The Denver Broncos need a new quarterback after parting ways with Russell Wilson. That’s why free agents like Kirk Cousins have been linked to the three-time Super Bowl-winning franchise.
Wilson’s departure ascertains their strategy of selecting a quarterback with the 12th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. But aside from choosing the man behind center, The Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden suggested another position they must prioritize.
“Questions remain at left tackle, as Garett Bolles is 31, and Denver could save $16 million by releasing him in the offseason,” McFadden wrote in his March 3 column entitled “Broncos Journal: Ranking Denver’s draft needs outside of quarterback.”
Pro Football Focus awarded Bolles an 83.8 pass-blocking grade, the best among Broncos offensive linemen during the 2023 season. Meanwhile, his 64.3 run-blocking score is fourth behind Quinn Meinerz (88.7), Mike McGlinchey (74.8), and Lloyd Cushenberry III (72.4).
The Utah lineman surrendered three sacks in 1,073 offensive snaps and received an overall grade of 75.9, the second-best rate behind Meinerz (83.7).
“Head coach Sean Payton strongly values offensive linemen, as he should,” McFadden added. “If the Broncos don’t fall in love with a quarterback enough to take in the first round, the next best option is finding an offensive tackle.”
But while Bolles is one of the better options at the offensive line, they could maximize his value by sending him elsewhere for picks. That way, the Broncos can shed his $20 million cap hit off their books and increase their six selections in the April 2024 draft.
Several teams will show interest in signing the 2020 Second Team All-Pro member. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox made a plausible suggestion in his February 20 feature, “The reality is that the Broncos might not be able to keep the 31-year-old, and that could create a dream situation for the Tennessee Titans. Their offensive line was a major liability in 2023, and Bolles would immediately address the most important spot.”
However, the grim reality of Wilson’s cap hit means they are still $16.3 million above the $255.4 million salary cap, according to Over the Cap. Therefore, they must shed some contracts to be cap-compliant for 2024, and Bolles is a leading candidate for the purge.
“I don’t know how they keep Garett Bolles on this team,” NFL insider James Palmer said during the February 1 episode of the “DNVR Denver Broncos Podcast.” “I know Garett thinks that. You can’t pay everybody on the offensive line. You’re going to have this much dead money.”
In addition to left tackle, McFadden also mentioned edge rusher, tight end, cornerback, defensive lineman, and wide receiver as other positions of need.
Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Joe Alt Floated as Potential Garett Bolles Replacements
Following McFadden’s train of thought, the Broncos must select a left tackle in Round 1 if they feel that Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are enough at quarterback. If that’s where general manager George Paton is going, the columnist raved about the 2023 Consensus All-American from Penn State and the Unanimous All-American from Notre Dame.
“Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt are two names that come to mind. Both players are plug-and-play guys even though there’s a chance they could get picked before the Broncos make their selection,” McFadden added in his March 3 write-up.
PFF gave Fashanu a 78.8 overall and an 88.4 pass block grade for 2023. Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper reported that he completed the 40-yard dash in 5.11 seconds and participated in the vertical and broad jumps. However, a right thigh injury ended his Scouting Combine performance.
Unfortunately Penn State’s Olu Fashanu told me he is done for the day at the combine. Told me it’s a right thigh injury. Said he should be okay by his pro day March 15. Ultra competitive and an awesome guy, he’s in good spirits.
Meanwhile, Alt got high marks from PFF: 90.7 overall, 86.5 in run blocking, and 91.2 in pass blocking. Coincidentally, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to McGlinchey. During the combine, the son of a former Pro Bowl tackle showed his 28-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump. Alt completed the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds and had 27 reps on the bench press.
The Broncos Can Explore Signing Cap-Friendly Free Agent Offensive Tackles
While quality left tackles like Charles Leno, Tyron Smith, and Duane Brown will be available when the league year starts, signing offensive linemen who can command eight-digit annual salaries defeats the purpose of lowering their cap count.
The Broncos can still go this route but target the likes of Chukwuma Okorafor, who had a $9.75 million annual average value, per Spotrac. Yosh Nijman had a $4.3 million yearly average salary with the Green Bay Packers.
Finally, The Athletic ranked Jermaine Eluemenor 26th in their Top 150 free agents list for 2024. In addition to getting a player from within the division, he had a $3 million annual average value last season. PFF gave him a 68.5 overall grade and a 71.5 run-blocking rate in 2023.
