Combine Notebook: Vic Fangio explains why the offensive line 'ain't good enough'

INDIANAPOLIS — Broncos coach Vic Fangio waited nearly a month before diving into evaluating his players based on the film of the 2019 regular season.

It kept him and his staff from being too caught up in emotion from the year. It also allowed them to take a big-picture view of where their players stood, separating the evaluation from any surges or descents in the final weeks of the season.

No position group faced more scrutiny from this review than the offensive line, which struggled to find consistency. Dominant stretches were rare.

The verdict from Fangio? The offensive line was “OK.”

And that won’t do.

“You know those new commercials [that say] ‘It’s just OK’? Well, that ain’t good enough. That’s about what it was,” Fangio said.

Vic Fangio on the offensive line: “It was OK. You know those new commercials where [they say] ‘It’s just OK?’ Well, that isn’t good enough.” pic.twitter.com/A047pkphMe

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) February 25, 2020

The plan for improvement is still being constructed.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” general manager John Elway said. “Obviously we’re going through a plan now and putting one together in free agency and looking at different targets there.”

One step in the plan could involve center Connor McGovern, who is due to become a free agent in March. Elway said he will talk with McGovern in the coming weeks.

“McGovern did a nice job in there at center,” Fangio said.

But if McGovern departs, using left guard Dalton Risner at center is an option, yet not one that the team would prefer to utilize.

“He can play center, but we’d rather not play him there,” Fangio said.

Besides, Fangio would rather not weaken a spot that appeared to be the strength of the line for long stretches last year.

“Risner was a great addition at left guard; I think he’s going to have a great career — a long-time career — as a Bronco,” Fangio said.

So that is one spot which is settled. If Ja’Wuan James is healthy, that takes care of right tackle; Fangio said James will not need surgery and should take part in OTAs. James’ career history involves being in good health every other season; if that persists, he should be a frequent starter and back to his 2018 form.

But Elway also said that the Broncos would not pick up the option on Ron Leary, so that puts right guard into flux. A decision on left tackle Garett Bolles’ fifth-year option will not be made until after the NFL Draft. That leaves open the possibility that the Broncos pick their left tackle of the future from a deep offensive-line class. And if McGovern departs, center is wide open.

The Broncos learned about their depth last year; Fangio pointed to reserves Patrick Morris, Austin Schlottmann and Elijah Wilkinson as players that “have starter capability or really good backup capability.”

Yet the questions still outnumber the answers. Which is to be expected from a group whose performance “ain’t good enough.”

WHO WILL BE THE BACKUP QB?

Elway made it clear that the Broncos are building around Drew Lock as the starting quarterback. But the situation regarding his backup is murkier.

On the one hand, you have Fangio, who said that the backup “doesn’t have” to be a veteran with extensive experience, which brings incumbent reserves Brandon Allen and Brett Rypien into play.

“We just want to make sure we have a capable backup behind Lock,” Fangio said. “Allen may be that guy. ‘Ryp’ may be that guy. We’ll look and see what else is out there, but I don’t think it has to be a veteran. ‘Ryp’ and Allen were great guys for Drew when he took over for him to be in those meetings beside them. From that angle those guys could fulfill that part too.”

Just under 90 minutes later, Elway took a different view, saying that he’d “like to get a veteran.”

“Just with the youth we have at the position now and someone that can help in that situation,” Elway said. “I think I’d prefer a veteran, but we’ll see what’s available.”

The door is not closed on Joe Flacco being the backup, either. Elway noted that the team does not yet know what it will do with Flacco, who has not been officially cleared from the neck injury he suffered in the Week 8 loss at Indianapolis last October.

The Broncos would create $10,050,000 in cap space if they release Flacco. Elway added that Flacco’s status would be resolved by the start of the new league year March 18.

CORNERS ON THE MEND

Fangio said he expects to see both Bryce Callahan and De’Vante Bausby back for OTAs. Bausby has recovered from a neck injury he suffered in the Broncos’ Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, while Callahan is working his way back from the same foot injury that kept him out last year.

“[Callahan] has got the exact same injury he was recovering from last year,” Fangio said. “He can compare this year’s rehab, unfortunately, to last year’s, and he said he’s feeling much, much better than he was last year at the same time.”

Callahan could play any cornerback spot, Fangio added.

Nevertheless, the position is a spot at which Elway said the Broncos “have to get better.”

“I think we got better as time went on,” Elway said. “We had some young guys. We had some injuries there. Bryce didn’t play last year. We had relied on him. Chris [Harris Jr.] had to stay outside a lot more because Kareem [Jackson] played safety. That’s an area that we’re looking to hopefully get better this offseason.”

LONDON CALLING

Fangio said he is “assuming” that the Broncos will play the Atlanta Falcons in London this season. But even before the game is finalized, he has made his plan for the week leading up to the potential game — and that involves being in England for a full week of practice.

“If we happen to be playing a game on the East Coast prior to that, we’ll just go from there. If we happen to be playing a home game, we’ll probably leave the day after the game,” Fangio said.

When the Broncos last played in London in 2010, then-coach Josh McDaniels kept the team in Colorado until after that week’s Thursday practice. They flew to London following that session, then held their Friday practice at a cricket ground several hours after the team’s charter landed at Heathrow Airport. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, practiced all week in England, and ended up winning, 24-16.

When Fangio was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, they flew early to London in advance of a 2013 game at Wembley Stadium. They subsequently crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 42-10. The 49ers flew to London from Nashville, where they defeated the Tennessee Titans 31-17 before boarding the trans-Atlantic flight.

STILL TRYING TO KEEP THE BAND TOGETHER?

Fangio and Elway have not closed the door on re-signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and defensive ends Derek Wolfe and Shelby Harris.

“We’re open and hoping to having them all back, realizing that may not be all possible, but maybe the new CBA gets done and there’s more room, and we can have them all,” Fangio said.

The Broncos did not negotiate with any of the three in recent weeks since the end of the regular season, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the picture, Elway said.

“We took some time off after the season. Then we have still plenty of time until we get to free agency,” Elway said. “We still have three [or] four weeks until free agency even opens, so I think we take that time.”

ODDS AND ENDS

• Elway said the Broncos will pick up the options on linebacker Todd Davis and kicker Brandon McManus.
• Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb is doing “good” in his his recovery from a torn ACL. He will not take part in the team drills during OTAs, but he is expected to be there working off to the side. Fangio said he expects Chubb to be back to full on-field work by training camp.
• Elway will look to internal options and a restructuring of duties in the wake of the departure of the team’s director of football analytics, Mitch Tanney. Fangio noted that he would “probably” continue to have someone on the headset providing data regarding in-game decisions as Tanney did in recent seasons. “It’s got to be a guy that’s passionate and knows how to do that stuff. Not everybody can,” Fangio said. “Fortunately, I’ve always kind of been that guy everywhere I’ve been. I do think I have a good feel for it. I only really use it when I need to. Otherwise, I’ll do it myself. I’m not sure how it’s going to end up looking, but we’ll replace [Tanney] somehow, some way.”
• Reiterating a point he made one day after the end of the regular season, Elway said that he would use the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons if the Broncos can’t sign him to a long-term contract in the next two weeks. “Bottom line — it has to be fair to Justin and it has to be fair to us,” Elway said.