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According to Stephen Holder who covers the Indianapolis Colts for The Athletic, he notes that the Denver Broncos are “very interested” in former Chicago Bears left tackle Charles Leno Jr.
To be clear regarding Denver, they are very interested in *Leno*. I can’t speak to their potential interest in Fisher. Not sure about that.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 5, 2021
The Colts are also in the market for an offensive tackle and have a visit lined up with former Chiefs left tackle, Eric Fisher. Holder says Fisher’s physical is key and if he fails, the Colts could turn their attention towards Leno. However, he is hearing that the Broncos are “very interested” in signing the former Bears left tackle.
As we know, the Broncos already have visits lined up with former Titans right tackle Dennis Kelly and former Bears right tackle Bobby Massie. However, no reported visit for Leno has been reported and/or scheduled as of yet.
He has spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears before being surprisingly released after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s an 8 year NFL veteran who’s listed at 6-3, 316lbs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Charles Leno Jr. was graded as their best 28th offensive tackle in the league last season. He was given a 70.0 pass-blocking grade and a 74.2 run-blocking grade. He committed 6 penalties in total last season and was responsible for 5 sacks.
Leno was the left tackle for the Bears during Vic Fangio’s tenure with the Bears so he has some familiarity with him as well. Also, General Manager George Paton is familiar with the NFC North during his time with the Vikings, so he would know the type of player Leno Jr. is as well.
Leno has always been a left tackle, but I think this would be a great signing for the Broncos. He is a good, not a great offensive tackle and someone who could potentially add some short-term stability at the position. I don’t think it’s farfetched to say the Broncos would be in a better situation with Leno at right tackle than with Ja’Wuan James coming off basically two missed seasons plus his injury concerns.
Unless Mitchell Schwartz’s back injury has a good prognosis, this would be my ideal signing for the Broncos at right tackle. Getting a solid reliable presence would certainly help this team.