If you were to ask Denver Broncos fans what offensive line position has been the biggest concern in recent years, it wouldn't be surprising to hear 'right tackle.'
Ever since the 2014 season, when 2011 second-round pick Orlando Franklin was moved from right tackle (a position he played well) to guard, the Broncos have struggled to find somebody who provides quality play at that position.
We've seen the likes of Chris Clark, Michael Schofield, Donald Stephenson, Menelik Watson, Jared Veldheer, Ja'Wuan James, Elijah Wilkinson, Bobby Massie, and Cameron Fleming start on the right side. Of those players, Veldheer and Massie are the only ones who could be described as being at least solid in terms of play, and both are older players.
With a new coaching staff in place, including a new offensive line coach in Butch Barry, it will be interesting to see whether the staff can bring some stability to the position. And one avenue the Broncos might explore is free agency.
But how does the free-agent pool look? Let's go over some of the options.
Younger Options
There will be several players hitting unrestricted free agency who are still in the prime of their careers. But do these players make sense as a long-term option?
Chukwuma Okorafor is coming off arguably his best season as a pro with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it's possible he could be looking for a big contract. It's also worth asking whether he's an ideal scheme fit.
Brandon Parker had some solid play in his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he's not somebody who should get top dollar. However, if the market drives prices up, he may not be worth the risk.
Germain Ifedi had his moments with the Chicago Bears this past season, but he missed multiple starts because of injury. Between that and inconsistent play throughout his career, Ifedi may not be the ideal option.
The Broncos' history with contracts for younger players at the right tackle position hasn't been good, so that may scare some fans off, regardless of the talent these players have or the money they are seeking.
• RELATED: Broncos' 2022 Free-Agent Edge Rusher Options
Older Players
If the Broncos would rather get a veteran to be a short-term fix, there is no shortage of such players. Massie will be an unrestricted free agent, but he's not the only one.
Trent Brown, Riley Reiff, Morgan Moses, Brandon Shell, and Nate Solder all bring a lot of experience. In terms of their 2021 bodies of work, they were all solid, but not likely to command a big contract.
The question here is how much longer the Broncos want to bring in short-term solutions for the position. Of course, Denver can always draft a player for depth, but it could just as easily think it's better to draft a potential starter and pair him with somebody from the next group.
Depth Only
Fleming is among the unrestricted free agents who should only be considered for depth and thus paid accordingly. He's not the only such player to consider, though.
The Broncos could believe it's better to go with Mike Remmers, Dennis Kelly, Trenton Scott, Jordan Mills, or Will Richardson. They should all be cheaper than the players who started a lot of games this past season.
Kelly played for the Green Bay Packers this past season, so some Broncos fans might think of him first. Richardson, who was with the Jacksonville Jaguars the past four years, will be just 26 years old and might hold intrigue, though he was placed on injured reserve toward the end of the season.
Bottom Line
Lessons that have to be learned from John Elway's time in making personnel decisions need to be followed here.
Twice he signed players (Stephenson and Watson) to a long-term deal when they had a small sample size of starts. If the Broncos intend to go with a player who has just a handful of starts, they must avoid a multi-year deal and keep it at one year and at a low cost.
The other lesson is to be wary of committing top dollar to a player who isn't elite, particularly if he's had an injury history. The latter, of course, applies to James, but even if you remove that aspect, the Broncos paid a solid starter like he was one of the best at his position.
Looking at GM George Paton's first year with the Broncos, there were a couple of free agent moves that didn't pan out as expected, but the good news is, for the most part, he minimized the long-term risk. I would hope that continues.
As far as what's the best move to make if the Broncos sign a free agent right tackle, an older veteran makes more sense because he's likely to come cheaper. The other option is to sit out the market and wait to see who among the depth players is worth adding.
Regardless, the Broncos are likely to look at the draft for the position as well. It would be smart to do so, because Denver might stand a better chance at finding the long-term player it needs.
In the next installment of our offseason preview, we'll consider a position at which the Broncos have multiple pending free agents: off-ball linebacker.
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Broncos' 2022 Free-Agent Offensive Tackle Options - Sports Illustrated
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