Report: Broncos LG Dalton Risner 'Available for the Right Price'
The impending return of Denver Broncos offensive lineman Tom Compton, slated to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list, may coincide with the departure of left guard Dalton Risner.
Per The Score's Jordan Schultz, Risner is "receiving interest" and "available for the right price" ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. He's one of four Broncos players purportedly on the block, along with outside linebacker Bradley Chubb and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.
A 2019 second-round pick of the previous regime, Risner boasts 54 games of starting experience and, a former collegiate tackle, offers versatility that most teams covet. Under former Broncos OL coach Mike Munchak, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound blocker began his career with quality play and appeared to be a foundational pillar.
However, Risner has regressed in 2022 after Munchak was replaced by Butch Barry and his wide-zone scheme. Entering Week 8, the Colorado native ranks as Pro Football Focus' No. 43 OG among 77 qualifiers, drawing poor run-blocking marks (53.5). He's allowed only one sack but too often gets blown back — or outright lost — in pass protection.
In the final year of his rookie deal, his age-27 campaign, Risner is counting $3.593 million against the Broncos' salary cap. The club would recoup $2.79 million in savings and eat $803,597 in dead money by trading him prior to the deadline.
If dealt, Denver likely would install Compton or Netane Muti at LG, flanking left tackle Calvin Anderson and center Lloyd Cushenberry.
“Having rotating chairs, injuries and all of those things happen with a new system and getting live reps against different people, there’s a lot of things that need to be factored into it," coordinator Justin Outten said Thursday of the offensive line. "I’m proud of those guys, they’ve been battling. Then having situations where you go from a typical inside zone scheme to a more outside zone scheme and buying into that process, there’s still process to be made there. I think having these adversity situations with the injuries and all that, it’s just a part of the game at this point. It’s a credit to the position coaches for getting those guys coached up that are not starters and treating them like starters, that way they can step into a role like that.”
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