordan Humphrey and he was throwing a touchdown to Frank Crum in the divisional round. Like this was a masterclass from Bo Nix in what it looks like to be an MVP because what does an MVP do? They elevate everybody else around them. And we've seen Bo Nicks do that despite the fact that the last two seasons, this receiver group and running backs and tight ends have struggled so badly with dropped passes, despite the fact that there's been issues with personnel and getting guys out onto the field on time and penalties being a real problem for the Broncos at times offensively.

Starting point is 00:03:01 Bo Nix is not immune from any criticism, right? I mean, obviously, he's played a part at times in the offensive inefficiencies, but I think that divisional round game really proved to everybody that this is a guy who can be an MVP candidate, not just because, well, he loads up a stat sheet or things like that, but we know Bo Nix can load up a stat sheet, but because of the way that he elevates the team around him, and I can't wait to see what step he takes or what steps he takes here in 2026, now that he's got Jalen Waddle in the fold, a healthy J.K. Dobbins, which we're going to talk about on today's show.

Starting point is 00:03:36 And now his buddy, Davis Webb calling the plays. I think those are all valid points, too. And the thing about Bow, as you mentioned, in terms of elevating everybody around him, I mean, Sarah, when you really put it into perspective that he didn't have really anybody to throw to outside of really Cortland and Marvin in those games. Where the Bronco was in the playoffs, they lost at Bryant. They lost Troy Franklin. And they lost two of their contributing role players there. And all of a sudden, Bo has to make magic against what was at the time the NFL's best past defense in the league in Buffalo.

Starting point is 00:04:09 They were ranked number one for what they were able to do all season long there. So I think that is impressive. But I even talk to guys in the locker room. And the one thing that they tell me, guys like J.L. Skinner, they say even when our backs against the wall, we don't blink. We're excited because we got number 10. They have the utmost confidence in him. And I think there are so many people out there that try. to detract how valuable Bo Neck certainly is.

Starting point is 00:04:32 Folks, remove Bo from the equation and the Broncos. I don't know if they win half the games that they won last season here. Bo truly is a difference maker because of what he can do. But let's go to what you had mentioned right there, the addition of Jalen Waddle. This is a move that should be talked about by everybody coming into this season, national pundits alike. They should be discussing this because I did a bonus episode yesterday, Sarah, where I said, I think if the Broncos' offense truly,

Starting point is 00:04:59 unlocks itself and you have a more consistent run game and the scheme is better. Let's say Davis Webb has a really good flow to him, right? I said I could see a scenario playing out where the Broncos could have Cortland hit a thousand yards receiving and Jalen Waddle hit a thousand yards receiving. It hasn't happened in quite some time Debra having two of those guys the last time they had it. It was DT and Emmanuel Sanders, the duo that Denver had there to be able to do it. I think Cortland and Jalen can replicate that. But it is about Bo continuing to grow.

Starting point is 00:05:27 And so I think part of acknowledging maybe an MVP, type of ascension, we can acknowledge some areas he maybe needs to improve on. I think at times last year, and I felt like this was more so early on than it was midway or late in the season, I did feel like at times, sometimes when he had pressure, his throwing angle at times changed, right, where guys like Evan Ingram had to catch the ball lower to where it was closer to the ground. Bo could be better there, but I think some people forget, Bo Nicks, 600 plus passing attempts last season, Sarah, only 15% of 600.

Starting point is 00:05:59 or something throws he had were labeled as bad throws. That's pretty dang good efficiency when you look at it at the end of the day. And all those pass attempts also, you know, serve as a reminder of why maybe Bo Nix had so many passes batted at the line of scrimmage, which I think he led the league in that category, Cody. And certainly that doesn't play very well when you're trying to use the short, quick passing game as an extension of the running game, which the Broncos didn't have in the second half of the season.

Starting point is 00:06:26 So when you're struggling to find your footing on the ground, and then you're trying to use the quick pass game. And Bo Nix is having passes batted at the line of scrimmage because teams kind of know that that stuff is coming. That's another area that he can improve. And maybe that's, you know, I don't know if that's timing or if it's arm angles like you're talking about with the quick passing game. But certainly that's an area that he can improve.

Starting point is 00:06:46 And it's just like if you, I don't play many video games these days, Cody, but one game that I did play that I really enjoyed was Jedi. I think it's called Jedi Survivor. Really good game. But there was this one point in the game where I could not, beat this creature called the rancor. Me and my son are trying to figure out a way, like, we've got to beat this rancor. First time I played that level, man, I got beat so fast.

