The Denver Broncos are just over three months removed from a Super Bowl victory but that day and the offensive line from that game seem long gone. Left on the team is a lot of youth and a couple new tackles. Center, Matt Paradis, the only Bronco to play ever snap on his respective side of the football in 2015, is ready and feels like his unit is ahead of the curve and ready to improve on what was an inconsistent performance upfront last year.
“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. It’s hard to give you an exact [example] of how better we’re going to be, but I think we will be better.”
Clearly the men up front for Denver in 2015 got the job done. The new Vince Lombardi Trophy in the lobby of the team’s headquarters says so but they also dealt will some sporadic play across the board due to inexperience at spots and ailing injuries to veterans as others. The line, as it was compiled would have to be changed and swiftly.
Just 31 days after Super Bowl 50, All-Pro tackle Louis Vasquez was released. Two days later, tackle Stephen Donaldson was acquired and one week later Pro-Bowl tackle Russell Okung was added. Tackle Ryan Harris and guard Evan Mathis left via free agency, backup tackle Tyler Polumbus retired and tackle Ryan Clady was traded.
The lineman left who started games in 2015, Paradis, Ty Sambrailo, Max Garcia and Michael Schofield are 26 or younger and are in either their second or third years in the NFL. After just one season of being a starter in the NFL, Paradis has the most experience in the Broncos’ offense along the line and he, along with other teammates from last season, are ready for a leadership role.
“I think there are a couple of us that shoulder that,” he said of being a veteran on the team entering the 2016 season. “Just looking that from my rookie year, it’s myself and Schofield. The only guys back from that year and that have been there for that long. Over the last couple of years, there has been a lot of turnover. We’ve got to build that cohesion and unity.”
Schofield and Garcia got opportunities as the season progressed. Garcia jumped in fro guards Mathis and Vasquez nearly equally playing in 48.9 percent of the regular season offensive snaps while the veterans equally clocked just over 75 percent of the snaps. Sambrailo started the season at left tackle but was injured in week three and was placed on injured reserve. Schofield took over in week four and despite a lack-luster performance, especially in pass protection, he started each game from week four to the Super Bowl.
“That will be huge,” Paradis said of the youth returning in 2016 with experience when asked Monday. “Those guys—Max, they’re not calling him a starter, but that’s how we viewed him last year. He was a starter in our eyes. He played a bunch. Ty, before his injury, was a starter. Those guys got a lot of snaps under their belt and have a head start on that cohesion.”
Okung and Donaldson are the new members of the line but bring nearly as much experience yet less wear and tear of Mathis, Harris, Vasquez and Clady. Okung chose Denver in free agency due to his familiarity with the Broncos offensive schemes and said as much March 17 when he signed.
“I’m very familiar with the scheme that they run. I’ve been running the zone scheme since I’ve been a rookie. I understand all the concepts and just everything that they have here. I hope I have something great to offer the team.”
Paradis agrees with his new teammate and thinks that the new unit he will now lead in some respects is coming along quickly.
“I think we’re ahead of where you would think we would be. We’ve got a lot of guys that—especially on the O-Line—have been in this type of scheme before with Okung. We have a lot of guys that are back from last year,” he said confidently.
The Broncos managed to use a patchwork offense line in 2015 of the road to a Super Bowl and often in spite of their play, they prevailed. This season, barring significant injuries, the line seems to be better prepared and better equipped to turn to Gary Kubiak’s run-often offense. In early May, with Paradis at the center position leading the way, the youthful legs up front just might surprise people on the road to another Super Bowl run.
