Broncos’ offensive linemen promising an OL that ‘won’t take crap from anyone’

It’s all about the offensive line these days (not ball bearings as some might have believed), and The Afternoon Drive guys are loving the seemingly “tough guy” mentality returning to Denver’s squad.

Third-year guard Max Garcia spoke to the media today after the first day of Phase II OTAs and said his definition of a tougher offensive line is “pretty much not taking crap from anyone.”

That would be nice change of pace for a unit that took crap from just about everybody the last two years.

“Whether it be going against our defense or just going against anybody that lines up next to us, really just not taking any crap,” Garcia said, noting that he’ll be moving to right guard so new free agent Ronald Leary can stay at his more comfortable left guard position. “Just going in there, playing our game and running things.”

Garcia also thinks this tougher style of play which will mostly be plugged into a power scheme will benefit his play.

“I’m going to be able to prosper a little bit more and just be able to use my physicality a little bit more,” he said. “[We’ll] be able to play a more vertical game instead of playing horizontally.”

Considering those words along with recent ones from rookie tackle Garett Bolles that he “wants to put people in the dirt” and knowing that Leary was a tough guy on a great Dallas line has Les Shapiro encouraged. While Eric Goodman doesn’t see Bolles putting anyone in the NFL “in the dirt” right away, he conceded that with a learning curve and some added weight, Bolles could fit in fine.

“He’ll be over 300 pounds, and athletic and with an attitude...he’ll be just fine,” Shapiro said. “Oh, and he’s going to win that starting job.”

And even though talk is cheap compared to play on the field, the message so far is an encouraging one for Broncos fans. Especially since veteran left tackle Leary will be playing next to Bolles.

“The best thing about having Leary at left guard?” Shapiro asked (aside from it being Leary’s most comfortable position. “It’ll be the best thing for Bolles. ...[Leary] will communicate with him, he will remind him about physical play and he will help him at left tackle. I like that a lot.”

Leary noted in his time in front of the media on Tuesday he’s already impressed with Bolles, who “is already in the playbook.”

“Everybody just needs to be pushed more and just work harder and that’s what we’re trying to do as a group. It’s not an individual thing, it’s always as a group on everything with the o-line,” Leary said. “We’re just going to try to get that mentality that we’re physical, that we don’t take anything from anybody. I think once we develop that in the offseason, it will carry over to the season.”