Denver Broncos: Full Position Breakdown, Depth Chart Analysis at Offensive Line
The Denver Broncos made multiple moves this offseason to improve their offensive line. Last year, the Broncos won Super Bowl 50, but suffered through multiple changes in the trenches along the way. Not only did they go through several lineup changes, but the Broncos also had to rotate players in when extra power was needed up front. Injuries and inconsistencies in 2015 are two of the big reasons why the Broncos worked to improve the talent they had on the offensive line.
Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has been excited about this new-look line for most of the offseason.
“The good news is we went from being very thin to having some depth on that phase of our football team," Kubiak said." It’s going to be very competitive and it probably wasn’t last year just by nature of injury and some of the things that happened. We felt like that was the No. 1 area where we needed to improve and John [Elway] has given us a chance to do that.”
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Going back to the true Kubiak offense, the team needs to be better up front. Last year, the team ran a hybrid offense which was a combination of what Kubiak does with what former quarterback Peyton Manning did best. This year, expect the Broncos to have a balanced offense that borders on being heavy on the run.
The Broncos need to have this group jell quickly as they want to dominate on the ground. That’s what they’ve been trying to do during OTAs and minicamp this offseason. The work on team chemistry is going to continue when training camp gets here in late July.
Here is the full position breakdown and depth chart analysis of the offensive linemen on the Broncos roster.
Left Tackle
Starter: Russell Okung
Backups: Darrion Weems, Lars Hanson
When former left tackle Ryan Clady couldn’t come to an agreement on a renegotiated contract, the Broncos quickly went out to sign his replacement. Russell Okung was the player they added to start at left tackle, and Denver signed him to a five-year, $53 million contract. The team has an option to pick up the final four years of his contract after 2016, so Okung’s deal could be more of a one-year, $5 million contract. That’s a small price for a player with the talent of Okung.
The Broncos likely worked out this type of team-friendly deal because of Okung’s injury history. Over his six-year pro career, Okung has missed 24 games—including three regular-season games last year. In fact, Okung has never played a full 16-game regular season during his time in the pros.
Okung knows what the team is expecting from him.
“I’m very familiar with the scheme that they run. I’ve been running the zone scheme since I’ve been a rookie," Okung noted. "I understand all the concepts and just everything that they have here.”
Okung continued, “I hope I have something great to offer the team. Just in my understanding of the scheme and my level of play as well, too. I know these guys are a championship-caliber team and I’m glad I could be a part of it.”
Measuring in at 6’5”, 310 pounds, Okung is not a mauler like his large size would indicate. Instead of pushing defenders around as a run-blocker, Okung has rare athleticism for a man his size. He can move out of his stance quickly after the snap, and Okung has the footwork to mirror rushers on the edge. Okung moves well laterally and can be a “sticky blocker” when tasked with blocking linebackers at the second level of the defense.
If healthy, Okung is a tremendous upgrade over last year’s starter at left tackle, Ryan Harris.
Behind Okung, Darrion Weems and Lars Hanson will compete to make the 53-man roster or the practice squad. If Okung is hurt again, expect the team to slide players around like they did last year rather than promote one of Okung’s backups to left tackle.
Left Guard
Starter: Max Garcia
Backups: Aaron Neary, Robert Myers Jr.
As a rookie last year, Max Garcia was able to get a lot of experience and playing time for the Broncos. A fourth-round pick out of Florida (with an earlier stop at Maryland), Garcia had starting experience in college at all five offensive line positions.
His versatility is one thing, but Garcia’s strength is what makes him stand out. Garcia can latch onto his opponent after the snap and control his man at the point of the play. He understands leverage and does a good job of holding his ground against larger defenders. Garcia appeared in 18 games last year (including the postseason) and had five starts while playing multiple positions and contributing on special teams.
Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison believes last year’s playing experience was valuable for Garcia.
“We had to move him around quite a bit early for him last year," Dennison said. "Being in one spot will help him. The experience he got through the year in games really has helped him. I think he’s just settled in.”
Dennison continued to praise Garcia, “He’s one of those guys that you don’t notice because he’s doing his job. I think that’s the biggest thing for Max—get comfortable in that.”
The Broncos want to run the ball down their opponent's throat. Expect to see starter C.J. Anderson smashing through holes provided on the left side by a power player like Garcia.
Behind Garcia, guys like Aaron Neary and Robert Myers Jr. will try to impress. Myers—aka Quadzilla—is a powerful player who plays with a nasty streak. The size of his lower body and his tree-trunk-like legs make him a developmental player to watch.
Center
Starter: Matt Paradis
Backups: Dillon Day, James Ferentz, Sam Brenner
The lone steady spot on the offensive line last year was in the middle. In 2015, Matt Paradis was a second-year player with zero starting experience. As a rookie in 2014, the sixth-round pick out of Boise State spent the season on the Broncos practice squad. Last year in camp, Paradis had to prove that he was better than guys like Gino Gradkowski.
Paradis was able to do that, and the team eventually released Gradkowski as they trusted Paradis to be a quality starter. While not the strongest guy on the team, Paradis is smart and understands the kind of fronts he’s going to face in the middle at center. He is technically sound and can accurately predict a defender’s moves or any sort of delayed blitz that may be coming through the zero gap.
