The acquisition was a revelation. The trade was recognition of the truth.
The Broncos can win a Super Bowl. Not in two years. Not when they move into their new stadium.
This upcoming season. This is their time. They made it to the green room last January. Now, they are ready to walk onto the big stage and strut away with the franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy.
Jaylen Waddle, mercifully, provides the Broncos with what they were missing — another playmaker.
They did not bring in Waddle because they had a bad week in free agency, where the receiver options were limited and deemed unworthy of more than $6 million annually. They brought him to Denver because he is a terrific player and worth the compensation (Don’t @me with concerns about draft picks when a team is in a win-now window with a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract).
Let’s not minimize Waddle. This was a function of need.
There was no way the Broncos could look at anyone with a straight face and believe their offense was capable of winning a championship.
With Waddle, they are.
Waddle should tell us what he thinks on Wednesday. There are tentative plans for a press conference if Sean Payton does not cut the phone lines or knock the power out in the building.
No free agent has had one since Payton took over. Waddle deserves one.
He is that guy, the type of player who is never available in free agency at age 27 and whose talent would never be matched by the 30th pick in the first round.
He is versatile, durable, and productive (things I will deny saying if Lil’ Jordan Humphrey leads the Broncos in targets in Week 1). He has speed that demands attention, and is capable of turning a quick pop into a 50-yard burst.
For all of you grousing that the Broncos could have just drafted a player like Waddle, Payton has not developed his Nik Bonitto on offense as Vance Joseph has on defense.
The Broncos needed a veteran for Nix, and hopefully, longer marinating will make Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin more productive someday. Waddle is about today.
Think about what else this move means. Davis Webb has a chance.
Had the Broncos remained static offensively, there is no way Webb would have received a fair shot at calling plays. Until Tuesday, that was the Broncos’ biggest change this offseason. A 31-year-old expected to be for an offense what Doogie Howser was to an operating room.
Problem was, all the players were the same.
And you know who knows them better than anyone? Payton.
Had the Broncos struggled the first few games, it is almost certain Payton would have snatched the Waffle House menu back. He did that in New Orleans with Pete Carmichael in 2016. For the same reasons. They were all his guys.
Back then, it worked. This time it will not.
Payton is 10 years older, less decisive on the headset and slow with the mechanics of getting the play into Nix.
The Broncos must find out what they have in Webb. Is he the Ben Johnson on their staff?
No one will ever convince me that Payton gave up play-calling willingly.
More like reluctantly.
And watching him run it back at every position group, it felt like he was valuing continuity over productivity. That he was, though not purposefully, making it harder for Webb to find a lane to establish his identity.
Waddle changes everything.
Good players make great play callers. Webb now has a weapon to make the Broncos more dynamic.
He has Payton’s brain to pick in collaborative game plan meetings and a new receiver capable of making whiteboard dreams come to life.
“Defenses can no longer look at the Broncos and say they have one guy in Courtland that they need to take out and that they can live with what the other guys do,” said FOX NFL analyst and 104.3 The Fan host Mark Schlereth. “This gives them their first one-two punch since Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.”
Ranking those in order who benefited most from Tuesday’s deal is easy: Nix, Webb, Evan Engram, everyone else.
Waddle gives Webb a chance to be more aggressive, especially after establishing the run.
J.K. Dobbins was the Broncos’ best offensive player for 10 games last season before a foot injury knocked him out for the season. He must prove he can stay healthy — the goal should be 14 games and the playoffs. R.J. Harvey remains in the mix and should be joined by a draft pick.
The ability to stay committed to the run will create long strikes from Nix to Waddle in play action. No more depending solely on Sutton to haul in a 50-50 ball on third down. Or Marvin Mims Jr. to rescue the team once a month.
“And remember, you stole Waddle from everybody else in the AFC who might have wanted him,” said Westwood One Radio host for NFL games Ryan Harris. “This move is a goldmine.”
After the Russell Wilson disaster, it must be asked: Why was Waddle available? The simple answer: the Dolphins are tearing down to the studs, rebuilding through the draft.
Also, everyone loves his route running. So, how is he different from Jerry Jeudy?
“He and Jerry are not (comparable) players. Jerry drops the ball. And if he is not the primary target, what are you going to get from him? Jaylen is going to get other guys open,” Schlereth said. “He is going to make other players better.”
Bottom line: Waddle can create space and havoc.
He gives Nix a chance to reach his ceiling. But it requires improvement.
Greg Cosell, an NFL analyst and a senior producer at NFL Films for nearly 40 years, echoed what multiple folks told me at the combine: Payton might have issues getting plays in, but he has not lost his touch. Nix, Cosell explained, left a lot of plays on the field, especially early in games.
It is on Webb to give Nix more time at the line of scrimmage to build consistency and make sure he is on time to take advantage of Waddle on slants.
Waddle gives them both a receiver who opens up all possibilities.
By getting him, the Broncos showed they knew what everybody else knew. They needed a weapon. And Webb, rubbing his hands together, is best suited to use him.
“This is a declaration,” Harris said, “that the Broncos intend to win the Super Bowl.”
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
