Bulaga’s hit is 5.5M in 2016. If we trade him, 6.4M will be the dead money/cap hit. Thomas would cost 8.3M in 2016 [and a favorable 8.8M in 17 and 18 to Bulaga’s 7.9M and 8.4M]. So the trade of Bulaga for Thomas would zap 9.2M of 2016 cap space. Also the only OLmen we’d have under contract in 2017 are Thomas and Taylor and 10.1M less to do anything about it in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, we'd need a lot more than OL depth.
The 4th could be a Lang, Sitton, Baktieri , Linsley or Daniels.
$9M Thomases and $8M Bulagas don’t win championships; it’s guys like Linsley [$2m total for 2016-17] and the guys mentioned above playing cheap and very well that provide the ONLY way for a team to win. Denver won because they had a stable of them: Von Miller, S.Williams, Wolf, Jackson, Travethan, Marshall, Roby, Harris, Barrett, Webster, Anderson, Osweiler. Elway did his very best to eff it all up with FAs!
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Having the stud Thomas in one spot wont help as much as you'd think because D. Coordinators would just attack the weaker players.