The Colts Have No Depth At O-Line

[Andy]

We need some depth there, this is how it stands right now:

T: Castonzo, Ijalana, Link

G: Pollak, Reitz, Diem

C: Saturday, Richard

We need to get a good young backup like (T) Ryan Bartholmew (I think that's how you spell it), and/or maybe even John St Clair (but he's old). We should have kept Devan for backup purposes, but now he plays for the Eagles We need depth, what do you guys think?

[JoKeR]

That's not too thin though, 1 more guard and the colts have good depth

[Coffeedrinker]

Diem and Ijalana to back up the RT spot.

Pollack and/or Diem to back up the RG spot.

Pollack to back up the center spot

Richard to back up the LG spot

Link to back up the LT spot.

The only one I'm really worried about is LT. I'm not a fan of Link and no one else on the roster has even practiced there.

I could very well be wrong, but I will not be surprised if the starting Oline for Houston is AC, Reitz, Saturday, Pollack, Diem. Partly because I think that little of Link but also just because Saturday, Pollack and Diem are more used to working together which will be needed facing an agressive 3-4.

[Andy]

Diem and Ijalana to back up the RT spot.

Pollack and/or Diem to back up the RG spot.

Pollack to back up the center spot

Richard to back up the LG spot

Link to back up the LT spot.

The only one I'm really worried about is LT. I'm not a fan of Link and no one else on the roster has even practiced there.

I could very well be wrong, but I will not be surprised if the starting Oline for Houston is AC, Reitz, Saturday, Pollack, Diem. Partly because I think that little of Link but also just because Saturday, Pollack and Diem are more used to working together which will be needed facing an agressive 3-4.

Richard is the backup C, it says so on the depth chart. He could however play LG, but will backup at best. Mike Pollak has palyed RG all his life, he won't switch now. Ryan Diem will probably play RG, if not, he will by mid-season. Ijalana will start, and Link will back up. It now leaves the LT backup spot open... that's what I mean by no depth. Wee need players!!

[GoColts8818]

We've never had depth on the o-line. Even when they were one of the better units in the NFL our depth was Charlie Johnson in 06. Frankly in order to have depth you have to have five good starters first. I think we have four. We are short one tackle and hopefully Ijalana develops into that. This is the hard part of rebuilding when you have to change five places (which we are going to have to do since Diem and Saturday are on their last legs) it takes time and can't be done over night or even in one off-season. I remeber watching Harbaugh take the pounding behind Glenn and Meadows as rookies the last time we did this but in the end it paid off clearly.

[indy_nick]

Agreed. I have no idea why we let go of Devan. We need another person or 2 on the O-Line. Lets just hope we don't get hit with the injury bug like we did last year...

[Andy]

We've never had depth on the o-line. Even when they were one of the better units in the NFL our depth was Charlie Johnson in 06. Frankly in order to have depth you have to have five good starters first. I think we have four. We are short one tackle and hopefully Ijalana develops into that. This is the hard part of rebuilding when you have to change five places (which we are going to have to do since Diem and Saturday are on their last legs) it takes time and can't be done over night or even in one off-season. I remeber watching Harbaugh take the pounding behind Glenn and Meadows as rookies the last time we did this but in the end it paid off clearly.

Well we don't know about Reitz, he had a good preseason, but it matters in the season. I'm not saying their bad, but Castonzo and Ijalana are rookies. Saturday is just great, and Diem looks good at RG. I say we have 2 safe good starters. 2 rookies, but will probably do well, and a former tackle who only did well in the preseason. One injury however and we're hit bad. Would hate to see Link in there...

[GoColts8818]

Agreed. I have no idea why we let go of Devan. We need another person or 2 on the O-Line. Lets just hope we don't get hit with the injury bug like we did last year...

Well last year the line was the one poistion that stayed fairly health. I think Diem and Johnson missed a game or two a peace but other than that they stayed healthy. We just played musical chairs all year with the guys on the line, mostly the guard spots.

We probably cut DeVan because the Colts like the fact that Pollak and Richard can both play center if needed and in their minds DeVan's performance was not that much better or better than Pollak's or Richard's.

[Coffeedrinker]

Richard is the backup C, it says so on the depth chart. He could however play LG, but will backup at best. Mike Pollak has palyed RG all his life, he won't switch now.

