What is the winning formula for the Denver Broncos on the offensive line? What five guys will wind up starting in 2016? They need to find chemistry — fast…
The Denver Broncos are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but it’s safe to say that last year’s group along the offensive line was patchwork at best.
The Broncos are going to be attempting a repeat this year as champions, and they’ll have to do it with a group of offensive linemen that are going to look much different than last season’s group.
John Elway set out to improve the front five of the Broncos’ offense this offseason by first going after right tackle Donald Stephenson (Chiefs) and left tackle Russell Okung, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks. Okung is a former Pro Bowl player, like Ryan Clady, but with much less of a serious injury history. The Broncos weren’t confident in Clady’s recovery, at least not enough to make him the priority over signing a player like Okung.
Okung’s presence gives the Broncos at least a veteran at the most critical left tackle position, one that has been a major area of weakness for the Broncos since — dare I say it? — Chris Clark manned the position for most of the 2013 season.
After Michael Schofield’s inconsistent (to be kind) 2015 season, the Broncos felt it necessary to pay Stephenson more than most people probably thought he would get on the open market with a three-year, $15 million contract.
It’s disappointing, considering Schofield was a third round pick just two years ago, but the Broncos have no time to waste in protecting their new quarterbacks. Stephenson wasn’t elite for the Chiefs, by any means, but athletically, he could present an upgrade and perhaps a change of scenery will do well for him as he continues his growth as an NFL player.
Losing Evan Mathis this offseason wasn’t a shock, but he was one of the Broncos’ highest graded blockers last season, and Louis Vasquez had been one of the most consistent guys prior to last year as well.
Mathis struggled through some injuries last year, and Vasquez was apparently not a good fit at all for the zone blocking scheme, and both guys walked this offseason.
The Broncos will likely replace them both with 2015 draft picks, and perhaps 2016 fifth rounder Connor McGovern will fit into the solution as well. Along with McGovern, 2015 second round pick Ty Sambrailo is going to come in and compete for the starting job at left guard. He’ll have to beat out Max Garcia, a fourth round pick from the 2015 class, who played some significant snaps as a rookie.
At center, the Broncos have Matt Paradis, who will be the glue that holds everything together for this squad. Paradis came in as a former sixth round pick and practice squad player to be one of the toughest, most consistent players on the Broncos’ offensive line last season.
With Paradis at center, Okung at left tackle, and Stephenson presumed to be at right tackle, the Broncos have only to figure out the competition at the guard positions. There were rumors that Michael Schofield had one of the most improved looks at the offseason activities, but we’ll need to see proof on the field before we go penciling him back in the starting lineup.
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Between Okung, Stephenson, Sambrailo, and Schofield, the Broncos have a number of players who can play tackle and swing around to the right and left side. There are also a number of players the Broncos had as reserves last season and guys developing on the practice squad that should at least figure into the discussion.
Those players include backup center/guard James Ferentz, Dillon Day, Robert Myers, and Sam Brenner.
There’s going to be a ton of competition between young players at training camp, and the offensive line will be an area to watch. The Broncos somehow managed to win the Super Bowl with such an odd mixture along the offensive line. It would be preferable to have a more solidified starting five going into the year, but the key is finding the right formula.
If your offensive line has chemistry, everything else on the offensive side of the ball sort of falls into place. The Broncos need that consistency up front in order to have success moving the ball, which if we’re honest, they didn’t really have all that much last year.