Broncos re-sign their leading tight end from 2023

Mar 12, 2024, 8:27 PM | Updated: 8:42 pm

Senior Broncos Writer

Adam Trautman embraced being with the Broncos last year. And in particular, he embraced being with Sean Payton, the coach who drafted him in the third round four years ago.

When the season ended, he left no doubt that he wanted to return.

“I’d love to,” Trautman said earlier this month. “Obviously, all that stuff will take care of itself. I can’t really — I control some of it. Obviously, with my play, I control all of THAT. But I don’t control what they’re ultimately going to do with me.

“But, no, I’d love to be back here. That’s why I came here. I took the pay cut to come here. To play for Sean (Payton), to play in this offense. To play for Declan (Doyle), our tight ends coach who I was with for three years in New Orleans. So, I would love to be back.”

He’ll get his wish.

Trautman agreed with the Broncos on a two-year deal Tuesday. KUSA-Ch. 9’s Mike Klis first reported the move.

He is the fourth ex-Saints player to agree on a contract with the Broncos in the last two days. Fullback Michael Burton and Wil Lutz re-signed with the team, while defensive tackle Malcolm Roach agreed on a two-year, $8-million deal.

ADAM TRAUTMAN BECAME TE1 LAST YEAR

By the middle of training camp, Adam Trautman was the Broncos’ No. 1 tight end. Others had some superior specific skills — specifically Chris Manhertz as a blocker — but Trautman’s all-around work carried the day for him over pass-catching options such as Greg Dulcich and Albert Okweugbunam.

“He’s a guy that might not have the speed of those guys,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said at the time. “But he’s very quarterback-friendly, meaning the quarterback knows exactly where he’s going to be, what he’s going to do.

“And if you’re one of those types of receivers that really talks to the quarterback with your body language and you make the right decisions, then it’s somebody that the quarterback is going to have confidence in.”

What’s more, Trautman became a leader in the locker room. Fellow tight end Lucas Krull — who joined the Broncos’ practice squad after the roster deadline and eventually worked his way onto the primary roster — spoke admiringly of the counsel Trautman provided him.

It was a significant part of how Trautman grew in his role, going from being the young understudy in New Orleans when he arrived to one of the elder statesmen in the room when he reached Denver.

“I think that’s one of the biggest areas I’ve improved in,” Trautman said in January. “And then, I think every year, you get a little smarter and you make things a lot easier. Like, when you can trim down that time from, all right, you hear the play in the huddle, you get to the line, you see the defense’s personnel. You see who you’re going against. You see where you need to [be]. Everything speeds up, and when you have about three, four seconds before a snap and you already know what you’re doing, that’s when things start to click.

“People talk about all the time, ‘Oh, the game slows down because I’m just playing.’ That doesn’t happen unless you figure out little tricks and things to speed it up in your mind. It doesn’t just happen from just playing. So, I’d say that part I’ve improved in, as well.”

Broncos TE Adam Trautman, on becoming a smarter player from year to year:

“… . People talk about all the time, ‘Oh, the game slows down because I’m just playing.’ That doesn’t happen unless you figure out little tricks and things to speed it up in your mind.“ pic.twitter.com/9CzxoQvmUS

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 25, 2024