Depth Chart Question No. 2
Prior to the final preseason game, the Broncos traded veteran swing tackle Chris Clark to the Houston Texans for a seventh round draft pick. Clark had started 14 games and the entire preseason at left tackle in 2013 when Ryan Clady went down with a season-ending injury, and had been pegged as the starting right tackle to start 2015 before losing the job to Ryan Harris after the first day of camp.
Clark would have given Denver a reliable swing tackle, but Kubiak (and maybe John Elway?) apparently liked what they saw in second-year player Michael Schofield that they moved Clark even before the preseason had ended.
Perhaps they should have waited, because Schofield was absolutely dominated in the fourth and final preseason game, matching up against mostly reserves and players who are now out of work. That’s disconcerting considering Harris is an older player and has a history of injuries himself. It’s equally disconcerting that the left tackle is a rookie, Ty Sambrailo. Combined, Sambrailo and Schofield have zero games of NFL experience to start the season.
Schofield looked extremely shaky during preseason play against live competition, so the health and performance of Clark and Sambrailo are paramount to keeping Peyton Manning upright throughout the season.
Depth chart question No. 3 will be put to the test early.
