Three weeks into the NFL preseason and the biggest question around the Denver Broncos remains the offensive line.
The Broncos entered the season with three guys in Ty Sambrailo, Max Garcia and Matt Paradis, who have never started a game. The right-side of the line, on the other hand, is very good with veterans Louis Vasquez and Ryan Harris.
Despite the strong play in the first two preseason games, would John Elway and the Broncos put the success of the football team on three unproven players? One? Okay. Two? A little riskier endeavor but not out of the question. Three? Your team is playing with fire, especially with a 39-year-old quarterback.
Enter Evan Mathis, without question one of the best guards in the NFL. If you didn’t know by now, Mathis signed a one-year deal with Denver on Tuesday. He will take his physical on Wednesday at the UCHealth Training Center and should be practicing in his No. 69 jersey by the end of the week.
With Mathis signed, the Broncos now have the two best guards in the NFL. He brings needed depth to a position that requires it. He allows Garcia to learn from two of the best, and get even better since he will continue to take reps. Mathis solidifies the belief that Denver is a Super Bowl contender and gives the team one of the best offensive lines in the league. From left to right, the starting line should be Sambrailo, Mathis, Paradis, Vasquez and Harris.
Don’t expect Mathis to see any action in the remaining two preseason games. Instead, he will work his craft on the practice field, work with Paradis (who coach Gary Kubiak continues to rave about) and Peyton Manning to know play calls, positioning and audibles.
“Evan Mathis is an accomplished veteran who has played at a very high level for the last several seasons,” Elway said in a press release from the team. “He will immediately make our team better, and we are excited to have him as part of the Denver Broncos.”
A lot of fans and some media questioned Elway letting Orlando Franklin leave Denver for the San Diego Chargers.
They aren’t any more. Mathis is a major upgrade over Franklin, and he comes cheaper. Franklin signed a 5-year, $35 million deal with San Diego while Mathis comes $3 million less with his deal worth $2.5 million (with incentives that can carry it over $4 million). According to OvertheCap.com, the Broncos’ salary cap number is now $5,637,795.
What should get fans excited even more is that the Broncos “Get it.” Talk is cheap when it comes to fielding a team that competes for championships and few are worthy of the investment from fans.
We will see what happens with the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets and most would agree that the franchise at 20th and Blake isn’t worthy of a mention by name in this space, even if they paid for it.
Elway and the Broncos didn’t have to sign Mathis. With how Garcia has performed through training camp and the preseason, the line was coming into its own and would only get better, you would think. Elway didn’t want to leave it to chance or hope. Mathis is a proven player in the NFL. He’s one of the best, if not the best, at his position.
With a little over two weeks until the season, the biggest question surrounding the Broncos has been answered in emphatic fashion. They now boast one of the best lines in the NFL.
If you didn’t think Denver was a Super Bowl contender before, you better reevaluate. You could take a lesson from Elway. Or even Mathis himself.
