Broncos Roundtable: Should Denver sign Garett Bolles to a new contract?

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — October has certainly not gone as scheduled for the Denver Broncos. Literally. But, they are undefeated in the month—a perfect 1-0 after beating the New York Jets on Oct. 1.

Some 17 days later, the Broncos will have a chance to add to their momentum against the New England Patriots after the game was moved from Week 5 to Week 6. Will the Broncos be able to continue to turn their season around despite all of the changes with the game?

The DNVR Broncos Crew breaks it down and discusses Garett Bolles’ future.

SHOULD THE BRONCOS SIGN GARETT BOLLES TO A NEW CONTRACT?

Zac

Not yet — If the Broncos signed Bolles to a new contract now, they would be buying his stock at its highest price. Unless it’s a can’t-miss player, that’s not advisable.

If, however, the former first-round pick puts an entire season of great play together, then it wouldn’t be as much of a gamble locking Bolles in long term. In this situation, since his price tag will be high already, there’s no reason not to franchise tag him for the 2021 season to just make sure he’s the truth.

If he proves over two full years that he’s significantly improved under Mike Munchak, then the Broncos will feel very comfortable locking him up for many years to come, even at a high price tag.

But signing him to a contract right now, even at a slight discount, is not worth the risk.

Mase

No, but tag him — There is ample reason for the Broncos to be encouraged by Bolles’ play this season. He has not only been the team’s most consistent offensive lineman; he is arguably the best player on the entire offense through four games. But the Broncos also have to weigh this against the struggles he endured for most of his first three seasons.

That’s why the franchise tag makes sense. With the projected reduction in the 2021 salary cap to no lower than $175 million, the tag should cost the Broncos approximately $14 million. That would place Bolles ninth among left tackles in terms of average annual contract value, based on current figures.

The tag would buy the Broncos time to see if the outstanding play persists. It also gives them a chance to further evaluate Bolles’ long-term arc. The fact that Bolles will turn 30 before the 2022 season is significant in determining his long-term value.

A potential plan could involve having Bolles and Ja’Wuan James man the tackle spots in 2021, with one spot going to a younger player in 2022, perhaps a Day 2 pick in next year’s draft. Whether that young tackle works on the left or right side would depend on how Bolles and James play in 2021. If Bolles plays well, he would be in position for a multi-year deal, leaving James as a potential cap casualty. If James outplays Bolles, the Broncos could bring James back for 2022 and use the young tackle on the left side.

Ryan

Wait, wait, wait — Let me start by saying Garett Bolles has been awesome this season, and if he keeps it up, he’s going to secure a well-deserved bag. With that being said, the Broncos have already put themselves on the wrong side of this negotiation by waiting, and their best option now is to keep playing that waiting game.

Why wait? Well, for starters, you want to make sure that Bolles can maintain this level of play. But more importantly, the move that may make the most sense in this situation is to eventually give the left tackle the franchise tag next season to buy more time before making the decision to give him what would likely be a long-term $15-million-or-more-per-year contract.

The other big factor the Broncos have to consider here is that right as Bolles is hitting his stride, he is also exiting what is widely considered the prime years for an NFL player. Before next year’s training camp, Bolles will turn 30-years old, causing one to question how long it will be before he begins to regress physically, a concern that eventually impacts every player.

Will all of this in mind, the only thing the Broncos can do is wait, and if they must, eventually use the franchise tag to keep Bolles around for another year plus.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTIONS VS PATRIOTS

Zac

Patriots 27, Broncos 20 — Bill Belichick rarely loses to first or second-year quarterbacks. Cam Newton has never beat the Broncos. Something’s gotta give on Sunday.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, Newton — who lost in back-to-back games to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 and Week 1 of the 2016 season — will get first victory against Denver.

The Patriots are nearly double-digit favorites for a reason. Not only is Newton playing at an extremely high level, but Belichick is a defensive mastermind that can make any quarterback, especially young ones, look silly.

By getting Drew Lock back, the Broncos stand a chance to keep the game competitive. But they can’t afford to make any mistakes. Unfortunately, their eight turnovers put them tied for fifth-worst in the NFL. And they must force multiple takeaways in order to have a chance to pull off the big-time upset. Unfortunately, again, their two total takeaways on the season rank third-worst.

Denver’s minus-six turnover margin is the third-worst in the NFL. They’ll need to drastically change that to beat New England.

Mase

Patriots 23, Broncos 20 — Even with Cam Newton, Stephon Gilmore and Drew Lock all expected to start, this is still a contest with a pregame buildup defined by who will not be playing — particularly in the wake of ESPN’s report that New England right guard Shaq Mason would join center James Ferentz on the COVID-19 reserve list, effectively ensuring that the Patriots will play without two interior-line starters. This gives the Broncos a window to disrupt Newton and the Patriots off the snap; Denver could be aggressive with inside linebackers Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell on A-gap blitzes. This could allow the Broncos to exploit a weakness in New England’s protection.

But tempering any aggression is the creativity of the free-flowing run game led by Newton that worked to particular success in Pats wins over Miami and Las Vegas, often leaving defenders out of position. So, too much aggression could lead to some explosive-play opportunities for New England.

Look for a tight game that is decided by a few big plays and takeaways. The latter is the concern for the Broncos. Denver’s two turnovers per game are third-worst in the NFL; meanwhile, New England leads the NFL in takeaways since the start of the 2019 season and ranks third in the league this year with two forced turnovers per game.

Ryan

Broncos 24, Patriots 21 — For over two weeks now, the Patriots have been in limbo, with and without their quarterback, on and off the practice field, preparing for Brett Rypien, preparing for Drew Lock; it’s been something new every day in New England.

As for the Broncos, while they have had a chance in the starting quarterback department, getting Drew Lock back for this one, their preparations have been largely the same. They’ve had more than two weeks with no lost practices in preparation for the Patriots, planning to see Cam Newton the entire time.

Lock gives Denver the boost they need as the pats’ heads continue to spin, and the Broncos have hope once again.