Starting point is 00:07:08 My character was out of it immediately, just losing lives left and right. But then after playing that level, you know, a hundred or so times, I finally figured out, like, hey, I know exactly how to defend this guy. I know exactly what to do, how to change my approach. And I think to circle it all back, I'm going somewhere here. To circle it all back is like Bo Nix is now entering year three in the NFL. I mean, we saw when he was in his third year starting at the college level, Cody. I mean, the dude took a massive leap forward at Oregon when he was in his first year there.

Starting point is 00:07:38 And then even more so the year after that, just imagining him now that he's a professional football player, he's been through two seasons in the NFL. He's really grown. He's acclimated himself. He's had to go back to the start of the level and, you know, say, I got to figure out how to beat these guys all over again. He knows what to do and what not to do. in order to become that MVP caliber player that we're talking about. And so that's what I'm excited to see is how do you elevate yourself above mentally?

Starting point is 00:08:08 Because now you understand like I can do it physically. I can make all the throws. I can run. I can get away from Max Crosby. I can get away from all these elite pass rushers. But mentally, how do I set myself apart and play the game at a different level? I'm on a different plane than these guys. I think that's where I'm most excited to see how Bo Nix improves this coming season.

Starting point is 00:08:29 Well, he has a growth mindset, too. I mean, this is a guy who I think trains the mental as much as he does the physical and understanding what he can't do. Sometimes he presses because he's a competitor. I think that's why he and Sean Payton's relationship is so good. It's fun to watch at times. It could be provocative at times because they're both super competitive. Davis Webb has the same nature in him. So I think that's going to be a nice mesh here inside the Broncos offense.

Starting point is 00:08:53 But as you continue to evolve, right, defense is going to change the way that they try to play you. And it's just about learning, okay, this. They're doing this to me early on. Here's how I adjust. That's where Bo is at. You want to stay true to yourself as a player without changing up too much. You can't force other teams to dictate what you do. And I think Bo is a big reason why the Broncos were able to get out of some of the

Starting point is 00:09:13 jams that they were in last year because when they wanted to run the ball, defenses dictated to no, you're not going to run the ball to the outside. We're not going to let you. We want you to throw the football. And Bo beat him with his arm, with his legs at times. This is a resilient guy. And I think that he didn't get enough talk in last year's conversation. I understand Matthew Stafford had a great year.

Starting point is 00:09:33 Everyone was so enamored by Drake May. If Bose receivers catch a couple more passes, Bose firmly in the MVP conversation last season, especially with some of the drop touchdowns that had happened. But you know what? It's not about year two. It's about year three. That is the year that is now.

Starting point is 00:09:47 And Bo is going to continue to grow. And I think that with the brain trust that Denver has in place, the piece is now around him, things are boating well here for Boe on paper. but one of the biggest catalyst to boast success this upcoming season is going to be the run game. J.K. Dobbins is fully healthy. And if he stays healthy all season, it will be game changing for Denver. We'll highlight that. You're on today's episode of the show. Today's episode with Lockdown Broncos is brought to you by our friends over there at Home Chef this time of the year,

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Starting point is 00:11:17 to run through a wall. And it's going to be tough to wait because we got almost six months until the start of the regular season Broncos. But J.K. Dobbins comments, I think you're going to want to hear what he had to say and why it's exciting to think about the possibility, maybe more exciting than you realize of a healthy J.K. Dobbins on this team going forward. Broncos, we appreciate you so much. If you're an everydayer listener of lockdown Broncos, we appreciate you so much for making us part of your day, however you choose to do so. And don't forget, an easy way to support the show is by becoming a part of the everydayer club. And we can't tell you enough how much we appreciate you. considering that it means the world to Cody and I that you would support the show in that way. Cody, I loved listening. I love listening to J.K. Dobbins, no matter what. I mean, whenever the guy gets in front of the microphone, he's just got such a great attitude.

Starting point is 00:12:06 He's got such a great mentality. He's so much fun to listen to. And he's so easy to root for, you know. And that's why I think the Broncos love this guy. They brought him in last summer, last June, right? And certainly, I mean, signing to a two-year contract. They're putting a lot of faith in this guy. Fans are wondering like, why?

