Mike McCoy bringing flexibility, accountability to Broncos offense

Every single thing Mike McCoy said yesterday about his plans coming back to Denver as offensive coordinator will make you jump for joy.

I promise.

From building an offense to fit his players to wanting to be the guy calling plays to promising that the offensive line WILL. BE. BETTER, McCoy proved why he was eagerly sought after for the OC spot on Vance Joseph’s new staff.

“We’re going to build an offense around our players. We’re going to do what our players do best - and it’s going to change from week to week,” McCoy said during Tuesday’s presser when the former Chargers head coach was back in familiar colors. “We’re going to do whatever we think we need to do to win and score as many points as we can on a weekly basis.”

Among those things will be improving the quarterback play, which has been a specialty of McCoy’s with the Broncos, having gotten a career year out of Kyle Orton as well as designing an offense around Tim Tebow to make him a successful signal caller in the NFL during McCoy’s previous stint in the Mile High City.

McCoy reiterated the QB situation as “an open competition” between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch to start the offseason.

“We have two talented players, and we’re going to play the best guy,” McCoy said, adding that he doesn’t see a need to bring in anyone else. “I’m happy with the two guys we have, and my No. 1 focus is to get those guys ready to play.”

Although McCoy will be bringing his offensive playbook back to Denver, he noted it will be tweaked according to player strengths - a stalwart of his offensive scheme.

“We’re going to instill our system and go from there, so there’s going to be a lot of changes,” he said, adding that it won’t be just the quarterbacks needing to do some homework. “That’s going to be a challenge for everyone coming into a new system when you make changes like we’re going to make.”

McCoy gave no specifics, only noting that it would be an offense-in-progress as he adapts it to his players’ strengths and weaknesses.

But one thing was very clear - the offensive coordinator will be the guy calling plays next season, and he can’t wait.

“I’ve got a burning desire to call plays,” McCoy said with the enthusiasm as a kid getting to play football for the first time. “For four years I’ve missed that...I’m excited to put a great product on the field and score some points.”

Putting a great product out there will require improvement on several fronts, but McCoy knows that begins and ends in the trenches.

“Our offensive line does need to play better. Our offense will go as far as the offensive line will take them,” the coordinator said, noting that everyone always wants to look on the quarterback. “I’m not taking anything away from that position. It is critical, you’ve got to have that guy.

“But you’ve got to have the five guys up front playing as one and doing everything right,” he added. “They’ve got to protect their tails off, so the quarterback can sit back in the pocket and do what he can do.”

McCoy emphasized it’s important to him to look at everybody on offense when evaluating how the unit can improve, not just the line or the quarterback. It’s easy, he pointed out, to look at a stat like average rushing yards and blame the line. But often a wide receiver or a running back is responsible for a missed block too.

“When look at the offensive line, it’s not just them, it’s everybody,” he added.

But it is also the offensive line, and McCoy is holding himself and his offensive line coaches accountable for improved play in that area specifically.

“They can play better,” McCoy said. “And I will tell you this, Jeff Davidson and John [Benton] will make them play better, and they will play better next year.”