The Denver Broncos did not go after free agent offensive tackle La’El Collins. Are they set at right tackle or will they consider other options?
The Denver Broncos still need to address a couple of positions on the roster before the 2022 NFL Draft, including the right tackle position.
This is a topic that doesn’t seem to be unanimously agreed upon in Broncos Country at the moment (is anything ever unanimously agreed upon?), but the way I see it, the right tackle position cannot go unaddressed before the 2022 NFL Draft in terms of bringing in a capable veteran starter.
To recap what the Broncos have already done at the tackle position in the 2022 offseason, the team re-signed Calvin Anderson to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million and they also gave free agent Tom Compton a one-year deal worth $2.25 million.
Based on the investments the team made in the 2021 offseason, it’s not impossible to think that Compton vs. Anderson could be the Denver Broncos’ starting right tackle battle in training camp with a rookie mixed in.
But would general manager George Paton say no to a possible upgrade?
Here are some names to keep an eye out for as we know now, the Denver Broncos are not in the market for a big-money right tackle.
Denver Broncos RT option no. 1: Billy Turner (Packers)
One of the options on the table could be a reunion between the Denver Broncos and Billy Turner, who left the team for the Green Bay Packers a handful of years ago.
Turner was once the 67th overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, but when the Dolphins started to get impatient with his development, the Broncos scooped him up on waivers and turned him into a starter.
He played well enough in Denver to get a good contract from the Green Bay Packers, but he was a cap casualty this offseason and released with a failed physical designation.
Assuming he’s able to get healthy for offseason activities, Turner is a player who will obviously be familiar with the coaching staff in Denver, starting with Nathaniel Hackett and Justin Outten.
That familiarity scheme-wise might make him the best possible fit left on the free agent market, plus Turner is still in his early 30s, so he’d be a worthwhile pickup at this stage of free agency.
Denver Broncos RT option no. 2: Riley Reiff (Bengals)
The Cincinnati Bengals decided to move on from Riley Reiff among their massive offensive line overhaul which included signing right tackle La’El Collins, someone the Denver Broncos may or may not have been interested in.
Reiff, although unspectacular throughout his career as a former first-round pick, has been a solid starter at the tackle position, playing mostly on the left side.
He has experience at the right tackle spot, though, and could help the Denver Broncos there as a veteran presence.
Reiff was once a big free agent acquisition by the Minnesota Vikings while George Paton was working in the front office. While that could ultimately mean nothing, it might also mean something.
Back in 2017, the Vikings signed Reiff to a massive five-year deal and he started for them for four seasons at the left tackle spot.
Now, he could be a help to the Denver Broncos at right tackle.
The former first-round pick out of Iowa is coming off of another decent year with the Bengals, though he only played 12 games due to an ankle injury suffered late in the season. As we all saw, his presence was sorely missed in the Super Bowl.
Denver Broncos RT option no. 3: Tyrell Crosby (Lions)
Another option at the right tackle position for the Denver Broncos is former Detroit Lions fifth-round pick Tyrell Crosby.
During the 2018 NFL Draft process, Crosby was a player many Denver Broncos fans liked coming out of Oregon, and he wound up looking pretty good through his initial years in the NFL.
He was a starter for Detroit in 2020, then was placed on the trade block in 2021, and nothing ever materialized. He didn’t play a single snap in the 2021 season and now is a free agent looking for another opportunity elsewhere.
Could he now be a fit for the Denver Broncos?
On this list of players, Crosby is one of the youngest options at the age of 26. Since the Broncos have a veteran like Tom Compton in the fold already, perhaps a younger option like Crosby could also make some sense.
Given he’s been a starter already, he’s got an intriguing combination of youth and experience but are injuries an issue here?
On a one-year deal at a team-friendly rate, Crosby could be a worthwhile risk/reward option for George Paton and the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos RT option no. 4: Tytus Howard (Texans, trade)
Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Tytus Howard is someone the Denver Broncos would need to acquire in a trade.
Howard is going to be 26 this season and is entering a year in which the Texans need to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year contract option.
Back in the 2019 NFL Draft, Howard was one of the most surprising first-round picks in his class. Texans general manager Nick Caserio was not the one to draft Howard, so it’s reasonable to assume that Howard could be available for the right price in a trade.
The Texans have been more than willing to wheel and deal since Caserio came aboard.
The Texans’ recent release of Marcus Cannon might indicate that Howard is poised to kick out to right tackle, but that theory may have a hole in it with Laremy Tunsil not going anywhere this offseason.
With Tunsil at left tackle and Charlie Heck at right tackle, the Texans also signed AJ Cann to play guard this offseason.
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Perhaps the Broncos could buy low on Howard and kick him out to the right tackle spot full time.
This is a trade that would probably not cost George Paton much and it would give him a potential long-term solution at a position of longstanding need.