Garett Bolles

[broncosfan_101]

Alright, let’s hash it out once and for all on the biggest lightning rod on the roster.

[BroncoBruin]

Pick up the option. I don’t want to be desperate for a tackle next year. 

[champ11]

you guys + the draft have convinced me. I would pick up the option and worst case scenario you have an expensive swing tackle. 

[germ-x]

Pick up the option.  I’m not opposed to an extension either.

[AnAngryAmerican]

I think it depends upon what kind of deal we could get for him on a long-term extension. If we can get him locked down for, say, three years, then I would go that route. Even if you can find an upgrade at the right price he can be a serviceable backup. So that would be my first choice but it would depend upon the price. 

Second choice would be just pickup the extension as I would hate to see a repeat of 2017, coincidentally when we drafted him because we were forced into taking an OT with our first pick

[BroncoBruin]

I know these guys almost never hit the market, but the 2021 class of free agent left tackles is stacked. 

But the Tunsil contract blew the market wide open. Thanks Bill O’Brien. 

[broncofan48]

15 minutes ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

I think it depends upon what kind of deal we could get for him on a long-term extension. If we can get him locked down for, say, three years, then I would go that route. Even if you can find an upgrade at the right price he can be a serviceable backup. So that would be my first choice but it would depend upon the price. 

Second choice would be just pickup the extension as I would hate to see a repeat of 2017, coincidentally when we drafted him because we were forced into taking an OT with our first pick

The second part is big, if there is no Bolles on the roster Elway will either pay up big in FA anyways or then be pigeonholed into drafting one round 1.   
 

Pick up the option for sure and possible a modest extension would be appropriate imo

[broncos_fan _from _uk]

35 minutes ago, champ11 said:

you guys + the draft have convinced me. I would pick up the option and worst case scenario you have an expensive swing tackle. 

Honestly $11m isn’t even that expensive for a good swing tackle.

[broncos67]

Pick up the option. Even if he's the swing tackle, it's the right move.

[iLikeDefense]

Pick it up! 

[broncosfan_101]

1 hour ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

Honestly $11m isn’t even that expensive for a good swing tackle.

It is when you’re paying $15M for your starting RT. Does the team really think there’s a project OT on the roster that’s capable of becoming a starter? The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am that Elway didn’t draft even a project tackle. If Ja’Wuan is permanently lost in his own body, we’re pretty much looking down the barrel in negotiations with Bolles (and/or another FA tackle), PLUS needing to spend a high pick on an instant starter in 2021. Unless Risner or Rodgers are viewed as potential answers outside? I can’t imagine.

[AKRNA]

1 hour ago, broncosfan_101 said:

It is when you’re paying $15M for your starting RT. Does the team really think there’s a project OT on the roster that’s capable of becoming a starter? The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am that Elway didn’t draft even a project tackle. If Ja’Wuan is permanently lost in his own body, we’re pretty much looking down the barrel in negotiations with Bolles (and/or another FA tackle), PLUS needing to spend a high pick on an instant starter in 2021. Unless Risner or Rodgers are viewed as potential answers outside? I can’t imagine.

So, we're back to what the draft and FA tell us. We've now invested huge amounts of draft capitol on offensive skill players. Quite possibly the best young group in the league. We've also added the deepest strongest talent we've had in decades in the IOL. I don't believe at all that they're going all in like that and leave a revolving door at RT or LT for that matter. 

Right now on our PS we've got two kids that were 4 year starters in college, Bailey, RT at ASU and Anderson, 3 years starting at LT at Rice and 1 at Texas. Risner was an All American at RT, and I seriously doubt we drafted him as a LG, the easiest spot on the OL to fill. Schlottman was an all state LT in Texas, recruited for that spot at TCU, but was forced into a starting center role due to an injury to the starter.

Munch and Kuper have no delusions about what it takes to play in this league. If they didn't think they had the solutions on the roster I think they would've made some draft noise.

A lot will probably depend on how long it takes our rookies to get to speed in the IOL, but I think we'll see some roster position changes this year.

[Cutler06]

Pick up the option, at $11M for a starting LT that's a good price. It will also allow us to see if he's worth an extension. The 5 games stretch Lock was QB was nice enough but two things. 1) He was protected in those games, given TE/RB help along with limited time he had to block given most of Drew's plays were of a 3-5 step drops  2) He will be under a new scheme going from a Zone to a Power blocking scheme, how well can he adapt ?

