The Curious Case of Khaled Holmes

[Dark Superman]

I just want Holmes to be our center..

Why Chuck? Why?

[Larry Horseman]

I don't think so. We don't seem to even want Holmes around for depth on gameday. If we trade Harrison (No one is going to trade for a center with only a couple of starts to his credit) or Shipley, Holmes becomes the #2, and we don't even seem interested in that. 

 

Plus that would be some dirty pool to claim Shipley off of waivers only to turn around and trade him off YET AGAIN. Especially if Harrison or Holmes turns into the next satele, and we keep starting him the way we did satele. 

 

IDK...I wonder if he is on to something. Perhaps we ship Holmes off to SD since they have lost 3 C's already this year? I think we keep Shipley...he's great for depth. The trade theory isn't that far fetched.

 

In general, I support the move away from Shipley. He's a fine player but Harrison and perhaps Holmes have a much higher ceiling. I think they should keep rolling with Harrison unless he is terrible (he was OK on Sunday, IMO, and will improve with more starts). It will be interesting to watch unfold...

[Cynjin]

I heard Rick Venturi on the way home say that in his opinion Harrison is the better center and has more upside than the other two.

[Happy2BeHere]

I don't think so. We don't seem to even want Holmes around for depth on gameday. If we trade Harrison (No one is going to trade for a center with only a couple of starts to his credit) or Shipley, Holmes becomes the #2, and we don't even seem interested in that. 

 

Plus that would be some dirty pool to claim Shipley off of waivers only to turn around and trade him off YET AGAIN. Especially if Harrison or Holmes turns into the next satele, and we keep starting him the way we did satele. 

 

I do that in MADDEN all the time!!! The computer is so dumb! 

[John Waylon]

IDK...I wonder if he is on to something. Perhaps we ship Holmes off to SD since they have lost 3 C's already this year? I think we keep Shipley...he's great for depth. The trade theory isn't that far fetched.

 

In general, I support the move away from Shipley. He's a fine player but Harrison and perhaps Holmes have a much higher ceiling. I think they should keep rolling with Harrison unless he is terrible (he was OK on Sunday, IMO, and will improve with more starts). It will be interesting to watch unfold...

 

But the guy has played a total of 19 career snaps. Even a center needy team would look for something internal before spending picks on a guy who has 19 snaps, and almost as many healthy scratches. 

 

I heard Rick Venturi on the way home say that in his opinion Harrison is the better center and has more upside than the other two.

Could be. I just don't know why they waited this long to make the switch after letting Shipley man the spot.

[John Waylon]

Well, Pagano was NO help on the situation. 

 

On Harrison at center:

 

"What's next at C? You love continuity. Evaluate every position. We've got a lot of good players."

 

On Holmes:

 

"He's doing fine. They're all doing fine. Lot of good depth."

[John Waylon]

Well, Pagano was NO help on the situation. 

 

On Harrison at center:

 

"What's next at C? You love continuity. Evaluate every position. We've got a lot of good players."

 

On Holmes:

 

"He's doing fine. They're all doing fine. Lot of good depth."

 

Sly Chuck is sly. 

[krunk]

With the way Pagano has been answering questions on the centers lately it tells me that he is evaluating all 3 guys to determine who is the best guy.  And he's doing it by live action.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him start Khaled Holmes either for the Texans game or the game afterwards.  I don't think they are settled on any one guy at this point until they have seen them all play.  Just my guess from what has transpired so far. 

[John Waylon]

With the way Pagano has been answering questions on the centers lately it tells me that he is evaluating all 3 guys to determine who is the best guy.  And he's doing it by live action.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him start Khaled Holmes either for the Texans game or the game afterwards.  I don't think they are settled on any one guy at this point until they have seen them all play.  Just my guess from what has transpired so far. 

 

Yeah. I guess it wouldn't be surprising at this point. He says he loves continuity, but he's doing the exact opposite of continuity. He's obviously saying one thing with another in mind. 

[masterlock]

I don't know what's so complicated about it. It goes something like this...

Trade away Shipley and start Satele in 2013.

Release Satele and re-acquire Shipely in 2014.

Start Shipley. Bench Shipley.

Start Harrison. Bench Harrison.

Trade away Shipely.

Re-Acquire Satele in 2015.

 

OK, I went a little overboard towards the end. But you get the idea. The coaching staff is just a little confused.

[krunk]

More evasiveness from Chuck P:

 

  

30m

Kevin Bowen @KBowenColts

Pagano on if there will be offensive line changes going forward: “I don’t know. I don’t anticipate anything, but don’t be shocked."

 

It's funny because basically this means get ready for another change at center. 

