Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos MUST ESTABLISH Plan For RB Rotation

Starting point is 00:00:00 Now that the Denver Broncos, 53-man roster is initially set, how will Sean Payton use these four runbacks? He's got an interesting plan. We'll discuss that more. Here on today's episode, Locked-on Broncos. You are Locked-on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos country?

Starting point is 00:00:26 Welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. The Broncos fresh off of setting their initial 53-man roster. They have a lot of different roster moves they can make throughout the next couple of weeks here, but we're going to go through and give our depth chart predictions here based on the roster construction as it currently is stated. We'll also dive through how Sean Payton will plan to use these four running backs

Starting point is 00:00:51 that made the 53. And on top of that, we're going to even dive into whether or not the Broncos will rotate more guys behind Zach Allen and Nick Benito. You'll get all that here on today's episode of the show. brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu, America's number one sports book. Football season around the corner, visit the Fandu app today and start planning your future's bets. Now I'm Cody Rourke. Brocko's reporter for a mile high sports.

Starting point is 00:01:12 Join is always by Sarah Bedinger, site expert over there, predominantly orange.com. Thank you so much to all the everydayers out there in Broncos country. Thanks for tuning and making us your first listen. However, you choose to do so if not, never dare become one. There, my friend, it's great to see you. Great job tackling the 53-man roster initial prediction. We were corralled at Broncos practice. It was late getting out there and we knew Broncos country needed an episode here.

Starting point is 00:01:35 But now that we have time to process what the 53-man roster looks like initially here, I feel like it would be fun to dive into the depth chart predictions here as the team gets ready to release their first initial one, probably next week leading up into kickoff. Look, let's start on the offensive side of the ball. We all know who the quarterback's going to be. That's nice. It's Bo Nix. We know that.

Starting point is 00:01:53 But running back is one. I feel like there's definitely a lot of interest in how these roles might be divvied up here for Sean Payton. There really is a lot of intrigue. there because we didn't see jk daubbins in the preseason right i mean we did a little bit in the first game but other than that it was kind of just like hey going off what he did at training camp or what sean peyton was saying about what he can do for this offense we saw rj harvey and we figured those two guys are going to be the top two guys at the position the most utilized guys at the position what i'm fascinated to see too cody is who's that third back how often do they get used and

Starting point is 00:02:29 if it's you know tyler bidet are we going to see him out there on a full-time basis with Marvin Mims in the kick return game because that was the thing that he did in that last preseason game for sure where we kind of saw, hey, he's got an explosive element in this regard as well. So we got some weapons there. And you've got obviously Julio McLaughlin, who out of all those guys, has the most experience in Sean Payton's offense on the field in regular season games. So seeing how that vision is going to unfold if all of them are active for week one, I mean, that's going to be really fascinating to me. to find out how they're going to play that little game of chess there.

Starting point is 00:03:05 And I'm trying to figure out as well what Sean's approach is going to be because, look, they kept four on the 53 last year. And some of those guys played special teams for this year. It just feels different, though. Like the guys that they're keeping obviously this year are exactly that. They're different than what Sean kept last year minus Jalululowle McLaughlin. But in terms of the running back by committee approach, which Sean has really said, I mean, it's been over a year since it's been on record.

Starting point is 00:03:32 He doesn't believe in the Belkow approach. And though I'd say J.K. Dobbins during training camp gave a great interview with our friend Ryan Edwards, kind of saying like, you know, I could be the workhorse. It could be that, you know, a guy that carries the rock. No, no committee approach here. I don't think that's going to be the case here. I think that to what you said with what Bade brings to the table as an explosive guy, potentially in the return game, there's no way he's going to be a game day and active.

Starting point is 00:03:56 I just can't see that happening. Jilu McLaughlin is going to have that change of pace type of role here. But my question here for Sean, for the Broncos, and this is when I'm very curiously how it plays out, how do you get all four of these guys involved in the mix without ruining your tempo or your momentum or flow? That's the number one thing because last year it seemed like they would mix and match and change the running back rotation last year during the course of a game where guys are getting different looks or different carries. And then all of a sudden it kind of falls off a little bit, right? Your production fell off now. The run game is that O line combination of those?

