The Denver Broncos have made their first release of the 2016 offseason by cutting All-Pro right guard Louis Vasquez.
Let the free agency season begin. The Denver Broncos have made their first cut of the offseason.
The Broncos have cut ties with 2013 all-pro right guard Louis Vasquez. In a move that did not really surprise everyone, he was going to count at $6.75 million dollars against the cap, according to Ian Rapoport.
The #Broncos are releasing guard Louis Vasquez, source said. Clearly some space, as he was to hit at $6.75M.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2016
I am not surprised with this move. It seemed to me that Vasquez did not fit the zone blocking scheme that the Broncos were running with Gary Kubiak. But that should not shy away from how much of an impact he made before the offensive switch.
As mentioned earlier, he was named an All-Pro in 2013 during the Broncos offensive juggernaut season. The offensive line struggled for a good amount of the 2015 season. Vasquez did make some solid blocks in the Super Bowl run this year, but in the end, it just did not end up working.
I believe the Broncos will be okay in that regard. Max Garcia has done well and they could try to shift him to the right side of the line.
With the Broncos key on keeping the defense in tact, you had to figure someone was going to be a causality to the cap. There is no doubt in my mind that Vasquez has done a good job up to the offensive switch to help become a brick wall at that interior.
Next: Ryan Fitzpatrick an option for the Broncos?
I would foresee the Broncos either finding a free agent in the next few days or look in the draft. There are options out there. One option that I mentioned a while back was bringing in Ramon Foster from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Keep it here at Predominantly Orange as we keep you updated on free agency news. The signing period for free agents begins tomorrow at 2 PM MST.
Let me know in the comments below who you believe should be the next right guard for the Denver Broncos.