Starting point is 00:12:27 Why would the Broncos do that? Why would they put faith in J.K. Davenz? He's injury prone, right? That's what people say. JK takes a lot of exception to that. He's had a lot of freak injuries in his career. But he thinks that there's a big distinction between, you know, hamstring injuries, ankle injuries,

Starting point is 00:12:43 and then having to go have surgery to repair something that happens in the game of football. I think the conversation has to shift from what if the Broncos, Broncos don't have a healthy J.K. Dobbins for all of this season to shoot, what if they do? Yeah, I think that's a great line of thinking because the easy button is, well, he hasn't stayed healthy. So we can't bank on that. We can't trust on that. But folks, this is the offseason. This is a time where, okay, right now, J.K. is fully healthy. Let's operate right now because this is the business of what we do. This is the important stuff. It's easy to be like, ah, he's never going to stay healthy. But let's talk about what if he does stay healthy. Let's talk about

Starting point is 00:13:20 the fact that let's say J.K. plays in all 17 games and plays in the playoffs for the Broncos. What does that look like for this team? What does the success level look like? J.K., you know, big reason you mentioned it, why the Broncos brought him back on a two-year deal. Sarah, they value what he brings to the table, not only on the field, but what he brings to the table inside the locker room for him to come in in late June, right before I left for my wedding. I remember it. It was the first week of June, the last day of mandatory mini-camp, JK's in there for him to go out there and try to build relationships with this team. as quick as he could, right? You know, it's competitive. The Bronco was running back room at that time.

Starting point is 00:13:56 It had a lot of folks in it, including Audrick Estimate. It was a loaded room in terms of having a number of guys there that got touches during training camp and also during the preseason. But for JK, he mentored all these guys, not just R.J. Harvey, not just Jalil, but we're talking guys like Blake Watson, Audrake Estimate. He's not afraid to share the tips of the trade, right? He's a selfless teammate, and that is a very good thing to have inside there. But he also backs it up on the field. I mean, you need a little bit of a spark, even if it wasn't consistent at times where the Broncos run game was at the beginning of the season, who got the Energizer Bunny stuff going for the Broncos?

Starting point is 00:14:31 Remember the game against the Los Angeles Charters, the Broncos coming out? I mean, they had the most abysmal first half you can possibly think of. And then J.K. Dobbins has a huge run that just all of a sudden changed the course of that game, gave them momentum. He got a little jumpstart the previous week against the Indianapolis. Colts. The Broncos, they wanted to come out and start that game with, hey, we're going to run it three straight times to get a first down. What does JK do on first down? He gets a first down. He runs for 13 yards to open things up. He's kind of the energizer bunny. And I really felt like we saw him get going, especially

Starting point is 00:15:00 against that Philadelphia Eagles team in week five. And just the veteran presence, the calm, cool, and collectness that you get from him is important. And I think we sometimes forget to, even after he suffered the Liz Frank injury, he finished the game for the Broncos against the Raiders on Thursday night football. He ended up getting a crucial 12-yard run that moved the chains for first down to help the Broncos ultimately set things up to win that one 10-7. So he's tough as nails. I think JK being healthy changes everything for the Broncos. And more importantly, it makes Bo Nix's life easier. It does. I mean, having a good running back makes any quarterback's life easier. But how about having a top five running back? Because that was the pace that J.K. Dobbins was on pretty much all

Starting point is 00:15:42 of last season. And it's not like you have to really, you know, kind of squint your eyes to extrapolate what he was able to do last season and say, well, he couldn't have sustained that possibly for an entire season. It's not like we're talking about a three-game sample or a four-game sample. This was a 10-game sample that we're talking about. Listen to some of these numbers. He was fifth in the NFL at the time the injury went down with 153 carries. He was fifth in the NFL with 772 rushing yards. He had four rushing touchdowns. He was tied for fourth in the league with 21 runs of 10 plus yards. Having a healthy J.K. Dobbins gives the Broncos a massive edge.

Starting point is 00:16:22 Like, it can't be overstated that, yes, this is a very, very good player. And somebody who would have been on pace, had he gone at that exact same pace for 17 games, he would have finished sixth in the NFL behind Devon A. A. Chan in total rushing yards. A. Chan had 1,350. Dobbins was on pace for just over 1,300. So, I mean, to me, what you're looking at here is, and JK was very confident.

Starting point is 00:16:47 I said you're going to want to know what he had to say. Here's what he said. He said, I'm excited. I really am because call it what it is. I got hurt. I missed the last, what, seven games in the regular season. I'm fresh. I'm going to be fresh and I'm going to be ticked off because I'm tired of the unfortunate stuff.

