Left Tackle(Leno,Fisher,Okung?)/Sam Tevi at LT (MERGE)

[Coltsman1788]

18 hours ago, CheezyColt said:

Christenson as well.  Heard his name more and more frequently the last couple weeks

Brady Christenson is a pretty good run blocker. Stone is the better pass blocker.  Both are guys who would compete for our LT spot on the line with Levi and Davenport.  

[Coltsman1788]

5 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

doesn’t sound like moving Nelson or Smith is the plan.  Don’t be shocked if Tevi or Davenport ends up starting at LT.  I know many won’t like it but many didn’t like when Glow first started either.  Again GMs look at players for what they can do and the Colts might see something in one of those two guys.  They could also be a stop gap for a year until a full time answer can be found not unlike Charlie Johnson was after Ugoh busted and before they got AC.  
 

They could also turn to mid round pick like Johnson or Diem was.  Johnson played so well as a rookie that when he came in in the Super Bowl Peyton Manning the man who notices everything didn’t even notice famously asking him late in the game how long have you been in here?  So it’s not impossible to have success with a mid round pick especially when he’s playing next to an all pro guard.  

Ballard said in his pre draft presser that he wanted to “create competition at left tackle”. That is different than if he had said “find our starter”, which is what I would have preferred.  I think he will still draft an OT today but it won’t be as sexy as we all wanted it to be. That rookie will be in the mix with Tevi and Davenport and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the vets we signed that fans thought were depth signings ends up starting. Sam Tevi has good experience at the position regardless of what some may think of his skill set. I think it will be difficult for a day 3 rookie to beat him out in year 1.  

[ukcolt12]

Think Holden will be the guy 

[Coltsman1788]

Just now, ukcolt12 said:

Think Holden will be the guy 

Holden is not a confidence inspiring last name for an offensive lineman. Lol 

[coltsfeva]

I thought Holden played well, when he was in there.
Davenport and Tevi have experience.

There’s day three possibilities of guys that may have not been coached properly.

And there are teams that are going to release tackles through September.

There’s a couple of FAs out there as well.

I know this much: they’ll come up with a solution. Maybe it will be a one year deal and they will find the long term solution next year, who knows? In Ballard I trust...

[ukcolt12]

2 minutes ago, Coltsman1788 said:

Holden is not a confidence inspiring last name for an offensive lineman. Lol 

Haha "Holden, offence no... 10 yard penalty, repeat first down" 

[chickenMan]

5 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

doesn’t sound like moving Nelson or Smith is the plan.  Don’t be shocked if Tevi or Davenport ends up starting at LT.  I know many won’t like it but many didn’t like when Glow first started either.  Again GMs look at players for what they can do and the Colts might see something in one of those two guys.  They could also be a stop gap for a year until a full time answer can be found not unlike Charlie Johnson was after Ugoh busted and before they got AC.  
 

They could also turn to mid round pick like Johnson or Diem was.  Johnson played so well as a rookie that when he came in in the Super Bowl Peyton Manning the man who notices everything didn’t even notice famously asking him late in the game how long have you been in here?  So it’s not impossible to have success with a mid round pick especially when he’s playing next to an all pro guard.  

Tevi or Davenport at LT?

In all seriousness, go out and sign Fischer. He’s clearly better than those two, and maybe those two scrubs could hold down the position until he could return. We saw last year in the Browns game how bad it can be when you don’t have a LT, so I really don’t think you can make it a whole year with either of those two guys (especially not Tevi, he sucks).

[ClaytonColt]

There's still a couple of players out there that could help us on day three.

 

Trey Smith who is has obviously played guard but could make a switch and Tommy Doyle who is probably a similar type of project as Stephen Brown who everyone seemed to love earlier in yhe draft.

 

Obviously both are projects rather than day one starter's (and Smith has some medical concerns) but if we could pick one up they could still assist us.

[luv_pony_express]

25 minutes ago, Coltsman1788 said:

Holden is not a confidence inspiring last name for an offensive lineman. Lol 

Especially with the first name of Will.  Hopefully his middle name isn’t Brian or Bruce or Beauregard.

[chickenMan]

40 minutes ago, Coltsman1788 said:

Ballard said in his pre draft presser that he wanted to “create competition at left tackle”. That is different than if he had said “find our starter”, which is what I would have preferred.  I think he will still draft an OT today but it won’t be as sexy as we all wanted it to be. That rookie will be in the mix with Tevi and Davenport and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the vets we signed that fans thought were depth signings ends up starting. Sam Tevi has good experience at the position regardless of what some may think of his skill set. I think it will be difficult for a day 3 rookie to beat him out in year 1.  

