Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been busy this past week nailing his colors to the mast in no uncertain terms. Payton's support for quarterback Russell Wilson, and the broader ongoing objective of the Broncos relearning a winning brand of football, has already done much to awaken this sleeping giant.
In an apology of sorts, Payton attributed the shots he fired at ex-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett and the New York Jets to a rapid intake of too much caffeine one fateful morning and his familiarity with USA Today's Jarrett Bell.
Outside of his terse refusal to continue commenting on the Hackett stuff, Payton has remained open to questions when it comes to his blueprint for resurrecting the Broncos. On Friday, he declared his intention to run the ball with authority in order to set up other facets of Denver's new-look offense.
“I think it has to be part of our DNA, and we felt that way in New Orleans, as well. I think the two greatest allies for a good quarterback player are a running game and good defense,” Payton said. “That’s going to be important to what we do as long as I’m here. I just think it’s that important to winning in our league.”
The framework of moving the ball on the ground is taking shape at Centura Health Training Center, largely because first-team running back Javonte Williams' return from a serious knee injury is bordering on the miraculous. Moving people off the line of scrimmage figures to be much more feasible with free-agent offensive line acquisitions Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey anchoring the unit.
Payton's old-school approach means he's already done his homework on some down-and-dirty players who can commit unselfishly to moving the pile. Among that number, we find tight end Chris Manhertz, a former charge of Payton's in New Orleans.
Out of the gates in free agency, Manhertz's considerable blocking skills were secured by the Broncos because Payton knows his unique skill set will make things much easier when putting a game plan together.
“I think in order to run the ball, it’s hard to do without a blocking tight end or someone that can handle the ‘D-gap,'" Payton said. "We found Chris in New Orleans on a free agent tryout with no football experience. [He] was a basketball player... Our vision when we worked him out was that receiving, [Saints TE] Jimmy Graham-type tight end. It actually was interesting because he developed into a really, really physical player at the line of scrimmage."
Sprinkling in the right amount of winning ingredients is a key component of the Mile High-style gumbo Payton is currently bringing up to a boil. When it comes to running the ball, it could be said that the recipe won't come together properly without guys like Manhertz providing the base flavorings.
"I would say within the last five years, he has been one of the better run-blocking tight ends," Payton said of Manhertz. "That and then his makeup, his character, and he’s a tremendous guy. You can have a lot of things going for you relative to running the football, but you end up playing jumbo tackles, maybe, if you don’t have a blocking tight end. He just does a lot of those things well. You know exactly what you’re getting from him, which allows you to game-plan easier on Wednesday and Thursday nights.”
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