The Denver Broncos are going to have a new-look offensive line in 2015 for many reasons. They could have as many as three new starters up front compared to the players they started out last season with. The Broncos are also going to employ a zone-blocking system, and that creates a need to find offensive linemen with a specific skill set.
New Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak knows the team needs to improve its play on the offensive line.
“We have to get better up front. There has been some shuffling going on. I feel good about our ability to develop these young guys. That’s our job as coaches.” Kubiak concluded, “We have a lot of confidence these guys have done this before.”
Only left tackle (Ryan Clady) and right guard (Louis Vasquez) can be counted on as positions that are “set” as we enter the offseason workout schedule. The Broncos have added talent at the left guard and center position so far this year via trade and the free-agency pool. They still don’t have a solid answer at the right tackle position.
In this article, I will break down why the question mark at right tackle might be the biggest hole to fill on the roster.
Gino Gradkowski Trade
On Tuesday, the Broncos announced they had traded the Baltimore Ravens for center Gino Gradkowski. They are sending the Ravens a fourth-round pick in 2016 in exchange for Gradkowski and a fifth-round pick from Baltimore.
Gradkowski is light on his feet, measuring in at 6’3” and 300 pounds. The fourth-year player has appeared in 40 regular-season games with 16 starts (all coming in 2013). He was selected by Baltimore in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft from the University of Delaware.
After transferring from West Virginia University, Gradkowski started 37 games during three seasons at Delaware. He earned playing time at center as well as both guard positions for the Blue Hens. Gradkowksi was named a first-team All-American following his senior campaign.
In 2013, Gradkowski struggled to impress for the Ravens. He was replaced as the starting center by Jeremy Zuttah for the 2014 season, and Gradkowski was only active for the first seven weeks of the year.
Kubiak and new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison were both with the Ravens last year and have knowledge of Gradkowski’s fit in the zone-blocking system. Even though Gradkowski barely played last year, Kubiak and Dennison were able to see how he performed behind the scenes in practice. It’s rational to assume they liked what they saw, or else the Broncos would have never done this deal.
Gradkowski will compete for the starting center job with both Matt Paradis and Manny Ramirez. Paradis was a sixth-round pick for the Broncos in the 2014 NFL draft, but he spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. Ramirez began last season as the team’s starting center, but he was eventually replaced by Will Montgomery. In the zone-blocking system, a power player like Ramirez is a bit of an odd fit.
So, the Broncos added competition at the center position, but what about the problem at right tackle?
Michael Schofield: Year Two
The Broncos spent a third-round pick in 2014 on Michigan right tackle/left guard Michael Schofield. He made the final roster as a rookie, but Schofield was never active on game day.
He’s confident about his ability and the opportunity he’ll have this season.
“They are looking for someone to step up and take over. I want to make that jump.” Schofield told Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.
Schofield struggled with weight problems last year, dipping below 290 pounds at one point in the season. When I watched Schofield during last offseason, his lack of size was evident. He struggled to make impact plays as a tackle or a guard with the second- and third-team. Schofield is laterally agile, but he struggled with pass protection against stronger edge-rushers.
In addition to Schofield, Chris Clark will get a chance (again) to prove he can play right tackle for the Broncos. Clark began last season as the starting right tackle, but he never looked comfortable and was eventually replaced.
Kubiak has talked to Clark about a new opportunity in 2015. “I talked to [T] Chris Clark. I said, ‘Chris, we’re going to let last year go and we’re going to start over.’ He’s done some good things. I think it’s a fresh start for everybody.”
Clark is a good athlete for a big man, and he might be a better fit in a zone-blocking system. It will be interesting to see if he makes the most of his fresh start in 2015.
The Broncos have a couple of in-house options at right tackle, but they may add another option via the draft.
First-Round Right Tackle?
It looks more and more like the Broncos will be selecting a right tackle with a premium pick—perhaps a first-round pick—in the 2015 NFL draft. I consider this to be a strong group of tackles in this draft class, and Denver should take advantage of the opportunity to select a potential bookend tackle with the 28th-overall pick.
T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh) could be a player the Broncos would consider at the top of the draft. Clemmings began his college career as a defensive lineman but switched to the offensive side two seasons ago. He’s raw as a tackle, but his elite athleticism, fantastic footwork and aggressive nature give him an upside at right tackle that is out of this world.
Ereck Flowers (Miami) might be on the board at the end of the first round. The Broncos should look long and hard at adding him. A knee injury (that required meniscus surgery) forced Flowers to have balance issues and miss some time last year. Flowers is big, rangy and powerful as a pass-protector. He has the length and strength to be an elite-level player in the NFL, but he’ll have to prove that he can stay healthy and finish off opponents as a run-blocker.
D.J. Humphries (Florida) could be a player the Broncos would consider in the second round of the draft. He’s a good athlete who moves well laterally at the snap, and Humphries can be a “sticky blocker” at the second level of the defense. Humphries has good footwork in pass protection, but he needs to use his hands better and stop lunging at opponents on the edge.
Summary
It was wise for the Broncos to revamp their offensive line. Their work may not yet be over. The team had to rework the offensive line last year. That helped the rushing attack, but it did not improve the pass protection for Peyton Manning.
Denver has been searching high and low for players who can compete for starting jobs up front. It found good value when it added left guard Shelley Smith in free agency earlier this year. The trade for Gradkowski could end up working out for the team, and they did not surrender much in order to acquire him.
Right tackle could be filled by either Schofield or Clark. It’s more likely the starting right tackle spot could be filled by a talented rookie from the 2015 NFL draft. No matter who wins that starting job, the Broncos are going to push these players for the best competition they could have in camp.
That competition is likely to be heated. There will be an answer at right tackle forged from that fire.
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. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.