Mike Munchak is already having a significant impact on the Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Mike Munchak’s been praised, both locally and nationally, as one of, if not the, best additions of the entire offseason in the NFL.

Despite being the runner up for the Broncos’ vacant head coach position back in January, John Elway and Vic Fangio were still able to lure in what many people consider the league’s best offensive line coach.

He, along with his hefty price tag for a position coach, is already paying off.

On Friday, while Munchak sat in his office on the second floor of the UCHealth Training Center, Elway and Fangio introduced Denver’s three prized offseason acquisitions—quarterback Joe Flacco, defensive back Kareem Jackson and right tackle Ja’Wuan James.

While it was Elway and Fangio introducing the three, it was the man upstairs that had a significant impact on the team landing the league’s highest-paid right tackle.

“That was a huge reason why I’m here right now,” James said about Munchak’s impact on him choosing Denver in free agency. “So many people have told me—so many previous coaches that I’ve had talked about him. Coach [Chris] Kuper, he let me know how he felt about him and like I said, meeting him today, I’m excited. Like I told him, I just can’t wait until April comes to get to work.”

The 26-year old was clearly as excited as could be when he met with the media, and understandably so. But the reason why wasn’t the large paycheck he received earlier in the week or being introduced by John Elway, although those certainly didn’t hurt.

“I got to talk to Coach Munchak for about an hour upstairs. He got me all riled up right now,” James said, unable to shake a grin stretching ear to ear.

“I just got done talking to him, and I’m excited to work with him. He’s one of the best in the business. I feel like he’s going to help me reach my full potential.”

While Munchak stays out of the limelight, as is typical for an offensive lineman, his reputation around the league is anything but a secret, as is clear with James already knowing about his coaches reputation.

“I’ve known a lot of guys that have been coached by him—the Pouncey’s and players like that—so I’ve heard a lot of great things,” he said.

Unsurprisingly, Munchak exemplifies another trait typical of offensive lineman.

“Man, he’s about ball,” James said, praising his new coach more than talking about himself. “And that’s what I’m about, especially from an offensive lineman standpoint.

“He’s talking about all the technique we’re going to use, talking about previous guys he’s coached, talking about me personally—things he saw in me that he loved, things he saw in me that we’re going to correct to try and get me to a level to where I’m playing constantly at the best. I’m excited to work with him.”

This isn’t just a new player applauding his new coach to cozy up to him, either.

In January, when Munchak was interviewing with the Broncos, Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pleaded with the city of Pittsburgh to do whatever possible to keep Munchak in town.

“He’s such a special coach,” Roethlisberger said. “Obviously, a guy that was a special player, so he brings that to the table. They are the engine that drives this team, the linemen. When they’re happy, and they love playing for their coach, they play better. I pray and hope we can keep him.”

“It gets to the point where you really don’t want to let him down,” Alejandro Villanueva, one of Munchak’s former players, said. “You want to play your best for him.”

In Denver, Munchak will have his hands full trying to make Garett Bolles live up to being a first-round pick, helping Connor McGovern transition to being the full-time starting center, making Elijah Wilkinson a quality guard and molding James into a player worthy of being the highest-paid right tackle in the league.

But can a coach do all of this?

According to Denver’s newest right tackle, an offensive line coach can “make a ton of difference. A ton of difference.”

“Because you’re leading not just one guy. You’re not just coaching one guy, you’re coaching five guys that have to work together, and you got to be able to have those guys gel and at the same time respond to you,” James said, laying out his argument. “I feel like, shoot, he definitely has that.”

Munchak’s history speaks for itself.

In each of the past two seasons, Munchak has sent three of his offensive lineman to the Pro Bowl, one of which, Alejandro Villanueva, was undrafted. Three. That’s over half of the offensive line.

A similar outcome in Denver would result in Munchak being praised as nothing short of a miracle worker.

But history would say the Broncos don’t need to hope for a miracle.

In fact, Munchak’s already started to work his magic just two months on the job.