Hugh Thornton

[Nobody]

What is your opinion of him? I know we all hoped Mewhort could step in and immediately improve our line play but do you see a future with Hugh? I see the potential for him to be a very good player for us, what do you think?

[PrincetonTiger]

I think he is a keeper for the Colts

[Smurphy1]

I like his attitude but I want to see how he does back in the spot he is used to along side a center who (hopefully) won't leave him out to dry every other play before I decide if I like his ability. Last year showed he has some work to do.

[Superman]

He has a lot of physical ability, and he showed that with some incredible blocks last year. Unfortunately, his technique needs a lot of work. His footwork is sloppy at times, and he bends at the waist too much. However, he's relatively new to football. http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/Questions-with-the-Colts---Hugh-Thornton/ad7c834f-349e-462a-a03c-fbc7def01993 I think he's gotten by so far based on his strength and athleticism, and needs a lot of coaching and reps to refine his play. His ability will be utilized better at RG, I think, and hopefully he'll make fewer mistakes. But I definitely think he can be a really good starter for us.

[lollygagger8]

I think going back to RG will help him immensely. 

 

Or maybe that's because he doesn't have Satele next to him.

 

Regardless, I think he'll look muuuuccchhh better this year. 

[BlueCollarColts]

I want to keep him, I think we will be a very good player, Mewhort can step in as good depth for now. 

[Warhorse]

He is progressing exactly how I would have expected. Right on schedule with a bright future.

[akcolt]

What is your opinion of him? I know we all hoped Mewhort could step in and immediately improve our line play but do you see a future with Hugh? I see the potential for him to be a very good player for us, what do you think?

Think he is going to be good when he gets to settle into to his spot at RG. He should have learned a lot last year.

[USAFHoosier]

He has a lot of potential physically just needs some coaching still. He made some devastating blocks last year and look horrible the very next play sometimes.

[Archer]

He was put in a very difficult position last year.  He had to start as a rookie, with no TC, in a position he was less suited for, without much practice time at that position.  He was set up to fail, and at times - fail he did.  But he showed me enough to expect that he will do much better this year with a year under his belt and in the correct position.

[SteelCityColt]

I reserve judgement until the forum's resident tape expert has given his opinion.

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

He is progressing exactly how I would have expected. Right on schedule with a bright future.

Agreed think the kids going to be good,with Mewhort we may end up with a nice guard combo for the future!!

[ReconKelly3788]

i root for hugh first because of course he is a colt but second while he was a illinois his sister and mother were brutally murdered so he has had to overcome a lot just to be where he is today

[OLD FAN MAN]

What is your opinion of him? I know we all hoped Mewhort could step in and immediately improve our line play but do you see a future with Hugh? I see the potential for him to be a very good player for us, what do you think?

I see a future with him, but he is a ? mark on the o-line for this year, as is the whole o-line, except rt. maybe our 2 tight end set will help the o-line

[dudeski]

He will be fine

[GoColts8818]

This will be a big year for him listen to coaches and they will tell you you see the biggsst jump in guys for their rookie year to their second years so if Thornton can use all that experience he gained last year and looks like he belongs on the field rather than being there because he had to start due to injuries and that's a good sign he's progressing.

[Valpo2004]

He has a lot of physical ability, and he showed that with some incredible blocks last year. Unfortunately, his technique needs a lot of work. His footwork is sloppy at times, and he bends at the waist too much. However, he's relatively new to football. http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/Questions-with-the-Colts---Hugh-Thornton/ad7c834f-349e-462a-a03c-fbc7def01993 I think he's gotten by so far based on his strength and athleticism, and needs a lot of coaching and reps to refine his play. His ability will be utilized better at RG, I think, and hopefully he'll make fewer mistakes. But I definitely think he can be a really good starter for us.

 

Can someone real quick explain to me the real difference between playing LG and RG??

 

The only thing I can figure is that the left guard does a lot more pulls to the right in run blocking while the RG is much more straight forward when run blocking.

[Superman]

Can someone real quick explain to me the real difference between playing LG and RG??

 

The only thing I can figure is that the left guard does a lot more pulls to the right in run blocking while the RG is much more straight forward when run blocking.

 

It depends on which side your offense tends to favor as the strong side. Often, defenses use their three tech or undertackle -- their better pass rushing tackle -- on the weak side. That often puts him heads-up with the RG. Pulling is a factor, as well.

 

But the main thing with Thornton last year is that he moved all along the line in college, from position to position, side to side. Then he comes to the Colts, and we pretty much locked him in at RG through the offseason and camp. That means all his technique favored playing on the right side -- his footwork, his hand placement, balance, etc. Hundreds of reps, or more, based on him playing on the right side. And for a player that is already raw when it comes to technique, those reps were important.

