ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As the Denver Broncos moved through their first set of offseason on-field practices this week, the biggest roster change since their loss in the AFC Championship Game was on full display.
The Broncos are months away from a game that matters, but wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's work at OTA practices gave an early glimpse at the speed and explosiveness the team wanted, and needed, on offense.
"Everything he is expected to be," said safety Talanoa Hufanga. " ... His ability to make every route look the same is pretty important. As a defender when you can make a 10-yard stop look like a go [route], 10-yard dig look like a go, a 10-yard out route, everything looks the same, it puts pressure on your back pedal."
In many ways, Waddle wasn't just the most notable addition to a team that finished 14-3 last season only to have its Super Bowl dreams dashed at home by the New England Patriots. He was the addition.
The Broncos were the undisputed kings of roster retention this offseason, as they re-signed 17 of their own 21 players who were scheduled to be unrestricted, restricted or exclusive rights free agents. Six days into the free agency period, they finally joined the leaguewide action but opted to go the trade route with Waddle.
Denver pursued Waddle just before the trade deadline last November, and the team wanted him badly enough to restart talks with the Miami Dolphins before free agency opened in March. Coach Sean Payton said after practice Thursday that now, like before the trade, the Broncos have consistently seen the fit for Waddle in their plan on offense.
"There was a crystal-clear vision before we made the trade. This is what we see, this is where he plays and these are the things that we feel like he's exceptional at," Payton said. "Then let's apply it to what we're doing."
To that end, Payton has been in search of additional speed on all fronts. His move to give up playcalling duties to Davis Webb was in part, he said, to pick up the pace of the offense. Waddle can help in that department after he tied for the 16th-most receiving first downs last season; the Broncos ranked 29th in drives that ended in three-and-outs.
"You can just feel his instincts, his quickness," Payton said. "His ability, to really not only run fast, but to stop fast."
The addition of Waddle was also to secure a receiver who Payton said can line up anywhere in the formation, with the consistent threat to stress coverage plans that too often succeeded by double-teaming Courtland Sutton. That was especially an issue for Denver in the playoffs, as Sutton had seven catches in two playoff games combined.
"He and I being able to manipulate the outside is going to help the run game," Sutton said. " ... And ultimately when we get those one-on-one looks, it's going to be interesting where that safety decides to shade."
The Broncos had some numbers on offense that were strong enough for a 14-win season, given they were 10th in total yards, 14th in scoring and 10th in EPA. But they were also a high-volume passing team whose efficiency unravel downfield.
Quarterback Bo Nix led the league in pass attempts last season (612), but his completion rate was 24th (63.4%) among quarterbacks who started at least eight games and his completion above expectation (minus-2.1%) was 26th. On passes of 20 or more air yards, where the Broncos only trailed the Rams and the Jaguars on total attempts, Nix completed just 38.7%.
Enter Waddle, whose 910 yards and six touchdowns last season would have each been second on the Broncos, had 2.34 yards per route last season (11th most in the league). Sutton ranked No. 43 in that category with 1.75 yards per route.
When asked this week about how he sees his fit, Waddle simply said "fast, physical and exciting." He added that he will have to "earn and build" his role, though he shared Sutton's sentiment for the pair's potential to be a strong duo.
"Courtland is an elite playmaker, so anytime you have a playmaker on the other side of you, it's just makes it easy," Waddle said. "It's someone that the defense has to be looking for, and vice versa."
And even in the relative comfort of a low-contact offseason practice, Waddle's potential to add a dynamic element for Denver's offense could be seen. Cornerback Pat Surtain II, a former teammate of Waddle's at Alabama, said at an event for his foundation this week that the receiver's addition has already shown that the Broncos "have more than enough'' to be in the Super Bowl conversation.
Payton pushed back the start of the Broncos' offseason program to May 4 because of their deep playoff run, so the team stayed in the conditioning-only portion of the offseason (Phase 1 in the league's collective bargaining agreement) until this week. While Nix did not practice as he recovers from his ankle injury, OTAs were the first chance for all involved to see Waddle in 11-on-11 work.
"I'm super excited he's on our side," Hufanga said.