ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos' approach with running back Jamaal Charles this offseason was a combination of hope, fact and cautious optimism.
Their approach with Charles in their first three games of the season has been to enjoy the fruits of that spring and summer labor. Charles, who scored his first touchdown as a Bronco in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, has been all of what the Broncos could have wanted to this point.
"I always felt like I could be ready for what they ask me to do," Charles said. "I feel good. They were patient in the offseason and I feel ready."
The Broncos were patient because Charles had played in just eight games combined in the last two seasons because of multiple knee surgeries. So after the Broncos took a flier on a player with a rare résumé of averaging 5 yards per carry over his career, they held him out of almost all of the on-field work in April, May and June.
They gradually worked Charles into things in training camp, as he played in only one preseason game. The thought was, if things went right, Charles could get 10-12 plays per game in the regular season, offering a change of pace in the run game as well as being an impact receiver out of the backfield.
But with Devontae Booker still working back from surgery in July to repair a fracture in his wrist, C.J. Anderson and Charles have had all but one carry in the offense -- De'Angelo Henderson had a carry on a fake punt -- and Charles has already done so much with his carries that he is seventh in the league at 5.1 yards per attempt.
"He's had some explosive-looking plays," quarterback Trevor Siemian said."“With C.J. he gives us a lot of options running the ball and as a receiver. But you can see the things he can do."
Charles' 28 carries have already surpassed his work last season (12), he's already more than tripled his rushing yards compared to last season (142 to to 40) and equaled the number of touchdowns he had last season. And most important for the Broncos is that Charles has shown the willingness and trust in his surgically-repaired knees to dig a foot in and make the kind of cuts in traffic that put him in four Pro Bowls in his nine seasons with the Chiefs.
He's played 21, 20 and 21 snaps in the Broncos' three games, respectively, and finished with 40, 46 and 56 yards rushing in those games. Charles sees it as building momentum for more.
The Broncos will have some choices to make about the division of labor in the run game when Booker is ready to play, which is expected to be fairly soon. But Charles said he's ready for whatever the plan is and has left concerns over his knees in the past.
"I just believe if something is going to happen it's going to happen," Charles said. "This is important to me ... I want to help us get to where we want to go and I always felt like I could get back to this point."