Before Ja’Wuan James opted out of the season, the Broncos were planning to have Garett Bolles and Elijah Wilkinson compete at left tackle this summer. Bolles would have been the favorite but competition for his job likely would have been good for him.
Wilkinson is now set to start at right tackle in the place of James and Bolles won’t have much competition on the left side.
“Right now, to be honest with you, I would have to say it’s his [job] to lose,” coach Vic Fangio said during a Zoom conference call on Aug. 4.
Bolles has averaged almost one penalty per game in his career but he showed signs of improvement in Denver’s last five games last season. Fangio is hoping the 28-year-old tackle will build on that improvement.
“I think he took a step last year during the season,” Fangio said. “He played better the last half — the last third of the season — than he did in the early part of the season. I think he’s had his best offseason as far as where he’s at. He had a really productive offseason as it comes to physical workouts. I think he’s in a better place mentally and emotionally than he’s ever been in in this time of the year.”
Bolles will also be entering his second year playing under offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who has helped linemen overachieve in the past.
“I think we all sense that he’s in a better spot in all areas than he has been in his past,” Fangio said. “He’s gotten bigger. I think he’s gotten more knowledgeable. I think he’s ready. Can I guarantee it? No, we’ll all see when we start playing real games, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
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