Changing of the Guard: Broncos still haven't found the right mix up front

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On April, 28, it was all finally in place. The Broncos had selected left tackle Garett Bolles in the first round of the NFL draft and completed their main goal of the offseason, revamping the offensive line.

Bolles would play left tackle, newly acquired Ronald Leary would play left guard (his natural position), Matt Paradis would play center, Max Garcia would play right guard and another offseason acquisition Menelik Watson would play right tackle. Stamp it on the opening day lineup, right?

Wrong.

It started with the—more predictable—questions at left tackle. Most probably should have known that Bolles wouldn’t be thrown directly into the lineup but it certainly raised eyebrows when he was behind both Ty Sambrailo and Donald Stephenson on the proverbial OTA depth chart. As of Tuesday, that little situation looked to be trending the right way.

“Bolles is alternating with Ty at left tackle,” head coach Vance Joseph told media after practice. So every other series…. He’s a first-round pick for a reason. He’s a talent.”

Trevor Siemian later said he thinks Bolles is going to be special.

But during practice, something else piqued the interest of those with the opportunity to view the workout and Joseph addressed that as well.

“We moved Max back to the left guard and we are trying Leary at right guard,” he said, confirming that the team still isn’t settled in along the front line. “Hopefully that’s’ a better mesh for us. Leary played left the entire spring, and Max played the right. We think Max is more comfortable playing left and Ronald he doesn’t care. That’s the best thing for us.”

Based on the words of the coach, this seems to be more of an indictment on the team’s fourth-round draft pick back in 2015. Something isn’t working for him on the right side, where he spent most of his rookie year.

“I really don’t have a preference,” Garica said in early May. “I feel like I did better on the right side my rookie year and then last year, I played all left. Obviously, I feel a lot more comfortable playing that left just after last season. Nothing is set in stone. I’m always willing to make a change and do whatever I have to do to make the team prosper.”

“Nothing is set in stone, ” and that can be an issue because—in the words of the guy who has played left guard most of his career and is now being asked to move to right—chemistry on the offensive line is not built in a day.

“I don’t think chemistry is overrated at all,” he explained in May. “That’s something that’s really big, especially with the o-line because you have to have five guys that really think alike on every single play. It’s something that takes time… It’s some continuity—you have to have that going, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem getting that going.”

Of course, the Broncos need to get the right mix up front above all else, but they would be well-served to get that mix locked in ASAP.