Tackle Ja’Wuan James
Unfortunately, the Ja’Wuan James signing had not worked out for either the Denver Broncos or he himself. James was signed to a 4-year, $51 million deal with $32 million in guaranteed money.
What the Broncos have gotten in return is 63 snaps in three total games—in two years. That includes 2020, in which he opted out of due to COVID-19 concerns.
The current expectation is that James will return as the starter at right tackle for the Broncos in 2021, but as you may know, in the NFL, there’s no such thing as a guarantee.
The Broncos would not have signed James to such a large contract if they had
In virtually every article that mentions James, or the Broncos offensive line in general, Mike Munchak’s name comes up.
Munchak has turned some offensive linemen into real stars during his time as an offensive line coach. Unfortunately, like I mentioned on the Drew Lock slide, the best ability a player can have is availability. That’s not something James has been able to show.
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It is possible that another team can figure out how to condition him so that he doesn’t get hurt as frequently as he does. Either way, it might be worth figuring out a new long-term plan at right tackle.