John Elway: Denver Broncos are searching for offensive line continuity

Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway preached the importance of being consistent on the offensive line after the arrival of quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Denver Broncos have had a shaky offensive line for a number of years. They have plugged in many players at right tackle, in search of finding the right guy for the job.

Former first-round left tackle Garett Bolles has been up and down since being drafted a couple of years ago.

General Manager John Elway spoke on the subject during Friday’s press conference introducing new arrivals Joe Flacco, Ja’Wuan James, and Kareem Jackson.

"“Without a doubt, we’re trying to get continuity in there. It’s a goal of ours. With [G] Ron [Leary] coming back, he’ll be at left guard. We have Eli [Wilkinson] at right guard now with Connor at center. We still have a ways to go with Mike Munchak, who is the offensive line coach as well with [Assistant Offensive Line Coach] Chris Kuper coming back. We feel like they’ll get comfortable with each other. We’ll continue to try and improve. There is no question that it is very important for us to try and protect Joe. Having played that position, if you give them protection, chances of being successful are a lot better.”– John Elway (Quote via Broncos PR)"

The thing that hurts for the offensive line is the departure of center Matt Paradis. Paradis has been a consistent player for the Broncos before going down with an injury during the 2018 season.

Having to insert somebody new at the center position is disappointing, as it basically resets the entire offensive line. Each player is going to have to come together and be on the same page. That is always very difficult to accomplish, but especially with younger, inexperienced players.

Denver gave up 34 total sacks during the 2018 season, while new offensive line coach Mike Munchak’s Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line gave up 24. During Joe Flacco’s last full season of starting for the Baltimore Ravens, he was sacked 27 times.

A very exciting thing about this entire situation is Munchak. He is a proven teacher at the offensive line position. He is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and is considered one of, if not the best offensive line coaches in the entire league.

It is amazing that the Broncos were able to hire him despite initially interviewing him for their head coaching position.

I strongly believe that with the help of Munchak and former Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper (who is the team’s assistant offensive line coach), Bolles is going to continue to improve after a shaky first couple of seasons in which we saw him commit too many penalties.

Time will tell how the offensive line does with new pieces to it, as well as a brand new quarterback. As is the case with any season, it will be a work in progress.