Starting point is 00:04:31 maybe, but I felt like you and I did so many postgame shows last year, were like there was no flow to the run game. Find the hot hand, stick with it. How do you do that if you have four backs on your 53 and all four of them are going to be active on game day and all four of them offer a different skill set? To me, that's going to be the biggest challenge here for Sean and this running back position. 100%. I think it really boils down to whether or not you can establish yourself in the run game early

Starting point is 00:04:57 on in games, right? That's where the Broncos really struggled last year was getting. things going on the ground and then sticking with it after they did get it going. Because there was a few games where like Chargers game comes to mind, the Saints game comes to mind where it seemed like they came out on the script and they were like, we are going to run the ball. And they were able to throw different guys in there. I think about that.

Starting point is 00:05:18 I think it was the Chargers game late in the year, Cody, where they had like different, three different running backs on that first opening drive that got touches. And it really just felt like, okay, we can impose our will and do what we want here. And I just don't feel like we saw that over the course of the entire season. It felt like they would go to different guys, like you said, just to kind of go to different guys instead of establishing something and then rotating players in. You've got to have a defense on its heels, I think, in order to really, you know, change that personnel in such a way that's effective for you.

Starting point is 00:05:51 And I wonder if the same is going to be true at wide receiver. You know, we want these young guys to all maximize their reps. Of course, with five receivers that all looked good in the, preseason training camp. I mean, you expect that these guys are going to get their touches, but how do you divide that up when you're also trying to establish a strong ground game? Yeah, that's the challenge. And I'm glad that you brought up that Chargers game as reference last year,

Starting point is 00:06:15 because I think that's what the Broncos offense can get to, right? If you are going to use a true committee approach, but what was the issue in the second half? Sean and them, they didn't stick with it. You got to stick with the run game, especially when you have a two score lead at that point. It's a little bit of a sore subject still. But with wide receiver, I agree with you.

Starting point is 00:06:32 We already know who the five guys are, Cortland, Marvin, Troy, Pat Bryant, Trent Sherfield. You know, for me, I look at this room here. And based on what I've seen, obviously, we know Cortland is going to get, he's going to be on the field. Cortland's probably going to be the one receiver that really never comes off the field, whereas the other four guys, they're going to be on the field and rotate in. My question, though, is how much of Trent Sherfield are we going to see offensively? I know he's going to play core four special teams, but what is Sean's, plan in terms of this rotation and how he utilizes these guys.

Starting point is 00:07:04 I really think that Troy Franklin is going to be the guy that is the second, you know, probably sees the second most voluinal of in terms of reps or he doesn't come off the field as much. I think it's going to be Cortland and Troy. And then Marvin is the guy that can play four different roles for you offensively. I really do think it's going to be matchup based here, right? So as we talk about the depth chart and it comes out before week one, you're probably going to see Marvin listed right behind Cortland or it's that other spot where you're

Starting point is 00:07:29 You're going to see, okay, Cortland, opposite of him, you got the other receiver. It's Marvin. And then you got Pat, Troy, Sherfield. You're going to have that depth there. But it's not going to, I don't think we're going to really be able to read anything into that. What I do know is that all five of these guys are going to play. Four of them, I think you're going to probably play the most offensively. I'm still unsure of what Sherfield's role is going to be in terms of being in this rotation

Starting point is 00:07:54 in terms of on-field offensive reps. And I think that's because we all want to see those young guys. as well stepping into that position, right? I mean, Surefield obviously can add value to this team, both as a receiver and on special teams, but it's the other players that offer the sort of long-term future that we're all craving so desperately at this position. The players that you feel like you can really build around with Bo Nix,

Starting point is 00:08:17 who will be on this team for years to come, as opposed to a guy who, no offense to him, obviously, Cody, but he's kind of been a journeyman throughout the course of his career, and he's good at certain things, and he's going to help this team now, but the long-term players are the ones that we want to see getting the most involved and making the most progress there. I think as you look at the rest of the offense,

Starting point is 00:08:39 everything else does feel pretty clearly defined at this point, right? I think what's going to be interesting to see maybe the most because we know the offensive line is set, quarterback you mentioned, it's obviously set. Tight end with Evan Ingram being into the mix. You and I have talked about this. It's a new role for the offense. It wasn't there.

