Greg Cosell on the Russ Tucker podcast/ Breaking down the AFC South

[Superman]

16 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

When the Colts drafted Goncalves they said they think he could play 4 positions at the NFL level.   All but Left Tackle.  So he is not a replacement for Raimann.   odds are Goncalves will play RG and some RT. 
 

I’m a Cosell fan.  He’s forgotten more about football than anyone here knows.  But his opinion on Raimann is beyond head scratching. 
 

Raimann scored in the low to mid 70’s his rookie year.  Then scored in the low 80’s last year.   I don’t know what he thinks of PFF scores,  but there is more to this opinion than meets the eye.  Something doesn’t add up at all.  

 

I don't know if the Colts expect to see Goncalves play any LT right away, but I don't recall them ruling anything out. They praised his versatility, and Ballard said that one of the games they saw him play was at LT. Ballard also said he's not sure Goncalves can't play center. Raimann is penciled in as the starter at LT, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Goncalves get reps there in camp/preseason.

[NewColtsFan]

6 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I don't know if the Colts expect to see Goncalves play any LT right away, but I don't recall them ruling anything out. They praised his versatility, and Ballard said that one of the games they saw him play was at LT. Ballard also said he's not sure Goncalves can't play center. Raimann is penciled in as the starter at LT, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Goncalves get reps there in camp/preseason.

You don’t recall Ballard saying on draft night they think Goncalves can play any of four positions?   Any except LT.   No recall of that?    That’s my recollection.  
 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Goncalves gets some reps at LT in camp.   But I’d file that under just in case of emergency. 
 

[Superman]

16 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

You don’t recall Ballard saying on draft night they think Goncalves can play any of four positions?   Any except LT.   No recall of that?    That’s my recollection.  
 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Goncalves gets some reps at LT in camp.   But I’d file that under just in case of emergency. 
 

 

I just listened to it again. I didn't hear him say any of four positions, and I didn't hear him exclude LT.

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

I just listened to it again. I didn't hear him say any of four positions, and I didn't hear him exclude LT.

Hmmm….   Maybe we didn’t hear the same clip?   Because I listened in the night 2 clip (among several others) and CB lists left tackle, right tackle, guard and center.   
 

Ultimately you’re right and I’m wrong.  Ballard says he can play left tackle.   I’m just not sure it’s his best position ahead of RG and RT.  
 

Thanks.  I appreciate the time and effort to make the correction. 

[Superman]

28 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Hmmm….   Maybe we didn’t hear the same clip?   Because I listened in the night 2 clip (among several others) and CB lists left tackle, right tackle, guard and center.   
 

Ultimately you’re right and I’m wrong.  Ballard says he can play left tackle.   I’m just not sure it’s his best position ahead of RG and RT.  
 

Thanks.  I appreciate the time and effort to make the correction. 

 

Yeah, I think we're talking about the same clip. I guess I interpret "guard" as either guard position... I don't think he played any guard at Pitt, but it's not hard to make that projection, teams do it all the time. Even though Ballard specifically mentioned center, I think that's the position he's least likely to play, because I don't think he's ever snapped the ball (at least not in college). To me, they probably see him as a swing/utility guy who can backup almost any position. Basically Joe Reitz, but starting with a higher floor.

 

LT is not his best position, and his path to playing time in 2024 is probably as a swing backup at guard/tackle, probably on the right side, like you said. Even if Raimann was unavailable, I would expect Freeland to be ahead of Goncalves at LT. 

 

Maybe Cosell sees more LT potential from him, which is fair, but I don't see Goncalves as a good enough athlete to succeed at tackle, period. What's really weird is how negative he is about Raimann at LT, but without hearing him expound on his position, I think that's just a miss on his part. Raimann might not ever be a top 10 LT, but saying he hasn't panned out at LT is objectively wrong. 

[stitches]

My best guess is he saw a bad game of Raimann, followed by one of the games when he was injured and Freeland was playing in his stead and assumed he was benched for performance reasons, thus concluding he was not ready or hasn't panned out. But that's just unsubstantiated guess on my part.

[Creekside]

On 6/4/2024 at 10:37 PM, OhioColt said:

 

 

More worried about Smith's injuries and longevity compounded with his salary cap hit heading into next season.  Feel the Colts offensive line will be different next season minus Kelly, Fries, and potentially Smith all gone.  

 

I think Ballard learned his lesson a couple of years ago when he handed the left tackle job to a below-average journeyman and the right guard position to a back-up center....I won't be surprised if next year the Colts 1st draft pick is an O-Lineman.

