Broncos’ offensive overhaul starts with free agent binge on “smart, tough players”

PHOENIX – Sean Payton hardly needs to remind anybody in Broncos Country how poorly Denver’s offense fared in 2022, but he did so multiple times in blunt terms on Monday.

He did so in the midst of an answer during which he called quarterback Russell Wilson, “super competitive.”

“He’s won at a high level. He’s someone that I think moves well. He’s someone I think who works extremely hard. It’s hard to find guys with all those traits,” Payton said. “Now, I watched with every one of you the season that took place a year ago. There’s probably a little bit of dirt on a lot of peoples’ hands. When you win five games, it is what it is. I don’t think I need to elaborate. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t good on offense, that’s for sure. It was hard film to watch.”

He did so while answering a question about what’s ahead for second-year tight end Greg Dulcich.

“We haven’t gone through every player relative to the evaluation process, but some of it was hard — the evaluation. Some of it was hard,” he said, intimating that it was difficult to ascertain in detail what the young player’s potential is.

He did so after complimenting much of the work the Broncos did defensively in 2022.

“The defense in a lot of ways played well, considering the time of possession. Considering the field position. Considering it’s hard to play good defense if you’re not playing good complementary football,” he said. “It sounds like I’m being critical of the special teams and the offense. And I am.”

This is why Payton is in Denver as its head coach, replacing Nathaniel Hackett after just a 15-game tenure. This is why Payton, in his own way, made it clear during the NFL’s spring ownership meetings here that his new job starts with a roster revamp that is a major undertaking. This is why the Broncos earlier this month went on a free agent spending blitz to make sure they acquired, among others, offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers, running backs Samaje Perine and Tony Jones Jr., tight end Chris Manhertz and fullback Michael Burton while adding further depth at receiver and along the offensive line.

McGlinchey and Powers were the big prizes.

“I think you evaluate these players and you look at all the tape and the makeup and the intelligence and we thought they were really good fits for what we want to do,” Payton said. “There’s a consistency that you saw that you felt like you were getting each week. Health, makeup, all of that gets factored in.”

“That was huge,” general manager George Paton said of the duo in particular. “To get both of those guys and all of our free agent class, but especially on the offensive line. Sean’s teams in New Orleans were always built from the inside and always strong on the lines, in the trenches on both sides. We wanted to mold that.”

This offseason, that was always most likely to happen via free agency rather than the draft, an approach Paton already held but which only grew bolder when the franchise hired Payton in February.

“Going back to when we made the trade for ‘Russ’ (in March 2022), we knew one of these years we’d have to be aggressive,” Paton said, nodding to the five draft picks and three players Denver gave up in that deal. “And then we got Sean here and we met and we decided if there were players there at positions of need, we were going to be aggressive. We don’t have the picks — only have five draft picks — so we were aggressive and we had a plan and I feel like we executed that plan.”

Ahead of free agency, Payton and Paton sat down with CEO Greg Penner and his wife, owner Carrie Walton-Penner, to lay out their vision for free agency. Player acquisition never ends, but to date Denver’s signed 15 unrestricted free agents, spent more than $140 million in guaranteed money and well north of $200 million in total potential contract value to try to quickly improve the talent base of its roster.

“They’ve been unbelievable. Really supportive,” Paton said. “Since they’ve arrived they’ve given us all the resources to be able to do what we need to do. Specifically, with free agency, Sean and I visited with them and showed them the plan and they were all on board.”

Part of the plan also included bringing in several players Payton had familiarity with from his days in New Orleans. He’s coached five of Denver’s offseason additions previously, all offensive players: wide receivers Marquez Callaway and free agent Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Burton and Jones in the backfield, and Manhertz at tight end.

“Those are guys that I have a vision for,” Payton said. “They’re easy reads and guys that were available. If you want to pay closer attention to the culture and you’re looking at Perine or (defensive lineman Zach Allen) or McGlinchey or Powers, then you’re getting it. They’re smart, tough guys that we feel like are good football players.”

While most of the big money has been spent, the roster flip isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon.

“We’ll continue to fill out the roster right now. We’re in our early 70s,” Payton said. “We don’t have enough draft picks and we’re going to sign players after the draft like every team does and we’ll get to 90. The key is for us to get to the best 90 right now for us.

“Then when we’re talking about a player, do we have the right vision for what we see this player to be?”

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