OL we've brought in

[DalTXColtsFan]

For all of these players we brought in to help the OL, were they just bad luck that they didn't pan out or were they clearly bad signings the moment they were signed?  Feel free to add any that I missed.

 

I'm kind of leaving out players like Xavier Nixon and A.Q. Shipley because they were brought in on such cheap deals that it's fully understood that any production you get out of them is bonus.

 

Todd Herremans

Gosder Cherilus

Donald Thomas

Samson Satele

Mike McGlynn

[COLTS449]

Again. Grigson tried to bring in players who had been career backups, were mediocre, or past their prime and hoped for them the break out. Donald Thomas for example. He wasn't bad in New England. But IMO we should have done everything under the Sun to sign Vasquez. Herremans used to be good, but there were better options out there that Grigson just ignored. Evan Mathis was available for weeks. He isn't what he once was but still would have been a good option for a year. Then Incognito was one of the best Guards in the league this year. I think Grigson has learned from this though and I feel we'll have a completely different approach this offseason. Its time to go after some elite level talent. Kelechi Osemele, Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz. etc. Names like that.

[NagelHausForge]

Don't forget:

Khalid Holmes

Johnatthon Harrison

Lance Louis

[Dustin]

Todd Herremans - Fine if he was signed for depth, but signing him to start was a mistake

 

Gosder Cherilus - Fine player, but making him the highest paid RT in the history of the league knowing he had knee issues was an egregious mistake

 

Donald Thomas - Good player, just bad luck with injuries.

 

Samson Satele - Satele was an inconsistent player in Oakland and i really wouldn't have had a problem with this if he had been a stopgap for a future starter instead of entrenched in as a starter for two seasons

 

Mike McGlynn - This guy shouldn't even have been signed to the roster let alone handed a starting job or two years. 

[Dustin]

1 minute ago, CptHooligan said:

Don't forget:

Khalid Holmes

Johnatthon Harrison

Lance Louis

 

Is Grigson the worst O-line talent evaluator in the NFL? Has to be up there. The two best players on our offensive line are Polian players.

[COLTS449]

Oh yeah. And if Grigson hadn't made that ignorant T-Rich trade we could have fixed this issue 2 years ago by drafting Joel Bitonio to go along with Mewhort.

[Dustin]

Should also be noted that Reitz, a clearly superior player to Lance Louis, Herremans, McGlynn, and Xavier Nixon was banished to the bench for no apparent reason. 

[Smonroe]

8 minutes ago, COLTS449 said:

Again. Grigson tried to bring in players who had been career backups, were mediocre, or past their prime and hoped for them the break out. Donald Thomas for example. He wasn't bad in New England. But IMO we should have done everything under the Sun to sign Vasquez. Herremans used to be good, but there were better options out there that Grigson just ignored. Evan Mathis was available for weeks. He isn't what he once was but still would have been a good option for a year. Then Incognito was one of the best Guards in the league this year. I think Grigson has learned from this though and I feel we'll have a completely different approach this offseason. Its time to go after some elite level talent. Kelechi Osemele, Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz. etc. Names like that.

 

Preach my brother!  You said it all.

[Ja'Crispy]

15 minutes ago, Dustin said:

 

Is Grigson the worst O-line talent evaluator in the NFL? Has to be up there. The two best players on our offensive line are Polian players.

What about Mewhort? IMO he's our second best.

[Dustin]

Just now, BigMcAfeeWithCheese said:

What about Mewhort? IMO he's our second best.

 

Mewhort is a close third. Him and Reitz are essentially at the same level, but Reitz is good at G and T which is the tiebreaker. 

[Ja'Crispy]

5 minutes ago, Dustin said:

 

Mewhort is a close third. Him and Reitz are essentially at the same level, but Reitz is good at G and T which is the tiebreaker. 

 

I gotcha. I agree with your point overall. Mewhort is pretty much the only "hit" Grigson has had on the line and it also took him/them way too long to realize Reitz is actually good. I would've thought an ex-lineman would have a better eye for talent.

