Sneak peek at
Pro Football Weekly’s Preview 2000

Analysis of Denver's offensive line

June 20, 2000

Editor’s note: What follows is an excerpt from Pro Football Weekly’s Preview 2000 magazine, which hits the newsstands July 5. This is PFW personnel analyst Joel Buchsbaum’s analysis of the Broncos' offensive line. Buchsbaum analyzes all 31 teams in Preview 2000. Once a week, we’ll showcase a different excerpt from the magazine on ProFootballWeekly.com.

Alex Gibbs is one of the game’s great teachers and OL coaches. The Broncos’ two best linemen are Tom Nalen, who was a seventh-round draft pick, and Tony Jones, who was not drafted.

Nalen is one of the league’s two or three best centers despite being undersized. He plays with great leverage and understanding of angles and has quickness of mind, feet and body. Jones was a find that Bill Belichick’s Cleveland staff developed, but he has raised his game another notch since coming to Denver and moving to left tackle after Gary Zimmerman retired. ORT Matt Lepsis was a tight end in college and still has a way to go.

At guard, Mark Schlereth is a medical marvel who has had more than two dozen surgeries after being rated as a medical risk when he came out of college in ’89. He is a tough guy and a warrior who knows all the tricks. Dan Neil is a pumped-up overachiever at the other OG slot. Trey Teague, who filled in at left tackle when Jones was hurt last year, is highly regarded by Gibbs, but he really struggled last season.

The bottom line on this unit is that it seems every back whom the Broncos put behind this line produces, and when Jones is in the lineup, the pass protection is generally very good. Rookie Cooper Carlisle will provide depth both at tackle and guard and could eventually start. He is very smart and versatile.

Offensive line's grade: A

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