Denver Broncos: Most intriguing competitions at offseason camp

Starting right tackle

After two somewhat tumultuous years with the Broncos, Ja’Wuan James has been released following an Achilles injury while working out offsite. James played in just three games after signing a four-year $51 million dollar deal in 2019.

This left a serious hole on the offensive line. Calvin Anderson, who has started just two games in his three years, was slated to be the backup. But he briefly found himself as the only natural right tackle on the roster.

Fortunately for Denver, there was an abundance of veteran players still on the free-agent market. George Paton and company made the decision to bring in two options to compete with Anderson for the starting position. Both Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming bring with them a lot of experience at the highest level.

Massie has started over 100 games with the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. His 2020 season was ended early after he suffered a knee injury in November. Despite being designated to return from injured reserve, the Bears opted not to activate him.

Cameron Fleming has played in 92 games, starting 41 during his time with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He also started all 16 games last year at right tackle for the New York Giants. Despite spending most of his time with the Patriots and Cowboys as a reserve, he has been a contributor on two Super Bowl-winning teams.

The coaching staff are high on Anderson and have kept him around for his three seasons in the NFL and the loss of James has certainly given him an opportunity to start at the position. But he will have to overcome some serious competition to be able to do it.

Before any snaps are taken it seems that Bobby Massie is the obvious choice for the right tackle position. The veteran has racked up over 100 starts in his career and would serve as a solid floor for the position. Perhaps Anderson could beat out Cameron Fleming to that backup spot.