Jaylen Waddle is giving people something to talk about during Denver Broncos OTAs.
Thank goodness, because the Broncos didn’t make any moves outside of the team other than bringing Waddle in.
But the star wide receiver hopes to transform Denver’s offense, and that’s starting now, in June.
At Denver Broncos OTAs, Jaylen Waddle is the focus of a team unchanged
Last year, the Broncos exceeded everyone’s expectations by a mile.
The books in Las Vegas guessed Denver would win 9.5 games. Sean Payton smiled, maybe even smirked a little bit, as the Broncos took the world by storm and won 14 regular season games. It was only the second time in team history they’d hit that mark in the regular season.
Not only did they win the AFC West for the first time in a decade, but they were the AFC’s No. 1 seed and narrowly lost in the AFC Championship game when Bo Nix was injured the week before.
Now, fast forward to today nearly six months later, and not much has changed.
The Broncos re-signed 14 in-house players, much to Broncos Country’s chagrin.
As NFL Free Agency kicked off in March, it was former Broncos player after former Broncos player that Denver re-signed.
Fans got anxious and restless, and then finally conceded the team wasn’t going to get anyone new.
And really, who could blame George Paton and Sean Payton? Paton constructed a competitive roster. And Payton loves his guys. Once he gets to know them, he has a fierce loyalty to players. Ask Adam Trautman or Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Besides trying to sign or trade for a No. 1 running back and failing, Denver kept the band of horses together and pointed in the same direction.
Finally, they did something huge.
Denver traded for start wideout Jaylen Waddle. He’s the receiver who will transform the Broncos offense and receiver room, no doubt about it.
And thankfully he’s on the team because it gives people something to talk about during these Denver Broncos OTAs, where Bo Nix is still absent and recovering from injury and surgeries.
Sean Payton likes what Waddle brings
Anyone who’s watched the NFL or played fantasy football the last few years knows Waddle is a playmaker.
Yes, he’s a deep threat. But he’s much more than that.
Waddle is fantastic at catching the ball over the middle of the field, which is where Nix has struggled to this point in his career. The elite receiver also can produce yards after the catch with the ball in his hands; he’s elusive and has a nose for the goal line.
Head coach Sean Payton likes what he’s seen from the veteran so far.
“He’s had a good week,” Payton said of Denver Broncos OTAs. “He’s someone who picks things up real quick. He had a real good day yesterday. You can just feel his instincts, his quickness and his ability to really to not only run fast but stop fast. So he’s doing well.”
“I think we have a pretty good idea of where [to play him],” Payton continued. “Then it’s just the nuances with the routes, what we’re calling things, the correct depths, that type of thing.”
One of the things that Waddle brings is his ability to play at multiple places in the Broncos offense. He can line up outside, opposite of Courtland Sutton, or in the slot.
It’s expected that Payton and new play caller Davis Webb will move him all over the field to maximize matchups against defenders depending on who Denver’s playing.
“Absolutely. You could start slot to outside, or go outside to slot, just pick,” Payton explained to reporters on Thursday. “There’s a crystal-clear vision prior to the trade as to, ‘All right, this is what we see, this is where he plays and these are the things that we feel like he’s exceptional at.’ Then, ‘Let’s apply them into what we’re doing.’”
No doubt about it, Waddle is the key that they hope unlocks this offense. The team can’t be mediocre on one side of the ball like they were last year (14th in points) if they want to truly compete for a Super Bowl. And for Payton, that’s certainly the goal. He wants to become the first-ever head coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
But, bringing in a star can hurt team morale. How are his fellow receivers doing with it?
“It’s a great group honestly,” Waddle said of the receiver’s room. “Everyone knows they can play and do these amazing things on the field. I’m just talking about them as people. I came in as the new guy, and they welcomed me with open arms [and] have treated me like a brother since Day 1. I really have to look at ‘Court’ [WR Courtland Sutton] and see what he did with the young guys. It’s great; they’re great.”
As the Broncos OTAs continue, and then we go into the dead period between OTAs and training camp, Jaylen Waddle is the focus. Hopefully when training camp rolls around, there will also be a rookie or two who are the camp darlings of the year. As it all leads to 2026, when the expectations will be a Mile High for the Broncos.