New Broncos TE Evan Engram Explains Why Bo Nix's Success is 'Inevitable'

Veteran tight end Evan Engram had a difficult decision to make this offseason, but objectively speaking, the options he faced put him in a win/win situation. While the prospect of joining forces with Los Angeles Chargers superstar quarterback Justin Herbert was intriguing, Engram's head was being turned in another direction. 

Ultimately, Engram opted to join forces with the Denver Broncos and emerging quarterback Bo Nix. Engram's decision became a statement of positive intent to head coach Sean Payton. 

Thus far, it's been a career move that the former Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowler is not regretting in the least. He took some time to speak with Fox News' Scott Thompson at Vanderbilt this week, where he's participating in Tight End University.

"It's been incredible," Engram told Thompson. "I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, and you know, God's plan for you is greater than anything you could conjure up yourself." 

When Engram touched down for his initial free-agent visit in Denver, the ninth-year veteran was extremely impressed with how Coach Payton made his wife feel as much at home as he did himself. 

That level of compatibility also transferred over to the Broncos' offseason training program, as the team works toward meeting the expectations that have suddenly skyrocketed to championship ambitions, thanks to Nix's arrival.

"Being in Denver - just being in OTAs - the season hasn't even started yet, and just the energy, the attitude, the camaraderie that's throughout the team, the accountability that's throughout the team, the talent that we have, the coaches that we have," Engram told Thompson. "I'm really blessed to be there right now and I think just the new teammates that I have, the way that they've accepted me, the way we've built our relationships in such a short amount of time, it just means a lot to me." 

For all the puzzle pieces the Broncos have added in free agency and the draft, Engram included, successfully bringing everything together will fall at Nix's feet when the rubber meets the road. Thankfully, Nix's rookie body of work points toward him avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump that many pundits have gloomily predicted. 

Engram is savvy enough to recognize a bona-fide NFL quarterback and knows that Nix is providing his team with a high-voltage power source. Nix was a big factor in Engram opting to sign with the AFC West team that resides in the Rocky Mountains.

"I'm really impressed with him so far," Engram said of Nix. "I think the talent is there. The work ethic is there. I've seen it on film, kind of trying to figure out what team I want to go to, watching the Broncos. It's even just being around him, the talent is there. 

"The success will find you. The way you work, the sacrifices he makes, the way he leads - just the way he goes about every single day. I think it's just inevitable for anybody to move like that and to have success." 

The Broncos' potential "joker" within the offense is seeing Nix's growth firsthand, especially as a leader, as he moves into Year 2 as a pro. 

"My favorite thing about him is just his mentality," Engram continued on Nix. "The way he thinks, the way he talks to himself, his teammates, the way he's wired upstairs in the brain is really impressive for a kid coming into his second year at the quarterback position." 

Nix is showing his teammates, both the veterans and the rookies, that he's not only the hardest working guy in the room, but also the most switched on. That leadership by example will be critical if the Broncos are to truly contend for a far bigger prize come January. 

All told, the fertile soil Engram is now finding at 5,280 feet above sea level is allowing the 30-year-old to sink his own leadership roots.

"I think being in an environment like that with all the wisdom and the things that I know, my ability to be able to pass information down and help the guy next to me - just being in that environment already with other guys like-minded is just an incredible feeling and I think it all correlates," Engram told Thompson. "It fits together and I think we have a great opportunity this year to do something really good."