Broncos Player Profile: Garett Bolles #72 | Offensive Tackle
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While the Denver Broncos need to figure out multiple spots on the offensive line, they have one spot cemented — Garett Bolles at the left tackle position. The Broncos need him to bounce back after the 2021 season.
Bolles had an excellent 2020 season, and the team needs Bolles to get back closer to that level of play, especially with Russell Wilson in town. Bolles had a tough road to get to the contract extension he got, so let's dive into his history to get a better idea of what the future might hold.
Biography
Bolles just turned 30 and was born in California before eventually moving to Utah with his family. Things were rough growing up and he dealt with multiple family issues. Eventually, he turned things around and played football on both the offensive and defensive line. While in high school, he also played lacrosse.
Before going to college, he served an LDS mission in Colorado Springs after high school. Upon his return, he started his collegiate career at Snow College.
College Career
While at Snow College for two years, Bolles garnered multiple JUCO accolades, including NJCAA First-Team All-American. After two years at Snow College, he committed to the University of Utah as the No. 1 JUCO prospect for the 2016 season.
During his lone season at Utah, Bolles showed plenty of NFL potential. He started every game and found himself on the All-Pac-12 First-Team.
Bolles was physical and mean as a blocker. He would bully defensive linemen, especially in the run game.
Bolles' pass protection wasn't great, but not terrible, as he allowed 20 total pressures and three sacks. After his one season, he decided to jump to the NFL.
Draft
One of Bolles' significant issues during the pre-draft process was the fact that he was older than most teams prefer for a rookie, and there wasn't anything he could do to shut that concern down. However, he was invited to the NFL Combine, where he had a huge day.
Bolles' testing landed him in the 84th percentile or higher in all but the vertical jump. His measurements were not great, as they all fell below the 50th percentile. However, he was athletic and could move quite well, drawing in teams with his physical, mean attitude on the field.
Most viewed Bolles as the second or third-best tackle in the class, but the Broncos made him the first tackle drafted with the 20th pick of the first round.
Professional Career
Bolles' professional career was rough as he got the Broncos' starting left tackle job as a rookie and has yet to let go of it. Holding penalties were a consistent issue early in his career, and the fanbase quickly turned on him.
To add to the holding issues, Bolles had problems in pass protection and allowed 51 total pressures and eight sacks as a rookie. There was some improvement in Year 2, where he allowed 29 total pressures and two sacks. For year three, he allowed 31 total pressures and four sacks.
During those first three years, Bolles was called for 45 total penalties, with only 13 declined or offset. So with penalties and issues in pass protection, the question came down to how much longer Denver would be willing to deal with this, especially with him coming up on the final year of his contract.
Denver didn't pick up Bolles' fifth-year option, which meant he would be a free agent after the 2020 season. However, the Broncos had struggled to find a solution at left tackle since Ryan Clady, and the team really needed Bolles to step up.
Things seemingly turned around for Bolles in 2020, where he allowed zero sacks with 13 total pressures and only seven penalties, three of which were declined or offset. John Elway quickly locked him up to an extension that had some Broncos fans calling a steal after a few other tackles around the NFL got extended after the season.
However, the 2021 season was problematic as Bolles allowed five sacks and 22 total pressures. Penalties were not the major issue, with only eight called and three offset or declined.
Bolles simply struggled in pass protection, and there could be a lot of contributing factors with other issues with the Broncos' offense, but Denver needed consistency then and still does.
Those fans that turned on Bolles were quickly set against him once again. Now, as he enters his sixth season, he needs to perform closer to the 2020 version of himself.
2022 Outlook
The excellent news for Bolles is he finally has a franchise quarterback behind him. That should help him in pass protection with better calls at the line of scrimmage, better identification of what defenses are showing, and give him improved trust in the quarterback to make something happen.
Bolles has to step up and prove himself with a new coaching staff and a general manager who didn't extend him. He also has to prove that he is still worth the extension he got. While his contract isn't easy to get out of, the Broncos can add another $10 million to the salary cap by cutting or trading Bolles after the season.
The Broncos have to extend Russell Wilson to a significant extension, and any additional salary-cap room could help, especially if Bolles has another bad season. If Bolles struggles, it could lead the Broncos to search for a cheaper option that will give them a similar output, and if the team could do that for a fraction of the cost, it would be hard to justify holding onto him.
The 2022 season is going to be vital for Bolles' future in Denver. It's doubtful it this will be his last in a Broncos uniform, but there is a chance it could be — if he doesn't rise to the occasion.
Bolles needs to go out and produce a good-to-great season and show the consistency he has yet to in his career.
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