The Denver Broncos’ blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle filled the most important hole on the roster and has the AFC’s No. 1 defense reeling this season.
Broncos quarterback JK Dobbins joined NFL Network’s The Insiders on Tuesday and talked about the talent that coach Sean Payton and new signing Davis Webb will have to tap into.
“And then we have another guy that came in, Jaylen Waddle, you know what I’m saying? Dobbins said. “Pick your poison because we’ve got Courtland Sutton, we’ve got young Pat Bryant, we’ve got a great line, we’ve got everything. We have an embarrassment of riches on this talent pool. I’m excited. I’m really, because call it what it is, I got hurt, I missed the last few games, I’m fresh in the season and I’m going fresh. I get angry because I’m tired of the unfortunate things I know will happen this year.
Dobbins played in just 10 games before his latest injury, which required foot surgery. The Broncos’ running game struggled to find consistent traction after he went down. Dobbins generated 772 rushing yards and four TDs with a 5.0-yard average. He was well on his way to a career high in runs scored (905). Without Dobbins, Denver’s running game fizzled out. Through the first 10 weeks, Broncos running backs generated a -0.07 EPA per carry, 14th in the NFL, and 0.9 rushing yards above expectations per carry, tied for fourth-best. From Weeks 11-18, those numbers dropped to -0.14 EPA/C, tied for 25th, and -0.7 RYOE/C, 31st.
The Broncos re-signed the veteran to a two-year, $16 million contract. If he can stay healthy, it gives Denver a nice backcourt pairing with RJ Harvey. Health has always been the key for Dobbins, who has never played more than 15 games in a season and has missed 53 games over the last five years.
“I’m always going to keep going,” he said. “A lot of people are wondering, like, damn, this guy, how does he keep coming back? Well, I don’t look at the injury as something that’s degrading. I look at it as some way to get better as a man, as a person. Physically, yes, I’m hurt, but now I’m going to come back even better.
“With that injury, I was so close to coming back from it. I believe I could have played in that AFC Championship game. I could have. I practiced well. All my numbers, I was hitting all my numbers. I felt great. The thing about having a great organization is they looked at me and they wanted to make sure I was good.”