Vernon Davis emerging as major piece of Broncos offense

The Denver Broncos are incorporating Vernon Davis more and more into the offense, and he looks like he’s carving out a prominent role.

The Broncos’ acquisition of Vernon Davis was really the only major addition of this year’s NFL trade deadline, and having Davis around has certainly added another dynamic to the Broncos’ offense. They lost the first two games they had him for against the Colts and Chiefs, but they beat the Chicago Bears and over the last two games, it appears as though Davis is starting to find his niche in this offensive unit.

Davis had six catches for 65 yards in the Broncos’ victory over Chicago, which doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but he’s been getting involved in a variety of ways in the running game as well.

In the Gary Kubiak offense, or the offense that he inherited and runs, has always been favorable to tight ends. We have seen some nice games this year from veteran Owen Daniels as well, a fellow class of 2006 tight end who led the Broncos in receiving against the Bears and is 2nd on the team this season with three receiving touchdowns.

Davis’ insertion into the lineup was relatively quick, all things considered, and we’ve seen on numerous occasions the full skill set that he brings to the table.

Speed/Athletic Ability

Davis’ speed was on display on an 18-yard catch and run on a tight end screen play the Broncos ran against the Bears. It was a well-designed play that allowed Davis to get downfield in a hurry, and pick up a huge chunk of yards.

This is exactly the type of play that can get the athleticism of Davis on the field more and allow him to acclimate more quickly to his newer surroundings. It’s a simple design and concept but it’s effective, especially now with a young QB in Brock Osweiler, who is going to rely on the tight ends plenty.

Separation

Davis has, on numerous occasions already, proven his ability to separate from less athletic linebackers. He had a couple of plays against the Chiefs where he shook defenders with ease and gave Osweiler an open target, and he did a little of the same against the Bears.

They haven’t tried it yet, but getting him involved in the red zone offense is going to bode really well for them as soon as they can make it happen. Davis is a mismatch in one-on-one situations for defenders.

Blocking

When I watched the game tape from the Chicago game, I noticed how active Davis is as a blocker. I guess in his time in San Francisco, that was something that was pretty lost on me. I never really paid that much attention to it or assumed because of his reputation as a receiver that he wasn’t necessarily a very good blocker.

On the contrary.

Davis is a really good run blocker and that’ll be a huge part of the Broncos’ success moving forward.

Overall

Davis, for all intents and purposes, was a phenomenal pickup by the Broncos at a low cost. He certainly has upgraded the weaponry for Brock Osweiler and should continue to ascend in his blossoming role with this team.