In 2015, when the Broncos ushered in a new coaching staff led by Gary Kubiak and turned in a roller coaster of a season that ended with a victory in Super Bowl 50, the joke throughout was that one of their greatest free-agent acquisitions that year was Wade Phillips, the longtime defensive coordinator they signed off the street.
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Phillips was not in the league in 2014 but returned to transform the Broncos’ defense into a terror for quarterbacks, relying on his star edge rushers and stout secondary to shut down even the most prolific offenses.
Players loved Phillips. Coaches loved Phillips. Media loved Phillips. He was, in nearly every aspect, just what the Broncos needed at that time and with that group.
Now, four years later, as the Broncos welcome another new staff and another new quarterback in Joe Flacco, one of their top acquisitions may end up being Mike Munchak, the Hall of Fame guard turned offensive line coach.
For years the Broncos have failed to invest in their front five and their quarterbacks have felt every painful consequence. The right tackle position has been a revolving door. The guard position has featured an inconsistent rotation. The left edge has been spotty, at best, not to mention penalty ridden. And collectively, the Broncos’ line has been an incohesive cast that is perpetually undergoing change because of injury or performance or both.
The root of the Broncos’ line issues is still confounding. John Elway, the greatest player in the team’s history, thrived behind a solid offensive line and prolific run game. He needed both, especially late in his career. Yet, as an executive, the emphasis has been placed elsewhere, to varying degrees of success. He oversaw one of the most productive offenses in history and built one of the NFL’s finest defenses.
All in spite of his inattention to the line.
But now more than ever, a real plan to revive the line is imperative.
“It’s just a shift in focus,” said Ryan Harris, a former Broncos tackle who played a year under Munchak in Pittsburgh. “When you have five guys playing five different techniques, it’s tough to have success. More than that, if somebody gets beat, then you say, ‘Well, it’s because you’re not doing this or you’re not doing that.’ Well, now you’re all going to be on the same page.”
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Over the last three years, as the Broncos have rotated through four different starting quarterbacks, they’ve allowed 126 sacks, the eighth-most in the league in that span. Their rushers have gained a total of 2,667 yards before contact, to rank merely 21st in the league.
And soon they’ll have 34-year-old Joe Flacco under center running the show. Flacco is due $63 million in salary (nonguaranteed) over the final three years of his contract. He is the latest swing by Elway to fix the quarterback quandary. But he could end up as another name on the list of whiffs if the Broncos’ line can’t keep him upright and open up holes to maintain a consistent run game.
Enter Munchak.
“I’ve been around a lot of different quarterbacks and we’ve done it a lot of different ways. So it’s just a matter of again, just like the run game, you just fit it the same way,” Munchak said. “Don’t ask guys to do things they just can’t do. Find ways to help guys. If you’re going to have mismatches on certain Sundays, or someone’s not playing as well one week versus the other, we have to find ways to help them. Find ways with chipping and with helping to keep the quarterback upright and healthy, and usually, you’re going to win a lot of football games.”
In March, the bulk of the Broncos’ line will become free agents, with center Matt Paradis topping the list. From the start of 2015 up until Week 9 of last season, Paradis played every snap at center, serving as the lone consistent anchor on a line. But a leg fracture that required surgery ended his streak, and now it could put his return to the Broncos in jeopardy. Although he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to pass a physical and return without any problems.
The Broncos and Paradis’ agent had discussions about a new contract before his injury, and have continued to talk since. They’re expected to talk in the near future but have yet to reach an agreement.
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Max Garcia, a former fourth-round pick who also suffered a season-ending injury last year, will also be an unrestricted free agent, along with guard/tackle Billy Turner and starting right tackle Jared Veldheer.
Of the Broncos’ original starters last season, three are under contract for 2019: left tackle Garett Bolles; guard Connor McGovern, who shifted to center when Paradis was hurt; and left guard Ron Leary, who is coming off an Achilles injury.
The five others under contract for 2019 played a total of 15 offensive snaps for the Broncos last season — all by Sam Jones.
Bolstering an offensive line is rarely easy, especially through the draft. The transition from college to the pros for linemen can be one of the most difficult transitions for NFL rookies.
“An offensive lineman has to have 60 great plays, or they could have 58 great plays and two bad ones and it could be a terrible game,” Harris said. “It’s definitely tough to mentally understand what you’re doing, what you’re supposed to be doing and then understand where your opponents are coming from. That’s why you see in the second-year, guys are putting it together because they’re tying it all in.”
The free-agent market is thin on tackles this year. The Broncos could try to keep Veldheer on a short-term deal. But on the interior, they face some difficult decisions. Ramon Foster, who played for Munchak in Pittsburgh, will be a free agent, along with Mike Person, who was with the 49ers last year when Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello coached San Francisco’s quarterbacks.
Although Munchak will be relied on heavily to improve the line, it’s up to Elway to give him enough to work with.
It all starts up front, and the benchmark this year is not a statistical improvement or even upgrades at certain positions.
“We’ve got to win. Period,” Elway said. “That’s what it is. All the other different things that count, no matter what’s said about everybody or whatnot, the bottom line is that we’ve got to win.”
(Photo of Garett Bolles: Joe Robbins / Getty Images)