[CR91]

if by some miracle we could sign mack and osemele, our oline would be set.

 

castanzo mewhort mack osemele reitz

 

now thats a really good oline

[cbear]

Oline has been a big issue for Grigs.  He's getting serviceable backups.  Trouble is he's getting them to be starters.  I remember that we used to complain about Polian and his weak point also being Olineman.  At least toward the end of his stay.  Maybe just a tough position to grade out properly, but Grigs needs to hit a couple home runs this off season.

[ColtRider]

 

Castonzo & Reitz. Obviously. I've got a real problem with the rest. Time to get different ingredients into this casserole without burning Luck in the oven.

[throwing BBZ]

Reitz has a proven record of getting hurt when he plays inside.
That is why they kept him on the bench all those years. Duh!!
 

 Mewhort is way to slow to pull, and i have no doubt Chud will try to develop a screen game.
 Mewhort in space, trying to find someone to block, it will be ugly a lot of the time.
 Irsay loves him tho!
 

[NorthernBlue]

38 minutes ago, CR91 said:

if by some miracle we could sign mack and osemele, our oline would be set.

 

castanzo mewhort mack osemele reitz

 

now thats a really good oline

Even if we just signed Osemele, and drafted someone like say Nick Martin in the second round, that would still be a very good offensive line

[COLTS449]

36 minutes ago, cbear said:

Oline has been a big issue for Grigs.  He's getting serviceable backups.  Trouble is he's getting them to be starters.  I remember that we used to complain about Polian and his weak point also being Olineman.  At least toward the end of his stay.  Maybe just a tough position to grade out properly, but Grigs needs to hit a couple home runs this off season.

 

That'd be a lot of money spent on the OL when we have some major holes to fill on D. I'd be happy with Osemele and Wisnewski. Or Osemele and drafting our new starting Center. Osemele and Mack would be sweet though.

[COLTS449]

8 minutes ago, NorthernBlue said:

Even if we just signed Osemele, and drafted someone like say Nick Martin in the second round, that would still be a very good offensive line

 

That's actually what I'm hoping for. I think Nick Martin is going to be a really, really good Center.

 

Castanzo-Mewhort-Martin-Osemele-Reitz

 

Then I'd get rid of both Holmes and Harrison and bring in another backup Center too.

[NBColtsFanatic]

This is why I wanted Grigson gone. Who in the hell signs Donald Thomas, Gosder Cherilus, then Todd Herremans? There were so many better options available. He angers me.

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, DalTXColtsFan said:

For all of these players we brought in to help the OL, were they just bad luck that they didn't pan out or were they clearly bad signings the moment they were signed?  Feel free to add any that I missed.

 

I'm kind of leaving out players like Xavier Nixon and A.Q. Shipley because they were brought in on such cheap deals that it's fully understood that any production you get out of them is bonus.

 

Todd Herremans

Gosder Cherilus

Donald Thomas

Samson Satele

Mike McGlynn

 

Of these five,   Satele and McGlynn should not be on the list.     We had an 80 Million dollar payroll that year when the rest of the NFL was playing with a 120 million payroll.      We did the best we could under very bad circumstances.

 

Of the remaining three, the one that bothers me the most -- easily -- is Herremans.      We were entering year 4 of the Grigson era,  we've had continuous struggles with the OL and the only guy Grigson signs is a guy coming off a terrible year,  nearly in his mid-30's,  and he's going to step in and suddenly play as if he's 5-10 years younger?

 

We had a deep gash and Grigson tried to cover it up with a small band-aid.     

 

Ridiculous and indefensible.      He was on the sidelines after the first two terrible games and didn't play all that much the rest of the way.  

 

Bad signing.

 

Cherilous was a poor contract,  but not the worst signing.      Thomas was a lot of bad luck.

 

[crazycolt1]

49 minutes ago, NBColtsFanatic said:

This is why I wanted Grigson gone. Who in the hell signs Donald Thomas, Gosder Cherilus, then Todd Herremans? There were so many better options available. He angers me.

