Broncos' LT Garett Bolles Appreciates the 'Consistency' QB Russell Wilson has Provided
As badly as Garett Bolles was castigated over his first three years with the Denver Broncos, there was one factor outside his control that eluded the left tackle, and the team.
Quarterback consistency.
And yet, Bolles turned the corner in Year 4, developing into a second-team All-Pro. His fifth year wasn't quite as good as 2020 but he still played solid ball protecting the blindside of quarterbacks like Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. That burden has been lightened significantly by the arrival of a bonafide franchise quarterback and one many qualify as a future Hall-of-Famer.
How does Russell Wilson change things for a still-in-his-prime left tackle like Bolles?
“Consistency. I think that it’s what I needed," Bolles said on Thursday following practice. "Like I said, when I can control what I can control, which is making myself compete at a high level [while] being mature about it, focused and being detail-oriented. I think that it starts with me with the guys up front. Guys look at me, and I have to do my job. When I do my job, everyone else plays better. It gives ‘3’ (QB Russell Wilson) enough time to be back there and to fire to our star receivers or give the ball to our running back’s hands. Consistency is a huge thing for us. The more consistency we have, the better we will be down the road.”
While pocket consistency isn't necessarily Wilson's calling card, he definitely has a preternatural sense of rushers closing in. It's one of the attributes that separates the good quarterbacks from the great and Wilson has that in spades. Make no mistake, though: Wilson can win from the pocket.
But the Broncos' 11th-year signal-caller also isn't afraid to tuck the ball and scramble to buy time for his receivers to get open downfield. Many, many big plays have spawned from this penchant of Wilson's.
Wilson's pure command of the game, the playbook, the assignment of all 11 guys on offense, and the opposing defense will definitely make life easier on Bolles and his blocking comrades. But perhaps the quarterback's biggest influence is of the intangible kind, and it's already being felt by the Broncos.
“The culture has definitely changed for the better," Bolles said. "Sometimes change can be a good thing, and sometimes it can be a bad thing. We’ve had a lot of change the last couple of years since I’ve been here, but every change has made me grow as a person. Not just me, but the guys around here. I think that we’ve grown up, especially the last couple of years with us not being a winning organization like we should be... We got the missing pieces that we need... Now we can just focus on ball."
Even in the 'World of Suck' the Broncos inhabited for the past six years, the team was still intriguing to the diehard fans. But offensively, let's face it: the Broncos were boring.
Not anymore.
It's going to be fun watching Wilson quarterback the Broncos in 2022. Being the tide that raises all ships is arguably the true mark of a franchise quarterback.
In that regard, seeing which players blossom around Wilson from here on out will be rewarding. Something tells me that Bolles will be one of those supporting-cast players that sees his star burn brighter with Wilson under center.
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