Kansas City Chiefs

Denver Broncos: 5 Reasons Jamaal Charles will recharge offense

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Bruce Matson/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Can the addition of Jamaal Charles increase the team's offensive production? Here are five reasons to how Charles can completely recharge the offense.

In May, the Denver Broncos signed Jamaal Charles to a one year $2.5 million deal that is laced with incentives. The obvious goal with this signing is to hopefully provide a spark to the offense. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield could ignite the offense and help the team move the chains.

Charles rushed for 7,260 yards and 43 touchdowns while catching 285 receptions for 2,457 and 20 touchdowns during his nine year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs. During that time span he managed a trip to the Pro Bowl four times and led the league with 19 touchdowns in 2013.

Unfortunately, knee injuries generated a serious road bump in his career in recent years, causing him to play in just eight games in the last two seasons. This caused the Chiefs to cut him this off season and go their separate ways from Charles, allowing the Broncos to swoop in and sign him in free agency.

The major question that's circulating around Charles is how much does he have left in the tank after the recent series of knee injuries? Can he return to his old form as one of the top running backs in the league or is this the end of the line of his career? The Broncos offense will immensely improve if Charles can be 80-90 percent of what he used to be a few years ago.

Denver finished last season ranked 27th in the league in total offense, which is one of the reasons why the team's offense was considered one of the worst in the league. The addition of Charles could be enough to provide a spark to the offense. The offense finished last season ranked 22nd in the league in points scored and by being able to move the chains more effectively, the Denver Broncos should be able to put up more points on the board in 2017.

Jamaal Charles Kansas City Chiefs

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5. Crafty veteran presence

Charles has played in nine seasons during his NFL career, playing in 103 games while appearing in the playoffs twice. There isn't much Charles hasn't seen, from studying linebacker tendencies to knowing where to eat in certain cities, he's a complete professional who knows the ins and outs of the game.

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The Denver Broncos drafted Devontae Booker in the fourth-round in the 2016 NFL Draft to eventually takeover as the team's starting running back. He's a young player with limited experience who could use a veteran like Charles to show him a thing or two.

Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch could also benefit from Charles' veteran leadership, by consistently lining up correctly on every single play and being at the right place at the right time. Charles will increase the offense's efficiently by doing the little things correcting, making things simpler for Lynch and Siemian. Calling audibles and switching plays at the line of scrimmage will be a little easier for the young quarterbacks, because Charles is a seasoned veteran and lineup correctly every single time.

The little things are more important than what they seem, protecting the football, hitting the right hole, knowing who to block and lining up in the right spot are all things Charles knows how to do. The peace of mind that he presents to the coaching staff by being able to do all the little things correctly adds a lot of value to the team.

Sep 28, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) rushes with the football during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

4. Past successes

A few years ago, Charles was considered one of the top running backs in the league. Now the Denver Broncos are hoping that he returns to his old form and be one of the leaders on the offensive unit. The run game suffered immensely last season as the team rushed for a dismal 3.6 yards per carry. Also, none of the running backs on the roster broke the 1,000 yard barrier last season.

If healthy, Charles has the potential to take control of the backfield and become the team's leading rusher. He is the most talented running back on the team. He still has the speed to blow by defenders in the second level. The knee injuries might have compromised some of his speed and elusiveness, but the recent injuries definable won't affect his ability to see the running lanes and find the holes to run through.

Charles averaged 5.5 yards per attempt during his nine year career which consisted of 1,332 rushing attempts. He had five season with over 1,000 yards rushing. If the Broncos can get 80-90 percent of his efficiency then he offense will dramatically improve from their 3.6 yards per carry in 2016.

The bottom line is that Charles can be a very effective runner and there's a chance that he can become the "old" Jamaal Charles when he was one of the top running backs in the league. The Denver Broncos' offense can become very dangerous if he can return to his old form.

Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) carries the ball in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

3. Threat in passing game

When Jamaal Charles was at his best he was the one of the top receiving backs in the league. He caught 285 receptions for 2,457 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had four season with 40 or more receptions. He's a very efficient receiver out of the backfield, catching 69.85 percent of his targets out of the backfield.

Not only is he a natural hands catcher but he is very dangerous with the ball in the open field, which is ideal for slip screens and as a check down option. He is one of the best running backs in the league at creating yards after the catch. In his prime, he was one of the fastest running backs in the speed and once he gets the ball in the open field he if off to the races.

Charles provides a new element to the offense, because the offense will have an option underneath of the defensive coverage that can blow by linebackers and nickel corners, making the entire offense more explosive compared to previous years. This will make things a lot easier for Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, because defenses will have to compensate for Charles' speed.

Even if Charles is used in a part time role, he will more than likely be used in the passing game which will be ideal for the offense on passing downs. The team will be a lot more efficient at converting third downs and will have an extra dynamic in the passing game.

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2. He's worth the gamble?

Sometimes you gamble in hopes to hit a home run, and this is exactly what the Denver Broncos did when they signed Jamaal Charles to a one-year, $2.5 million deal a few months ago.

It's not a secret that the Broncos are hoping that Charles will heal up and go back to his old ways of being one of the top rushers in the league. If he can do that then the team will obviously strike gold, and have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.

Imagine getting one of the best running backs in the league for almost free. It's not outside the realm of possibilities that the Broncos might stumble upon on one for the top running backs in the league. All they need is to have Charles return to full health and still have the speed and talent to perform like he did a few years ago.

Don't be mistaken, the odds are stacked against Charles, but there's a chance that he can perform this year with similar results as the "old" Jamaal Charles before the recent knee injuries. But, if he can overcome the adversity then the gamble will payoff greatly for the Denver Broncos.

Oct 27, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) is tackled by Cleveland Browns nose tackle Phillip Taylor (98) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won the game 23-17. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

1. Charles provides much needed depth

No matter what, as long as his previous injuries don't prevent him from suiting up for the Broncos, Charles will at least provide extra depth to the running back corps. C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker are both running backs who have been plagued with injuries in recent years and the added depth provided by Charles gives the team an extra insurance if one of the running backs suffer and injury.

More than likely he will spell Anderson in passing situations, since he's a tremendous pass catching specialist out of the backfield. Both players have extensive injuries and managing their "pitch counts" seems like the appropriate thing to do in order to maintain the healthy of their star running backs.

Booker seems like the odd man out, but he should get his share of the pie, making it a full blown committee at running back. A rotation at the position will make sure the running backs remain fresh during the latter portion of the season.

All three of these running backs have something different to bring to the table. Anderson is a solid between the tackles grinder, while Charles is an explosive player who is very dangerous with the ball in open space. Booker is a young inexperienced back who can run between the tackles and is a tremendous asset catching the ball out of the backfield.