John Elway's 'Tempered' Offensive Expectations Doesn't Mean Broncos Can't Win
Throughout the 2020 offseason, Denver Broncos GM John Elway committed all available resources to support second-year quarterback Drew Lock. In January, Pat Shurmur was hired as offensive coordinator to design his spread-offense around the strengths of his strong-armed QB.
In free agency, Elway signed the talented and versatile offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, who will start at right guard. Elway also inked Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon, who’s an ideal fit in Shurmur's rushing and passing scheme.
Elway's push to build the nest around Lock was punctuated by the drafting of wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in back-to-back rounds to caffeinate the offense with youth, speed, and talent.
So why is Broncos Country confused about the expectations for this year’s offense?
It might have something to do with Elway pumping the brakes on expectations for a new-look offense that could include three rookie starters.
"I don't think we can expect with no offseason for us to come out and be hitting on all cylinders," Elway said last Tuesday. "I know that we have spent a lot of time in Zoom meetings and Pat and his staff on the offensive side have spent a lot of time with it, but there's nothing like being on the practice field. It's going to be a slow build."
Rookies will not only need to transition from college to professional football, but veterans will also require additional time to acclimate and practice with their teammates. During the offseason, Lock organized multiple offensive workouts away from the team's facilities prior to checking in for training camp in late July.
"We're very young on the offensive side,” Elway said. “With the way training camp is set up, I always remember as a rookie it was important for me to see other helmets and not just Bronco helmets, but to see other helmets to get used to and realize, 'hey, they are now in the NFL'. With our young team, that doesn't help us. I was hoping for a couple preseason games just because we are so young on the offensive side to get to see somebody else. We're going to have to deal with it."
Just because this young Broncos offense is tasked with an unprecedented set of challenges doesn’t mean it can’t win football games.
"Today's world is adjusting, so we'll adjust to that," Elway said. "The mature kids will come in and do everything they can to get up to speed, but again, they're going to be young guys without an offseason program. We definitely have to give them some rope and temper it a little bit and take it one practice at a time."
One word that is consistently tossed around in the scouting community is 'development'. But what most people don’t want to accept are the growing pains that come with evolution and growth.
That’s not to say that Lock will throw a large number of interceptions, or that there won’t be some drops from his talented pass-catchers. Instead, it means that mistakes and errors should be expected. By no means does that excuse missed opportunities, though.
True development occurs when players hold themselves accountable and actively participate in learning from their mistakes. Many Broncos fans remember Peyton Manning throwing his 509th touchdown that broke the NFL all-time record in 2014. But most fans forget Manning’s record 28 interceptions thrown as a rookie back in 1998. The point is, the great players embrace learning and overcome adversity.
Ugly offenses can win games, too. Ask the 2000 Baltimore Ravens with QB Trent Dilfer. Dilfer operated a timid offense that complimented a historic defense led by Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis.
Head Coach Vic Fangio often cites complementary 'balance', explaining that it extends beyond the run/pass ratio. Controlling the time of possession, exposing tendencies, and understanding situational circumstances are all variables that determine the outcome of games.
Sometimes, complementary football can even assist a team’s lackluster offense, as was the case for the 2015 Broncos. While the Broncos currently have the most expensive defense in the NFL and are projected to improve in 2020, they’re not the Super Bowl 50 World-Champion defense from five years ago.
Just as Lock isn’t Manning, the 2020 Broncos will need to learn to trust each other, and at times cover for one another. Just because Elway has ‘tempered,’ expectations for this offense in the early stages of training camp, it doesn’t mean the Broncos are headed toward familiar frustration.
All good things take time and playoff teams aren’t born in the offseason.
Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP and @MileHighHuddle.
