Denver Broncos: Is Familiarity Getting in the Way of Gary Kubiak Adding Talent?

The Denver Broncos have brought in six outside players who will make more than $1 million so far this offseason. All six of them have familiarity with a Broncos coach and the Broncos' scheme.

Five of those players have played on Gary Kubiak's team. The sixth, Vance Walker, played with former Raiders offensive coordinator and current Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp.

Kubiak is looking for players who fit his scheme, and he is sure of the positive scheme fit with familiar players. He had previously drafted Owen Daniels and Shelley Smith because of the scheme fit, so it's clear that he sees them as scheme fits. The same is true for the other three signees that he's coached.

To some degree, it’s good that Kubiak is signing players who fit his system.

Contrary to popular belief, it was smart to avoid more talented players like Terrance Knighton and Julius Thomas since the scheme fit didn't work out.

For instance, in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ one-gap scheme, the defensive line doesn’t need much bulk. So, even though star nose tackle Knighton only cost Washington $4.45 million, the Broncos wisely chose Walker over Knighton because of the scheme fit.

However, it is fair to wonder whether Kubiak’s familiarity with certain players is getting in the way of adding talent. For instance, Denver’s trade for Gino Gradkowski didn’t make much sense.

Gradkowski played under Kubiak with Baltimore in 2014, so the 300-pound center had a chance to pick up the zone-blocking scheme. Gradkowski fits well in the scheme, but it's unclear if he has the talent and bulk to play in the NFL.

He got his chance in 2013, starting all 16 games. Sure, he wasn’t playing under Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme then, but according to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as the worst center in the NFL.

The Broncos still decided to take on Gradkowski’s $1.54 million salary, and they gave up a fourth-round pick for it.

Sure, they got a fifth-round pick in return, but with Stefen Wisniewski and Will Montgomery on the market, one has to wonder whether Kubiak’s ill-advised affinity for Gradkowski prevented him from adding a better player who still fits the scheme.

Montgomery, who previously played in Washington, has experience in a zone-blocking scheme. He has good technique and size for the scheme, and he excelled in Denver in 2014 after being plugged in midseason.

Since the Broncos have 2014 sixth-round pick Matt Paradis, who seems to be an ideal fit for Denver’s scheme but is unproven, adding another young, unproven player wasn't the right course of action. Denver should have signed the proven Montgomery to ensure that they would have a capable center.

Overall, the moves—or the lack thereof—the Broncos have made make sense. However, the only noteworthy new signing who hasn't been coached by Kubiak is Walker, which represents cause for concern.

There are other teams that employ zone-blocking schemes and 3-4 defenses, and there are other players the Broncos could have poached. At some point, Kubiak will have to go out of his comfort zone and sign scheme fits from other teams.

The last thing the Broncos want is for Kubiak to put blind faith in his former players. If he continues to avoid unfamiliar players who could fit in his scheme, he could end up missing out on a lot of quality talent.

Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.