Starting point is 00:08:58 last year. It didn't exist and it didn't exist in 2023. You have to go all the way back to Sean's older Saints teams to see how he utilized a tight end in this way. And I guarantee you it's going to be freshened up since then. So that's going to be another fascinating wrinkle that may not necessarily be totally determined by the depth chart itself, but just a basically new position being added into this offense. Yeah. I mean, this is the move around piece, backfield, outside, slot, in line, off. said. I mean, he is the kind of that piece that Sean wants to really utilize the middle of the field, get the ball in space to him there. Obviously, you had to drop against the Saints in the preseason concentration when you don't want that to be a trend there. I just think he was looking to get a field a little too early there. But it does feel like this position here is clearly defined. Troutman is going to be your second inline guy that's going to come in and block, especially when you go 12 personnel. When Nate Atkins returns, I imagine he's going to be part of that 13 personnel look until then. It's probably going to be Lucas Crowe. We'll see what they do with the fullback position going into the regular season until Adkins returns here.

Starting point is 00:10:03 But I feel great about tight end. I feel great about offensive line in terms of there just being clarity of what those roles look like. You know who your starters are. Now, obviously, there's going to be some improvement that it's needed by Luke Wattenberg, Ben Powers on that left side of that offensive line. But I will say, maybe the only wrinkle we can watch here is, is Alex Paucheski in our main, is that jumbo package reporting as eligible? could it be Frank Crumb, who's obviously gotten a lot of high praise. Could it be Matt Pert again? I mean, the Broncos have flexibility in the offensive line. So that is something that I do like here. Broncos country, make sure you share your thoughts with us on the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:10:39 Initial offensive depth chart predictions here. What those roles of those running backs may be, we want to hear from you here on today's episode of the show. But coming up next, Sarah and I, we're going to discuss whether or not the Broncos will utilize a little bit more of rotation at outside linebacker and defensive end behind Nick Benito and behind Zach Allen. This episode is presented by Yahoo Fantasy. The NFL season is right around the corner, and you can feel the buzz. Fantasy football season is here. Everyone's researching, drafting, and building their championship squads. And if you haven't joined a league yet, now's the time.

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Starting point is 00:11:51 No crew, no problem. Join a public league, the easiest way to play. The NFL season kicks off September 4th, so don't wait, start your league now. Draft now at Yahoo Fantasy.com slash locked on NFL. That's Yahoo Fantasy.com slash locked on NFL. It's going to be interesting to see what the Denver Broncos do with seven defensive linemen and five edge players, the deepest pass rush group in the NFL. How are they going to utilize these guys in the regular season?

Starting point is 00:12:19 We're going to talk about that on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. But before that, we have an important request. Lockdown wants to hear from you. We've put together a survey to learn more about our listeners and make your favorite podcasts like Lockedon Broncos even better. This is your chance to tell us what you like, what you don't, and answer questions about our advertising. So go to Lockdownpodcast.com slash survey to get started. Everyone who completes a survey will be entered for a chance to win one of $10, $100 Amazon gift cards. Again, that's locked on podcasts.com slash survey.

Starting point is 00:12:56 You can also find the link in the show notes, and we appreciate you all so much for helping us out. And we appreciate you all for making us your first listen of the day every single day right here on the lockdown podcast network, your team every day. Cody, I think that, you know, this is a fascinating discussion about the defensive side of the ball for the Broncos, because last year they led the league in Sacks.

Starting point is 00:13:18 You and I dreamed over the course of the off season. like what happens if they, you know, break the NFL sack record as a team. And I think that there's, I mean, that's a realistic goal for this team to have is to be the best pass rush unit ever. But what's interesting is that in the offseason, Sean Payton talked multiple times about how, yeah, Zach Allen, he played too much last year, basically. And Nick Benito, he had too many snaps last year. So your two best players on the defensive front, they seem to be, you know, in line for fewer

Starting point is 00:13:49 reps, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all for this team. No, it's not. And I think it's the, it's the game you try to play as coach. And granted, you know, a large portion of those extra snaps played came in that brutal five game stretch for the Broncos defense was given up, what, almost 400 yards a game. It was just a see if anybody could run through it. Nothing beats a jet two holiday like the 2024 Broncos defense down this stretcher. That was rough there. You don't want your guys to play so many snaps because what does that do? It increases additional wear and tear. And I can you, Sean Payton, we see him obsessed over the little details in almost every aspect of the operation of the franchise.

