Some panic set in when news broke that Denver Broncos starting right tackle Ja’Wuan James will be lost for the season. His loss will challenge the depth of the team, as our very own Rich Kurtzman, who is thin at tackle.
However, the team will be just fine, and here are the reasons why.
First and foremost, from a humanistic standpoint, you have to feel for James. He was criticized by fans, media, and his coaches for choosing to opt-out in 2020 after a lost season in 2019. From all accounts, he was in the facility when he could be and was working to regain his stature as a top-tier tackle in the NFL. With encouragement from the NFLPA to work out away from the facility, James returned home to continue his training.
His injury off-site voids any injury protection he has in his contract.
From a business standpoint, the Broncos may save up to $10 million for this season and potentially dead cap hits of $6 million in 2022 and $3 million in 2023 per Spotrac.com.
Broncos' OT Ja'Wuan James suffered a season-ending torn Achilles working out today away from the team facility, per sources. James' $10 million salary for the upcoming season now is in jeopardy being that Denver no longer is obligated to pay him with him working out off site.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 4, 2021
James may not have been on this roster in 2022, and potentially challenged for his spot in 2021. The Broncos were going to sniff around the veteran tackle market when camp rolled around if they did not like what they saw from James or backup Calvin Anderson.
If the Broncos signed a vet before the draft, it would impact their compensatory formula for the 2022 NFL draft. Paton also knew any tackle in the NFL Draft would not start ahead of a healthy James, so that pick would be developmental at best.
So, the decision was to roll with James, who when healthy is a fine player and an asset to this offense.
Where we are now
What we do know is Denver was unable to find a tackle they liked in the draft. The Broncos passed on Rashawn Slater with the 9th overall selection and then lost out on several prospects in Round 2 and 3 of the draft. Paton had his eye on a few options but had his target swiped by other teams.
George Paton said the Broncos liked a tackle in the draft, but he was taken right before the Broncos pick.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) May 1, 2021
One option many have wondered is whether left guard Dalton Risner can kick out to right tackle. Risner played tackle in college and excelled there at Kansas State. NFL Insider Benjamin Allbright put that idea to bed quick.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) May 4, 2021
George Paton has moved quickly to look at potential replacements for James and has a visit lined up in former Tennesse Titan Dennis Kelly this week.
Broncos scheduled to bring in free agent OT Dennis Kelly for a visit next week, per source. Denver needs RT help after Ja'Wuan James injury, and Kelly started 16 games for the Titans last season. Denver expected to meet with multiple OTs.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 5, 2021
Kelly played 1049 snaps in 2020. He committed 2 penalties and allowed 0 sacks according to Pro Football Focus, all improvements over the Broncos’ right tackle position from last year.
Bobby Massie is also a name heading to Denver for a visit. The former Arizona Cardinal and Chicago Bear are familiar to coach Fangio, which should provide some confidence to fans. Massie went up against Fangio daily in practice so the Broncos head coach has a good sense of his skill set.
Massie received a PFF overall ranking of 72.6, compared to Elijah Wilkinson‘s 54.2 scores from 2020. However, injuries have derailed him over the last two seasons.
As we expect more right tackle visits, among the game’s top available free agents are names like Charles Leno, Mitchell Schwartz, Eric Fisher, Russell Okung, and Rick Wagner could all be solid replacements for James.
Each of the players mentioned is good starting-caliber tackles in the NFL, some with Pro-Bowls and Super Bowl rings on their resume.
Anderson, who surprised in his play as a spot starter in 2021, may again shock us and beat out whoever is brought in to compete for the right tackle position.
Why may the Broncos be in a better position now?
The Denver Broncos may be in a better position moving forward without James this season. First, they will save money, and that is never a bad thing. His potential replacement most likely will not make the $10 million James was slated to earn this season, nor the future money owed on the contract.
Additionally, James’s availability is volatile, to say the least. Not knowing when a player may or may not be on the field makes it difficult for the coaching staff to prepare week in and week out. James has a history of injury and it is hard to know whether or not he could make it healthy through an expanded 17-week schedule.
Lastly, though James is an excellent player on the field, he has only played 63 snaps for the Broncos since he signed his free-agent deal in 2019. Not knowing if James would play this year, we only really have data on Wilkinson, Anderson, and a brief stint of Demar Dotson (who is also available) to gauge the play at right tackle.
Kelly and Massie are better players than what the Broncos played with last year, so we can assume no matter how Paton chooses will be an upgrade from 2020. Especially if a player like Schwartz or Wagner is signed, the play of the offensive line might be even better than we hoped for in 2021.
In the end, the Denver Broncos are in a strong position to get a good player and see an overall improved play at the right tackle position in 2021.