What Titans' Jadeveon Clowney Addition Means for Broncos' New-Look O-Line
If there is one area of the Denver Broncos' roster that the media and fans alike enjoy complaining about, it is without a doubt the offensive line. Mostly deserved, the Broncos' up-and-down play along the offensive trenches has been a limitation for at least the past decade.
Given former first-round pick Garett Bolles’ inability to live up to his draft pedigree and the letdown after letdown that has been the Broncos’ ability to fill in the right tackle position, the offensive line will continue to be a sore spot for those following the team until they prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the unit has improved and is competent.
With Mike Munchak as the Broncos’ offensive line coach, the unit at least has the coaching means to cobble together an adequate offensive line. Even if Munchak wasn’t given premium resources to help shape the unit, he has done better with worse in the past and should give the unit a real boost even if the individual talent (specifically at tackle) is less-than-ideal.
Coming off of three consecutive losing seasons, the Broncos weren’t going to fix every roster hole in one offseason, but while the offense added firepower, the line is still a major concern.
The offensive line would have likely been a concern entering Week 1 on the heels of a normal offseason, but with a pandemic raging and a bizarre OTAs and training camp coming to a close, the unit is very likely further off than it would be at this point in time traditionally. The communication and cohesiveness needed for an O-line to function require time and reps, and those were both limited this past offseason.
Unfortunately for the Broncos, the Week 1 opponent is flush with talent along the defensive front and that should give the offensive line a real challenge out of the gate. Drew Lock and his athleticism should be a welcome addition in moving on from the statuesque Joe Flacco, but the O-line will need to hold up some to allow the offense to function.
Despite moving on from Jurrell Casey (thanks again!), the Tennessee Titans roster one of the best up-and-coming interior defensive linemen in the entire NFL in 2019 first-rounder Jeffery Simmons. The Titans selected Simmons at No. 19 last year despite tearing his ACL in preparation for the NFL Combine.
Simmons would likely have been a top-10 pick if not for the injury. Despite tearing his ACL, he rehabbed and was able to see the field in 2019 and flashed a dominating combination of size, burst, and power.
The Broncos may roster a promising interior trio in Dalton Risner, rookie Lloyd Cushenberry III, and Graham Glasgow, but Simmons should give them all they can handle Monday Night.
While Simmons may be the most exciting young player on the Titans’ roster, it is Tennessee’s edge rushers vs. Denver’s tackles that should raise the most concern. The Broncos are home dogs to the (-2.5) Titans in the season-opener, according to SportsBetting.com, and as the odds have changed in recent days, a big reason for that is Tennessee's recent addition to the defense.
Enter Clowney
After just signing Jadaveon Clowney, the Titans added another height/weight/speed freak to their defensive front. Clowney’s best years were under Titans' head coach Mike Vrabel while he was the defensive coordinator in Houston, and Clowney will likely be a difference-maker despite just signing due to his athletic profile and versatility.
Opposite Clowney will be third-year player Harold Landry. Landry is a smaller but bendy and burst-oriented edge rusher that is likely to give right tackle Elijah Wilkinson fits in pass protection. Landry can be had in the run game as he does not possess the best anchor at the point of attack, but with Wilkinson’s struggles against speed and Landry’s agility, the Broncos need to be wary of his rush against Lock.
The Broncos’ offensive line is going to require time to gain chemistry and come together as a unit, but the season isn’t going to wait for the unit to gel. Instead, the Broncos are coming out of the gate against one of the better trios of pass rushers in the NFL in Simmons, Clowney, and Landry.
Perhaps offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will call a more conservative game Week 1 in order to protect the line and Lock despite that conservative nature likely being the main cause of Broncos' ex-offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello’s undoing.
The Broncos’ offensive line doesn’t have to be the best unit in the NFL, but they need to be better than they have been, specifically in the pass-blocking department. Just don’t expect that to be the case Week 1 with the Titans coming to town.
The O-line is going to take time, so the unit will need to be graded on the curve to start the season against a formidable pass rush unit.
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