ESPN Expresses Grave Concern Over Broncos' Roster Depth
Entering Year 2 as owners of the Denver Broncos, the Walton/Penner group didn’t waste any time investing in players to bolster the roster. Broncos GM George Paton was given the green light by ownership to spend over $241.4 million in free agency, which was the most spent by any team in the NFL.
Upon his arrival, Broncos head coach Sean Payton immediately identified the offensive line as the biggest weakness on the roster after Denver averaged 16.9 points per game in 2022, which was the worst offense in the NFL. Not to mention that the Broncos’ O-line allowed a league-leading 55 sacks to QBs wearing Orange and Blue threads.
To remedy the barrage of fire that the Broncos' O-line has endured, the team signed former San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and former Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Powers to big free-agent deals this offseason, boasting a combined $139M.
McGlinchey became the Broncos’ highest-paid right tackle ever, inking a five-year, $87.5M deal, while Powers signed a four-year, $51.5M contract to anchor the left guard position.
But has the team of Payton and Paton done enough to provide depth on an O-line that has been beleaguered for more than a half-decade? On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Legwold expressed his misgivings on the issue.
“McGlinchey and Powers likely fully understand what is expected of them. But any sort of bad luck with injuries, and the Broncos might not even be as equipped to deal with it as last season when they struggled to overcome 22 players finishing the season on injured reserve. They don’t have a reserve guard, or a player they list at guard on the roster with any NFL starts. And they do not have a player -- other than (Garett) Bolles -- on the roster who has started an NFL game at left tackle.”
Legwold’s concern echoes that of Broncos Country, who watched Denver pass over a host of O-line prospects in the NFL draft two weeks ago. Denver did draft Oregon center Alex Forsyth at pick No. 257 in the seventh round, but it was the team's last pick of the 2023 draft class.
There’s also the fact that the Broncos’ former starting left guard Dalton Risner has languished on the free-agent market, and has recently drawn interest from a trio of teams. Many fans wonder whether the fan-favorite and four-year starter could return with a new role.
The lack of experience on the Broncos' O-line, specifically with their backup and emergency players, is cause for concern, as Legwold wrote.
"Beyond the five projected starters up front on offense -- McGlinchey and Garett Bolles at tackle with Powers and Quinn Meinerz at guard to go with Lloyd Cushenberry III at center -- the Broncos have 20 combined starts from all of their current backup linemen.”
It’s important to note that Paton inked a crop of college free agents after the draft, including three O-linemen, while another three were invited to attend rookie minicamp tryouts.
Here’s to hoping for multiple diamonds in the rough, specifically in Denver’s trenches.
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