When the Denver Broncos were in the process of recruiting free agent tight end Evan Engram in the 2025 offseason, they used an underrated secret weapon to get him to sign on the dotted line.
Engram enjoyed many aspects of the Denver Broncos' recruiting trip, including the potential of playing the "Joker" role in the Sean Payton offense, Sean Payton's laid-back personality, and the presence of quarterbacks coach Davis Webb.
In an interview with former Broncos Super Bowl champion Bennie Fowler at DNVR (the first true media availability for Engram of the 2025 offseason), Engram talked about how he and Webb became "best friends" when they were teammates with the New York Giants, and how he helped sell him on coming to play for the Denver Broncos.
Even choosing them over their division rival Los Angeles Chargers.
Broncos QB coach Davis Webb helped team sign Evan Engram in NFL Free Agency
New Broncos TE Evan Engram on being “recruited” by the Broncos and QB coach Davis Webb
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) April 10, 2025
“It just felt right… Everything felt like this was the place for me.” pic.twitter.com/8bWkRgd3WY
"He was really the first guy to call me that night I got released. I guess they gave him the keys to really amp up that recruitment process because my boy hit me up with a 30-minute, just, straight bar-for-bar snap on what they got going on in Denver. Really got into detail on the vision that they had for me within that offense."
- Evan Engram (via DNVR)
What's fascinating about this piece of the Evan Engram story is that the Broncos had to fight to keep Davis Webb this offseason. Not only is he the quarterbacks coach for the team, but he's also the offensive pass game coordinator as of the 2025 offseason.
Webb got himself a promotion after doing incredible work in 2023, helping revive Russell Wilson after a horrendous 2022 campaign and then helping Bo Nix to one of the best seasons we've ever seen from a rookie quarterback in this league. Naturally, there is going to be interest around the league and there were rumblings that some teams were looking at Webb as an offensive coordinator, potentially.
But, the Broncos kept him around, and it sounds like that was pretty fortuitous in the long run. Keeping Webb in the fold helped the team land the best available free agent tight end, filling arguably the team's primary offensive need. Many folks feel like the running back position is the top need in Denver, and it is now, but going into the offseason, there was nothing more important than getting that true "joker" for the passing game.
And the Broncos' actions in free agency here reflect that.