Football consumes Mark Sanchez.

He is a gym rat, a film junkie, devoted to a profession with no wife, girlfriend or children to distract him. When he learned of his trade to the Broncos, he headed to Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School to work out like he does almost every day. But something was different.

“I haven’t seen him so happy in a long time,” said Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson, whom Sanchez played for and still works with during the offseason. “He was elated. It was like he just woke up and opened a Christmas present. He’s in the right spot, and I think he’s really going to flourish in the new system.”

In an offseason full of twists and turns from the moment Brock Osweiler became a Houston Texan, the Broncos’ offense has become their most dramatically altered unit. Six weeks after winning Super Bowl 50 and a month from the beginning of offseason workouts, the Denver offense is projected to have six new starters. The offensive line eschewed a nip and tuck for a complete face-lift.

That O-line will have four new starters: left tackle Russell Okung, left guard Max Garcia, right guard Ty Sambrailo and right tackle Donald Stephenson. Change defines the NFL, but this sweeping overhaul of the O-line can be interpreted as an indictment of the 2015 group. The Broncos used everything but chicken wire and duct tape to keep their line together last year after injuries and ineffectiveness. They ranked 27th in giveaway points allowed, permitted 39 sacks and finished 17th in rushing.

In coach Gary Kubiak’s previous 20 seasons as a coordinator or head coach, his ground game averaged a 10th-place finish.

“We need to improve,” Kubiak said at the scouting combine last month.

The reconstruction, as such, wasn’t an accident. Osweiler’s departure accelerated the process, freeing money to aggressively pursue free agents Stephenson and Okung, whose low 2016 salary affords Denver flexibility to make additional moves. The revamped offensive line profiles better in the zone-blocking system.

Okung, who is recovering from a dislocated left shoulder, is a proven NFL starter. Garcia gained experience by playing 48.9 percent of the snaps as a rookie last year. Sambrailo, who is expected to practice April 18 after shoulder surgery, played inside at Colorado State, and Stephenson brings versatility.

The Broncos also will have a new starter at tight end after the release of Owen Daniels. Virgil Green and Jeff Heuerman are expected to get plenty of reps. Heuerman represents an X factor. He was penciled in for critical duty last year as a rookie before blowing out his knee during a spring noncontract drill.

The Broncos became predictable and conservative a year ago, leaning heavily on a historically strong defense. They gained more than 4 yards on only 43.9 percent of their first-down plays, ranking 28th in the NFL. The blueprint of the Kubiak offense, as Daniels once explained, is “first down, second down, first down.” Third-and-long situations don’t lend to the strengths of a play-action, rollout scheme. Denver went three-and-out on 52 percent of its possessions, second-worst in the league.

“I have a good understanding of running the ball as well as getting back in the drop back and passing,” Okung said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’ll be ready to do it full speed.”

Denver needs better performances from the quarterback position. Sanchez is a candidate to be the starter, but it’s a fluid situation as long as the San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick is available in a trade. Sanchez, 29, hasn’t started a season opener since 2012 with the New York Jets.

“That’s my goal to start this coming fall, be ready to play and help this team win,” Sanchez said. “This is an incredible opportunity.”

Denver’s defense camouflaged blemishes last season and provided solutions to myriad problems. A slight regression isn’t expected but would hardly come as a surprise. So the Denver offense must carry its weight. Spring provides few answers, but there are discernible signs that the group will be, if nothing else, dramatically different.

“I have big goals. The team goals are always every year to win the Super Bowl,” said running back C.J. Anderson. “I think we have the team to do that. I think we have the players, the right mind-set and the coaches to make that possible again. We have to defend our championship.”

Changing of the guards … and tackles

Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post