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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — **Offensive tackle Russell Okung has gotten used to playing in Super Bowls, and that's exactly why he signed with the Denver Broncos on Thursday.
"I just wanted to love the place I was in and have a good opportunity to win championships going into the future," Okung said. "[That's] something I'm accustomed to and we're ready to do it here."
That confidence was bolstered during his discussions with the Broncos as they work toward reaching another Super Bowl.
Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung signed his new five-year contract with the Broncos on Thursday. (Photos by Ben Swanson)
"They told me what I needed to hear. I have confidence to be a part of the team," Okung said. "No cause for pause. They made a good decision in bringing me in. You make decisions like that, you're headed the right way."
By signing Okung and tackle Donald Stephenson, and re-signing RB C.J. Anderson, the Broncos are in good shape to improve upon their rushing attack from its already sturdy stature.
A seventh-year veteran drafted by the Seahawks with the sixth overall pick in 2010, Okung a wealth of experience playing the Seahawks' zone-blocking scheme that established Seattle as a top-five rushing team in each of the past four seasons.
"I'm very familiar with the scheme that they run," Okung said. "I've been running the zone scheme since I've been a rookie. I understand all the concepts and just everything that they have here. I hope I have something great to offer the team — just in my understanding of the scheme and my level of play as well, too. I know these guys are a championship-caliber team and I'm glad I could be a part of it."
In addition to the competition level, what drew Okung to the Broncos boiled down to the quality of the organization, he said.
The Broncos have agreed to terms with former Seahawks offensive tackle Russell Okung.
"It's a great organization and I think there are only a few top organizations in the NFL. Denver is obviously one those," Okung said. "The class and integrity, it goes with the organization and speaks volumes. I wanted to be a part of a place that did that. […] Denver is the place I want to be for the long haul."
The process that led Okung to Denver is a unique one because he acted as his own agent this offseason. In January, he emailed NFL teams to notify them that he was getting surgery on his shoulder, but that he would recover by June. That timeline is still the plan, he said Thursday.
"Whatever they ask me to do, I'll be ready to do it full speed," he said.