Starting point is 00:17:02 He said, I know that I can do it. It's going to happen this year. It's going to be great. And so I think what he's doing is, sort of manifesting, right? Cody? I mean, because there's nothing else that you can do. He also said in that interview, by the way, that he was ready to play in the AFC championship. Yeah. And he was thankful that the Broncos kind of pulled him back and didn't allow him to do that because now he was able to sign that contract, no set setbacks and thinking long term.

Starting point is 00:17:30 But man, I mean, this guy is hungry to prove to people that he's an elite back in the NFL. And that's good news for the Broncos. I liked his interview that you did on the NFL network, right? He even said that the Broncos offense, they have an embarrassment of riches. I'm curious to see that come to fruition. He also talked a lot about Davis Webb and how he thinks he's going to be a great play caller in this league. These are things that we want to hear. But I agree with you, Sarah.

Starting point is 00:17:52 I mean, JK is the type of guy just going through practice that week in the ASC championship leading up to it. I just remember looking at him, seeing him out there. I'm like, oh, he's got a chip. He came over, you know, all of us media folks are sitting there on the sideline, or not on the sideline, the sidewalkwalk. he walks up and he goes, y'all thought I wasn't going to play. And we're like, hey, we didn't know. But the Broncos actually did a really good thing because Sarah, what was it? The injury occurred November 10th.

Starting point is 00:18:16 He had surgery. This was what? The second week of January, he was not very far removed from surgery. So the fact that he was where he was at was impressive. I know he could have played. I know he wanted to smart decision not to because let's say he went out there, suffered a setback because your re-injury rate at that timeline. where he was at, usually for that type of injury, according to orthopedic doctors, is higher than it normally would be if you hadn't had the injury.

Starting point is 00:18:44 So did a good job of investing that. Now the Broncos are banking on him. He's going to double down on obviously staying healthy, working hard here. I like a J.K. Dobbins with a chip on his shoulder. I think it's going to be a fun season here to watch for Denver. In Broncos country, let's start changing our mind. If they can instead of saying, well, what if he doesn't stay healthy? Let's start changing that language, Eric, what if he does stay healthy?

Starting point is 00:19:03 What do you think that will bring to the table here for the Denver Broncos' offense? This upcoming season, I think is going to open things up not only for JK, but I think for guys like RJ Harvey as well, having more balance on this offense is going to make this team a little bit scary on paper coming into the 2026 NFL season. Let us know your thoughts here, Broncos' country on today's episode of the show here, but it's also time to change your mind and your narrative surrounding Evan Ingram. It's time to renew your excitement for the Broncos tight-in and what he could bring to the table here in 2026. Today's episode of the show was brought to you by our friends over there at Robin Hood,

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Starting point is 00:20:17 Event contracts are offered by Robin Hood derivatives, LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. Broncos country, it's time to renew your excitement surrounding Evan Ingram as he enters the last year of his deal with Denver. The Broncos, they're pushing all their chips in. So is Evan Ingram. I want to say thank you once again for making us your first list. in Broncos country, however you choose to do so, Sarah, I like this, this new approach that we're taking here in terms of changing our language, changing the way that we think about things. And obviously, you can apply these in your day-to-day life instead of thinking, well,

Starting point is 00:20:50 what if this guy can't stay healthy? What if he can? What if this guy can't produce inside the offense? What if he can? I think we've got to shift Broncos countries focus to that because it is the off-season. People can turn over a new leaf here. Let's talk about Evan Ingram. One thing I'm excited about with Evan, Sarah, I think is the most notable connection there in this Davis Webb being a play caller.

Starting point is 00:21:10 Obviously a former teammate of Ingram, I think in that one game that we saw Evan catch a pass in the preseason where Davis Webb was calling the plays. It was a play that was really kind of designed to free up Evan underneath. And he got up the sideline for a big play. You know that connection that he has with Evan Ingram. There's going to be a little bit more vocal input as to maybe Evan's snap percentage, what he can or can't do. I think you're going to see him featured a little bit more. And I think it benefits the Broncos if Evan Ingram comes out and breaks out in a big time way this upcoming season for them specifically. He's been a breakout player, but we're talking about breaking out for the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:21:47 I'm renewing my excitement subscription, Cody. I just got the email that said, hey, your subscription is about to expire. Do you want to renew? I'm renewing. I'm resubscribing to the Evan Ingram hype because, well, first of all, there's really no reason. and not to, but second of all, like, yes, he wasn't used properly last year. I think everybody agrees with that. And I think that the Broncos will realize that when they watch back the tape and when