[RockThatBlue]

Maybe Khaled Holmes is just a figment of our imagination and he doesn't really exist lol. It's like he fell off the face of the earth or something

[akcolt]

I just want Holmes to be our center..

Why Chuck? Why?

Why do you want Holmes?

 

I personally would be surprised to see Holmes at C. I think we are moving forward with Harrison.

 

Actions speak louder than words. He is a healthy inactive that shows you where he sits on the depth chart. He isn't the answer if the C goes down or in the conversation if either G goes down. This is based on the idea that we are trying to win games by playing our best players.  

 

I would doubt and really hope we are not doing something as stupid as hiding an injury especially on someone who is of as little significance as it would appear Holmes is. Another poster has already said this but the NFL would come down hard on us for that. With the Irsay thing and the other off the field things we have had going on. I hope we are crossing our t's and dotting our i's. I also hold on to the idea that the organization is above stuff like that.

[BLUEx40]

Maybe Khaled still isn't fully healthy?  He was healthy enough to dress and be there in case we needed him yesterday, but not fully ready for starting?  I don't know what else it could be

thats exactly what i was thinking also the only (one) other thing i can think of is Harrison pulled a Russell Wilson in practice and just blew everyone out of the water but it still doesn't explain why Holmes didnt dress

[John Dee]

Not strange at all..  he can't stay healthy and he can't play through pain ...  obviously...

 

The staff proclaiming Holmes as "the starter" from the start of camp was a stupid move on their part.   The position battles are always fluid.     Whatever...

 

Harrison is better anyway...   

What is it with this guy?

 

He was a healthy scratch several games last season. (And I believe he was even demoted to the PS a time or two) 

 

Satele was jettisoned in the offseason, and Holmes was penciled in as our starting center. He was all through camp, and started in the pre-season before his injury. 

 

He got healthy again, but Shipley was playing the spot well. When we decided to move Shipley, who did we put in at center? Harrison. Holmes was, again, a healthy scratch.

 

How is it that a guy who was penciled in to be our starting center, a guy the team said on different occasions was going to be a starting center, can not get on the field even when we need a center?

 

Is he so bad that they were always hoping for a replacement for him even though they were planning on starting him? 

 

It's really a head scratching situation. Our whole center situation is a head scratcher. Harrison didn't play bad yesterday. But why did we move Shipley out when it wasn't broken? When Mewhort comes back does Shipley go back to Center, or does Shipley stay a guard and we bench Lance Louis? 

 

And how in the hell does Holmes fit into the equation? 

 

Very strange. Very strange indeed. 

[BLUEx40]

May have to agree with you on that one, i seen Andrew Jackson out there on a few downs instead of Muamba and Sheppard which actually surprised me. I wonder what they may have done to get put in the Dog House.  

i mean  he only led the entire team in tackles in the pre-season, on that note i still him as our future weakside linebacker next to freeman i mean i would give him valuable reps right now doubt jackson will be here for long

[John Dee]

http://www.1070thefan.com/blogs/ride-jmv/audio-demand/rick-venturi-10

I heard Rick Venturi on the way home say that in his opinion Harrison is the better center and has more upside than the other two.

[azcolt]

In.chuck and.andrew we trust that man gona. Be greatest qb to play this. Game when all said and done belive. Me.Colts nation

Me. Agree. Luck, shoot he that man, but can he play center?

[NewColtsFan]

im still puzzled as to why harrison got to start. even if it was a matchup decision or whatever else other reason you got, you cant tell me they think harrison is better then shipley or holmes. 

 

With the way you worded your comment I put into bold,  it looks like you're saying the coaching staff has some other reason for starting Harrison other than performance?

 

What reason would the staff have for doing this?

 

I don't pretend to know what's going on with the staff and Harrison/Holmes/Shipley,  but I don't think there's some type of conspiracy going on.   I think the coaches are doing what they think is best.     Now, whether that's right or wrong wont' be known until the end of the year....    but just because you and I and everyone else here doesn't know the reason Harrison got the start,  doesn't mean there isn't a legitimate reason.

 

There's no conspiracy.   Everyone wants to win.

[1959Colts]

My thoughts on this situation are...

 

After training camp, Holmes was considered the starter. But he was injured on the first series of the first preseason game and really never showed what he could, or couldn't, do.

 

When Holmes got hurt, the undrafted Harrison was inserted into the starting lineup and played a considerable amount throughout the preseason. And Harrison did do a great job.

 

But rather than having to start the regular season with Andrew Luck behind a very green, undrafted rookie at center, the Colts brought in veteran AQ Shipley to start the first four games.

 

Now several games have been played, and the coaches have been evaluating all three players... On the field, on film and in practice... I tend to believe their opinions may have changed and now they may think that Harrison is the best of the three.

