Training Camp 2020: Previewing the Broncos offensive line

Is this the season the Broncos get back to their winning ways? Last year, in the first season with Vic Fangio as their head coach, the Broncos finished one game below .500 with a 7-9 record. They did finish the season strong, going 4-1 over the final five games of the regular season. That finish has given fans hope that this team is finally on the right track and can perhaps even make a postseason run – especially with the league expanding the playoffs by one team in each conference.

During the last three years, the Broncos have drafted well, and this roster has talented players on both sides of the ball. However, there are questions that need answers before the start of the regular season. In this series at 1043TheFan.com, we will go through each position group searching for those answers.

This is the latest part in our Training Camp Preview. Today, we’ll take a deep dive on the offensive line position.

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Starters: Garett Bolles (LT), Dalton Risner (LG), Lloyd Cushenberry (OC), Graham Glasgow (RG), Elijah Wilkinson (RT)

The Broncos were supposed to have a competition at the left tackle position, but that is not going to happen for the second year in a row. Right tackle Ja’Wuan James has opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, so the Broncos have a hole on the line, just like they did last year when James only played 63 snaps on the season. That means Elijah Wilkinson will not be competing with Garett Bolles for the left tackle position. Instead, Bolles is the unquestioned starter at left tackle and Wilkinson is going to play at right tackle, where he spent most of 2019 filling in for an injured James.

So, how does Bolles look in his second season under offensive line coach Mike Munchak? Does he continue to listen to his coaching? Does Bolles begin to have a short memory and not let bad plays or penalties stick with him throughout a game? These are all questions that need to be answered as we try and project what Bolles can do this season.

The Broncos did not pick up his fifth-year option earlier this year, so 2020 is the final year of his rookie contract and he is set to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. That could propel Bolles to play at the highest level he’s ever been able to achieve at the pro level.

Bolles did show improvement during the last five games of the 2019 season, when Drew Lock was starting at quarterback. During that time, Bolles did not have a holding penalty and did not allow a single sack. Munchak was using a three-man slide protection to help out Bolles, but the move clearly worked and Bolles could carry that momentum over to this year.

One player that helped Bolles in addition to Lock was 2019 second-round pick Dalton Risner. He started from day one for the Broncos and played in almost every game as a rookie. Risner is one of the smartest players on the team at any position and did wonders in helping out Bolles on the left side.

Risner is country strong and Colorado proud. He plays with incredible energy that can be infectious to his teammates. Risner is tough to move at the point of attack, and he certainly plays the game with an intensity that few can match. He’s a mean player who wants to push around his opponents – and can with regularity.

I’ve heard nothing but good things about rookie center Lloyd Cushenberry. The rookie from LSU could have been a first-round pick as he was one of the best centers in this draft class. He fell to the third round and the Broncos got a potentially huge value pick with the experienced prospect. Cushenberry was a cornerstone of the Bayou Bengals record-setting offense in 2019 as they marched towards a national championship.

Cushenberry is a smart player and I’m told he’s picking up the offense quickly. He’s big, strong and athletic in the middle of the line, but he’s not mean. I’ve asked around to several players, both current and former, and they tell me that’s not a big deal. In fact, I’ve been told by current teammates that Cushenberry having a calm mindset in the chaos that is the trenches is a great thing as he won’t lose his cool and get penalized at inopportune times.

The Broncos made a strong move when they added veteran guard Graham Glasgow in free agency. In fact, Glasgow was one of the gems of the 2020 free agent class. That’s an interesting designation for a guard, but I believe that to be the case with Glasgow. He’s a versatile player who can play guard or center, but his home with the Broncos is going to be on the right side of the line.

Glasgow, like Risner, is known as an aggressive player who wants to humiliate his opponent. He’s a mean player who plays to the echo of the whistle and sets the tone. Glasgow is known as a leader and someone who will fight constantly no matter the obstacle.

Wilkinson is now on the right side again with James opting out. He started 12 games last year for the Broncos, filling in at right tackle for an injured James. Wilkinson was hoping to compete for and win the starting left tackle position, but that is unlikely to be the case now.

