In the offseason, it's easy to over-fixate on the puzzle pieces a playoff team like the Denver Broncos might still be missing. Broncos head coach Sean Payton hasn't been shy in announcing to the world which position groups he would like to reinforce.
Last season, Payton declared it was the glaring need under center filling his thoughts. The Broncos drafting Bo Nix in Round 1 was akin to hitting the jackpot.
This time around, it's no secret that Payton would like to address the glaring deficiencies at both the tight end and running back positions. But a plethora of Broncos fans and analysts would also pitch the wide receiver position onto that list of needs.
Even so, Payton claimed to reporter Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show ahead of the Super Bowl that the Broncos are far better off at wide receiver than many people give them credit for.
"We're stronger [at receiver] than some would think," Payton told Adams.
Developing a batch of younger receivers was always a clear objective for Payton, as illustrated by the surprising release of veteran wideout Tim Patrick last summer. However, unleashing the potential Payton felt he had within the Broncos roster hasn't always been a smooth ride, even with Nix maturing into a veteran-looking quarterback at such an unbelievable pace.
Ultimately, Payton put his thinking cap on and was rewarded when special teams return ace Marvin Mims Jr. began to come of age as a genuine weapon for Nix to exploit within the Broncos offense.
"He's one of those elite players with the ball in his hands," Payton told Adams. "So, if he's an elite returner, let's create a return on offense."
It took some out-of-the-box thinking from Payton to finally unearth the skeleton key with which he unlocked the explosive potential lurking within Mims. Lining the playmaker up in the backfield helped create a smokescreen to work Mims into the more complex elements of Payton's game plan.
It was a ploy that only yielded a relatively scant 42 rushing yards on 13 carries, but it helped to greatly spark Mims' career-high 39 receptions for 503 yards and six receiving touchdowns.
"I would say one player that we saw grow exponentially this year would be Marvin Mims," Payton told Adams. "We saw him as a great returner a year ago, a Pro Bowl returner, and there was a series of games this year where this player as a receiver just got better and better."
Rust never sleeps when building a bonafide NFL roster, so once you factor in the sudden availability of Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowl receiver Cooper Kupp, the Broncos making a significant splash at the position remains a viable option. Kupp could even conjure some Wes Welker vibes as a prolific slot receiver.
Even so, after successfully developing Mims, it sounds like Payton is confident he can repeat the feat with others.