Actually Pollack was a center in college and all preseason Pollack was the back-up to Saturday. Richard became the back-up to Pollack in the last two preseason games.

Also which depth chart? the one on Colts.com that still has players like Hartline, moore, McClendon, Beekman, and Bender on it? Somehow I don't think that is very accurate.

Ryan Diem will probably play RG, if not, he will by mid-season. Ijalana will start, and Link will back up. It now leaves the LT backup spot open... that's what I mean by no depth. Wee need players!!

Could be, we will see.

[GoColts8818]

Well we don't know about Reitz, he had a good preseason, but it matters in the season. I'm not saying their bad, but Castonzo and Ijalana are rookies. Saturday is just great, and Diem looks good at RG. I say we have 2 safe good starters. 2 rookies, but will probably do well, and a former tackle who only did well in the preseason. One injury however and we're hit bad. Would hate to see Link in there...

I am counting Reitz in as a starter we know about as much about him as we do Castonzo or Ijalana at the moment. We only have the pre-season to go on with him and he has looked solid so that's what I am basing this off of. Saturday is still good but he's not the same guy he was three years ago, this is why Polian was ready to let him walk after his last deal was up till the league gaves teams extra money we weren't planning on having. Still he's the leader of the line and with two basicly rookies out there, Diem in a spot he hasn't played in years and Link becoming a full-time starter we need that leadership. So based on how they have played so far I think Castonzo and Reitz are solid. Saturday and Diem are both solid but need to be replaced in the near future (like after this season) and Link is a stop gap till Ijalana is ready.

[coltsfan40]

I hope ijalana is ready soon I don't care for link being there at rt long. For the life of me could they not find anyone better too keep than Richards. U know he can play about every position on the line but not well enough. We need another guard. I refuse too believe that Devan or Mclendon were not better. They were both picked up quickly. Another 4th round wasted pic?

[Coffeedrinker]

I hope ijalana is ready soon I don't care for link being there at rt long. For the life of me could they not find anyone better too keep than Richards. U know he can play about every position on the line but not well enough. We need another guard. I refuse too believe that Devan or Mclendon were not better. They were both picked up quickly. Another 4th round wasted pic?

I was harsh on Richard all preseason, he was not good, IMO. But go back and look at the Cincy game. Don't look at who he blocked (he was going against the 2nd and 3rd stringers) but look at his movement off the snap. From the center position he was into his blocks before just about anyone else came out of their stance (and I'm not talking about the play where it look like the whole team thought it was on two (or whatever cadence they use) but Richard snapped it on one. All the rest of the plays. That was the type quickness, technical skills and tenacity he showed as a rookie. If he plays like that all the time I can definitely see why the Colts kept him over Devan and McClendon. The problem is we, as fans, have not seen that from him since his rookie season.

And this is for Andy "I am the greatest predictor in the history of the Colts Forum" 246

WR 87 Reggie Wayne 17 Austin Collie

LT 74 Anthony Castonzo

LG 76 Joe Reitz

C 63 Jeff Saturday 78 Mike Pollak 61 Jamey Richard

RG 71 Ryan Diem

RT 72 Jeff Linkenbach 79 Ben Ijalana

TE 44 Dallas Clark 81 Brody Eldridge 84 Jacob Tamme

80 Mike McNeil

WR 85 Pierre Garcon 11 Anthony Gonzalez 15 Blair White

QB 18 Peyton Manning 5 Kerry Collins 7 Curtis Painter

H-B 17 Austin Collie 84 Jacob Tamme 49 Chris Gronkowski

RB 29 Joseph Addai 34 Delone Carter 31 Donald Brown 32 Darren Evans

from here

[Coffeedrinker]

I am counting Reitz in as a starter we know about as much about him as we do Castonzo or Ijalana at the moment. We only have the pre-season to go on with him and he has looked solid so that's what I am basing this off of. Saturday is still good but he's not the same guy he was three years ago, this is why Polian was ready to let him walk after his last deal was up till the league gaves teams extra money we weren't planning on having. Still he's the leader of the line and with two basicly rookies out there, Diem in a spot he hasn't played in years and Link becoming a full-time starter we need that leadership. So based on how they have played so far I think Castonzo and Reitz are solid. Saturday and Diem are both solid but need to be replaced in the near future (like after this game) and Link is a stop gap till Ijalana is ready.

Fixed it for you. rotfl.

j/k, I know we have different opinions about Link.