Report: Elijah Wilkinson has Been Told he'll Compete With Bolles for Broncos' Starting LT Job
On Thursday, Denver Broncos' OL Elijah Wilkinson put pen to paper, signing his one-year restricted free-agent tender. Wilkinson spent much of last season filling in for the oft-sidelined starter Ja’Wuan James at right tackle and it produced some very mixed results.
Some speculation this offseason has projected Wilkinson being moved inside to play right guard, but the big-money signing of Graham Glasgow means the 6-foot-6, 329-pound Wilkinson will instead be offered the opportunity to maybe, just maybe, unseat Garett Bolles as the Broncos' starting left tackle.
If true, the revised plan for the 25-year-old Wilkinson is designed to further push and challenge the inconsistent Bolles — a former first-round draft pick. Despite the opportunity to grab a full-time starting job, Wilkinson is lucky to be in the mix for a promotion after having struggled as badly as he did in his 13 starts in 2019 with inconsistent and sporadic play.
Due to the team's lack of talent and depth at tackle, the Broncos have needed an insurance policy to fill the swing tackle duties. So in many regards, Wilkinson finds himself in the right place at the right time, as the fortuitous timing has managed to net the blocker a considerable raise from last year’s minimum salary of $645,000 to a much juicier $3.259 million for 2020 on the second-round RFA tender.
While the pay increase will be welcomed, the confidence shown in his abilities by O-Line Coach Mike Munchak should really put a spring in his step. Under the guidance of Munchak, Wilkinson will have to improve his technique and brush up on costly mental lapses that saw him flagged a total of six times last season while relinquishing a whopping 10 sacks.
Meanwhile, Bolles is having a particularly uncomfortable offseason as he waits to learn what his long-term future in Denver will be. Recent draft chatter has loudly purported that John Elway could be looking to start over at the left tackle position, with rumors of the GM potentially exploring a trade-up to land a blue-chip prospect like Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs or Louisville's Mekhi Becton.
Bolles waits anxiously to get a final decision on his fifth-year option the team holds, which remains on ice until after the draft is concluded. It’s matter-of-course to conclude that Elway is keeping his options open and is at least open to the possibility of a LT upgrade, especially with the priority of protecting second-year QB Drew Lock.
There is a very real possibility that the clock is ticking on Bolles' stay in Denver, but opportunity still knocks for Wilkinson. Wilkinson is still likely to see significant playing time even if he doesn’t win the starting job at LT, due to the physical issues that have haunted James on the opposite side.
Wilkinson could just as easily see himself back at right tackle unless James can prove to be a dependable option for head coach Vic Fangio. Tendering Wilkinson at least provided the Broncos with an insurance policy, should the wheels fall off the wagon all over again.
It also provides an element of a draft smokescreen that telegraphs to other GMs that Elway doesn’t have to sell out to land one of the class' top OT prospects. Any trade-up to acquire a blue-chip OT will be expensive, so playing it smart for maximum value will be paramount if Elway pulls the trigger.
Given the open secret about the Broncos' longtime problems upfront, it’s unlikely that any elaborate bluff will fool many other teams that much, if at all. For now, at bottom, Wilkinson gives the Broncos a durable and young swing tackle option with familiarity in the system moving forward.
Maybe with more intensive coaching provided by Munchak, Wilkinson might develop to the point that he finally pushes Bolles out of a job, a potential eventuality that many in Broncos Country would applaud.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
