Broncos' biggest 2026 offseason addition might not even be a player

The Denver Broncos got off to a rather slow start this offseason. The team was, at one point, the only team in the league that did not sign an external free agent. However, adding Jaylen Waddle in a trade was the big-time move that this team likely planned on making all along.

Waddle wasn't just a random player that the team traded for, either - he is a deliberate addition to fill a specific role on the offense. As the de-facto WR1 of this team, Waddle's skill set and speed will open up the offense and allow everyone else to thrive.

But Waddle wasn't the only addition. The Broncos brought in some key players in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Jonah Coleman, Tyler Onyedim, and the Mr. Irrelevant selection, Red Murdock. Given that the Broncos didn't make a free agency splash signing and did not have a ton of NFL Draft capital, the value brought in was impressive. However, the team's biggest offseason addition may not even have been a player.

Denver Broncos new play-caller could be the team's biggest 2026 offseason addition

It is a hugely significant thing that Davis Webb is calling the plays on offense for the Broncos. Webb has had a ton of interest from other teams, but the Broncos were able to keep him for another year. It's not a guarantee that Webb stays with the team beyond 2026, but for the time being, he's going to call the plays on offense.

The main issue that we saw develop with Sean Payton calling the plays was the constant personnel shuffling, overall lack of movement, and slow operation in getting the play into Bo Nix and breaking the huddle. There is reason to believe that Webb is going to fix this, but don't just take my word for it, as Ben DiNucci, a former Broncos quarterback, is also saying something similar:

Here is a snippet from the above clip:

"I think, first and foremost, you're going to see more of an emphasis on these guys breaking the huddle quick and getting to the line of scrimmage. I think a lot of the heat that Sean Payton has taken over the last couple of years with that Denver offense is just, there's just a lot on your plate when you're the head coach...

...As soon as Davis got in there, at least from what I'm hearing inside that building is, a lot of the play calls, the formations have been kind of tightened up, less wordy..."

Folks, isn't this precisely what many of us have been saying was the Broncos issues on offense? With Payton handing off these play-calling duties, many then said that Payton is moving into more of a 'CEO' role as the head coach. He's now not going to be calling the plays full-time, and obviously, Vance Joseph calls the plays on defense.

Payton is in his 60s and is clearly not as mentally sharp as he was earlier in his head coaching career - that's simply what happens when someone ages. He's still among the best head coaches in the NFL, but it was quite obvious that a change was needed.

Webb also seems to have a good grip on what needs to change, at least, according to DiNucci. This change, coupled with adding Waddle on offense, could end up being the two exact moves that this team was needing to make.

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