Surpassing both Shipley and Holmes.

[wesd2890]

Holmes is made of glass? Harrison is better?shipley is on the smaller side. Coach wont do something with the line unless he thought it would benefit the team.. and besides the embarrassing snap mess ups harrison played damn good.

[ColtStronger]

From now on I'm tired of playing the guessing game at Center... I don't care who the starter is, as long as we win!!  I think its strange that the 2 biggest questions of the offseason still haven't been completely addressed and at times seem even more confusing S & C.  It will end up biting us in the end if they don't make a final decision eventually tho.  Anyway, I would appreciate it if the news would come sooner rather than later, but also wouldn't mind letting the best man have the job.  Then again isn't that what training camp was for?

[lollygagger8]

May have to agree with you on that one, i seen Andrew Jackson out there on a few downs instead of Muamba and Sheppard which actually surprised me. I wonder what they may have done to get put in the Dog House.  

[lollygagger8]

We have a center controversy!!!! 

 

[jmac_48]

Me. Agree. Luck, shoot he that man, but can he play center?

Prolly could, but he sure would look funny carrying 50-60 more pounds...

 

[Coffeedrinker]

Khalid Holmes is the doghouse.

 

Muamba seems to be in the doghouse. 

 

 

What is with the coaching staff having the Kavell Conner syndrome??

(like never letting good players ever see the field and hanging on to crappy players too long - Sheppard) 

I was with you until you mentioned Conner.  Conner was never that good.

 

But yes the Holmes situation is weird to say the least, especially since, in the limited amount of time he has been on the field he looks, quick, strong and to have excellent technique.

[Coffeedrinker]

May have to agree with you on that one, i seen Andrew Jackson out there on a few downs instead of Muamba and Sheppard which actually surprised me. I wonder what they may have done to get put in the Dog House.  

Sheppard would be a surprise because he's not on the team.

[Hammer]

Maybe Khaled Holmes is just a figment of our imagination and he doesn't really exist lol. It's like he fell off the face of the earth or something

Roy Hall, anyone?

[ProblChld32]

Sheppard would be a surprise because he's not on the team.

 

Yea that has already been established and acknowledged about 30 comments ago.

[Coffeedrinker]

Yea that has already been established and acknowledged about 30 comments ago.

Doesn't make it any less wrong.

 

Sorry, didn't see it.

[lollygagger8]

I was with you until you mentioned Conner.  Conner was never that good.

 

But yes the Holmes situation is weird to say the least, especially since, in the limited amount of time he has been on the field he looks, quick, strong and to have excellent technique.

 

He was light years better than Sheppard..... and Sheppard saw considerably more playing time than Conner. 

[Moopsiepuffs]

Holmes just isn't that good. They said he was going to be the starter and then when Shipley became available the coaching staff was all like;

 

[Bluefire4]

Brad Wells mentioned that we could be thinking about trading Shipley to San Diego. They are on their fourth center and we've traded Shipley before.

[NewColtsFan]

I don't know what's so complicated about it. It goes something like this...

Trade away Shipley and start Satele in 2013.

Release Satele and re-acquire Shipely in 2014.

Start Shipley. Bench Shipley.

Start Harrison. Bench Harrison.

Trade away Shipely.

Re-Acquire Satele in 2015.

 

OK, I went a little overboard towards the end. But you get the idea. The coaching staff is just a little confused.

 

 

Just because the fans don't understand what the the staff is doing,  doesn't mean the coaches are confused.

[HtownColt]

I just want to see Holmes play somewhere. C, G, 6th lineman, or traded to Chargers

[evilleseniorfan]

I anticipate a significant trade, not until week 6/7, that includes a C and an OG, maybe even an OT, if

it looks like we have a really significant opportunity to run the table.

Otherwise, we keep the powder dry, protect the draft choices, and hope for our current talent to take

us as far as they can.

[OLD FAN MAN]

No you are Correct it was Harrison. 

Harrison would be a good long snapper. he could play center and long snapper too and free up a roster spot. just tell him not to long snap to luck

[Superman]

Brad Wells mentioned that we could be thinking about trading Shipley to San Diego. They are on their fourth center and we've traded Shipley before.

 

Brad Wells is bad for you.

[Superman]

Just because the fans don't understand what the the staff is doing,  doesn't mean the coaches are confused.

 

Goodness, that's so true.

 

I don't know what they're doing, and I don't think anyone else knows what they're doing. But to make that kind of lineup change, seemingly unprompted, seems rather decisive. I think they know what they're doing.

[Dustin]

Thought: Xaiver Nixon comes back from IR-DR soon. We pit Harrison at C so we can eventually cut Shipley for his roster spot.