I don’t think Sam Tevi’s experience outweighs his sheer lack of skill. I would bet money that the only reason Ballard signed him is because he is a swing-tackle. He really was quite bad with the Chargers last year. But hey, I’d love to be proven wrong....

[chickenMan]

Just thought about this, but what about Villanueva? He’s certainly not in his prime anymore, but he could probably hold it down for a year, and he absolutely meets the character requirement

[Coltsman1788]

10 minutes ago, chickenMan said:

Just thought about this, but what about Villanueva? He’s certainly not in his prime anymore, but he could probably hold it down for a year, and he absolutely meets the character requirement

He is better than what we currently have on the roster but still isn’t that great in my opinion. It would still be a disappointing solution to me. He struggled with Pittsburgh last year and is still on the market for a reason.  But beggars can’t be too choosy. This is what can happen when frugalness and bargain basement shopping goes wrong.  When you lean on the draft there is no guarantee that it always plays out how you want. 

[DougDew]

14 minutes ago, chickenMan said:

Just thought about this, but what about Villanueva? He’s certainly not in his prime anymore, but he could probably hold it down for a year, and he absolutely meets the character requirement

Reports are that he and BALT will agree.  Getting Villy is why they traded Orlando Brown.  Maybe that has changed.

[DougDew]

Stone Forsyth?  Larnell Coleman?  OT from East Carolina was it....or some small coastal school?

[DougDew]

If we have to compete with other clubs over money for an injured 30 year old Fisher, I'd prefer to talk to SF again about McGlinchey.

 

 

[FRW]

I haven't heard this much rationalizing in years. We've gone from which of these top LT prospects should we take in the first round to we didn't really need a LT, and anyway they weren't as good as advertised. If we learned nothing else from the Grigson/Luck fiasco we should have at least learned you can't build an OL with other people's aging/injured cast offs. How soon we forget. We traded to bring in a rehab project at QB, who everyone agrees needs protection, and then don't get the most important part of the that protection puzzle. I hope Eason is ready.

 

Oh and who did we draft? A workout warrior with a touching personal story whose number don't match his production on the field. And a guy coming off an often career ending injury who may not even play this year. Wow impressive. I guess the guy with the three concussions who already quit football once was already taken.

[cdgacoltsfan]

Fisher makes sense. After all, he did tear his Achilles and Ballard seems to covet players with career ending Achilles tears. ( Mack, Dayo ,Fisher???)

[DougDew]

Ballard said that there were not many prototypical LTs in this draft.  Which was obvious actually.  So he didn't buy a pretender.

 

The draft is a like a card game.  Sometimes you can't control the cards at spot 54.  Jax got a franchise QB when they happened to have the first pick.  So did the Colts when they picked Luck.

 

The real issue is that maybe we need to back off the hype over Paye while we can still save face and think about the consequences of passing on Darrisaw.

 

If Ballard ever gets criticized for the LT spot, it should be for that decision.  Not really what happened at pick 54.

[danlhart87]

2 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Ballard said that there were not many prototypical LTs in this draft.  Which was obvious actually.  So he didn't buy a pretender.

 

The draft is a like a card game.  Sometimes you can't control the cards at spot 54.  Jax got a franchise QB when they happened to have the first pick.  So did the Colts when they picked Luck.

 

The real issue is that maybe we need to back off the hype over Paye and think about passing Darrisaw.

 

If Ballard ever gets criticized for the LT spot, its that decision.  Not really what happened at pick 54.

Choosing Paye was the right decision. There are currently 2 starting holes on the DL and 1 on the OL. 

[K-148]

Nelson - 6th pick (1st round).

Kelly - 18th pick (1st round).

Smith - 37th pick (almost 1st round).

And another 1st round - 2nd round pick for LT?! And then resign them all? It's too much draft capital to invest. Sometimes you have to scheme it, not overspend it.

[DougDew]

4 minutes ago, danlhart87 said:

Choosing Paye was the right decision. There are currently 2 starting holes on the DL and 1 on the OL. 

True, but the holes on the DL can be, and usually are, covered by situational players.  The LT plays every offensive snap.

