A familiar play-caller and a new speed threat: Evan Engram’s path to a bigger Broncos role

(AP) — The two biggest offseason changes to the Broncos ‘ offense figure to help tight end Evan Engram in his second year in Denver. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle’s addition via trade from Miami should benefit all the pass-catchers as the speedster draws extra attention from defenses, leaving others 1-on-1, and Engram is very familiar with the team’s new play-caller, former QB Davis Webb, who was a member of Engram’s draft class with the New York Giants back in 2017. A second season with quarterback Bo Nix also should help Engram, who caught 50 passes for 461 yards and a touchdown, in Week 4 against Philadelphia.

All the changes might allow Engram to be more of the “joker” he was hailed as when he first got to Denver last year. In Sean Payton’s offense, a “joker” is a multi-tasking hybrid player, typically an elite receiving tight end or dynamic running back who moves all over the formation to stress defenses, exploit size-speed mismatches and prevent opponents from either double-teaming or substituting for better matchups. “Last year was kind of I’m trying to learn the lay of the land and getting used to the offense and the complexity of it and just really learning the culture here and immersing myself in it and now I’m just feeling way more comfortable,” Engram told The Associated Press in an interview after the team’s first practice of training camp Friday.

“The relationships are just way better, I’m definitely more comfortable in the offense. My voice is a little bit louder in the leadership role, just being around the guys and seeing how everybody operates,” Engram said. “I think just how close we were last year to the big dance, I think what else could I do?

What more could I add to my part of the puzzle to help us get over that hump?” Being the player he’s mostly been during his nine seasons in the NFL — five with the Giants and three with the Jaguars before coming to Denver — would give the Broncos’ offense another dynamic option. Engram caught a 58-yard pass in an exhibition game last summer where Davis was filling in as the offensive play-caller, and he’s eager for more opportunities with his former draft classmate. “Yeah, me and Davis got drafted together in New York, lived right next to each other, got really close,” Engram said.

“I just got to know him as a person, got to know him as a pro, I got to see how hard he worked and how…