Starting point is 00:14:25 And that's a good thing. But when you focus on like the important things that matter, one thing I know Sean really cares about is monitoring the usage of his players. Now, they track everything with their players. They have those little chips in the back part of their jerseys. He tracks the, you know, how much they're moving in practice. He wants their guys to get a certain amount of steps in. But then there's this threshold of them and it's like, hey, we got to pull back here. We got to. to limit this guy a little bit. I think when you look at last year, Zach Allen, Nick Benito probably played far too many snaps, you know, then you wanted to. But that's not necessarily a, you know, a coaching thing. That's we can't get off the field here on third down. And so now our drives are being extended here. So I think that's just something that

Starting point is 00:15:06 you have to be strategic with your rotation, how you plan to use these guys. I mean, you mentioned outside linebacker, Nick Benito, John Cooper, like, think about all the guys behind them, Jonah Ellis, Dandre Tillman, Q Robinson. Are you going to have five outside linebackers active on game day? Is Q Robinson going to be a game day inactive? Because we also have to factor in. You have to make some guys under 53 inactive for game day. It's just who's that going to be?

Starting point is 00:15:30 And then defensive line-wise, it's clear that the Broncos valued Ennio Mo Rosaryke and Jordan Jackson, you know, in terms of building up the depth behind them, Savian Jones has been a player who's been a little bit fun to watch here in trainee camp in the preseason. In order to maximize, I think, that the defense just has to be better at getting off the field on third down or I would say not allowing

Starting point is 00:15:52 big plays on first down which was a little bit of a trend for them last year. If they can do that, then yeah, surely you have a reduction in snaps. But I look at this Broncos defense. I look at what we project to be the starting depth chart there with Talano Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Pats are 10, Riley Moss, J-Quann McMillan, and then you factor in your D-line guys, JFM, Allen, Benito, Cooper, inside linebacker, Dre Greenland, Alex Singleton. There's really no questions here as to who starters are. I think the real question is, is, okay, how do you plan to keep this defensive unit fresh and how can they be better at getting off the field in third down situations? And obviously, early on, not allowing plays that, you know, extend time on drives there for opposing

Starting point is 00:16:32 offenses. I think that's going to be a key to keeping those guys fresh. I like that idea for limiting these guys snaps. Just get off the field quicker and you'll limit your snaps that way. It's easier said than done, right? Easier. Yeah, just I like that though. I mean, You know what? Offense, you extend drives. You have long, you know, cathartic drives with the balance of run and pass, and the defense will just get out of there quickly. I think that's obviously the goal is you want to get off the field as quickly as possible.

Starting point is 00:16:58 And I think there are, you know, as a team of people that's going to help you do that. Jonah Ellis, we saw in the preseason, man, he is poised for a breakout year, Cody. I don't know exactly what the snap count is going to look like for him. I think we're all eager to find out because he showed off the explosiveness. Yeah, just more in general. Cue up the Kylo Ren, you know, gift from the last year. Screaming more. You know, I think that that's what we want from Jonah Ellis is we want more Jonah Ellis.

Starting point is 00:17:27 And there's a good reason for that because this guy is a relentless rusher. He's powerful. He's got a lot of, that's the thing that I like about these guys that are sons of former players, right? I mean, he just has an arsenal of pass rush moves and the ability off the edge to win in a variety of different ways. He can bully guys back there. He can bend around the edge. He's got a good spin move. I mean, he's a really good player.

Starting point is 00:17:50 And I think the Broncos have something special there. So going to be fascinated to find out how they utilize all of those guys in the defensive front. And who rotates in on the defensive end first? Because like you said, it's the Inoma Uazerike, Jordan Jackson. Last year it was Jordan for the most part. But I don't know. In Yoma played pretty well in that preseason finale as well. So going to be fascinating to see what they do there.

