Examining what additional moves Broncos must make to rebuild the offensive line

The offensive line has been a major concern for the Denver Broncos the past few seasons. Ever since John Fox's final season with the team, the Broncos had some talented players on the O-line, but never had consistency as a unit and there were multiple players who never lived up to expectations.

Our Thomas Hall wrote a good piece about where John Elway went wrong with his evaluation process, but another issue comes with coaching from the 2015 to 2018 seasons. The Broncos went through multiple O-line coaches in that time frame, including a couple who have never been that good in their NFL careers.

Dave Magazu was the O-line coach under Fox and he did a good job for the most part. His coaching played a big role in Orlando Franklin's development and Magazu got good seasons out of Chris Clark and Manuel Ramirez in 2013 (although Ramirez had his issues in Super Bowl 48). Things didn't go as well in 2014 because Clark couldn't make the switch to right tackle and Ramirez declined, but Magazu's tenure was overall a success.

But after Fox left and Magazu went with him, Gary Kubiak inexplicably put Clancy Barrone in as the O-line coach. Barrone had that position under Josh McDaniels and, while he had some talent to work with, he never got the line to function well as a unit.

This continued in his two seasons under Kubiak. Injuries didn't help matters in 2015, but things got worse in 2016, in which players such as Max Garcia and Ty Sambrailo didn't take the next steps in their development. This followed a pattern of Barrone having average offensive lines throughout his career.

The Broncos brought in Jeff Davidson in 2017, an apparent recommendation by offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Davidson hadn't had much success in the NFL, either, and it continued with the Broncos — again, there were some talented individuals, but collectively, the line never met expectations.

Things got better with Chris Strausser and Sean Kugler working with the O-line in 2018 — Kugler was especially good, getting the most out of the likes of Connor McGovern and Billy Turner. But after Vance Joseph was fired, Strasser and Kugler moved on.

Then along came Mike Munchak, who brought a great track record as an offensive line coach, and there's hope that the O-line can get back on track.

But coaching is only one part of the equation — the other parts are the evaluation process (which Hall covered regarding Elway) and the talent the players bring.

We know where the Broncos stand in terms of talent level, but let's go over each of the top offensive linemen:

Garett Bolles: A good run blocker who has struggled with pass protection. His inconsistent play has frustrated fans, who expect more out of a first-round pick.

Dalton Risner: A promising rookie with a good work ethic. He has struggled against top defenders, but that's to be expected to a certain degree.

Connor McGovern: Showed promise at right guard last season, then moved to center and was adequate. He had concerns in training camp with bad snaps, but so far, that hasn't been an issue and he appears to be settling in.

Ronald Leary: He had a Pro Bowl worthy season in his first year with the Broncos, but ended the season on injured reserve. He wasn't as good in his second year and, once again, his season ended on IR. This year, he didn't take a snap in the preseason and he looks rusty.

Ja'Wuan James: A big-ticket free-agent signing, James was supposed to bring stability to the right tackle position, but he's currently sidelined with a knee injury.

Elijah Wilkinson: Showed promise at guard last season, but has been moved back to offensive tackle. He is currently starting at right tackle while James is sidelined and the results haven't been pretty.

So the Broncos have two players who look like they can be part of the long-term picture, while everybody else is a question mark to some degree.

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What can the Broncos do to improve the line in the future?

It's easy to think that free agency is going to be the answer to the Broncos' woes. However, there's a lot of caveats that come with players who have expiring contracts. Let's examine the notable names at left tackle.

Anthony Castanzo: The Colts left tackle continues to play well and no doubt Broncos fans would love to get him. However, the Colts have tons of cap space for 2020 and can just put the franchise tag on him — that is, if they don't sign him to an extension first. Don't count on Castanzo being available, Broncos fans.

D.J. Humphries: On one hand, the Cardinals player can play both left and right tackle and has talent. On the other hand, his last two seasons were cut short because of injuries. If you are worried about signing an injury-prone offensive lineman again, Humphries won't make your list — especially if other teams try to lure him with a big contract.

