Fullback welcomes Broncos change back to zone running, play-action offense

ENGLEWOOD – Andy Janovich, the normally stoic Broncos fullback, showed up for his fourth season bigger in the arms, fuller in the beard and lighter in his disposition.

Is this the time to get the body back in shape?

“We’ve had, what, three months off now?" Janovich said in a post workout press conference Thursday at Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center. “A few guys, including me, got a little fat. You go home, eat too much, party a little too hard, but yeah, everybody is. We want to be lean and mean fighting machines."

Janovich gushed superlatives on his returning special teams coordinator Tom McMahon (“I think he’s the best in the league”) and running backs coach Curtis Modkins (“I think he’s great at teaching. I think that’s a big thing that he did so well last year”), before he was asked about new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello.

“I think he’s a great guy. Just like every coach, I’m going to say he’s a great guy," Janovich said.

Is that really you, Andy? Should have known when he walked out to his press gathering with Patrick Smyth, the Broncos’ top public relations boss. Smyth ordinarily only accompanies the Von Miller, quarterback, John Elway, head coach types.

Janovich has good reason to be in a good mood. The Broncos are returning to a fullback-favorable, zone running, play-action pass system the team employed when Janovich became their sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft.

The Broncos head coach then was Gary Kubiak, who at one time was a head coach in Houston with Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator. Kyle Shanahan is the 49ers’ head coach who in two previous years had Scangarello as his quarterbacks coach.

“I was excited," Janovich said about Scangarello bringing the 49ers offense to Denver. “They typically use the fullbacks a lot more. The 49ers last year used their fullback more than anybody. Can’t be anything but excited.”

49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who played his first four seasons with Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco in Baltimore, had 33 and 30 receptions the past two seasons with Shanahan.

Janovich, who is more of a linebacker-rattling lead blocker-type, had a career-best eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown last year.

“I think I’m a better blocker at the end of the day," Janovich said when asked to compare himself to Juszczyk. “But I think he’s a great route runner and all of that stuff. We’ll see.”