Addressing the Broncos needs: Offensive line

The Denver Broncos are Super Bowl 50 Champions for a variety of reasons. The main one being their historically good defense, and the least of them being their patchwork offensive line. That isn’t a slight at All-Pros Evan Mathis and Louis Vasquez or newbies Max Garcia, Matt Paradis and Michael Schofield, it is simply reality.

The line was often criticized across the board and often they underperformed but somehow they made it work. This season, after General Manager John Elway addressed the defense in the recent off-season’s, the Broncos will be looking to improve the line at almost every position and there will likely be far different personnel assembled when the team resumes work. Who goes and who stays remains up in the air and moves could be made by cuts (both pay cuts and harsh roster cuts), free agent acquisitions or in the draft.

“Obviously, that’s an area where we need to get better, That’s going to be a focal point for us this year as we go into free agency as well as the draft,” Elway said of the offensive line matter-of-factly Feb. 25. from the combine.

Simply put, the offensive line is due for a complete overhaul and mostly mediocre play in 2015 and current contract situations will allow it to happen quite easily. Tackle Ryan Harris and Evan Mathis are headed toward free agency and both are very close to the end of their careers. Harris ranked 60^th among offensive tackles with a -25.4 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade while playing 90.7 percent of offensive snaps at mostly left tackle. Mathis was the highest ranked Broncos lineman according to PFF, ranking the seventh-best overall guard (26.2) and the best run-blocking guard in the NFL (28.0) but he is reportedly mulling retirement.

It is likely Harris will not be offered a contract by the Broncos with All-Pro Ryan Clady slated and Ty Sambrailo both slated to return from injury. Mathis might return but may cost more than the Broncos are willing to spend on an aging, recently injury prone player. If he wishes to continue to play he is one of few viable options, especially if Vasquez is cut by the team.

The Broncos can recoup some money in a variety of ways for offensive line spending and the team in general with two moves.

Vasquez has played well during his three-season tenure with the Broncos but after returning to his coveted right guard position in 2015 after being placed at tackle in 2014 due to injuries he never returned to his 2013 All-Pro form. He tied for 45^th best guard in the NFL with fellow Broncos guard Garcia on PFF with an overall grade of -5.6 and never seemed healthy, playing in 79.2 percent of offensive snaps and missed the week 13 game against the San Diego Chargers. He is due a base salary of $5.5 million and a cap hit of $6.75 million in 2016 with a dead money value of $1.25 million according to Spotrac.com. Therefore, if the Broncos cut the veteran they would save base salary for use elsewhere.

Secondly, it has been reported that Clady, a player who has missed significant time with two season-ending foot and knee injuries, is willing and prepared to discuss renegotiation the $9.5 million base salary he is owed in 2016 from his 2013 five-year $52.5 million deal. He came back in 2014 after missing nearly the entire 2013 season but didn’t seem to be quite the same 2012 All-Pro, ranking 46^th among tackles during his last season, via PFF. The Broncos would love to lower his salary and put it to use signing teammate free agents Malik Jackson, Brock Osweiler or players outside the organization. It remains to be seen what agreement the two parties can come to but the willingness of Clady to do so is encouraging.

The other two young tackles, Sambrailo and Schofield will undoubtedly start the offseason program on the roster and in a battle for the starting job. 2015 draft pick Sambrailo may still have the edge, after beating out all-comers in training camp, including second-year player Schofield. Both are still under their rookie contracts but help will be not just wanted, but direly needed. Both players struggled with the speed of the NFL game. Sambrailo was beaten often on the edge in the three games he participated in before his season-ending shoulder injury and Schofield looked completely outmatched several times during the remaining 16 games. He finished the season ranking 61^st among tackles on PFF with a -25.4 grade while allowing three sacks, nine quarterback hits and 29 hurries during the regular season.