 

I think we only need one more three down player on the dline and not two.  We already have Buckner.

 

Still, not fixing the LT spot at pick 54 is not really Ballard's fault.  Most people knew the good ones would be gone by then.

[LiveAndLetAddai]

26 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Reports are that he and BALT will agree.  Getting Villy is why they traded Orlando Brown.  Maybe that has changed.

I have read the same.

[danlhart87]

5 minutes ago, DougDew said:

True, but the holes on the DL can be, and usually are, covered by situational players.  The LT plays every offensive snap.

 

I think we only need one more three down player on the dline and not two.  We already have Buckner.

 

Still, not fixing the LT spot at pick 54 is not really Ballard's fault.  Most people knew the good ones would be gone by then.

Ballard changed the overall impression of our OL when he drafted Q and Smith. I expected him to take that same approach on D.

 

I'm tired of teams running all around us and other fans saying your D without Buckner is hot garbage.

 

These 2 guys might not pan out but if they do it will pay HUGE advantage for the future 

2 minutes ago, WentzinRome said:

I have read the same.

[LiveAndLetAddai]

Just now, danlhart87 said:

Ballard changed the overall impression of our OL when he drafted Q and Smith. I expected him to take that same approach on D.

 

I'm tired of teams running all around us and other fans saying your D without Buckner is hot garbage.

 

These 2 guys might not pan out but if they do it will pay HUGE advantage for the future 

Lol, no not at all.  I have read a couple articles that stated that Baltimore traded Brown with the signing Vil after the draft.  Who knows, maybe the Colts could get involved now?

[DougDew]

3 minutes ago, danlhart87 said:

Ballard changed the overall impression of our OL when he drafted Q and Smith. I expected him to take that same approach on D.

 

I'm tired of teams running all around us and other fans saying your D without Buckner is hot garbage.

 

These 2 guys might not pan out but if they do it will pay HUGE advantage for the future 

I think Darrisaw and Dayo would have been a better 1 2 pick.  Dayo is like Payton Turner, only better.

[jvan1973]

21 minutes ago, cdgacoltsfan said:

Fisher makes sense. After all, he did tear his Achilles and Ballard seems to covet players with career ending Achilles tears. ( Mack, Dayo ,Fisher???)

Career ending?

[richard pallo]

39 minutes ago, DougDew said:

If we have to compete with other clubs over money for an injured 30 year old Fisher, I'd prefer to talk to SF again about McGlinchey.

 

 

I don't think we have the draft ammo to get McGlinchey.  Don't forget our commitment to the Eagles.  Fisher makes the most sense.  If he can come close to his old self it would be ideal.  We still have to pay Q and Smith.  His contract would be very affordable even if we have to compete.  We have the cap space.  I agree with NCF above.

[Mr.NotSoCreative]

Did the kid from Northern Iowa get picked yet? Think Brown? Large individual if i remember that at least lol.

[danlhart87]

1 minute ago, Mr.NotSoCreative said:

Did the kid from Northern Iowa get picked yet? Think Brown? Large individual if i remember that at least lol.

Yes Buffalo 

[richard pallo]

Any tackle we draft in the 4th rd and beyond are real long shots to be starters to begin with.  Any player for that matter.  Clark was a 3rd rd pick I believe and look how he struggled.  If we are serious about contending a veteran makes sense now.  Fisher makes the most sense for me.  He's clearly better than the other LT's we have when he is healthy.  It's along season.  Hopefully Chris has reached out to his agent this morning.

[holeymoley99]

It really boils down to this, is the club better with Q at Left Tackle and Reed at Left Guard or Q at Left Guard and either Tevi,Davenport or Holden at Left Tackle ?

 

Q is a beast at Left Guard, he made a flawless position switch as he was a lifetime Left Tackle when Notre Dame asked him to move(He  was an All American Left Tackle before enrolling there). Odds are very heavily weighted he is a beast at Left Tackle which is the most important spot on the O Line.

 

Now when comparing the 4 players who would join the starting lineup these are their PFF Grades for 2020

 

Chris Reed 63.0-893 snaps

Will Holden 59.6 -83 snaps (He's only taken 474 snaps in his career)

J.Davenport 71.3 (though only 52 snaps) 2019 with starter snaps 56.5

Sam Tevi 55.9- 1,025 snaps

 

Reed is the best player of this bunch plain and simple and should be the most trusted.  Move Q to LT and insert Reed if it doesnt work you can try and hope one of the 3 Tackles can improve and move Q back to Guard, no move has to be set in stone.

