Despite not signing any external free agents so far, the Denver Broncos have been hard at work retaining their own offensive pieces. Specifically on the offensive side, the Broncos are retaining their entire tight end and running back group from last year. The Broncos are changing play callers, and clearly believe that changing up the plays could be enough to make a legitimate difference.
The Broncos ran a good number of large-bodied offensive plays last year, featuring a fullback. The Broncos have had a fullback each year under Sean Payton, including the past year. The fullback position has become incredibly important to Payton's offense, and their running game was strong in large part thanks to their solid fullback play.
In their attempts to return their starting offense from last year, the Broncos have returned much of their running game, if not all. The Broncos brought back the likes of Adam Trautman and JK Dobbins, two of the most important pieces to their running and blocking attacks. Their most recent move, however, is going to fly under the radar in most news cycles. Despite that, it is incredibly important and could be a huge piece of the puzzle for next year.
The Denver Broncos have brought back an incredibly important offensive piece
The Broncos are bringing back starting fullback Adam Prentice, and this move is one that fans actually should be excited about. Returning several role players from a mediocre offense the year prior does not exactly inspire confidence, but this move should. At his best, Prentice was one of the keys to a solid Broncos running game and was an important piece on passing downs.
The Broncos have been fullback-reliant in recent years, and that could grow even more with their recent change in play calling. The Broncos' run game struggled mightily once Dobbins went down for the year, but many of their best runs were with Prentice in the backfield. He even served as a viable rushing option himself in necessary situations.
The issue for the Broncos and their fans right now is that every move that is made to retain an offensive piece from last year feels like a slap in the face. Despite that, bringing back Prentice was one of the best decisions they could have made all offseason. The Broncos still need to make moves to get over the top in the AFC, but retaining a solid fullback is not a problem for them at all.