It's that time of the year again. Mile High Report begins our annual 90 players in 90 days roster breakdown. Last year went fairly well, but now through August, we'll break down every player on the Denver Broncos roster.
Name: Aaron Neary
Position: Offensive Guard
Height: 6'4" Weight: 300
Age: 23 Experience: R
College: Eastern Washington
Offensive guard Aaron Neary is a name Denver Broncos fans might want to remember. He is a long shot to make the roster, but he might just be the perfect fit for Gary Kubiak’s zone blocking scheme.
His learning curve and adjustment to the pro game means he’ll need to show enough during training camp to earn a year of tutelage on the Broncos practice squad. There are 10 spots and roughly 30-40 guys vying for them, so nothing is guaranteed for the young undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington.
The good
Neary is a former high school basketball star with quality footwork. His strengths included lateral movement and short pulls. His athleticism for his size while on the move is what makes him a very intriguing prospect for the Broncos in the long-term. He will need to develop into that elite-style zone blocker that Kubiak loves.
The bad
He lacks core strength. Many scouts felt he would never be able to carry enough “good weight” around his midsection, where a lineman's core power would come from. Again, this does not matter as much for players in the zone scheme. He just needs to be strong enough at times, which is something he has shown he could do in spurts - just not for 60 minutes.
Quotable
Neary shows his football smarts by recognizing his strengths and weaknesses in a post-draft interview. He knows he has his best shot to make an NFL roster with the Denver Broncos and the blocking scheme they run.
“This is a huge step in reaching the dreams I’ve had since I was a kid,” said Neary, who grew up in Mattawa, north of Hanford, Washington. “This is great, but no way am I going to be content until I make that final cut in the fall.”
“I want to be a Bronco for the whole year,” said Neary, a 6-foot-4, 300-pounder who says his versatility caught the attention of Denver scouts. Neary, who played all positions at Eastern, said he could play guard or center.
Neary added that Denver has a reputation for valuing athleticism over size on the O-line. “That’s important for me,” Neary said.
Roster status
Before I sat down to write this post, I kind of assume he was just going to be another guy. However, he has grown on me. It will all come down to how he performs during training camp.
I expect him to ultimately face cut day, but I predict that he’ll do enough on the practice field and show enough athleticism to find himself on the practice squad.