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Franklin Tweets Move to Left Guard

Check out the best shots of the Broncos offensive linemen from this past season.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --As the Broncos' offseason conditioning program kicked off Monday, Orlando Franklin provided a little news of his own via Twitter.

Left guard, excited to learn and improve this offseason. I will give it my all — Orlando Franklin (@OFranklin74) April 21, 2014

Franklin has started 47 regular-season and six postseason games to this point in his three-year career, all of which have come at right tackle.

However, he played three of his four seasons at the University of Miami at left guard. In fact, at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, Franklin said he felt as if he could be "a beast at guard."

If the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Franklin is penciled in at the left guard spot previously held by now-Jacksonville Jaguar Zane Beadles, the Broncos' starting offensive line could look like:

Left tackle: Ryan Clady (three-time Pro Bowler; missed all but two games in 2013)
Left guard: Orlando Franklin (15-game starter at right tackle in 2013)
Center: Manny Ramirez (16-game starter in 2013)
Right guard: Louis Vasquez (2013 first-team All-Pro; zero sacks allowed)
Right tackle: Chris Clark (career-high 14 starts in 2013)

Of course, nothing is set in stone.

Head Coach John Fox said as much during the NFL owners meetings last month when asked whether he was concerned about the interior of the offensive line.

"We've got some options," he said. "We've got Ryan Clady back. That makes us better instantly. I know we lost Zane and we wish him nothing but the best. We may move somebody. You have young guys that have shown promise. There is Ben Garland — whoever that have been with us but haven't played a lot. We could move a guy in at left guard and put Chris Clark at right tackle. There are a bunch of options and they will define how we go. The coaches will put together a plan."

Since then, the Broncos also signed free-agent center Will Montgomery, who played in 77 of a possible 80 games for the Washington Redskins from 2009-2013. He started every game for each of the past three seasons, and for his career, 46 of his starts have come at center, 10 at right guard and seven at left guard.

The team also recently re-signed tackle Winston Justice, and last season selected Virginia Tech tackle Vinston Painter in the sixth round of the draft.

"You have to be flexible when you can only suit up seven (offensive linemen) per game at five positions," Fox said. "We'll work a million combinations."

If Franklin's tweet is any indication, some of those combinations may include the fourth-year pro at left guard.

But, as Fox said last month, it will remain up in the air "until we suit them up again and start practicing and evaluate them."

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