Starting point is 00:18:12 I think the other big question for me, Cody, and what we're all going to be monitoring because the final preseason game, the guys that were out there on the defensive backfield, it included Jadae Barron and not Jekwon Macmillan. I know that he's been part of that group when they go to, you know, six defensive backs, but when it was five,

Starting point is 00:18:30 it was Jadae. And so is that going to be what we see in week one? No, I don't think it is. You know, J-Quan's got that job locked in. And look, they're going to rotate Jade in, but it's still very,

Starting point is 00:18:42 much a growing kind of not growing pains. I feel like there's a negative connotation when you put growing pains. I still think Jaday is learning so much here. And, you know, this defense is getting a lot thrown at him. And on top of that, you know, it's a complex defense. Your roles inside the nickel is going to be very tough because you have to cover more ground essentially than guys who play outside corner there. And you've got to be able to fluctuate against these different stack formations

Starting point is 00:19:07 that teams like to run out these days. It is going to be J. Mack who's probably going to start there. but you're going to see plenty. Like with the Broncos going to dime, you're going to see Jarday getting into the mix here. That's going to be part of the process here for the Broncos. They have flexibility from that personnel standpoint. And kind of going back to the point of what we were talking about,

Starting point is 00:19:23 and how do you preserve guys like Zach Allen, Nick Bonito? And I even say you're even your defensive backs. It's not just the Broncos defense getting off the field. It's the Broncos offense, sustaining drives and not going three and out quickly, which if I'm not mistaken, I think they led the NFL last year in three and outs. That can't be the trend there. So it's kind of like everything. kind of ties into one. We talk about offense, defense, special teams. There's a marriage

Starting point is 00:19:45 and a relationship between all three of these that helps one side preserve, the other side preserve, guys staying healthy, guys staying off the field for extra snaps. I mean, that's, that's all part of it. But that's the complex nature of the game here. From the secondary standpoint, though, the rotation here is going to be nice. I think maybe the bigger question is, how are you going to get guys like Chris Abrams drain onto the field here on game days. Is there a package where he can come in defensively? I'm very curious to see what that's going to look like here for the Broncos. I could see Chris Abrams drain playing on the outside.

Starting point is 00:20:21 If the Broncos go with a dime look because you're facing a multiple receiver sets there and it's not necessarily heavy, they're not going with an extra safety as that extra slot guy and they're going with an extra corner. I can see Sir Tan lining up in the slot, Abrams drain staying on the outside right. I think that's probably where he's a lot more comfortable as outside corner versus playing inside the slot there. So we'll see how the Broncos try to get him on the field. But these are all good problems to have here for this Broncos team. And look, Broncos country coming up next, Sarah and I,

Starting point is 00:20:51 we're going to discuss players like Jaudey Barron a little bit more in-depth players who we have our eye on to emerge and grow throughout the entire season. A lot of these guys come in the secondary. We'll highlight what that's going to look like here on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of lockdown Broncos is brought to you by Fanduel. The NFL season is almost here and Fandul is making sure you're ready for kickoff where they can't miss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Well, one thing I love about the Fandua Sportsbook app is that makes every game day a little bit more exciting

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Starting point is 00:21:45 So are you ready to play? Make sure you download the Fandual app right now by visiting Fandual.com to get started. That's Fandul.com to place your first $5 bet. Get in the game with Fanduel. With the Denver Broncos roster returning a large portion of their starters. offensively and defensively from last year, a lot of continuity for this 2025 team. How can they continue to grow and build and establish some of the roles for guys

Starting point is 00:22:13 who aren't necessarily starting, but will play a heavy role for the team offensively, defensively this upcoming season. We'll discuss all that here. Broncos Country, if you love this episode so far, if you're not yet and never dare, come on hit this subscribe or follow button wherever you get your podcast. We appreciate you for tuning in, making us your first listen.

Starting point is 00:22:29 Sarah, I feel like this applies a little bit more defensively. And I think there's a couple of offensive players we can highlight here as we look at how guys can grow into whatever roles that they have that maybe aren't starting right now for the Broncos on offense or defense, but how they can keep growing. I think we should talk a little bit more about Jada Baron, who like I mentioned, Jayquan McMillan will more than likely get that start there inside the nickel. So how can a younger player like Barron who's learning everything still? How can he grow and still find confidence, even if he's not playing necessarily as much as maybe he or I think Broncos country envisioned? I think just taking advantage of every rep, even though that might be the most vanilla answer possible. When he does get out there on the field, he's got to go make a play, right, and make sure that he earns those extra snaps, earns the trust of defensive coordinator,

Starting point is 00:23:19 Vance Joseph, and defensive backs coach slash past game coordinator Jim Leonard, right? Those guys all believe in his long-term ability. and it's just a matter of now going out there and proving that you can still do at the NFL level what we saw at Texas, which we saw Jaaday not miss really any tackles at all, right? He was a stud in that regard, and he can hit, and he is tough and physical, and making plays when the ball comes your way, because it kind of felt like when he was at Texas, the ball just kind of had a knack for finding him. And so it's doing those same things at the NFL level, not making the same mistake twice.

