Not pursuing offensive tackle Jason Peters is a baffling decision by the Broncos

As the days go by, it appears more and more that the Broncos are not interested in signing former Eagles left tackle Jason Peters. Peters is a multi-time Pro Bowl and All Pro selection.

He is 38 and has had recent injuries, but the Broncos not pursuing him is baffling. Especially with the team’s uncertainty at the tackle position.

The offensive tackle position for the Broncos is currently a big question mark. The Broncos did not extend Garett Bolles the fifth-year option, which tells everyone what they think of him, Elijah Wilkinson is unproven, and who knows what they’ll get with Ja’Wuan James.

Peters would provide stability at the position. To be effective for the Broncos, Peters doesn’t have to be the best offensive lineman in the NFL. He just needs to be reliable. The Broncos need somebody they can trust. Peters could provide just that.

Some people are predicting Bolles will break out next season. That’s a Hail Mary of a prediction.

There is no evidence that Bolles can be trusted. True, he was better for five games at the end of last season, but that’s only five games. It’s not realistic to take two full seasons and 11 games of poor play and just throw it out the window because he had a solid five games.

Bolles has shown some guts over the years. He has faced more criticism and ridicule than any player I’ve ever seen play for the Broncos. Sometimes, the criticism is too much. Sometimes, it’s justified. There is a strong effort from Bolles; it has just continually failed to translate over three seasons. He’s not the guy.

The Broncos used the 2020 draft to provide Drew Lock with more weapons. John Elway has taken some criticism for not improving the offensive tackle. Signing Peters will provide him a proven option and make his offense that much more of a challenge for opponents.

Lock needs to be protected and signing Peters is a no brainer at this point.

In 2000, Brian Griese was heading into his second season as the Broncos starting quarterback. He was 6-10 in his first season as a starter, but was ready to take the next step as legitimate starter.

I say it constantly, but Griese’s play in 2000 was one of the best quarterbacking performances in Broncos history. Griese had a 64 percent completion percentage, threw for 2,688 yards and 19 touchdowns, tossed just four interceptions, and had a rating of 102.9.

Those numbers would be higher, but he was injured and only played in 10 games. Griese injured his shoulder on a play where he scrambled out of the pocket. He was out for the rest of the season.

Griese was a Pro Bowl selection in 2000 despite only playing in 10 games. That’s how impressive he looked.

Prior to the injury, Griese showed both The Broncos and fans that he could be the heir apparent to John Elway. The injury derailed the whole thing.

He would be the starter for the team in 2001 and 2002, but his performance was inconsistent at best. After the shoulder injury, Griese was never the same. He was never able to recapture the quality of play he displayed in 2000.

Griese played behind a great offensive line in Denver. He was injured on a quarterback scramble, not even a sack.

Drew Lock is playing behind an offensive line that does not come close to the quality of what Griese played behind. As it stands now, Lock will be under more pressure next season than Griese was during his time in Denver.

The Broncos have tripped over every coffee table in the room trying to find a franchise quarterback to replace Peyton Manning. After years of mediocre-to-bad quarterback play, they finally stumbled into their guy in Lock. Now that they have their quarterback, they need to take advantage of this opportunity to improve his likelihood of having a long career in Denver.

Peters won’t break the bank. It would likely be a one-year deal. It’s not going to be a contract the team spends years suffering from cap hits or dead money. That’s why it’s confusing the Broncos haven’t made a move to sign Jason Peters.

One hit on Lock could ruin everything. Not just this season but maybe beyond.

Griese’s 2000 season was outstanding, but it was also his last outstanding performance.

Ten years from now, Broncos Country wants Lock to still be dazzling them with great plays. Ten years from now Broncos Country does not want to be saying, “What if Lock never got injured?”

The Broncos putting their faith in Bolles, James and Wilkinson is a gamble. There is zero evidence that any of those three players can be consistent through 16 games. If the hits start to pile up on Lock or he gets injured, we will all begin to question why the Broncos didn’t sign Peters.

Elway has signed veterans like Keith Brooking, Shaun Phillips and Evan Mathis to one-year contracts in the past. All three guys were at the end of their careers, but they managed to play in all 16 games in their one season with the Broncos. They weren’t their once dominant selves, but they were reliable and steady for the Broncos. All three could be trusted and the team didn’t have to worry about them being a liability.

Peters would provide that same veteran presence.

The Broncos and Elway deserve credit for their attempts to improve the offensive line. They have continually used free agency and draft resources to try and make the offensive line more competitive. The availability of Peters is a luxury and another opportunity to fix a unit that has been cursed for the last five seasons.

The Broncos have had a very good offseason and signing Peters would make it a home run. I’m not sure if the hang up is age or money. Neither matters. It’s one season and Elway can ease the anxiety of Lock getting injured by adding Peters to the roster.

Whatever reason they have for not signing Peters is not good enough. Sign him.