It's that time of year.
Broncos Training Camp powered by Ford is just a few days away, and DenverBroncos.com is finishing its look at the roster before the final lead-up to the regular season begins.
Over the last several weeks, we've turned our focus to each area of Denver's roster to get fans set for a pivotal training camp that will feature plenty of competition.
We finish with a look at the Broncos' running backs and tight ends.
SETTING THE STAGE
The Broncos return most of their production at tight end and have added a pair of young players to their running back room.
Adam Trautman returns as a key member of the tight end room after posting the most yards of any Broncos tight end in 2023, but Denver could see also increased production from either Greg Dulcich or Lucas Krull. Dulcich will look to make more of an impact in 2024 after appearing in just two games in 2023 due to injury, while Krull will look to continue a strong finish to last season in which he caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
"We have a bigger target," Head Coach Sean Payton said of Krull on June 4. "He has good vertical speed. He's young, so we think there is room to grow. That was one of the reasons we signed him."
At running back, Denver added Notre Dame running back Audric Estime in the fifth round and signed Memphis' Blake Watson as a college free agent. Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin are among the running backs that return to Denver for another season.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Who emerges as the 'Joker' for the Broncos' offense?
Payton often references the Joker position in his offense, which refers to a running back or tight end with "exceptional ball skills," as Payton first detailed in the summer of 2023. The Broncos have several potential players that could fit the mold and take advantage of matchups against opposing defenses, including McLaughlin, Dulcich and Krull.
As the Broncos look to take a step forward on offense, they may need one of those players — or another option at the running back or tight end position — to make a significant contribution. In both training camp and the preseason, players like McLaughlin, Dulcich and Krull should get the chance to stake their claim to the role.
McLaughlin broke onto the scene as an undrafted free agent, rushing for 410 yards and a touchdown on 76 attempts. But he also caught 31 passes on 36 targets for 160 yards and a pair of scores. As Denver enters 2024, McLaughlin is aiming for increased involvement in the passing game.
"I know he wants to continue to work on his role in the passing game," Payton said on June 4. "He'll come up [to the office] and wear me out asking for cut-ups and looking at certain routes."
Krull, meanwhile, surged into a role at the end of the regular season after not appearing in 10 of Denver's first 11 regular-season games. He posted a career-high four catches in Denver's Week 16 game against the Patriots and recorded his first career touchdown.
Dulcich, who impressed as a rookie with 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns, also has the needed skill set to compete for the role.
PLAYER TO KNOW
RB Javonte Williams
Williams' 2023 season was defined by his return from injury, as he made his way back from a serious knee injury that ended his 2022 campaign just four weeks into the season. Williams returned for the Broncos' offseason program and made his preseason debut in August of 2023 before being ready for the first week of the regular season.
In his first action since the injury, Williams rushed for 774 yards and three touchdowns on 217 carries as he saw action in 16 games and started 13 contests for Denver. As he prepares for the 2024 season, Williams expects to be even better as he puts distance between himself and the injury.
"I'm making progress each day," Williams said in early June. "[I'm] getting one percent better and just trying to do the best that I can to help the team."
Payton said during the offseason program that Williams was "looking good" and that he believes the third-year player will make strides as he returns for another season.
"I think historically speaking, when you talk to the experts, they say that the complete heal [of an ACL injury] finishes at two years," Payton said on May 30. "Obviously you begin playing before then, but he's been doing well. He's in shape. I know that he's looking forward to [the season]. The challenge last year was really when you think about it, even in training camp, it was still early enough in the process where it was hard for him to go full speed with confidence. And yet we were building and getting him where we all felt comfortable [that] he could play. I think he's looking forward to this year and certainly [having] the confidence in his health and the strength in his knee."
Rookie Audric Estime — who ran for 18 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards in his final season at Notre Dame — also bears watching as he returns from a minor injury that kept him out of the end of the offseason program.