Starting point is 00:23:54 and I think that will really help him as he grows and finds his niche in this defense right away, because ultimately the vision, I believe, is for him to take over long term in that nickel spot. Yeah, I mean, I think that could be the plan, even if the Broncos, I think in today's NFL, you have to have to have a large number of guys that could play outside. You have to have guys that could play on the inside. I think as we see more empty sets, you see multiple formations. I mean, even like look at the Cincinnati Bengals, they'll have a ridiculous tight-in receiver. option, but they've got T. Higgins, Yosevas, Jamar Chase, they got guys that can catch left and right.

Starting point is 00:24:30 You need flexibility to be able to counter that because that's what a lot of offenses are now shifting to. It is more run and gun, like high octane. Let's throw the dang ball everywhere. Even though we know you have to have a good ground game in today's NFL to be able to sustain success. But, I mean, look at that Bengals team from last year. They had an awful defense and they were still in the mix to make it to the playoffs. They could put up 40 points in their sleep. And so you need to have guys that can be able to counteract that. I think Jard Day can certainly play into that equation here in the Broncos secondary, and especially if there's an injury that ever pops up.

Starting point is 00:25:03 And the Broncos, they've made that security investment here to be able to say, hey, we have options in the event of an injury, in the event of something. We're not going to go into this season with the same plan we had last season, and it fall apart and it leads to our defense collapsing. It just goes to show the importance of Riley Moss here once again. And I'm excited to see his development. I think he's had a great attitude here. And this is a guy who's not, oh, I should be starting.

Starting point is 00:25:28 He doesn't walk around like with this entitlement there. Like he's very much like I'm still learning. I'm excited to continue to grow. Like I'm going to make some mistakes. But he's got a great head on his shoulders, which is good. And I think that's the expectation here. Like the Broncos picked him because he's an elite level player at an elite level position that is viewed as a premium in today's NFL. And you need to be able to find ways to counteract what offenses are.

Starting point is 00:25:50 doing. I also think, too, we look at PJ lock at the safety position. Was the starter last year for the Broncos, not the starter this year, but I think he can still play a role for you defensively in certain situations. Where have we seen PJ be effective? Like Bench Joseph has brought him on a blitz. How many times over the last couple of years have we seen PJ blitz sack the quarterback, make a big play on fourth down or have a strip sack because of that. PJ can be an impact player for you. And on top of that, he's going to be a core four special teams guy for you. That's where I think we can continue to see PJ step up and grow.

Starting point is 00:26:23 Your thoughts on him. And then I want to get your thoughts on an offensive player that you might have your eye on as not necessarily a starter, but in a position where he can grow periodically throughout the season here. Well, just to your point really quickly there on PJ Locke, he was sent on a blitz 15 times last year, nine times the year before that. And he had four sacks. So he's obviously made some impact in that regard for quarterback hits as well. he's definitely a weapon in that way. But to your point also about the offensive side, Cody, I think that with Marvin Mims,

Starting point is 00:26:55 we saw only 27% of the snaps played last season for him. And he still led the team in yards after catch, which is pretty insane to think about, because it wasn't until after the trade deadline, where there was some talk, but nothing really substantial about the Broncos, do they need to add a weapon? Should they add a weapon?

Starting point is 00:27:14 What weapons could they add? There was a lot of talk about that, but they didn't do anything. thing, obviously. And I think they adjusted internally, though. That's a clear before and after point for Marvin Mims and his usage in this offense. So to see his growth this year as an outside receiver in addition to the things that he

Starting point is 00:27:32 can do as sort of, I hate the, I know the term gadget isn't necessarily inherently bad, but it does seem kind of more like it's a gimmick than a, you know, a consistent thing. I think that as a gadget weapon, he can be effective. Like, you can do a lot of different things and do some damage. getting the ball in a lot of different ways, but as an outside receiver,

Starting point is 00:27:53 can you be more consistent in that way? And if he is, boy, I mean, it's going to be something to behold. I mean, I think we all expected it last year, but this year it feels like it could really happen. And I know that we're trying to manifest it at the same time, but we did see some proof of concept last year

Starting point is 00:28:11 instead of just kind of hopes and dreams that you're going into the offseason with. Yeah, down the stretch, I mean, that was so crucial for the Bronco. I don't think if Marvin, Marvin doesn't make some of the plays he makes. I mean, the Broncos, they may not have made the playoffs. I mean, we're talking about that 93-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. You're talking about just the return that he had against the Indianapolis Colts that helped the Broncos really kind of come back.

