The Broncos know the early stretch is going to ask plenty of them, and they also know where the answer has to begin: up front.
Denver is staring at a rough opening schedule, and that comes with the added pressure of a team that has too often needed time to find its footing. That’s a big reason the Broncos are getting overlooked in a lot of preseason prediction lists, even after last year’s 14-3 run.
Sean Payton understands the issue, even if he didn’t exactly lean into it when Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post asked him about fast starts last month.
“I’m pretty sure we haven’t [done that],” Payton said, even though the numbers have him at 4-7 in September since taking over in 2023. “So I think that’s going to be important.”
For Denver, that kind of early momentum starts with the offensive line and the run game working together. The Broncos want more balance, more versatility, and a ground attack that can help them control early downs. That’s where the line becomes the hinge point, and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb made clear he sees that group as the backbone of the offense.
“I’ve never been around somewhere that’s been about to be four straight years of basically the same offensive line,” Webb said recently. “It’s such a blessing because they’re good dudes, they’re coached well, they’re nasty, they take things personal.
I think pass block-wise, they’ve been pretty consistent over the last few years and run-game wise, I think we’re trying to build on that consistency. Not saying it’s been bad, but we can definitely be more consistent.
“That’s a goal that we’ve tried to address this offseason. We’re just very blessed in all of our rooms that the offensive line’s been the most stationary. They’re the strength of our offense.”
The Broncos’ run game matters because it sets up early-down efficiency, and last season that area took a hit when J.K. Dobbins was lost to injury. Payton pointed to that as part of the story, while also saying the offense has a better handle now on what it wants to be on the ground.
“I think part of that was health last year when we lost J.K.,” Payton said. … “Per our run game, there’s some really good things I think that we’re doing.
Then, ultimately, you kind of settle in on what type of run team you are relative to a zone scheme, a gap scheme and those types of things. So we certainly feel like we’re further along than we’ve been here in my three years, just with the depth in both (the running back and offensive line) groups.”
Mike McGlinchey described the approach this season as more of a refinement than a reinvention, with the Broncos tightening their technique and matching it to the right looks.
“I think it’s just the understanding of what techniques we’re trying to apply on which plays, which looks, which leverages,” McGlinchey said. “Just kind of honing in on that.
We had a pretty good grasp of all that before, and we’ve done it a long time together. Switching a couple of the techniques in and out depending on the scheme or the play or whatever it is, I think we’ve done a good job.
It’s been a great camp.
“Our group is ready to go, and I’m excited to see where we can go as the season unfolds.”
In Other News...
Broncos Rookie RB Is Already Pressing A Bigger Role
Jonah Coleman arrived in Denver with the kind of profile that tends to earn immediate trust from coaches: a fourth-round pick with a balanced running style, the size to handle a physical workload and the pass protection chops to stay on the field in more than just obvious rushing situations. For a Broncos backfield that has already dealt with injury concerns elsewhere, that versatility gives him a real path to playing time before long.
What makes Coleman even more intriguing is how broad that path could become as the season unfolds. Scouts and executives see a runner who can contribute in multiple ways, and that kind of skill set usually leads to a role that grows by the week if the player handles the early opportunities well. The Broncos do not have to force it, but they may not be able to keep him in a small package for very long either. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Still Have One Defensive Concern Entering Week 1
Less than a week before their regular-season opener, the Broncos were still looking around for defensive help, bringing in four players for tryouts as they worked through the final stretch of roster decisions. Dean Clark, Jack Henderson, Jack Dingle and Emany Johnson all got a look as Denver continued to assess the back end of the defense and the middle of the field, two spots where the team has more questions than answers.
The fact that none of the four had been signed by the time of the report suggests the Broncos are not rushing into a move, even with safety and inside linebacker still standing out as relative depth concerns. It is the kind of late-August roster housekeeping that can say plenty about how a team feels about its current group, and for Denver it leaves one defensive subplot worth monitoring as Week 1 approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Cap Flexibility Just Raised The Stakes For Their Next Core Decisions
The Broncos enter the next phase of roster building with real breathing room, and that matters because the choices coming over the next year are no longer being made under cap stress. Denver currently has about $23.99 million in space for the 2026 season, good for fifth in the league, a position that gives the front office more options as it weighs extensions, free agency and the kind of move-by-move housekeeping that can shape a contenders window.
There is still some drag on the books, including roughly $5.984 million in dead money tied mostly to former linebacker Dre Greenlaw, along with smaller cap hits from players on the practice squad, injured reserve and the commissioners exempt list. The bigger point is what comes next: Denver is also projected to be in a healthy spot for 2027, and with that kind of flexibility, the stakes only rise for how aggressively the Broncos choose to lock in their core before the market starts pushing harder. [Read more 🡒]