Like his teammates up front, Wilkinson is a smart player who does not get flustered easily. He moves well for a big man and does a good job of shadowing pass-rushers on the outside. Wilkinson was banged up last year, but he still played through the season while not at 100 percent. That’s why he had foot surgery this offseason and began training camp on the PUP list. He’s off the list after only a few days and Wilkinson should be able to slide right back in to the starting right tackle position.

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Reserves: Patrick Morris (OC), Netane Muti (OG), Austin Schlottman (OG/OC), Tyler Jones (OL), Calvin Anderson (OT), Quinn Bailey (OT), Jake Rodgers (OT), Hunter Watts (OT)

The Broncos have some interesting names as reserve players on the offensive line. They have a blend of experienced players and players with youth and athleticism on their side. While these reserves may not be household names in even the most diehard Broncos fans’ homes, I like some of the names as interesting developmental prospects who could step in start – admirably if need be.

Patrick Morris must be the first player listed in this section. He came out of TCU as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and was picked up by the Steelers. Munchak was a coach on the Steelers, so last year in December when the Broncos had a chance to pick him up, they did just that. He appeared in two games for the Broncos (no starts) and played 37 total snaps. It’s an incredibly small sample size, but Morris did not look overwhelmed when he saw the field for the Broncos. He is a high-value backup who could start at center or guard for the Broncos.

Netane Muti is a talented rookie with movement skill and strength that is rare for a man his size. He has only played in five games during the last two seasons, but back in 2017, Muti did look good as a starter for Fresno State. The Broncos were able to pick him up in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but he would have been drafted higher had he not been out of action for most of his college career. He’s a low-risk player with upside to be a powerful interior offensive lineman if he stays healthy and develops his game.

Austin Schlottman has been with the Broncos since 2018. He was picked up as an undrafted free agent out of TCU. Schlottman was a high school teammate of wide receiver Courtland Sutton and has worked diligently to get on the field. In 2019, Schlottman started four games for the Broncos and did a good job. He’s a valuable player who could start and the team may not miss a beat.

Tyler Jones was signed to a futures contract earlier this year. The Broncos picked him up as an undrafted free agent out of NC State after the 2019 NFL Draft. He did not make the final roster, but was on the team’s practice squad for about half the year.

Calvin Anderson played three years at Rice before transferring to the University of Texas for his final college season. He was plucked from the Jets practice squad and has good movement ability. Anderson needs to add more weight to his frame if he wants to get to the active roster.

Quinn Bailey was a right tackle at Arizona State who signed with the Broncos as a UDFA in 2019. He was called up to the active roster for the Broncos at the end of last year due to a rash of injuries. Bailey played a small handful of snaps on special teams, but he did not play on offense. He may be bound for the team’s practice squad.

Jake Rodgers has experience that others don’t on the reserve roster. He was a seventh-round pick of the Falcons in the 2015 NFL Draft and worked his way onto the field for the Broncos last year. Rodgers has looked good in the preseason at times and might be the favorite to be the team’s swing tackle as he can play both left and right tackle (although he is better on the right side).

Hunter Watts is a small school prospect from Central Arkansas and was picked up by the Broncos as a UDFA in 2020. He is a huge tackle prospect, measuring in at 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds. Watts is a better pass-blocker than he is a run-blocker. He has the quickness to stay with rushers on the edge but will be taking a big jump in competition level going from the FCS to the NFL. I like him as a developmental prospect who could be on the practice squad as a rookie.

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Summary

The Broncos will go as far as their offensive line takes them. Some may disagree with that notion, but this is my belief – because it comes down to how Drew Lock performs in year two. The identity of the Broncos in 2020 is going to be their offense, and the foundation of that offense is the line.

Bolles is the biggest question mark on the line. If he can progress under Munchak’s guidance, then it will greatly help as he is the blind-side protector of Lock. Risner continues to shine on and off the field, and only needs to stay healthy to play at a Pro Bowl level. Cushenberry is the quarterback of the offensive line, and we’ll have to see how the rookie responds to a large role with the Broncos. Glasgow is a tremendous player who could be the answer at right guard the Broncos have been looking for. Wilkinson is experienced on the right side and is a solid starter.

The line has talent and there is some interesting depth. The Broncos won’t have a line that ranks among the top-five in the league, but with Munchak coaching them up, rating in the top half of the NFL as a unit would be acceptable to project.

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