Just how disjointed the Denver Broncos' offense was during their failed 2023 season was plain for all to see.
Sean Payton's first year as Broncos head coach was supposed to plant ambitious seeds of recovery moving forward. Instead, the decay was so corrosive that it led to a well-publicized, late-season bust-up between Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson.
But not everything should fall at Wilson's feet. Payton's repeated failure to incorporate the few explosive offensive weapons he had at his disposal was, at times, baffling.
A case in point was Payton's weekly admissions that his then-rookie speedster wide receiver, Marvin Mims Jr., needed more opportunities to shine. Fast forward to this week's NFL Scouting Combine, and we find Payton once again falling on his sword when it comes to his mismanagement of Mims.
"Without making a comparison first, I'd say with Mims, we saw him flourish as a returner," Payton told reporters Tuesday. "I really think the only thing that really stopped his progress as a receiver was us and trying to find roles."
Tidal change is anticipated in Denver's WR room this offseason, and while Courtland Sutton might well restructure his contract to stick around, fellow receiver Jerry Jeudy is a prime candidate to be sent packing. As much as anything else, Payton conceded that Mims was often lost on the depth chart behind a largely inconsistent Jeudy.
"He's playing the same position as Jerry. I've said this a number of times, I think you're going to see a lot of growth with this player," Payton declared of Mims. "He's tough, he can run and we're certainly excited that we have him. I think the key for us-and I say this as coaches in game planning-is evolving. Every time we've kind of put his name on a certain play, he hasn't disappointed. That doesn't mean the ball always went to him but the point I'm making is I think his progress was hampered a little bit more with the depth in the room, in what we were able to do and sometimes trying to balance that out. I think we'll see that expand."
Mims' explosive performances as a return man saw him get a Pro Bowl nod in his first pro season, and it strongly suggests the prodigious youngster could offer a lot more on offense if — or when — he's afforded the opportunity.
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