The Denver Broncos offensive system is formulating under head coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton’s NFL Free Agency moves.
Denver Broncos offensive scheme is built to run the football
The first wave of NFL Free Agency proved to be fruitful for the Denver Broncos as they addressed several crucial needs before the official start of the new league year.
Two of Denver’s first big splash moves of the free agency period on Monday addressed the starting left guard and right tackle positions. Ben Powers takes over at left guard, replacing former veteran Dalton Risner. Mike McGlinchey will man the right tackle spot where the Broncos hope he can fill the void left at that position for the last 10 years.
While the signings are upgrades on paper, the true evaluation will come during the regular season as Sean Payton steps into his first year as head coach.
During Payton’s tenure in New Orleans, the Saints always possessed a strong emphasis on running the football. Despite having Drew Brees at quarterback, Payton’s offenses over the years have held the identity of running the ball efficiently enough that it opens up the passing game even further.
These moves are important for the Broncos as they look to capitalize on their investment in Russell Wilson. Not only do they hope to capitalize on their investment, but they’ve also made moves that are aimed at protecting their investment.
In 2022, Wilson was sacked a league-high 55 times and took countless hits all throughout the season. While Wilson wasn’t responsible for every sack he took, the Broncos starting quarterback will have to avoid holding onto the football in certain situations as long as he did last year.
If everything goes according to plan, Wilson will have the opportunity to open things up under Payton in a scheme that’s designed to set him up for success.
With the projected starting lineup as of today being listed as Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz, and Mike McGlinchey — pounding the rock should become the way of life for a Broncos offense that ranked 21st in the league last season in terms of rushing yards per game.
It didn’t help that Denver trailed in a good portion of the games they played last season, impacting their rushing output.
The loss of Javonte Williams was also a huge blow for the Broncos offense, but all signs point to the offense being built around running the ball with more of an emphasis on pulling the guard to spring things outside or in the C-gap.
The Denver Broncos may not be done just yet on addressing the offensive line with plenty of time between free agency and the NFL Draft.
One thing is very clear, Payton’s intent on running the football and controlling the flow of the offense.
