Broncos Depth Chart: Young offensive linemen getting a shot
As the Denver Broncos continue progress toward their first pre-season game, the offensive line continues to raise more questions than provide answers. It’s not ideal, but the coaches are still sifting through the players at hand, trying to find the right combination as we approach the season.
With Peyton Manning’s well being at stake, these are absolutely critical decisions.
Part of that decision-making process includes looking at the young players as part of the first-team offensive line. We’re already going to get Ty Sambrailo at the starting left tackle spot with Ryan Clady out for the year nursing a knee injury, but might we see more than just one first-year starter?
Better yet, might we see three guys on the line that haven’t played a snap in the NFL?
The Broncos are not only flirting with that scenario, they are diving in completely to see if it’s a legitimate option. Rookie guard/center Max Garcia received reps with the first team on Thursday at left guard, as well as 2014 6th round pick Matt Paradis at center.
With those two in the lineup, it wound up being a combination up front of Sambrailo, Garcia, Paradis, Louis Vasquez, and primarily Ryan Harris up front. If that’s the starting lineup when the season starts, Broncos fans can be both excited and freaked out at the same time.
Kubiak acknowledged that it’s a distinct possibility, those two being part of the starting five up front.
“We’re going to be young. We know that, but we’re going to play our best five. Believe me, those two guys are in the mix to be our best five. They’re playing well, so we’ll see. We’ll see how it pans out. They had a good opportunity today. I’ll go back and look at it.”
The reason I say it’s okay to be both excited and freaked out at the same time is because it would be awesome to see some home grown players like Garcia and Paradis win starting jobs up front, but it would also leave plenty of uncertainty with very little NFL starting experience protecting Peyton Manning and paving lanes in the running game.
We’ve seen teams have plenty of success in recent years with rookie offensive linemen, but it’s not a very settling situation heading into the pre-season as of right now. Garcia said of his 1st-team reps on Thursday that he’s simply taking his role in stride.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew that I was going to come in here and work hard. I was going to come in here focused and try to be as prepared as possible, with getting in the playbook and just being confident in what I’m doing, so I can play fast when I hit the field. I feel like that it’s transitioning well for me and I’m where I want to be, but I’m always working to get there.”
Garcia also talked about having three players with no NFL experience blocking for Peyton Manning. He echoed his coach’s statements about the ‘best five’ being on the field when push comes to shove.
“If we’re the best five that are up there, then so be it. We’re going to come out here; we’re going to compete, just like we’ve been doing. I think today coaches just wanted to see what we could do just running with the ones. We’ll go back to the film and see how we did. If we didn’t do too well, we’ll hit the field tomorrow and get some redemption and go on from there.”
Outsiders seem plenty concerned about the offensive line, and perhaps the Broncos are as well. They brought in former top overall pick Jake Long for a visit last week, but Long left without a deal.
From what I was told (and what John Elway said himself) the door is not closed on Long signing in Denver, but now was simply not the time. Long simply is not ready to play yet, which is why he hasn’t been signed by an NFL team despite visiting with the Broncos, Giants, and Falcons.
Even if Long is ready to play in a couple of weeks, it remains to be seen if the Broncos would make that move so close to the regular season. I don’t think Long would come in and replace Ty Sambrailo, rather, he would take over the right tackle position which is likely where he fits after all of his injuries in recent years.
Another factor here from what I am told is that the Broncos prefer to have a group that can stick together. They want a group of guys that can help them win now but also be a foundation for the future. Hence why we are seeing Garcia and Paradis getting first team reps, even if that ultimately means neither of them wind up starting.
Personally, I want to see the Broncos use their own draft picks on the offensive line, and hopefully it’s because they are truly the ‘best five’. One player that missed practice Thursday that could factor into this discussion at some point is Michael Schofield, who worked at left tackle and right tackle when I saw him at camp.
There are so many questions still for this offensive line, but the Broncos have an answer. They just need plenty of trial and error to figure it out.