When the Denver Broncos selected Garett Bolles with the No. 20 pick two seasons ago, expectations were mixed. He had only played organized football for one year before being drafted, but his athleticism was incredibly high. So far through two seasons, the results have also been mixed. Bolles recently joined Les Shapiro and Eric Goodman of Afternoon Drive on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 to discuss training camp and his expectations for this season.
“I do and I don’t,” Bolles said when asked if he feels like a veteran now. “With new coaches and a new atmosphere, you feel like you’re new… but at the same time, I have to hold myself to a higher caliber. I’m a two-year starter here, so I can’t come out here and act like I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
The Broncos made a near-complete overhaul of the coaching staff this season, which included bringing in Mike Munchak as the offensive line coach. Munchak, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the game, and Bolles can see why.
“His demeanor of the game is incredible. He’s a hall of famer for a reason,” Bolles said. “The way he says things, the way he teaches us, he never yells. That’s a big thing for us, having a guy that believes in us.” Bolles would go on to say, “We have the best coach, so might as well be the best o-line.”
Not only is there a new coaching staff, Bolles has a new teammate on the line to work with. Dalton Risner is figured to slot in as the starting left guard, right next to Bolles. “He’s little bro to me and I’m big bro to him,” he said of Risner. Bolles doesn’t treat his “little bro” like a rookie, though. “I don’t treat him as a rookie, I treat him as a guy that’s been here for a couple years because of the way he holds himself.”
You can listen to the full interview here, including what Bolles had to say about Joe Flacco, or you can listen to the podcast below.
Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports FM 104.7 | AM1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup. Download the all-new free Mile High Sports Radio mobile app for Apple or Android.