Just when it seems as though everything is fairly straightforward for the Broncos, Sean Payton has one more trick up his sleeve. This time, Payton's trick creates a new and interesting dynamic in their back field as the Broncos added to their running back group on Monday afternoon. What makes it interesting isn't that Denver claimed a back or added to the group, but who he is and who he played for earlier this year.
The Broncos claimed running back Cody Schrader off of waivers from the Houston Texans on Monday as part of a flurry of moves the team made. Schrader has all of one career rushing attempt to his name and has been all over the league in recent weeks. Since September, the Missouri product has been on now four teams, three of which are AFC contenders.
Most notably, however, Schrader spent two months with the current AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville is sitting at 10-4, the third seed in the AFC, and travels to Denver this week to take on the Broncos in a potential AFC Championship preview. In a few different ways, the Jaguars could now actually be the biggest threat to Denver's claim on the top seed in the conference.
Sean Payton's addition of Cody Schrader shows that he is always a step ahead of his opponents
The Broncos are slightly banged up in the backfield after RJ Harvey did not return after his fourth-quarter touchdown on Sunday with a rib injury. Payton took that as an opportunity to add some depth to his running back group and made a shrewd addition.
Considering the month he spent in Liam Coen's system, Schrader should be able to provide valuable insight to the Broncos in preparation for their AFC heavyweight showdown this weekend.
Payton is one of the true veteran coaches in a league marked by consistent coaching turnover, and moves like these demonstrate why. Back in the days of Bill Belichick in New England, he would make moves such as these with great frequency, and it would typically pay off well. Payton is pulling off a true veteran move here, and it might be enough to give him an upper hand heading into Week 16.
It is entirely possible that Schrader doesn't see a snap on Sunday and that the Broncos felt he was the best option available to them as injury insurance for Harvey. Even if that is the case, it is no coincidence that he spent considerable time with the Jaguars and the Broncos claimed him before their pivotal AFC showdown.