Starting point is 00:22:15 they see what, oh, man, this would have been a great situation. Like how many times did we see the drag routes from Evan Ingram? How many opportunities did we see him get in terms of being a vertical threat downfield? How many opportunities and targets did he get in the red zone? I mean, there's so many questions that we can ask about Well, I mean, you've found a lot of ways to not use him, you know, and now let's find ways to use him. If you want to go with the 12 personnel, if you want to go with the 13 personnel, get Evan Ingram out there because all these two-man route concepts with, you know, Mercedes-Lewis on the field,

Starting point is 00:22:50 and Adam Chalpman and Nate Adkins and all these guys, it's like, it's not threatening to a defense. And so if you're running from that formation, you better be able to run well. And the Broncos didn't do that very often. So I just feel like there's so many ways that we can look at this and say, well, we know based on last year, the Broncos didn't use Evan Ingram correctly. So like you said, let's shift our thinking and say they're going to realize that. They're going to acknowledge that. And they are going to change that this coming season because they have no reason not to.

Starting point is 00:23:24 They've already guaranteed $5 million on his contract. He's, I mean, he's an asset. He is second most, right, our second or third most all time in a single season for catches at the tight end position. He can be a high volume player. He can be a big play threat. He can be a red zone threat. He can be an after the catch threat. And I think he's, he is all those things.

Starting point is 00:23:46 So let him be what he's best at. That's where I think the Broncos can still unlock Evan in the 2026 season. What I liked at times last year and we wondered why we didn't see more. Remember after the commander's game, we started to think like, all right, the Broncos there, you know, maybe they were just saving Evan Ingram for later on down the stretch because in overtime, Bow Nix and the Broncos offense, they get the ball first. You know, there's a lot of pressure associated with that. And you've been working this specific matchup, you're running different route concepts all game. But you know Bobby Wagner is covering the middle of the field, right?

Starting point is 00:24:16 And Bobby Wagner, not fast, not who he used to be, right? But still a respected player. It's about saying, hey, okay, we got a specific coverage look. Now they're going man to man. and Bobby Wagner is lined up right now against Evan Ingram. Well, we've been running the snag route all game long where Evan just sits in a soft spot, you know, especially if it's zone and Bobby's cheating up there. All right.

Starting point is 00:24:38 Well, you know what? We're going to run a same look there. We're going to run a little bit of a sneak route right there, a shake route. I'm going to sit, boom, shake and go the other way, 41-yard catch and running overtime. I mean, I even go back to the Philadelphia Eagles game, Sarah. I think so many people are forgetting that, that one crazy catch where he just jumps up. I think it's third and eight, third and 11. One of those situations, going across the middle of field,

Starting point is 00:24:59 Bow Nicks throws a ball while being pressured by that Eagles defense. Evan goes up and makes like a circus grab there to move the chains for a first down to the Broncos, 19 point comeback that they had against the defending Super Bowl champions in hostile territory. I like specific matchups against the New York Jets the following week in London where it was fourth and four. And the Broncos isolate Evan Ingram in a one-on matchup against Jamie and Sherwood, who's a very good linebacker. and he gets the first down for Denver. Like Denver used him in the right moments that they should have last season,

Starting point is 00:25:30 but they didn't do it at a frequency in which I think could have led to more success for the offense. Let's look at it this way too. Having, let's just operate under our growth mindset here. The Broncos have a much better run game this upcoming season. They benefit from the addition to Jalen Wado and Cortland Sutton and the wide receiver room is thriving. Evan Ingram is now going to be a more important, I would say, asset to this Broncos offense going forward. And I think for Bo Nix specifically, when you got guys on the outside you can rely on, and now you have a guy if you're using him properly. And look, he overcomes some of the drops that

Starting point is 00:26:03 he had. Some of those drops that he had were on Bo Nix as well. I think we can factor that end of the equation. Now you have more production at three levels of the field, right? The outsides and the middle of the field. That's where the Broncos need to evolve a little bit. And this all ties into what we talked about segment two at JK. This ties into what we talked about segment one about Bo Nix ascending to become a potential MVP candidate in his third season. Yeah, it does. It's really about maximizing your talent that you have and not necessarily trying to fit a square peg into a round hole when it comes to running a certain offense.

