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Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - Printable Version

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Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - washingtonismoney - 08-28-2016

Lost a projected star to knee injury: http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2016/08/27/insider-injured-colts-mess/89435244/

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - dabigv13 - 08-28-2016

Starting to regret taking him as the #3 QB in my fantasy league....looks like more of the same from their OL.

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - DC 86 - 08-28-2016

Three sacks allowed in the first half and virtually no running game; Luck deserves better.

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - Spiny_Norman - 08-28-2016

The coaches pulled Luck early because the line was so bad.

http://www.espn.com/blog/indianapolis-colts/post/_/id/17735/offensive-line-was-so-bad-against-eagles-the-colts-pulled-andrew-luck-early

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - Hurlburt88 - 08-29-2016

At what point do we publicly see his patience wear thin.  I have to expect it is already happening in private. 

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - fullmetal - 08-29-2016

Luck is too much of a professional to let it show in public.  He'll play the game within the game as well as he and his father can...and then jump ship when able.

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - stupac2 - 08-29-2016

(08-29-2016, 09:50 AM)fullmetal link Wrote:Luck is too much of a professional to let it show in public.  He'll play the game within the game as well as he and his father can...and then jump ship when able.

If he plans on jumping ship then signing that big-ass contract was a weird move.

Re: Seems like another fun year for Luck's OL - ColoradoTree - 08-29-2016

I think they're snakebitten at this point.  I mean, this is after the Colts made the OL a draft priority. 

The left tackle (Anthony Castonzo, probably the brightest spot of the line the last few years) had a bad game, but you expect him to perform better.  The startling left guard (Jack Mewhort, the other bright spot from last year) missed much of the game with a knee injury (originally reported to be an ACL tear, but now appears to be something he can come back from in 2-4 weeks), so that wasn't a representative sample of the position.  The center is rookie Ryan Kelly, and while he's expected to be very good, he's adjusting to top NFL defensive tackles attacking him and it's taking a little time.  The right guard, Denzelle Good, was, uh, not good.  (If he doesn't perform better, it'll probably be a rookie, the currently injured Joe Haeg, that gets that job.)  The expected starting right tackle, Joe Reitz, missed the game with injury, but is expected to be healthy for the season.  Instead, they played LeRaven Clark there, and he was baaaad.  An impressive physical prospect, but clearly needs a year of seasoning.  At least.  He was seen as a project when drafted, but a project a lot of teams wanted to try.

So, basically we saw three starters and two backups.  Assuming Castonzo plays more to his usual standard, Mewhort comes back and is solid, and Kelly improves, that's a pretty good left side of the line.  I'm a fan of Reitz, too--he's been a swing OL, playing wherever he's needed in a backup role, but he's always done a good job when called upon.  Looking forward to seeing what he can do when he's the expected starter for the whole year. 

In short, it was bad.  Really bad.  But also not a true preview of what the line should look like when protecting Luck, and not what the front office planned on putting out there.  I'm no apologist for the front office, but rookie OLs usually need a little time to adjust, and they went OL in the draft for 4 out of 8 picks (including their 1st rounder, Kelly).  Of course, it would have been good to see some effort expended on the OL earlier than this draft (only a 7th rounder taken in '15; Mewhort in R2 in '14 (a good pick in retrospect); a dumpster fire of a '13 draft; Luck's fellow '12 offensive draftees were largely skill players, with a 7th-round guard taken who isn't around anymore). 

I'm very consciously choosing to be optimistic.  The front office seems to be improving in evaluating college linemen, at least; this is a more promising OL draft than the others they've had.  But talent development still seems to lag, but hiring Joe Philbin should improve that over time?  Maybe?  Sigh.Â