Starting point is 00:28:35 And I know the Jonathan Taylor fumble had a lot to do with that. But you talk about swing of momentum. Marvin was kind of this piece that really accelerated the Broncos momentum. And when you have a return that puts you up into the red zone automatically, and now you can help put teams away because you can just be a flipping of the field position type threat. That is more valuable than anything else. And I think Marvin, Marvin, I think now is at a place. I think his role is going to accelerate a little bit more.

Starting point is 00:29:03 I think he's going to obviously see more volume, more snaps than he saw last year. But I think Marvin has actually bought into, I know what I can do. I know the coaching staff knows this. So regardless, whether that's in the return game, whether it's out of the backfield, whether that's as a receiver, I'm just ready to go out there and make plays. It's not necessarily like, I need to get the ball. Marvin doesn't have that. I need the ball mentality.

Starting point is 00:29:24 Marvin wants the ball, but he's not going to be out there and be like, if you don't get me the ball, then I'm going to pout. That's not his, it's not his forte. It's one thing I love about Marvin and his buy-in. And I think that Sean Peyton really values that. It's just about getting all the right pieces around him and this offense to be able to sustain that, I think, throughout the course of the season, versus, hey, we're going to target Cortland 15 times a game.

Starting point is 00:29:44 And Marvin, you're going to get maybe one or two. two targets. It's not going to be that way. You have balance. You have improved renovations, hopefully in the run game with the new additions you have to where it's now spread out. The addition to Evan Ingram, I think is going to actually probably mean a little bit more for Marvin than most people think. So I'm excited about it, Sarah. Look, the regular season is just about a week and a half away. And, you know, stay locked in here, Broncos country here to lock on Broncos. But your final thoughts here on Marvin and the piece that, you know, he can be and this offense going forward. I think it's going to take the offense to another level. I mean,

Starting point is 00:30:16 we saw you mentioned last year. There's too many three and outs for this offense. Even though they won nine of their 10 games by nine plus points, when we see this offense get to a level of efficiency. And I do say when, not if, when we see it get to a level of efficiency on a week to week basis, I mean,

Starting point is 00:30:34 I'm not saying we're going to see 2013 numbers because nobody's been able to do that even with an increased, you know, 17th game. I just think that we're going to see something that, of course, it's been foreign over the last, the majority of 10 years for Broncos country is to,

Starting point is 00:30:49 offense has been hard. We've watched, you know, backups to the backups for other teams operating at a higher level than Denver's offense has operated for the, I mean, for honestly, for a large chunk of the last 10 years. So to see an efficient offense on a week to week basis,

Starting point is 00:31:04 I do, I think it's going to blow people away. And, and I'm not trying to over hype it or anything like that. I just think that it's going to be, man, we are a legit operation once again. That's the goal.

Starting point is 00:31:17 And look, I think if the Broncos offense can get to a point where they're putting up 27, 28 points per game, you have a defense that's aggressive and smothering, you have a recipe for this team getting back into the serious realm of being a contender and being taken seriously as that. There's been a lot of hype around this Broncos team, but they can back that up if they can become that offensively and remain that defensively this upcoming season. Broncos Country, thank you so much for tuning in. That I'll wrap up today's episode of the show. If you liked it, if you're a brand new viewer or listener, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Becoming every day or so you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team.

Starting point is 00:31:51 Sarah and I, we have you covered every single day all year long throughout the regular season, throughout the dog days of the off season. Football is back. So make sure you stay locked in to lockdown Broncos. Broncos country. We'll see it tomorrow for a brand new episode of the show as we start to take a little bit of a deeper look at the Broncos roster. We know the practice squad additions now. What does this look like?

Starting point is 00:32:12 And who could be a player that emerges from that units? specifically, we'll dive through all that and more on tomorrow's episode of the show.

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