A couple of readers emailed us about a recent post from Jeff Legwold, in which he suggested the Broncos' offensive linemen are tipping running plays with their footwork:

If you can, would you shed some light on what he means about the O-linemen tipping the run with their footwork? Isn't that something if a writer knows about the Broncos should know about and fix? Thanks. - Anthony

Doc - have you noticed anything like this while watching the OLine this season? Very curious if this is a legitimate claim. It could help explain why our running game has been so putrid to this point. Any thoughts are appreciated! - Isaac

Here's what Legwold had written:

The team’s offensive line continues to draw many of those flags, even as it struggles to tighten up the gaps in the run-blocking scheme. The Broncos are always going to draw the occasional holding penalty to keep any rushers who get free from hitting quarterback Peyton Manning -- better a 10-yard walk-off than a clean shot on Manning -- but some defensive coaches in the league say the Broncos linemen are tipping their hand with their footwork in the run game by having the linemen back out slightly before they pull to run wide.



Defensive linemen are shooting those gaps as soon as they see the movement. Broncos linemen have been flagged for several holding penalties in the run game, including two more Sunday against the New York Jets, as they have tried to combat that.

I know - ‘some defensive coaches’. Jeff’s been dialing up his Rolodex again.

But, this time he’s probably right. I’ve used the various zoom features, and I can’t spot the changes in stance or motion that tell me that it’s a pass or run. That’s not to say that the line isn’t making that error - it’s common throughout the game. When they’re not playing each other, NFL players talk a lot. They compare notes, and any twitch, movement, or tell will get around quickly.

The classic example of this is watching an offensive lineman’s knuckles, provided that he's not wearing gloves. If he’s going to pass protect, they’re going to be whitish, since he’s back on his weight slightly. On a run play, they’re often red, as the OL digs in and prepares to fire out.

Orlando Franklin could be a culprit. He hasn’t worked from left guard since college. I’ve seen Manny Ramirez moving differently on pass and run in isolated instances. The same went with Franklin, Chris Clark, and Louis Vasquez. If it’s common enough to make ESPN, I’d expect line coach Dave Magazu to be working with them on it already.

I went through the film of the last two games and watched only the OL. I’m not going to agree or disagree with Legwold on this yet. What I see is a line that hasn’t gelled yet. I see Vasquez (look at the first quarter of the Jets game) motioning people into place, and that happened several times. That’s not shifting improperly on a pull, though. When I looked for that specifically, I didn’t see it. However, there’s more presnap shifting and more movement out of the line than I expect to see.

Mine isn’t $10,000 video equipment. The zoom function I have isn’t what the coaches have to work with, although the all-22 film is a pleasure to watch. I can’t isolate on ‘X’ player the way their software permits them in the NFL. I emphasize that because Legwold may well be right.

There’s no question that the line isn’t getting the interior push that they tried to obtain by reorganizing. Still, Ronnie Hillman and the line did a nice job against the sixth-ranked run defense of the Jets. If Denver has a problem, they may have begun to have corrected it. There’s a long way to go. PFF has them ranked at 14th, down from 2nd a year ago.

Hillman isn’t as strong a back as Montee Ball. He’s not going to break as many tackles. The fact that both backs have been meeting defenders in the backfield is disturbing. It can be caused by a series of factors.

There may be a tell, as Legwold asserts. I couldn’t see it, but that’s immaterial. There is unquestionably a problem with communication. Franklin is getting there quickly. I don’t see many problems with him. Chris Clark is struggling at RT. A bigger concern is that Ramirez has slid backwards a long way. Even Vasquez hasn’t been playing like himself.

As big as those concerns are, the problems with Ryan Clady are even more substantial. He’s not playing the run at anywhere near the level he did last year. When he blew out his knee playing basketball, it took him two years to come back completely. He’s not there now, and that’s a major issue. He’s given up no sacks, but three QB hits and eight hurries, along with two penalties.

Despite the problems, the line has done some things very well. They’re keeping Peyton Manning upright. They’ve only given up four sacks - two charged to Clark, and one each to Ramirez and Vasquez. Neither Clady nor Franklin has given one up. The other two sacks of Manning are attributed to other players - Ball or Manning himself. The line has allowed nine QB hits. Franklin has only given up one hit and one hurry - he’s settling in and has the best numbers on the OL.

Hurries, in degree, are a judgment call. Clady has given up eight, Ramirez seven. That’s too many. Penalties are a problem everywhere. Chris Clark has given up five, with one of them declined or offsetting. Franklin and Vasquez have three each. Those numbers and the film tell me that the line is simply out of sync.

Making two major moves on a line can create communication issues. Denver has them. Clark isn’t your typical right tackle, and it shows. Clady isn’t playing at his usual level. To me, these are problems that go beyond the possible tells when pulling.

It takes time for a new group to gel, and that’s part, maybe most, of the situation. I see Manning and Vasquez moving people around presnap. Vasquez shouldn’t need to. Using Paul Cornick as a support for Clark is starting to work well, and that led to several of Hillman’s successful runs. I think that keeping Cornick out there next to Clark will help. You hate to say, “It’s going to take time,” during the season, but that’s where they are.

The problem with Clady should also resolve over time. To put it in perspective, he’s never been a truly strong run blocker. I don’t expect that to change. The good side is that he hasn’t let in a sack. He’s given up three hits and eight hurries, but his run blocking is poor right now. Using the inside zone runs and running to the right behind Cornick’s contribution worked well against the Jets.

If there are tells, coach Magazu is responsible for noting and fixing them. The players all need to double check their technique to see if it’s on them. Building communication and helping Clark are the biggest issues, and they’re working on both.

When you’ve got a 38-year-old quarterback, zero sacks from the left is probably more important than a possible tell on running plays. Denver left New Jersey with a 100-yard runner for the first time this season, and minimal sacks. Denver’s line was good against the pass rush and in developing the run.

That’s a good enough place to be as Clady heals and the players and coaches find out what works best on the right. I look forward to following this issue as the season unfolds.

In closing, I believe Michael Schofield has a big opportunity. If he can maximize his progress this offseason, I expect that he’ll take over at right tackle in 2015. Giving Clark first shot was a matter of respect. He’s struggling enough that Schofield could move into the starter’s role at RT next season.

Denver needs the help.