Big question for Broncos is who can play center

[bayone]

Walton is still recovering from injury, His replacement last year Dan  Knoppen is still a free agent

 

Manny Ramirez , who was bad at guard is taking first team snaps, Vasquez even at times, & phill blake has yet to & he also was IR'd last year early  so is still  really a rookie that hasnt had a chance to learn the position

 

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Broncos selected Blake with the 108th pick of the 2012 draft, their second fourth-round pick of that draft. He was poised to push for some playing time as training camp unfolded last summer.

 

Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway routinely commented about Blake's progress as the Broncos went through training camp. But Blake suffered a thumb injury in practice early in the regular season.

 

The Broncos then put him on injured reserve Sept. 21.

 

. So, he entered this year's offseason program essentially still a rookie, much like a redshirt freshman in a collegiate program.

 

Thus, he will simply have to regain the momentum he once had. And the quickest opportunity for him to play at the moment would come at center. Blake can play center or guard.

 

Blake has to show he has the composure to make the calls up front. Physically, he plays with great intensity and finishes blocks well, but center is a tough job for a young player, perhaps one of the most difficult.

 

 

J.D. Walton,   is still recovering from last season's surgery to repair a fractured ankle. Walton is doing some work with the team's strength and conditioning staff these days, but he has not returned to the team's full on-field workouts.

 

He is not expected to participate until training camp.

 

Experience counts in the league, especially for a team with title aspirations like the Broncos have.

It's like a boxing match when you can't simply outpoint the champ. A young player can't tie on the depth chart; he has to win the position outright. Even a team that says it's committed to young, homegrown players on the personnel side such as Denver is usually going to have some veteran players sprinkled in because coaching staffs often prefer them in many cases.

 

It's a tough thing for football executives, to take care of the current depth chart, while also having a plan for future depth charts. So, Ramirez is getting the first crack at center in Walton's absence.

 

Ramirez struggled at times filling in for the injured Chris Kuper at guard last season.

 

 

The Broncos wanted more size in the middle of the line to both shore up pass protection for Peyton Manning — opposing defenses effectively attacked the middle of the Broncos line last season — and pump up the run game 

 

 

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_23387224/philip-blakes-chances-at-starting-broncos-likely-better