Having Grigson gone did not automatically mean things were going to get better. Grigson had done a fine job his first three season and to just fire him because of one bad season is foolish IMO. He does a good job with the cap and his mistakes were just that. Finding good GMs is not an easy task and making changes could also go south real quick. There is a reason there are only a hand full of great GMs. It is a team venture from the top to the bottom.

[crestmount]

Looking to FA for starters is fraught with danger--these guys don't usually hit the market if they are considered valid starters (unless you play for Cleveland, and you would be desperate to get away from that rabble).  I think we need to concentrate on getting our future starters via the draft, with FA guys being for depth.  People have suggested going for Mack--he missed a year 2 seasons ago, and it's not as if he was dominate last season.  He could be a solid fill-in/depth while a young rookie got up to speed, but he is going to cost too much for that.

[NorthernBlue]

1 hour ago, COLTS449 said:

 

That's actually what I'm hoping for. I think Nick Martin is going to be a really, really good Center.

 

Castanzo-Mewhort-Martin-Osemele-Reitz

 

Then I'd get rid of both Holmes and Harrison and bring in another backup Center too.

I think I'd like to keep at least one of them, preferably Holmes, as I think he could be a good backup. He's really smart and plus, getting rid of both of them just adds another whole we'd need to fill.

[GwinnettColt]

I think that they also put people in positions that weren't natural for them.  I thought I remember that McGlynn did ok at center on another team.  

 

I liked Reitz at RT against Watt.  That was great.

 

I'd like to see a great Center be brought in either FA or draft; keep Holmes for backup.  I think Thornton will continue to develop.  Mewhort and AC seem to have a chemistry on the line.  

[Pacergeek]

Seeing all of these failed OL names makes me ashamed that Grigson is our GM. What a disgrace that he has done such a horrible job protecting Andrew Luck. Harrison can't even correctly snap a football lol, and Grigson brings in this bum

[COLTS449]

30 minutes ago, NorthernBlue said:

I think I'd like to keep at least one of them, preferably Holmes, as I think he could be a good backup. He's really smart and plus, getting rid of both of them just adds another whole we'd need to fill.

 

I disagree. Honestly I'd rather go into the season with 2 rookie centers. Nick Martin in the 2nd then a guy like Boehm in the 5th.

[Track Guy]

2 hours ago, NorthernBlue said:

Even if we just signed Osemele, and drafted someone like say Nick Martin in the second round, that would still be a very good offensive line

 

I've said the exact same thing in another thread lol, great minds... Those 2 would really put this O-line to another level imo. 

[Track Guy]

2 hours ago, COLTS449 said:

 

That's actually what I'm hoping for. I think Nick Martin is going to be a really, really good Center.

 

Castanzo-Mewhort-Martin-Osemele-Reitz

 

Then I'd get rid of both Holmes and Harrison and bring in another backup Center too.

 

I'd keep Holmes as the backup and flip Osemele and Mewhort because Osemele would be the backup LT too.

[COLTS449]

10 minutes ago, Track Guy said:

 

I'd keep Holmes as the backup and flip Osemele and Mewhort because Osemele would be the backup LT too.

 

I've been wondering about who'd play LG if we signed Osemele. I have a feeling we will sign him too. But Mewhort may actually be better at RG. I just know that'd be one bad *** guard duo lol.

[crestmount]

Do you really think Baltimore will let Osemele walk, and would you really play him as a Guard?

[Track Guy]

15 minutes ago, COLTS449 said:

 

I've been wondering about who'd play LG if we signed Osemele. I have a feeling we will sign him too. But Mewhort may actually be better at RG. I just know that'd be one bad *** guard duo lol.

 

Mewhort's skill set seems well suited to RG to me. LGs typically need to be more athletic in the run blocking game, RGs typically need to be better skilled in 1-on-1 pass protection. Mewhort strikes me as more of an RG in that sense, even though he's been good on the left side. 

