The NFL draft board fell perfectly in ’s lap. And he fumbled it.
With a big, winning smile, Elway claimed he got his man, left tackle Garett Bolles. Bolles is older than Gary Zimmerman but not half as good. OK, maybe it was what the Broncos had to do with the 20th overall pick, because their offensive line is a hot mess. So Elway swallowed hard and ate his vegetables.
Bolles is 297 pounds of peas and carrots. Forgive me when I say “yuck.”
Weren’t we told the Broncos were hungry for some tasty juice? Sitting there for Elway to grab all evening long, sliding toward Denver, tantalizing us all, was a playmaker that could have been the new bestie to young quarterbacks and . Alabama tight end O.J. Howard is going to be a beast in the red zone and a Pro Bowler. He went one pick before Denver was on a clock, to Tampa Bay.
Was Elway, with a history of wheeling and dealing on draft day, asleep at the switch? Or were the Broncos so desperate for an offensive lineman that Elway couldn’t think straight?
Yes, I know, apounty. In Elway we trust.
Can I pour you another tall, refreshing glass of orange Kool-Aid?
Elway hasn’t exactly been on a roll since 50. He traded up in the 2016 draft for Lynch, who couldn’t get on the field. After a 4-0 start, the Broncos missed the playoffs. His good friend hung up his coaching whistle and went home to Texas.
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who’s from Denver, took the money and went to Jacksonville in free agency, for crying out loud. Itap no secret that Broncos management and fans alike coveted local hero and Stanford running back in the draft. But Elway couldn’t figure out any way to trade up and pull off that miracle, as McCaffrey joined our old buddy in Carolina.
One more thing: With Elway in the final year of his contract, what in the world are the Broncos waiting for to extend his deal? Can Broncos president slap a franchise tag on his general manager?
Bolles is the new father of a beautiful baby and the author of a beautiful story, saving himself from a past of alcohol, gangs and petty crimes. Itap also fair to mention, however, that Bolles only played a single season of major-college football, and he turns 25 years old next month, which makes him less than three months younger than , the third-year pro that will compete with him for the starting job at left tackle.
The Broncos, however, drafted Bolles to win the job. If Denver wants to get back in the Super Bowl hunt, they need Bolles to contribute as a rookie.
“If Garett turns out to be what we think he is, he solves a big problem for us for a long time. And thatap left tackle. You know how valuable that is,” Elway said.
The Broncos looked at Bolles’ age as a good reason to draft him, taking it as a sign he’s mature and already man strong. So is it too much to expect him to start on opening night against the Los Angeles Chargers?
“I plan to start as soon as possible. Thatap my goal. They wouldn’t have drafted with such a high pick (unless) they have a lot of respect for me and they expect me to come in and work hard,” Bolles said. “I don’t know whatap going to happen, but you can count on me to come in and work my butt off.”
Here’s what makes me go, “hmmm.”
With the 20th pick, Denver got Bolles. Eleven picks later, San Francisco 49ers rookie general manager John Lynch selected Reuben Foster, the Alabama linebacker that has drawn comparisons to Ray Lewis and Luke Kuechly.
Foster had red flags. He got sent home from the NFL combine and there were medical concerns about his shoulder. Players slide down the draft board for a reason.
Elway played it safe with Bolles. Lynch went for the gusto with Foster.
At age 56, is Elway older and wiser than his days as a Hall of Fame quarterback? Or has the old gunslinger lost his nerve, not to mention his Midas touch, as a general manager?