[DougDew]

22 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

I don't think we have the draft ammo to get McGlinchey.  Don't forget our commitment to the Eagles.  Fisher makes the most sense.  If he can come close to his old self it would be ideal.  We still have to pay Q and Smith.  His contract would be very affordable even if we have to compete.  We have the cap space.  I agree with NCF above.

I was thinking that we would have to compete with other teams to sign Fisher, resulting in an overbuy.   If there wasn't much demand, great.

 

Maybe we'd have to compete with other teams for a trade for MM, but that seems more like a one on one negotiation.

 

Ballard did well with the Buckner trade and the Wentz trade.  I don't know if MM is that well thought of that he would require a lot of ammo.

[MikeCurtis]

23 hours ago, Wentzszn said:

There are a lot of vet LT still out there. It gives them the luxury to go BPA tonight. Fisher really does no good because he won’t be ready to start the season and probably missed most of the season.

Fisher actually is believed to be ready mid August

 

Per January announcement

 

 

[richard pallo]

2 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I was thinking that we would have to compete with other teams to sign Fisher, resulting in an overbuy.   If there wasn't much demand, great.

 

Maybe we'd have to compete with other teams for a trade for MM, but that seems more like a one on one negotiation.

 

Ballard did well with the Buckner trade and the Wentz trade.  I don't know if MM is that well thought of that he would require a lot of ammo.

SF just picked up his 5th year option at 10 or 11m.  He's a starter and would cost at least a starting player to acquire him.  I can't see it being done with picks alone.  Hopefully the demand for Fisher is not robust after the draft.  A lot of good tackles have been drafted now. Jags got the steal of the draft in Little for Trevor Lawrence.  JMO there. 

[#12.]

36 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

I don't think we have the draft ammo to get McGlinchey.  

 

Yeah, but you will still have to draft a LT in a few years, so it doesn't really matter.  The pick(s) either go for McGlinchey or a rookie.  It's more about paying him, I suppose, but you will have to pay Fisher more than a rookie deal for a few years as well.  I don't know if SF would do a lower pick next year and a 2nd in 2023.  Perhaps you swap some picks.  Something like that.  I couldn't really say what his value would be.

 

Fisher seems much more likely.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

33 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

Fisher actually is believed to be ready mid August

 

Per January announcement

 

 

If he is that would be a good signing. He is older and guys that size I can imagine are harder to recover from that injury. I do think Ballard has someone in mind since we didn’t go tackle.

[#12.]

32 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

Fisher actually is believed to be ready mid August

 

Per January announcement

 

 

 

Yeah, I think he's your Houston at LT.  With no 2022 1st rounder, you put off LT for 2-3 years.  

 

If you get the Fisher from the past year and a half, there wouldn't be much of a dropoff.  

[#12.]

2 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

I do think Ballard has someone in mind since we didn’t go tackle.

 

I still think it's just mainly how the board fell. They didn't think Paye would be there.  According to Peter King, Ballard was convinced he could get a starting LT early in the 2nd.

[MikeCurtis]

3 minutes ago, #12. said:

 

Yeah, I think he's your Houston at LT.  With no 2022 1st rounder, you put off LT for 2-3 years.  

 

If you get the Fisher from the past year and a half, there wouldn't be much of a dropoff.  

As there are ties to our current staff with Fisher, and he is a FA......  I imagine that there has ALREADY been a phone call made

 

"How ya doing man?...... Hows the ankle?.....  Lets stay in touch, we may have a spot for you"

[Scott Pennock]

The tea leaves are in front of us.

 

He stated "athletes" when talking about the LT position. Guys who were more athletic and coachable.

 

Alex Leatherwood - already drafted

Spencer Brown - already drafted

Dillon Radunz - already drafted

Landon Young

D'Ante Smith - makes up for lower strength with extreme length and mirroring

Carson Green

Stone Forsythe

Larnell Coleman

 

That leaves 5 guys still available that fit the RAS (Relative Athletic Score) profile as well as other CB criteria.

 

Not too mention he stated the offseason is not done yet - aka Eric Fisher is a phone call away I would bet. Sign him and draft a coachable guy with the measurables and boom, our oline is good to go!

 

Side note......I would not be surprised if another edge player wasn't drafted (Elerson Smith from UNI)!