clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Free agent tackle Jake Long to visit Broncos

Free agent tackle Jake Long will make the trip from New York to Denver to visit with the Broncos.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Free agent tackle Jake Long has ended his second visit with the New York Giants without a contract, reports New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano.

Now more than a few fans of the Denver Broncos have made this move in their heads, most likely prior to the draft.

Long is a 30-year-old, 6'7", 322-pound left tackle who played for Michigan. He is a four-time Pro Bowler (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011) who was the No. 1 pick overall by the Miami Dolphins in 2008.

Long played right tackle and left tackle in college but immediately became the Dolphins' starting left tackle upon being drafted.

Long received an extension offer from the Dolphins and an offer from the St. Louis Rams in 2013. He signed a four-year, $36 million contact with the Rams. Long tore is ACL in back-to-back seasons and again for the second time in his career in October 2014. He was released by the Rams on March 9 this spring to avoid costing the Rams $10 million against the cap.

Which is ironic, because Michael Schofield is also a tackle from Michigan who could possibly be competing for his job on the Broncos with Long now.

The real thinking comes here - is Long depth or is Denver trying to band-aid a weak tackle position? And if so, one has to wonder if it's the left side where the team is currently slated to start a second-round rookie in Ty Sambrailo.

Or is this all just a way to get Sambrailo back over to right tackle? Would he even beat out Chris Clark?

Regardless, drafting Sambrailo and Schofield in consecutive drafts and having to bring in a free agent three days before camp leads to even more questions about the way this team has drafted.