The Denver Broncos made one of the best free agent signings of the offseason and ESPN 'doesn't love it'
The Denver Broncos entered the offseason with an obvious task that they needed to accomplish — find quarterback Bo Nix some playmakers. Denver quickly pounced on an opportunity to get Nix some help once free agency started by signing tight end Evan Engram to a two year deal worth $23 million. Engram, a former first […]
The Denver Broncos entered the offseason with an obvious task that they needed to accomplish — find quarterback Bo Nix some playmakers.
Denver quickly pounced on an opportunity to get Nix some help once free agency started by signing tight end Evan Engram to a two year deal worth $23 million.
Engram, a former first round draft pick, is a reliable option in the passing game who has caught 496 passes for 4,922 yards and 25 touchdowns since entering the league in 2017.
The former Ole Miss standout is expected to play the "joker" role in Sean Payton's offense in Denver, which should lead to an increase in his production.
The Broncos' decision to sign Engram to a two year deal was widely praised by NFL analysts.
ESPN's Ben Solak, however, wrote this week that he didn't "love" the move.
Solak doesn't necessarily think that signing Engram, who is 30 years old, was a "bad deal" for Denver, but he doesn't think the move will be as fruitful for the Broncos' offense as some others think it will be.
From ESPN: I know Broncos fans are pumped about it, and that the pass-catching tight end role is important for Sean Payton's offense. I'm confident Engram will have productive days as a high-volume pass catcher when the matchup demands it. But that's the tricky thing about him: He adds the most value when he's a high-volume underneath receiver. On days in which Courtland Sutton demands high volume, or on which the Broncos want to be a run-heavy team … Engram could be obsolete. He doesn't create big plays downfield or after the catch, and he isn't an impactful blocker. It's not a bad deal since the financial commitment isn't huge. I'm just less enthusiastic about it than most are.
I understand Solak's concerns here, but I think there are two things that should be considered when it comes to Engram.
For starters, I think it's fair to assume that Payton will be able to better utilize Engram's skill set than the previous teams (New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars) that the two-time Pro Bowl tight end played for. Payton has a history of effectively using tight ends in his offense. It's unwise to think that Engram will be the exact same player that he was in New York or Jacksonville.
Additionally, Engram chose the Broncos over Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers. The fact that Harbaugh, arguably one of the best football coaches in the country at any level, wanted Engram should signal that this is a guy that's probably a better player than the metrics or his past usage suggests.
Ultimately, the results on the field will reveal how good of a signing this was or wasn't. But until we see those results, we can only speculate about how Engram will fare in Denver. And based on Payton's past success with tight ends, I'm willing to bet that Engram will fare pretty well during his stint with the Broncos.