 

Then we flip the field on him and put him on the left side. He has to change his mechanics, which he's been working on for months, and he has to do so in the middle of the season.

 

I think he has the ability to play either side, but he did better last year in his short time at RG.

[Archer]

Can someone real quick explain to me the real difference between playing LG and RG??

 

The only thing I can figure is that the left guard does a lot more pulls to the right in run blocking while the RG is much more straight forward when run blocking.

 

I think of it the same way you do.  Some people charted all the Colts' OL in the off-season and determined that the LG pulled like twice as much as the other positions combined.  (I'd be more specific and exact about the study, but I can't even remember where I read it.)  The problem with Thornton is that while he's surprisingly mobile for his size (like, 330+ lbs last year), he wasn't particularly good at hitting people on the move.  307 lb. OGs like Thomas or Mewhort are going to be better at that.  Thornton is very strong and should be more successful at in-line blocking, which is more of a RG thing in the Colts' O.  Now, all this may be more my perception than reality, but that's my impression...

[Valpo2004]

It depends on which side your offense tends to favor as the strong side. Often, defenses use their three tech or undertackle -- their better pass rushing tackle -- on the weak side. That often puts him heads-up with the RG. Pulling is a factor, as well.

 

But the main thing with Thornton last year is that he moved all along the line in college, from position to position, side to side. Then he comes to the Colts, and we pretty much locked him in at RG through the offseason and camp. That means all his technique favored playing on the right side -- his footwork, his hand placement, balance, etc. Hundreds of reps, or more, based on him playing on the right side. And for a player that is already raw when it comes to technique, those reps were important.

 

Then we flip the field on him and put him on the left side. He has to change his mechanics, which he's been working on for months, and he has to do so in the middle of the season.

 

I think he has the ability to play either side, but he did better last year in his short time at RG.

 

So you think it was more that he just got too used to playing RG in camp to where switching things on him made him have to think about everything more as opposed to just reacting?

[Superman]

So you think it was more that he just got too used to playing RG in camp to where switching things on him made him have to think about everything more as opposed to just reacting?

 

Not just that, but a lot of the movements are opposite. So he had to retrain his body to move in the opposite direction -- first step with the opposite foot, hand placement flipped around, etc. I do think he had to think about it more, but he also had to go counter to the muscle memory he had spent months working on.

[Rich Cannon]

looking for pass protection technique to improve, overall for a rookie he came right in and played adequately.  

[Valpo2004]

Not just that, but a lot of the movements are opposite. So he had to retrain his body to move in the opposite direction -- first step with the opposite foot, hand placement flipped around, etc. I do think he had to think about it more, but he also had to go counter to the muscle memory he had spent months working on.

 

Meh I can see where that would slow him down a little in the first few games but honestly I've reversed muscle memory like that before in ballroom dance and it's not really that hard to do that it should affect his whole season.

 

I could see more problems if he's not naturally a pulling guard or something but muscle memory should only be an excuse for 4 games max.

[Superman]

Meh I can see where that would slow him down a little in the first few games but honestly I've reversed muscle memory like that before in ballroom dance and it's not really that hard to do that it should affect his whole season.  

 

LOL

 

Big difference between football and ballroom dancing. Not to discredit ballroom dancing, at all. I know it's tough stuff. But you have a partner working in cooperation with you, not trying to defeat you. The physical competition adds an entirely different element.

 

Specifically with Thornton, his technique already needs work. Then we basically undid all the technique work he had done and asked him to relearn and retrain on the opposite side. 

[Valpo2004]

LOL

 

Big difference between football and ballroom dancing. Not to discredit ballroom dancing, at all. I know it's tough stuff. But you have a partner working in cooperation with you, not trying to defeat you. The physical competition adds an entirely different element.

 

Specifically with Thornton, his technique already needs work. Then we basically undid all the technique work he had done and asked him to relearn and retrain on the opposite side. 

 

Well I suppose if you are already bad with your technique then reversing it could throw a monkey wrench in it.  But if you are already solid with your technique reversing it should not take more then a few weeks of work.  

 

I did ballroom dance competitively in college and if the coach suddenly told me we where going into serious competition and my partner was going to lead me I would have practiced for hours in my dorm outside of practice at reversing everything.  Not to mention the time spent practicing with the coaches and without the coaches with my partner.  So having reversed it on occasion in the past I honestly don't think it would have taken me that long to get the muscle memory down.  

 

But again my technique was solid to excellent (depending on the dance) at that point for the level of competition.  Reversing it before I had mastered much of the technique may have been a different story.