Draft, trade options for Elway to ‘fix’ Broncos left tackle spot

At the NFL owner’s meetings in Arizona this week, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said the club will have a fix when it comes to left tackle.

Certainly, Denver will need to fill the hole left by outgoing starting left tackle Russell Okung. But it’s not as if Elway and company haven’t noticed the need to upgrade to protect the quarterback’s blindside.

“We’ll have a solution. It’s not fixed yet but it doesn’t have to be fixed yet. We’ll continue to work on it. We’re aware of that problem. We’ll do the best thing big-picture-wise for the Broncos,” Elway said.

But when will that “fix” come?

“There are always options. I think some are better than others, obviously. It’s kind of funny how as soon as one option becomes available that’s the fix. We still have many months in front of us to do the best we can to fill that and that’s what we’ll do,” Elway said.

Mike Klis, 9New Broncos Insider, told 104.3 The Fan on Tuesday, however, that he believes “within the first two days of the draft, the Broncos left tackle will become apparent.”

“I just don’t know if it’s draft or trade. It doesn’t look, to me, like it’ll be a free agent signing,” Klis said.

Notable free agents available now include King Dunlap, released by the Los Angeles Chargers to make room for Okung, and former Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady, who was released by the New York Jets ahead of free agency.

And more players could become available as positions get filled and draft picks are selected.

Should Denver fail to address the problem otherwise, Klis said Plan B would likely be either Donald Stephenson, who could start tomorrow for the Broncos if needed, or Ty Sambrailo.

“I think Sambrailo, they’re going to look at back at left tackle this year, by the way, and hope, after getting some work in the weight room, he can get things back together now that he’s healthy for the first time in a couple of years,” Klis said.

But Plan A, as it stands now, is to bring in “another guy who is a true left tackle,” Klis said.

“I just don’t know if that’s in the first two rounds of the draft or trade (during) the draft. And I would bet on one of those two things,” Klis said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.