OC Justin Outten Teases 'Creative' Next Phase of Broncos' Offense

Summer used to be marked by the sound of a bat striking a ball ringing out in ballparks all across the country. But now that the NFL is a year-round affair, that old ritual has diminished because football fans can keep abreast of the offseason action more than ever before.

Following the NFL news cycle is now America's past-time.

In order to keep fans clicking in the offseason, the social media accounts of NFL teams understandably showcase long rainbow passes to wide-open receivers. While such highlights gather the most clicks and views, football purists are well aware that the action will condense massively when the pads go on.

New Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten concurs, admitting that the extra aggression the team showed in the passing game this past spring really boils down to the fact they could experiment in the early going.

“No doubt. We try to be aggressive as heck down here,” Outten conceded. “There is a lot of throwing the ball down the field, just to see the landmark of the receivers and just to see the timing of the quarterback. We encourage those tight-window throws. The experimentation with this offense throughout these OTAs and this minicamp has been something that we have been looking forward to.”

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Throwing some stuff against the wall and seeing if it sticks only becomes viable if you have the luxury of an elite quarterback like Russell Wilson pulling the trigger. Wilson's presence has allowed Outten to test out just how fast his Ferrari can go when it gets to open the throttle up on an open stretch of freeway.

Outten is confident that when the situation demands that Wilson flicks the switch, he'll be able to do just that.

“Once the installations are done, you can start to settle down a little bit and be creative as far as the formations and motions and shifts,” Outten detailed. “Then with Russell, he’s a pro’s pro. You’ll give him some information and it will be a little bit outside of the box. He’ll look at you funny and he’ll see it work and then it comes to fruition. He’s a really good guy to work with.”

At the top of the Broncos' chain of command, first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett doesn’t seem like a novice thus far. His well-organized and structured practice sessions have been tailored to flow seamlessly into the more intense training camp throwdowns yet to come.

During the wilderness years that followed Peyton Manning’s retirement, the Broncos hurt badly for a quarterback who could handle all facets of offseason preparations. It could also be argued the Broncos lacked a well-organized head coach who could make such demands of his signal-caller, but thankfully for Broncos Country, those days have been consigned to the history books.

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