JaWuan James has opted out per source. Broncos lose RT for year.

[Hadez]

Hard part about moving on from James is there is no “moving on” because of the cap implications.

This years salary of $10M just gets moved to next year. And his buy out gets pushed to the year after. WhIch is complicated because it has a $6m dead cap attached.

So “moving on” implications is two years after this season at best. Can’t cut him, can’t play him, can’t trade him. Awesome!

Just focusing on how this problem gets resolved for this season is probably best to move on to. Great advice.

Has anyone heard any rumors of possible free agent or trade options? Please share. I can only hope that silence means Elway has something brewing. At least I hope so.

I do not have time to go through all the rosters but anyone who has acquired a OT this off-season and still has one with a large cap hit may be willing to trade the guy with a large cap hit....which is ok for us because we now all the sudden have LOTS of cap.

[samparnell]

For a moment I was wondering if someone else was thinking "hey we roll this guys cap to next year and that will help us deal with the 19 mil cap hit when we release him in 2021!"

Then I remembered that thought was as crazy as I figured when I first had it. I think you mean something else

Who?

[FR Tim]

Free agent possibilities include: Cordy Glenn, Demar Dotson, Jared Veldheer, Donald Penn, LaAdrian Waddle, Jordan Mills, J'Marcus Webb, Marshall Newhouse, T.J. Clemmings, etc.

I was thinking more in the lines of someone heard a rumor that Elway had reached out to a team or specific player.

Not a very inspiring list but maybe one or two better then I am thinking. That is assuming someone from the Broncos is actually making the calls about any of them.

[lvbronx]

If this was posted before, sorry, but in case no one heard both Wilkinson and Muti were activated from each's injury list.

[GMTD]

It's not all that surprising that someone with an injury history would have a more direct fear of Covid19 than others who have always been fit and healthy.

[dgobronco]

If Eli is in the five, he can play inside or outside. Munchak will put each of the five at his best spot. Wilkinson had seven starts at RG in 2018 and looked OK. Last year he was pretty shaky at RT, especially in pass protection. If Denver signs a veteran Tackle, I doubt Eli will be in the five. In that scenario he would probably be active on game day as the Swing Tackle, unless Munchak thinks one of the other guys is better outside.

It seems they want an interior of "Route 66", Cushenberry and GG. Risner is a possibility at T, but one that is probably a contingency plan. We have no preseason games to see these guys in action against another team. When the roster is set with a depth chart, we'll have a better idea of Munchak's evaluation.

Muti's health and Munchak's evaluation of him will be a factor in possible shuffles. In the event Cushenberry is the starting Center, I'm inclined to doubt Munchak would want two rookies next to each other. Circumstances may dictate otherwise as the season unfolds, if a full season transpires.

Agreed a lot depends on who the team picks up and where/if Muti fits in. The reasons I think they may stick with Wilkinson are familiarity with the system, coaches, and players, reports of his coachability and progression, the fact he was given the opportunity to compete for the starting LT with Bolles this offseason (I'm assuming that's no longer the case with James opting out), and availability of (or lack of) better options. This is pure speculation on my part, but I would think they'd want to keep the upgraded interior intact rather than shift Risner outside and possibly create a weak spot inside.

[samparnell]

Agreed a lot depends on who the team picks up and where/if Muti fits in. The reasons I think they may stick with Wilkinson are familiarity with the system, coaches, and players, reports of his coachability and progression, the fact he was given the opportunity to compete for the starting LT with Bolles this offseason (I'm assuming that's no longer the case with James opting out), and availability of (or lack of) better options. This is pure speculation on my part, but I would think they'd want to keep the upgraded interior intact rather than shift Risner outside and possibly create a weak spot inside.

Wilkinson had twelve starts and came off the bench in three others, so he played in most of fifteen games. He can get better, worse or stay the same at RT. Under Munchak, who seems to like him, I'm inclined to think he'll improve given all the upgrades on the offense. Playing between Glasgow and Fant/Vannett and with Lock at QB will help a lot. Lock himself will benefit from an upgraded receiver corps.

Wilkinson back to RT brings up the issue of Swing Tackle. Unless other players are brought in, we're looking at Jake Rodgers, Calvin Anderson, Quinn Bailey or Hunter Watts. Watts will probably end up on the PS. Don't know how Jake would do on the left. We won't be able to see them in preseason games, so we'll just wait for the roster and depth chart.

If the starting O-Line is Bolles- "Route 66" - Cushenberry - Glasgow - Eli W., wonder who number six will be? If he stays healthy and takes to Munchak's coaching, it might be Muti. However, he's most likely a Guard only. I'm sure Munchak has shuffles for every contingency including Risner to RT. Denver will have at least eight O-Linemen, maybe more, and Munchak will have them all ready.

[listopencil]

Pissing, moaning, whining, crying, bellyaching, bickering and arguing about Ja'Wuan James will get real old real fast.

I think we should just stick to grumbling, griping, and fussing.

Grousing and bleating?

I plan on harping, nagging, groaning, blustering, and complaining so I'll be looking forward to doing that.

[samparnell]

I plan on harping, nagging, groaning, blustering, and complaining so I'll be looking forward to doing that.

Don't forget excoriating.

[EddieMac]

Don't forget excoriating.

That’s a good one!

[Hadez]

I plan on harping, nagging, groaning, blustering, and complaining so I'll be looking forward to doing that.

That is one of the fun parts of football....one fan may see complaining and another fan will see hitting the nail on the head!

[johnlimburg]

An unforeseen circumstance yes, but the guy was never going to be reliable regardless. A once-solid player who has had his toughness publicly questioned after cashing in on a stupidly inflated contract he should have never been given. Said it when it happened and panned out to be a disappointment, no hindsight was needed to call this one a bad decision. I am not very excited to trot out two duds at either end of the offensive line. Drew Lock better get those legs ready, and Shurmur better get the quick passing game in a rhythm early and often. Fun to have all the flashy toys, but our edges are going to be a problem, again.

[samparnell]

An unforeseen circumstance yes, but the guy was never going to be reliable regardless. A once-solid player who has had his toughness publicly questioned after cashing in on a stupidly inflated contract he should have never been given. Said it when it happened and panned out to be a disappointment, no hindsight was needed to call this one a bad decision. I am not very excited to trot out two duds at either end of the offensive line. Drew Lock better get those legs ready, and Shurmur better get the quick passing game in a rhythm early and often. Fun to have all the flashy toys, but our edges are going to be a problem, again.

What are you predicting for the O-Line this season?

[lvbronx]

If I understand the situation correctly, I don't think it's that big of a deal. His contract is just moved to next year when he'll play under the same terms as this year. He'll have an extra year to heal and we'll get the same year of service as if he played this year....before we move on. I think the year off may do him some good.

[johnlimburg]

What are you predicting for the O-Line this season?

Too many unknowns to predict what is going to happen across the 3 interiors positions. But with Wilkerson and Bolles on the edges a lot of quick pressures where both men are instantly beaten by edge defenders. So the exact same issues we have seen with them in every look they have had in the NFL. I expect a quick passing attack though which hopefully takes away the pressure from the weakest area of the football team, the offensive line.