After opting to not re-sign Bobby Massie during free agency this offseason, the Denver Broncos plan to have an open competition at right tackle this summer.
Denver’s staff has said Billy Turner, Tom Compton and Calvin Anderson are all competing for the open position, and offensive coordinator Justin Outten said last month that he’s been pleased with the players buying into the team’s offensive scheme.
“I think those guys have stepped up to the plate,” Outten said on June 14. “I think asking those guys to run off of the ball typically when they’re not used to that and going out of their element a little bit and going into the unknown. I talked to the offense today about trusting the whole process and trusting the scheme.
“We’ll never put them in a situation where it’s going to hurt them or try to put them in a bind. Getting those guys to buy in — I thought that they did a really good job of stepping up and giving us really good time in the pocket. In the run game, it’s really coming along with those guys on the edge.”
Outten did not mention that Turner spent the last three years playing in this system under Nathaniel Hackett with the Green Bay Packers. He also didn’t mention that Compton spent last year with the San Francisco 49ers under Denver’s new offensive line coach, Tom Compton.
Turner and Compton already having experience in the system and familiarity with the coaching staff will undoubtedly give them a leg up in the competition. That might also mean that Outten’s praise was largely directed toward Anderson given that he’s the one that’s actually in an unfamiliar offense (Turner, by the way, is also currently sidelined while recovering from a knee injury).
Turner has to be considered the early favorite given his starting experience, but Anderson could be a dark horse to watch for, especially if the Broncos decide to play Turner as a guard instead of at tackle. Compton’s also a versatile player who could play at either guard or tackle.
We can make projections now about who will win the job, but it will ultimately come down to who performs the best during training camp and preseason later this summer. May the best tackle win.
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