The reshuffling of the Denver Broncos offensive line appears to be complete. Gone are Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris, Evan Mathis and Louis Vasquez and in their place are Russell Okung, Max Garcia, Ty Sambrailo and Donald Stephenson. The latter group of players, coupled with last year’s center Matt Paradis, are projected to be the starting line this season as the team attempts to defend their title.
Stephenson, in particular, is a big question mark, yet recent moves and statements seem to project confidence from the Broncos towards for the fifth-year tackle.
Denver quietly acquired the former Kansas City Chief and unrestricted free agent March 9 to the tune of three-years, $14 million. Since then, they have made room for him to start at right tackle, but his track record suggests that he may not hold on to that starting job. The Broncos are trying to revert to the zone-blocking scheme Head Coach Gary Kubiak is accustomed to. Stephenson, a native of the Kansas City area, is ready to start new in Denver, and they hope he fits the mold.
“It’s huge. It gives me a lot of confidence. I’m excited about the future. I’m ready to go,” Stephenson said of signing with Denver back in March. “I just want to join the party. I’m excited. The year right after the Super Bowl I get to be a part of something special, maybe do it again, I’m excited.”
Last season, the Broncos moved offensive linemen around several times, including at the tackle positions. Sambrailo had won the left tackle job before a shoulder injury ended his season in week three. Michael Schofield then took over at right tackle while Harris moved to the left and at times, Schofield appeared severely overmatched.
Since Stephenson joined the roster, Sambrailo has been moved inside to guard, and all signs point to Schofield becoming the “swing tackle,” ready to backup either the right or left positions. The depth they have added in the offseason at least prepares them for poor performance or injury at nearly every spot along the offensive line.
“The good news is we went from being very thin to having some depth on that phase of our football team,” Kubiak said March 22 from the NFL Annual Meetings. “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.”
Stephenson played primarily left tackle (15 career starts) but has also played right tackle (8 career starts) and left guard with the Chiefs. While he’s shown versatility and ability, he has not been able to hold a starting job during his short career. He has appeared in all but four games in his first four seasons, including three playoff appearances (63 total games) but only has 21 starts. A four-game suspension in 2014 for performance enhancing drugs took him out of game days for those weeks and in 2015 an ankle injury did not force him to miss any games but slowed him down enough to lose the starting job to the 2013 No. 1 overall pick, Eric Fisher.
Kubiak knows that the young man fits best on the right edge, and his size (6-foot-6, 312 pounds) and quickness make him a great fit for the zone-blocking scheme that will accompany the 2016 Broncos’ offense. However, it was his demeanor on the field that caught Kubiak’s eye prior to signing Stephenson to the roster, and they hope a focusing one position will turn him into a 16-week starter.
“We liked his tenacity and how hard he plays. I like his effort as a player,” the head coach 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.”
The Broncos went out and acquired two experienced but also relatively young tackles to shore up the edges of the line. The depth in the middle also gives them increased flexibility this season, but questions remain. Can Stephenson truly be a weekly starting right tackle? That is possibly the biggest question, and all signs point to him getting the first opportunity to win that job at training camp. In just 10 days Broncos Country will begin to see if Stephenson can take advantage of the new opportunity.
