Ron Leary heading to IR, Connor McGovern to get extended look
The Denver Broncos will be without starting right guard Ron Leary the final three games of the season, and Connor McGovern will get an extended look…
The Denver Broncos held out hope that right guard Ron Leary’s back injury would not keep him out for too long, but as with any injury, you can never be too careful.
Because of the nature of Leary’s injury, and the fact that he’s a key piece of the team’s rebuilding process and probably the best player on offense, the Broncos are shutting him down for the season.
With Leary being placed on injured reserve, backup Connor McGovern will get a shot to prove he can be a piece of the team’s future as well, though we may be getting a look at him at a position he won’t play next season.
McGovern was the team’s center all offseason long while Matt Paradis recovered from hip surgeries, and that could be where he’s destined to play starting next season with Paradis set to hit restricted free agency again.
The Broncos may be hesitant to give up on Paradis at the price of a restricted free agent tender, so it’s possible that McGovern is also auditioning for a starting spot at left guard, where Max Garcia has been inconsistent this season.
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McGovern has drawn a couple of very tough matchups in his first two starts this season. His first start of the year came against the Miami Dolphins where he faced off against Ndamukong Suh. His second start came this past weekend against the Jets where he faced off against Muhammad Wilkerson.
As strong and athletic as McGovern is, he struggled at times in this game with power.
Watching the film back, however, it’s clear that McGovern is a capable player at this level given some time, and that’s exactly what he’s about to get. The Broncos need to see McGovern start moving some people around in the running game more, and utilizing his athleticism to stay in front of interior rushers.
Leary was the Broncos’ highest-priced offseason addition, and he proved exactly why this year prior to being placed on injured reserve.
He was phenomenal both in pass protection and in the run game, and solidified a position of weakness for the Broncos going into 2017.