We even have to see if Bolles can beat out Wilkerson (whose strength tend to lean more towards the Power scheme than Bolles), although I think he should be able to. We will also be able to see if he can reduce his penalties though the season, does the scheme benefit this or does he continue with the mental mistakes. 

Either way, picking up the option will keep him at a cost-controlled level and we can trade him if need be.

 

 

[AnAngryAmerican]

21 minutes ago, Cutler06 said:

Pick up the option, at $11M for a starting LT that's a good price. It will also allow us to see if he's worth an extension. The 5 games stretch Lock was QB was nice enough but two things. 1) He was protected in those games, given TE/RB help along with limited time he had to block given most of Drew's plays were of a 3-5 step drops  2) He will be under a new scheme going from a Zone to a Power blocking scheme, how well can he adapt ?

We even have to see if Bolles can beat out Wilkerson (whose strength tend to lean more towards the Power scheme than Bolles), although I think he should be able to. We will also be able to see if he can reduce his penalties though the season, does the scheme benefit this or does he continue with the mental mistakes. 

Either way, picking up the option will keep him at a cost-controlled level and we can trade him if need be

There's others here who can speak on this better than I can, but I don't believe the shift from a zone-based scheme to one that uses more power blocking is as much of an impact on the tackles as it is on the interior lineman. An athletic OT, which Bolles unquestionably is, can thrive in either scheme.

Really at this point there isn't much that can be done from a schematic or coaching standpoint to change Bolles, as we've all said, his flaws are very much mental and thus it is up to him and him alone to correct them. It's not like doesn't know what his assignment is on each play, he does, it's not that he's a turnstile who needs his footwork improved, he doesn't, it's not like he needs to learn a new trick or technique on how to handle edge rushers, he has the skills to do that as much as virtually any LT in the league. He needs to be disciplined in his technique rather get lazy and sloppy and thus commit penalties and he needs to be able to shake off a bad play and not let defensive players or the refs or fans get in his head. That's on Garrett himself, not Munchak or Shurmur or anyone else. 

Edited April 30, 2020 by AnAngryAmerican

[AKRNA]

32 minutes ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

There's others here who can speak on this better than I can, but I don't believe the shift from a zone-based scheme to one that uses more power blocking is as much of an impact on the tackles as it is on the interior lineman. An athletic OT, which Bolles unquestionably is, can thrive in either scheme.

Really at this point there isn't much that can be done from a schematic or coaching standpoint to change Bolles, as we've all said, his flaws are very much mental and thus it is up to him and him alone to correct them. It's not like doesn't know what his assignment is on each play, he does, it's not that he's a turnstile who needs his footwork improved, he doesn't, it's not like he needs to learn a new trick or technique on how to handle edge rushers, he has the skills to do that as much as virtually any LT in the league. He needs to be disciplined in his technique rather get lazy and sloppy and thus commit penalties and he needs to be able to shake off a bad play and not let defensive players or the refs or fans get in his head. That's on Garrett himself, not Munchak or Shurmur or anyone else. 

Those are all good points. His penalties I think may be more easily correctable than we think. 

Last year it was either @BroncoBruin or @germ-x, maybe both that pointed out how often his penalties are absolutely needless and often late. I got really curious, dug around and finally saw most of them. They were right. These weren't the Wilkerson type holds, tackling a guy when he's racing past you on the way to the QB. All but a couple occurred after his job was done and done successfully. IE: Hanging on to a guy when he's trying to break off and chase the play downfield, that sort of thing. He just doesn't know when his jobs done. 

When you watch him alot he rarely gets beat, he and Bosa have some classic battles. Speed or power rushers, he's really good against both, and is probably top 5-10 in the running game. 

I read earlier this year that he'd hired a guy to help him with "offensive philosophy" to gain a better understanding of an overall picture. If he can get that we'll have an excellent LT for as long as we can keep him.

 

PS; The Wilkerson competition is pretty much a joke. Maybe the FO thinks it'll inspire him but as far as thinking Wilkerson can play LT in this league, well, that's delusional. He'd easily garner a double-double his first year. 10+ sacks and 10+ holds.

Edited April 30, 2020 by AKRNA