With the Denver Broncos' offense in desperate need of a bounce back in Week 4 against the Bengals, it will help to have the entire arsenal of weapons available to quarterback Bo Nix.
The Broncos had to get by in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers without arguably their most important offseason addition -- tight end Evan Engram -- who missed the game with an injury. Engram has dealt with both calf and back issues early this season, but the good news for Broncos fans is, he wasn't limited in any way on Thursday afternoon.
Engram appears to be back and moving extremely well ahead of the Broncos' Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Evan Engram was a full participant at Thursday's practice for Broncos
The first two weeks of the season were extremely disappointing for Engram. He had just six targets, four catches, and barely made an impact at all in the win against the Titans or the loss against the Colts.
The good news for Engram? There's plenty of time to turn it around.
As one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, Engram has been a highly-anticipated addition to Denver's roster for good reason. He is the best receiving option the team has had at tight end -- at least on paper -- since Julius Thomas was around back in 2013 and 2014. Engram nearly set the NFL's all-time record for receptions in a season for a tight end just a couple of years ago, proving his ability to be a featured weapon at the position.
Sean Payton's vision for Engram has been clear from the start: He's meant to play the "joker" role in this offense. That role didn't previously exist because it's a role created for a running back or tight end with elite receiving skills. The Broncos have not had one of those since Payton became the head coach.
But against the Bengals, Engram will have a chance to bounce back from his week away and be the type of dynamic weapon this team so desperately needs at tight end. We saw a glimpse of it in the preseason when Engram caught a pass over the middle of the field and then got up the sideline for a massive gain.
Getting him involved is going to be crucial to this offense's long-term sustainability. The Broncos weren't able to effectively include tight ends last year because nobody was capable. If Engram gets going, it will open things up for everyone else in the offense.