Justin Outten Aims to Set Broncos' Starting OL in First Week of Training Camp
In exactly one week's time, the Denver Broncos will kick off training camp at the UC Health Training Center. And not long after the pads go on, coordinator Justin Outten expects to have the team's starting offensive line finalized.
“You ideally like it in the first week," Outten said in June. "It’s going to be a competitive environment in that room all the way through training camp. Like I’ve said before, when the pads come on, that’s traditionally when you start to see the movement and you see the solidification up front. That’s when you get an idea of who your guys are going to be.”
Among the front five, only left tackle Garett Bolles is entrenched as a surefire starter. The remaining spots, for the time being, are unsolved mysteries. Is Dalton Risner the left guard? Lloyd Cushenberry the center? Quinn Meinerz the right guard?
By far the biggest question, however, is who plays right tackle? Most consider veteran free-agent addition Billy Turner the tentative favorite, but there's expected to be a three-way competition featuring Tom Compton and Calvin Anderson under new OL coach Butch Barry, who's installed a wide-zone blocking scheme — the antithesis of predecessor Mike Munchak's man-based system.
“I think those guys have stepped up to the plate," Outten said of the aforementioned RTs. "I think asking those guys to run off of the ball typically when they’re not used to that and going out of their element a little bit and going into the unknown. I talked to the offense today about trusting the whole process and trusting the scheme. We’ll never put them in a situation where it’s going to hurt them or try to put them in a bind. Getting those guys to buy in—I thought that they did a really good job of stepping up and giving us really good time in the pocket. In the run game, it’s really coming along with those guys on the edge.”
The downside to the largely voluntary offseason program is that little can be gleaned from the trenches. The upside to training camp is that much can, particularly in goal-line and team drills.
With each 2021 incumbent returning and a slew of challengers (Netane Muti, Graham Glasgow, Luke Wattenberg, Ben Braden) pushing for playing time, the Broncos' offensive coaching staff should make quick work of this proverbial Rubix Cube, fielding the best players to protect franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.
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