The Denver Broncos opted not to re-sign center Matt Paradis during NFL free agency, allowing him to sign with the Carolina Panthers. With Paradis gone, the Broncos are moving Connor McGovern to center.
Denver signed right tackle Ja’Wuan James during free agency, replacing Jared Veldheer (who remains unsigned at the time of his writing). The Broncos gave James a three-year, $51 million contract. That’s a big commitment and a sign that the team is serious about upgrading the offensive line.
After acquiring a new quarterback in Joe Flacco, general manager John Elway is now tasked with building a line to protect him.
“Without a doubt, we’re trying to get continuity in there,” Elway said during a press conference Friday. “It’s a goal of ours. With Ron [Leary] coming back, he’ll be at left guard. We have Eli [Wilkinson] at right guard now with Connor at center. We still have a ways to go with Mike Munchak, who is the offensive line coach as well with [assistant coach] Chris Kuper coming back.
“We feel like they’ll get comfortable with each other. We’ll continue to try and improve. There is no question that it is very important for us to try and protect Joe. Having played that position, if you give them protection, chances of being successful are a lot better.”
Former Broncos quarterback Case Keenum was sacked 34 times in 2018. Denver’s new-look offensive line will aim to do a better job when protecting Flacco in 2019.
