The Broncos finally broke the 100-yard rushing barrier on Sunday against Minnesota, with Ronnie Hillman nearly getting the team there on his own with a 72-yard touchdown run.
Despite some last minute shuffling, the offensive line looked the best it has all year. Gary Kubiak seems to have found the right formula to keep Peyton Manning upright, putting him in the pistol, as the line has allowed just three sacks over the past two games (compared to seven in the two prior).
A line that saw zero starters returning at the positions they played in 2014, continues to call itself a work in progress. With one quarter of the season in the books, the line appears headed in the right direction, but still with plenty of room for improvement.
Although they will say until the end of time that they play as a unit, here’s how they stack up individually.
No. 9 – Shelley Smith
The Colorado State product has seen a rapid decline since posting 14 appearances and two starts for the Rams in 2013. He made the field in 11 games for Miami last year, including three starts, but was released by the team in March.
He’s battled a knee injury suffered in Miami, but has yet to make even one active game day roster for the Broncos. Max Garcia’s ability to play both guard and center make him a better choice on game day but at $1.4M this year ($1M cap hit) and $2.75M next year ($500K cap hit), Smith is an expensive inactive each week.
No. 8 – James Ferentz
There’s something to be said about being the forgotten member of an offensive line. Ferentz is easily forgotten because the guy playing in front of him, so far, has been serviceable – if not solid.
As the backup to Matt Paradis at center, Ferentz will remain on the sidelines as long as Paradis is healthy. Denver has done a good amount of shuffling at that position basically since Peyton Manning arrived, but appears to have its long-term guy in Paradis.
Ferentz is a first-year player the Broncos claimed off waivers to replace Gino Gradkowski, who was proving to be an expensive backup.
No. 7 – Michael Schofield
One week ago, Schofield was at risk of falling to ninth place on a list that, at the time, only consisted of eight guys. Then, Ty Sambrailo’s shoulder injury happened.
Schofield had some positive moments and one big negative in his first NFL action this past Sunday against Minnesota. He opened up a key hole in the game-winning fourth quarter drive that helped set up a field goal. But he also allowed a big sack on Peyton Manning.
The real issue with Schofield is the fact that Sunday marked his first NFL game action, despite being a third-round draft pick last year. Maybe Schofield just needed his chance, but it doesn’t bode well that he couldn’t even make the game day roster for most of his time in Denver so far.
Denver signed veteran Tyler Polumbus as an insurance policy on Schofield, so if Ty Sambrailo is healthy enough to play on Sunday Gary Kubiak could have an interesting choice on his hands for who will take on the swing tackle role.
No. 7.5 – Tyler Polumbus
Speaking of Polumbus… He’s got to rank even with or just a half-step ahead of Schofield simply because of his veteran status. Had he been given more than a few days of practice with the team, it’s likely he would have started ahead of Schofield against Minnesota.
But give Schofield credit; he played well enough to put Gary Kubiak in a precarious spot heading into the Raiders game, assuming Ty Sambrailo is healthy enough to play.
If Sambrailo is still injured, or even at 75%, Schofield and Polumbus may get another crack against Oakland. The results were mostly positive against Minnesota, so why mess with something that’s working?
No. 6 – Ty Sambrailo
Sambrailo struggled in his first three games and missed Sunday’s game against Minnesota with a shoulder injury. He’s been sliding down the OL rankings list steadily, and the injury isn’t helping that situation.
Sambrailo has the speed and size to be effective as the left tackle in Gary Kubiak’s system, but the learning curve at that position is as steep as any in the league. If Sambrailo isn’t at 100 percent and looking strong in practice, Ryan Harris will get the nod for the foreseeable future at left tackle.
Peyton Manning’s blind side can’t be taken to chance
No. 5 – Max Garcia
Call us crazy, but we think Max Garcia can be a difference-maker on this line. The problem is, he’s playing behind two former All-Pros.
Evan Mathis is in Denver on a one-year deal and is intent on getting back to form and earning a bigger deal (here or elsewhere) in 2016.
Garcia is waiting patiently behind him, and had the starting role in hand until John Elway made the bold move late in the preseason to sign Mathis. Outsiders took that as a sign the club isn’t fully confident in Garcia, but everything we’re hearing from within suggests that Garcia is part of the long-term plan.
Having a hungry backup who can play three or more positions on the line bodes well for a group that will certainly see more shakeups as the year progresses. Like it or not, that’s the nature of an o-line in the modern NFL.
No. 4 – Matt Paradis
Probably the most notable thing Matt Paradis has done so far this season is to be lampooned by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
That’s a good thing, Broncos fans.
That means the young center is flying under the radar, doing his job.
Paradis is anchored on either side by former All-Pros, so doing his job is made exponentially easier. But as the guy responsible for getting Peyton Manning the ball cleanly (and now with increasing snaps in the shotgun and pistol), Paradis needs to remain only known as “Redneck Julius Ceasar.”
No. 3 – Evan Mathis
After having an absolutely awful game against Kansas City, Mathis made it on our weekly “Duds” list. Mathis responded both on the field and off. (If you missed his hilarious reply to our list, you have to check it out.)
Mathis started finding his form in Weeks 3 and 4 and the Broncos run game off center and guard has slowly improved from worst in the league to No. 19 over that same time. That’s no coincidence.
We’re just starting to see the mad dog foam at the mouth. He’s regained his confidence and Broncos fans should start to expect big things from Mathis so long as he stays healthy.
No. 2 – Ryan Harris
Back in May, Gary Kubiak asked Harris to get off his couch and come play right tackle for his football team after it lost an All-Pro left tackle to injury and had to shuffle the line. Harris obliged.
Last week, Kubiak asked Harris to move to left tackle after the replacement for his All-Pro also went down with an injury. Harris, again, obliged.
Harris isn’t an All-Pro, or even a Pro Bowl-caliber tackle. But he’s playing his heart out for Gary Kubiak and Peyton Manning. Broncos fans are seeing signs of the player they had in 2008 and ’09 before injuries started to derail his career.
Harris’ rebirth in Denver has been wonderful to watch. As the line continues to jell and improve with each game, Broncos fans can credit much of that to Harris.
No. 1 – Louis Vasquez
Vasquez is the unquestioned leader of the group and is finally back at his proper position at right guard.
Despite the turmoil that has surrounded him – last year with an inept coaching staff, and this year with o-line roulette – Vasquez has remained steadfast in his belief that he and his linemates will be one of the top units in the league by season’s end.
Vasquez embodies the “kicking and screaming” ethos that’s been the rallying cry for this season. He even took it a step farther during training camp, saying he wants to feel his opponents’ souls “wilt” by game’s end.
If things end the way Elway hopes, and the book is closed on the 2015 season, if Vasquez has his way, the Broncos story will have been punctuated by the turnaround Vasquez led on the offensive line.