Andrew Whitworth: The Broncos considered him when he was last a free agent and his contract with the Rams will expire. But he's 39 years old, declining and may retire after the season.

Jason Peters: He may be 38 years old, but he continues to play well. The Eagles may let him depart because they are limited on cap space and have Andre Dillard to move to left tackle if they wish. But Peters may be ready to retire as well.

Donald Penn: He signed with the Redskins after Trent Williams held out and has been solid. But he's 37 years old and, if he wants to play next year, he's a short-term solution at best.

Kelvin Beachum: He's played reasonably well the past two seasons for the Jets. But he's struggling this year and, thus, is far from being a long-term solution.

Marshall Newhouse: He signed with the Patriots and has been adequate when called upon to start — meaning Dante Scarnecchia is getting the most out of him. Mike Munchak might be able to do the same. But bear in mind that Newhouse, who has bounced around from team to team in recent years, is only a player to bring in on a cheap one-year deal.

Because the Broncos have fully guaranteed Ja'Wuan James' salary for 2020, the team is stuck with him. As for right guard, the only notable free agent is Brandon Schreff, whom the Redskins are almost certain to keep via the franchise tag. The free-agent cupboard at right guard is bare, otherwise.

So it's clear that free agency isn't going to be the answer to solving the Broncos' offensive line issues.

It's easy to write off the NFL draft because players the Broncos have drafted, such as Bolles and Sambrailo, haven't panned out. But the same can be said for free agency, in which Donald Stephenson and Menelik Watson were bad signings.

The truth is, the Broncos can't give up on the draft. They simply need to do a better job evaluating prospects. They did that in 2018 and the 2019 class shows promise. Getting more linemen in the mold of Risner would do a lot to help the Broncos in the future.

And while it's easy to say that the Broncos need to swing a trade, quality linemen are tough to come by. I know Trent Williams will get brought up, but the Broncos shouldn't be trading picks away for veteran players who want new contracts.

If the Broncos want to do it right, they need to have less-expensive veterans who can serve as a bridge to players they draft. In other words, look for value in free agency and do a good job evaluating draft prospects.

How to improve the O-line

With that in mind, here's the best way the Broncos should plan on improving the offensive line when the season ends.

• Re-sign Connor McGovern at the right price. You don't want to overpay, but a three-year or four-year value deal would be fine.

• Keep developing Dalton Risner at left guard. It helps that he has a great work ethic, and that willingness to improve should solidify that spot for the coming seasons.

• Ride it out with Ja'Wuan James for another season, but do look at offensive tackle options on Day Three of the 2020 draft. You need an offensive tackle to develop, who can take over on the right side for James in the future as soon as it's necessary.

• Be patient in free agency at left tackle and look for value. I'd be fine with a two-year deal for Jason Peters if he wants to play and comes at a reasonable price. Otherwise, it's best to wait free agency out and sign an inexpensive veteran to a one-year deal. You then look at offensive tackles in the draft, whether it's one who can start right away or one who can be develop with the intent to start him in 2021. Also, decline Garett Bolles' fifth-year option, but keep him on the roster until both free agency and the draft have played out.

• Decline the team option for 2020 on Ronald Leary's deal, then sign Elijah Wilkinson to a one-year deal. Wilkinson will be a restricted free agent and probably isn't worth any of the tenders (the lowest will be more than $2 million), but a one-year deal at $1.5M would work. Then look at guard prospects on Day Three who can compete with Wilkinson for the right guard job.

Bottom line

Things could change with this plan depending on how players perform this season. Perhaps Garett Bolles will figure things out and at least show he can hold down the fort in 2020. Perhaps when James comes back, he'll avoid additional injuries, settle down and play well. Or perhaps you find out that Connor McGovern isn't the answer at center.

But no matter what happens, don't look for a quick fix. Expect John Elway to do a better job evaluating players and for Mike Munchak to develop them well, but remember that process will take time. A quick fix might make you happy at first, but it could leave a bad taste in your mouth if things go wrong.

Follow Bob on Twitter @BobMorrisSports and @MileHighHuddle.

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