Starting point is 00:26:35 And I think that's a big reason why Sean Payton had the awareness after the season to say, hey, I need to give the play calling over to Davis Webb, not because Sean is not a good play designer or even a good play caller because I think we saw at times last season like Sean Payton is capable of playing 4D chess against some of the better defensive minds in the NFL, but it's the usage of the guys that you have. The Broncos at times, they force fed Troy Franklin. They force fed Pat Bryant. They force fed RJ Harvey.

Starting point is 00:27:06 Why did we not see that more with Evan Ingram, right? They made deliberate attempts to get all those guys involved in the offense. And Evan Ingram was the guy who was pitched as the Joker. And I know Broncos country is so sick of hearing that term. You're not going to stop hearing it because Sean Peyton is the one who's talking about it. But Evan is a mismatch player at the tight end position. He can split out into the slot. He can play out wide.

Starting point is 00:27:31 He can play on the line. He can be a threat for so many different ways. And it's all about maximizing everybody's abilities. And I'm not saying that Davis Webb and his first year as a play caller. Like there is some risk in that, obviously. He's a first year NFL play caller. And he's just barely. moved from even playing, but I do think that he's going to bring some fresh eyes for all these

Starting point is 00:27:53 different players on the roster right now who we know because the team has said, like, this guy has talent, this guy can help us, this guy can be a huge asset to helping us win a Super Bowl. Well, let's see it. It's not even just about taking Evan from what was he, 42% snap count last year for the offense. It's not even just about getting that number up. It's not just about him playing more snaps.

Starting point is 00:28:16 With 42% of the snaps, he could have still. had six, seven hundred yards receiving, the Broncos just didn't get him involved. And so it's more about getting him properly involved and utilizing every aspect of his skill set to exploit those matchups that you get for whatever defense you're facing. Yeah. And we're not worried about him being an inline blocking tight end. He was not brought in to be that for Denver. He was brought out there to be a weapon.

Starting point is 00:28:41 You have other guys that can block. Evan can block. It's about taking the right angle. It's not like, hey, we were just going to put Evan one on one against Max Crosby. and he has to win that matchup. There aren't many tight ends in the NFL. I can't even think of one that would win a one-on-one

Starting point is 00:28:55 against some of the best pass officers, right? Usually those guys are chipping to help the offensive tackle. That's not what you brought Evan in to do. You brought him into being an elite-level playmaker that can attack not only the short to intermediate but can become a yard after the catch threat for you. He can evolve. He can obviously get better.

Starting point is 00:29:12 One thing I'm lacking about this, obviously, he and Troy Franklin right now. They're training in Atlanta together. They're working on, obviously, a handful of different things. I'm sure catching is one of those emphasis that they have, but they're doing speed training. They're doing route specific position specific training right there in Atlanta this summer. So I think that's a good thing.

Starting point is 00:29:29 And the Broncos offseason program, it begins next month. They're here in a few weeks. And we know players are going to be in the building. And that's been something that we've also seen in terms of the culture shift from Sean Peyton is, hey, guys want to come train here. Like guys obviously will go out and for a little bit. They'll train in different places. But when it's time for team workouts,

Starting point is 00:29:46 guys are training in the team facility. They're training in the building. That is what Sean Peyton wants. And that's the culture of the Broncos they presently have. This is what helps you win a Super Bowl. Iron sharpens iron. Building that camaraderie early on. It's going through the dog days of summer where you're training and you're just strength training.

Starting point is 00:30:03 And you probably have this antsy feeling about getting on the field. Sean Payton says there's always a time and a place for that. We know June is going to be the month in which the Broncos first step foot on the field doing football-related activities. Don't expect it before then. though. But Broncos country, thank you so much for tuning into today's episode of the showmaking Sarah and I, your first listen every single day. Make sure Sarah brought it up earlier. Join the everyday air club, folks. It's in the show notes below or lockdown broncos.com. Join the member version. You get an ad-free version of the show. You get access to our exclusive discord with other

Starting point is 00:30:35 members of the locked on community. Plus, you get to talk with other Broncos fans. Or if you want more, the All Access Club might be the best fit for you because you get all 22 film breakdowns for myself and Sarah, you get exclusive content that doesn't go anywhere else. Plus, on top of that, you get everything that you get in the member version, including ad-free versions of the show. So make sure you subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcast. As always, Broncos Country, we appreciate you for rocking with us. For all you every dayers, tomorrow's episode of the show, here's what you can expect.

Starting point is 00:31:02 The Broncos defense, they were so good in 2025. How can they be better this upcoming season? We'll break it all down on tomorrow's episode of the show.

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