[ColtRider]

 

Adding/replacing 3 OL positions via a combo of draft & FA is more difficult than it appears on the surface. It most certainly can be done. With Chudzinski's input & Monachino (yes, I said Ted) it's more feasible than the last couple of seasons. I get Grigson's opinion (they'll get it whether they want it or not). Building through the draft while plugging the FA market seems to be best course of action. At least to me, it does. Take a look at the teams who have enjoyed OL fortune. Use that parallel & info to copy. There's nothing wrong with that. It's a copycat league. Do it.

 

The organization owes this to itself. Whatever intended viability that has been targeted in the past needs to change. The franchise has already committed to change by defense. Correct the OL, and the Colts can become a very, very dangerous team going forward.

[Lawrence Owen]

Personally, I think Good could end up being our long term RT solution.  Those few games he started, he performed quite well. 80% or our issues on the line were center and RG.  Center IMO is our biggest weakness. But the best centers in the draft are only rated 2nd rounders. So yeah..i'd go RG in the draft with out #1 pick and get someone in FA to play center.  

Frankly,..drop Both Holmes and Harrison,..let them go bag groceries at Krogers for a few years.  Obviously neither of them are up to the task and are like picking the best rotten fruit on the table.  Do what they did with the NT position last year...start over.

[Gavin]

The Guard we pull the least amount with is the Guard that Mewhort needs to play

[Defjamz26]

I don't think any of Grigson's FA O-Line signings have worked out. Cherilus was good but was another guy who was overpaid. He hit with Mewhort in the draft. Holmes is a great backup IMO, but not starting material.

 

I would say he probably realizes what needs to be done now. You can't blame an OL for injuries directly, but when you have a bad O-line that you failed to fix, you're going to be held indirectly responsible a when QBs get injured. And that's completely fair IMO.

 

Tony Romo got injured twice with the best line in the league, but no one is blaming Jerry Jones for it because he put a top O-Line in front of him.

[wig]

44 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

I don't think any of Grigson's FA O-Line signings have worked out. Cherilus was good but was another guy who was overpaid. He hit with Mewhort in the draft. Holmes is a great backup IMO, but not starting material.

 

I would say he probably realizes what needs to be done now. You can't blame an OL for injuries directly, but when you have a bad O-line that you failed to fix, you're going to be held indirectly responsible a when QBs get injured. And that's completely fair IMO.

 

Tony Romo got injured twice with the best line in the league, but no one is blaming Jerry Jones for it because he put a top O-Line in front of him.

 

The encouraging thing is they have only spent one pick in the first 3 rounds and it was a hit. I hope the issue is using recources, not evaluating. I can't imagine he doesn't get something on the OL in the first few rounds.

[NorthernBlue]

5 hours ago, COLTS449 said:

 

I disagree. Honestly I'd rather go into the season with 2 rookie centers. Nick Martin in the 2nd then a guy like Boehm in the 5th.

That wouldn't be bad at all, going in with both those guys as our centres. But if we spend two picks on Centres, that leaves us with 4 picks to get a Pass rusher, ILB, corners, safeties, depth on the D Line,  RB, TE (if Allen and Fleener walk) and perhaps a backup QB. We're obviously going to fill some of those holes through FA, but we still gotta get younger, especially on D

[SteelDragon]

I hope Grigson goes after the line aggressively.  If there's one area of critical need, it's here. 

Of less importance and on a personal note ,  I want to see Grigson fix it just to prove he can do it. 

[scooter4910]

Everyone seems to have their own pet peeve about what's wrong with the team. I don't think we have enough draft pics or contract ceiling to satisfy everyone.....something will have to make do.

[bap1331]

9 hours ago, CR91 said:

if by some miracle we could sign mack and osemele, our oline would be set.

 

castanzo mewhort mack osemele reitz

 

now thats a really good oline

 

Yea you gotta think about depth though just in case. And yes! That would be a dream come true....