The only two players that seem to be shoe-ins for starting jobs next fall are Garcia and Paradis. Both played admirably in their first opportunities in the NFL. Paradis ranked 15^th among centers via PFF and did not miss a snap in the Broncos 19 games (only player to do so on the roster). Garcia was poised to start as a rookie Week 1 after an impressive training camp in which he beat out veteran lineman Gino Gradkowski and others. When Mathis was acquired he moved to a backup role but was soon called on. He ended up playing both left and right guard in relief of the often tired and injured Mathis and Vasquez. He played in 48.9 percent of offensive snaps in the regular season and played significant time in the Broncos AFC Championship win over the New England Patriots.

The Broncos will need both guard and tackle help regardless of how things shake out. Vasquez, Mathis and Harris, or some combination of the three may be gone soon. The free agency pool of offensive lineman holds some value at guard but tackle will likely be too pricey to improve the roster there.

The guard position holds several options in free agency. Proven players like Alex Boone, Geoff Schwartz, Manny Ramirez and Ramon Foster are all looking for new deals. According to Spotrac, Boone, the second-highest paid guard in 2015 on the market this offseason, has a market value of $2.6 million annually but that would likely balloon slightly in the coming weeks. Former Broncos guard, Ramirez might be the best fight to return to a zone-blocking scheme and at 33, after playing in just seven games last season, will likely be a cheaper option. Elway also has the utmost respect for Ramirez and said as much when he traded him to the Detroit Lions last year. Foster ranked the highest among those mentioned according to PFF with an overall grade of 15.3, placing him 17^th among all guards in 2015. The market will likely force any of these guard options to go for $2.5-5.5 million annually.

The tackle position is much more expensive in free agency. For example, Donald Penn, a decent player who is entering his 10^th season, has a market value of $7.1 million according to Spotrac and finished the season ranked ninth among tackles on PFF. He will likely get contract offers that exceed $8.5 million annually. Mitchell Schwartz, who played for the Cleveland Browns would fit the Broncos needs best, as he is a consistent right tackle and is coming off of an excellent season. With Clady hopefully returning to form on the left side, Schwartz would create some real stability on the right but his price tag would be high. He will be signing his third contract and is looking for the big payday he has awaited since entering the league in 2012. His asking price will be north of $7.5 annually.

Here’s where the draft comes in. With a healthy Clady, dependable Paradis, versatile Garcia and the open competition at right tackle the Broncos can build some competition and depth in the draft.

ESPN’s Todd McShay recently predicted the Broncos draft offensive tackle from Indiana University Jason Spriggs. According to the team site, Spriggs allowed just two sacks in 475 pass attempts his senior year on his way to Associated Press and many other publication’s first-team All-American honors. He did so at right guard but played the majority of his college career at left tackle. He also impressed many scouts and coaches at the Senior Bowl and most of all, at the combine last week. According to NFL.com, he led the offensive tackle group in several categories including 40-yard dash (4.94 seconds), bench press (31 reps), broad jump (115.0 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.44 seconds). His ability to play both guard and tackle with consistency and athletic ability would be a perfect fit for the Broncos needs.

Other very viable options are Jack Conklin from Michigan State University, Ohio State University’s Taylor Decker and Germain Ifedl. Conklin and Decker along with Spriggs will likely be taken in the late first round to possibly the middle third round. Ifedl, a Texas A&M alum like Von Miller and Head Coach Gary Kubiak, is a player with some grit and comes from a team that has produces some NFL-ready lineman in recent seasons. He could be available as deep as the late fourth, early fifth round. All four candidates have big-time program experience, something Kubiak admitted to looking at heavily in evaluating draft prospects last year at his post-draft press conference. Most of them also have the possibility of playing guard if necessary.

The Broncos offensive line has been an area of concern for several seasons now and did not improve during the team’s 2015-16 run to the Super Bowl but in order to repeat, and likely without Peyton Manning and his quick release, they must improve at several positions. The options are there and in the coming weeks of free agency players will be released and possibly new ones will be signed, but one thing is certain; the front five will and needs to be drastically different come week one of the 2016 season.