Whether Mark Sanchez or Paxton Lynch wins the job this summer, the Denver Broncos don't plan to ask their starting quarterback to save the world.
Coming out of the club's offseason program, running back C.J. Anderson made it clear that life without Peyton Manning would include a newfound emphasis on the ground game.
"I don't think there's a question what coach (Gary Kubiak) wants to do," Anderson said recently, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold. "All you have to do is look out there and see a fullback running around ... I mean, we even drafted one. (Kubiak) wants to run the ball."
The Broncos used a two-back alignment on just 25 snaps last year, but this offseason has placed a premium on growing tougher up front. Tackles Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson were added to the mix while the team's two fullbacks -- Juwan Thompson and rookie Andy Janovich -- saw plenty of action during OTAs.
The Broncos also re-signed runner Ronnie Hillman and matched Miami's $18-million offer to Anderson, leaving Kubiak to say: "C.J. is ready to be an every-down guy. Just watching him, I think his condition level is the best that I've seen it since I've been here. You all watch him practice. He's had a really good offseason."
Add it all up, and Denver is building a team that hopes to pound away at opponents and keep this year's quarterbacks in manageable situations.
"You look at it, everybody knows it might be a little different," said wideout Emmanuel Sanders. "I don't know if that means more carries and all that, we'll see, but I think (the coaches) want us to be better ... and as receivers, anything that opens things up down the field is going to be good."
After spending last offseason debating whether Kubiak could make his offense click in Denver, it's time to trust his plan for 2016. As one of the best run-game generals in today's NFL, the Broncos coach will find a way to keep his attack moving.
