After setting franchise rookie records and nearly leading the Denver Broncos back into the playoffs, quarterback Bo Nix has certainly made his presence known in the NFL.
Nix's talent has become part of the Broncos' pitch to offensive free agents. In fact, a recent signing from Denver credited Nix as part of the reason he signed with the organization.
Engram spoke with Zac Stevens of DNVR about the process of free agency recruitment.
One of the premier tight ends on the market, the Broncos signed Evan Engram to two year, $23 million dollar deal at the beginning of free agency. However, it wasn't without a fight. Denver battled it out with the Los Angeles Chargers for Engrams' services.
The idea of playing with Justin Herbert or Nix, two former Oregon Ducks quarterbacks, was a driving point for the two teams being his finalists in his free agency recruitment.
“At the end of the day, in the middle of all of that, it was truly a win-win situation for me football wise,” Engram continued. “Two great organizations. Two great coaching staffs. Two great quarterbacks. Two great offenses. It was a really tough decision for me. It really came down to how things feel to me naturally," Engram said.
Nix was electric during his rookie season. He threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns, but the thing that caught Engram's eye most was Nix's demeanor in the pocket.
“He has everything that it takes to be great in this league. The biggest thing that stood out to me was his presence in the pocket. He’s very calm, very collected. When the pocket does breakdown, the plays he can make on his feet while having his eyes downfield is something that you have to continue to put great talent around because that is a weapon. That is a true weapon," Engram said.
Engram expanded on the intangibles that Nix brings, not only on the field, but off the field as well.
“Just this poise that he plays with. The swagger that he plays with,” Engram said. “When you put all of those things together, there’s something special there. Obviously the rapport he has in the building. The way the coaches talk about him, it was something that really meant a lot to me as well. Really excited to get to work with Bo. He has a bright future ahead of him."
After a positive beginning to his professional career, Nix is expected to shift towards becoming the face of the franchise. A bit on the older side for rookies, the former Duck is currently 25 years old.
During the pre-draft process, being older can hurt your draft stock, but that didn't stop Denver from selecting him in the top half of the first round. His age, maturity, and composure has allowed him to thrive and become a factor in free agent's choices.