Paradis believes this team can be better in the trenches.
“I’m very excited about this group we’ve got. We’ve got a lot of smart guys, athletic guys and guys that are going to work hard," Paradis explained. "It’s hard to give you an exact [example] of how better we’re going to be, but I think we will be better.”
Behind Paradis, it won’t be a surprise if James Ferentz at least makes the practice squad this year. Ferentz needs to add weight, but he’s technically sound and played in a similar system in college at Iowa.
Right Guard
Starter: Ty Sambrailo
Backups: Connor McGovern
The Broncos' shuffling up front continued and affected the right guard position when Louis Vasquez was released earlier this year. Now, 2015 second-round pick Ty Sambrailo is set to step into that position as the starter.
Sambrailo was originally drafted to develop as a bookend right tackle for the Broncos. Even though he spent most of his college career at Colorado State as a left tackle, Sambrailo began his pro career on the right side. When left tackle Ryan Clady went down with a season-ending knee injury in minicamp, the rookie was moved over to that side.
Knowing the footwork and being familiar with the zone-blocking system helped Sambrailo make the transition to left tackle. He started the first three games of the season for the Broncos at left tackle before a shoulder injury knocked him out for the rest of his rookie year. He had surgery on the shoulder last November and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
During the team’s offseason workouts and minicamp, Sambrailo has been somewhat limited as he is still recovering. Kubiak talked about Sambrailo after practice on June 8th.
“He worked in team yesterday, so this is his first opportunity," Kubiak noted. "Health-wise, he’s good. He looked very rusty yesterday. He’d be the first one to tell you that, but we expected that. I think we made some good progress up front.”
While Sambrailo is the starter at right guard for this year, the future at the position may be 2016 fifth-round pick Connor McGovern. He was an odd pick by the Broncos, as McGovern is more of a power player and not necessarily the best fit in a zone-blocking system. McGovern has outstanding strength and no problem being a bully in the trenches. However, he’ll need to prove that he can latch onto linebackers at the second level and not overcommit when facing tackle-end splits on the line.
Right Tackle
Starter: Donald Stephenson
Backups: Michael Schofield, Kyle Roberts, Cameron Jefferson, Justin Murray
Arguably the best offensive lineman added this offseason came from division rival Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos didn’t have a ton of salary cap space, but they made their money go a long way when they signed Donald Stephenson to a three-year, $14 million contract in March.
Stephenson began 2015 as the Chiefs' starting left tackle, and he did a good job at the spot. An ankle injury caused the team to move him over to the right side after six games, but Stephenson showed well playing through the injury as a right tackle. He is a versatile player who may be tasked with playing left tackle for the Broncos if Okung is hurt.
Kubiak loves what Stephenson can bring to the team on the right side.
“We liked his tenacity and how hard he plays. I like his effort as a player," Kubiak said. "We just think he fits for us, especially on the right side. I think the fact that he’s very versatile and has played a lot of football in this league gives us a chance to get better.”
Behind Stephenson, we may see last year’s starting right tackle Michael Schofield groomed as a swing tackle for the Broncos. Schofield struggled as a starter on the right side, and his lack of athleticism was especially evident when the team faced an elite edge-rusher like the Oakland Raiders' Khalil Mack. In order to make it as a swing tackle, Schofield will have to do a much better job against athletic pass-rushers on the outside.
According to Mike Klis, from 9News in Denver, Schofield believes that added weight could help him play better in 2016. He may not be done with the Broncos, but Schofield is likely to be done as a starter with the Broncos if everyone above him on the depth chart stays healthy.
Summary
The Broncos want to push people around up front, and that’s why they revamped their offensive line this offseason. We’ll see if the changes they’ve made can help them consistently blast open larger holes for the rushing attack in 2016.
Okung should work out well as a blind-side protector provided he can stay healthy for most—or all—of the regular season. With essentially a one-year contract, Okung bet on himself to do just that.
Garcia gives the team plenty of power inside at guard. They’ll push the ball up the middle plenty of times this season, and Garcia could be the lineman leading the way. Paradis should continue to develop and be a steadying force for the Broncos line.
Sambrailo is going to have an interesting transition from left tackle to right guard. He should be able to handle the job with few missteps along the way. Stephenson has the athleticism necessary to shine in the zone-blocking system. He may be the most important offensive lineman on the roster.
Dennison admits the starting five is not yet set in stone.
“We’ll find the best five. If we have to move somebody around then we’ll move somebody around," Dennison said. "We have a lot of versatility and the goal is to put the best five out there. By the time we get to camp, hopefully everybody will have a good idea what to do and use that knowledge and their skills to compete and find the best five.”
The depth of the offensive line could be tested if injuries hit the unit once again.
The rushing attack is likely to be the centerpiece of the offense in 2016. It’s only the offseason, but this line looks better than last year’s group through OTAs and minicamp. We’ll be able to tell more about the potential of this line when things get more physical in training camp and the preseason. The Broncos wanted to upgrade their line this offseason, and so far things look good in that department.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.
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