Stokley: Munchak faces toughest expectations of Broncos staff in 2019
Mar 14, 2019, 6:54 PM | Updated: Mar 15, 2019, 8:00 am
There is one thing Mark Schlereth says he’ll “continue to pound the table” about with the Denver Broncos.
“Until you fix the group up front, until you fix the offensive line and get them playing at a high level, especially with a guy who has no escapability behind you, you’re not going to be any better than 6-10,” said the “Schlereth and Evans” co-host.
Just this week saw a landscape change along that Broncos offensive line as well, with star center Matt Paradis leaving in free agency and former Miami Dolphins right tackle Ja’Wuan James signing with Denver, becoming the highest-paid player at the position in the NFL.
And with the recent shakeup, and the unit’s woes in the past few seasons, perhaps no coach on the Broncos new staff has higher expectations than offensive line guru Mike Munchak, said Brandon Stokley on Thursday.
“Mike Munchak, yes, I would think the expectation for him and what we expect him to do and the improvement on the offensive line, whether we give you a lot of new pieces or not, it ought to be better,” Stokley said.
Yes, offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello has been tasked with reviving an anemic Broncos offense over the past few seasons, Stokley said, and head coach Vic Fangio, coupled with defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, need to “fix” a defense that hasn’t necessarily lived up to expectations.
But, clearly, Munchak has the toughest task ahead of him, Stokley said.
“It is hard to have those types of expectations if you’re just an offensive line coach. Not a coordinator. You’re not the head coach,” Stokley said.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.