[shasta519]

On 6/3/2024 at 1:49 PM, Moosejawcolt said:

I was listening to the Russ Tucker podcast and Russ had Greg Cosell on and he is a regular on the show and I think most people here and in general respect him as an talent evaluator. Cosell gave his views on the AFC south and you can listen to whole Russ Tucker podcast. His take is pretty consistent with what most people feel on this board about the Colts moving forward. What I found most interesting is that he felt Raimann was not the answer at LT as he says "he hasn't panned out". Very interesting, as most people on this forum feel that Raimann is that franchise LT. He did also touch on corner. Paye has not become that guy and the need to drat Latu and Cosell is very high on him.

 

I think this is quite common...that national media guys don't know every player on every team. He might just be confusing him with Freeland or something. But he should have better notes. 

 

 

[Superman]

4 hours ago, Creekside said:

 

I think Ballard learned his lesson a couple of years ago when he handed the left tackle job to a below-average journeyman and the right guard position to a back-up center....I won't be surprised if next year the Colts 1st draft pick is an O-Lineman.

 

Are you talking about Matt Pryor? He played reasonably well at LT as a fill in. Then they re-signed him for one year, and he changed his body in the offseason, and came back and played as poorly as anyone ever has at LT. I didn't like the decision to pencil him in at LT to begin with, but he definitely came back worse than anyone expected.

 

The Pinter at RG experiment only lasted 2-3 games. It was still not a great offseason plan. 

[Creekside]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

Are you talking about Matt Pryor? He played reasonably well at LT as a fill in. Then they re-signed him for one year, and he changed his body in the offseason, and came back and played as poorly as anyone ever has at LT. I didn't like the decision to pencil him in at LT to begin with, but he definitely came back worse than anyone expected.

 

The Pinter at RG experiment only lasted 2-3 games. It was still not a great offseason plan. 

 

Yes, Pryor....changed his body? Whatever happened, he was not a good starting left tackle for the Colts. ...I don't know that I'd call Pinter an experiment.. Wasn't he the starter at the beginning of the season after Glow left?..In any case I remember Ballard saying at season's end that it was his fault that the O-Line had been such a mess. (first half of the season)...

 

I was just making a point that going forward I believe he will do whatever he can to maintain a good O-Line

[Superman]

1 minute ago, Creekside said:

 

I may have Pryor confused with that guy that had played for the Chargers ? ...I don't know that I'd call Pinter an experiment.. Wasn't he the starter at the beginning of the season after Glow left?..In any case I remember Ballard saying at season's end that it was his fault that the O-Line had been such a mess.

 

What year were you referring to? I was talking about 2022, when Pryor was the Week 1 starter at LT, after he started a game or two at LT in 2021. He lasted four games at LT in 2022, then got moved to guard, then Jeff Saturday benched him when he took over. The OL was a hot mess all of 2022, and that's the year that I think Ballard really messed up. 

 

In 2021, they signed Sam Tevi from the Chargers, who got hurt in preseason and never played for us. They also signed Julie'n Davenport, who started at LT in Week 1. But the real guy in 2021 was Eric Fisher, who was coming off an Achilles injury in late 2020, and somehow was ready to play by Week 2. He had some issues in pass pro, but was really good as a run blocker. Then he wasn't re-signed in 2022, and we moved on to Matt Pryor. (No one really liked the plan at LT in 2021, especially passing on Christian Darrisaw, but the OL mostly held up throughout the season, especially in the run game.)

 

Glowinski left after 2021, and Pinter was the Week 1 starter at RG in 2022, but he got benched in Week 4, then came in at center in Week 5 when Ryan Kelly got hurt. He only played four more offensive snaps the remainder of the season. He was in the mix in 2023, but got hurt in preseason and missed the year.

[Creekside]

3 hours ago, Superman said:

 

What year were you referring to? I was talking about 2022, when Pryor was the Week 1 starter at LT, after he started a game or two at LT in 2021. He lasted four games at LT in 2022, then got moved to guard, then Jeff Saturday benched him when he took over. The OL was a hot mess all of 2022, and that's the year that I think Ballard really messed up. 

 

In 2021, they signed Sam Tevi from the Chargers, who got hurt in preseason and never played for us. They also signed Julie'n Davenport, who started at LT in Week 1. But the real guy in 2021 was Eric Fisher, who was coming off an Achilles injury in late 2020, and somehow was ready to play by Week 2. He had some issues in pass pro, but was really good as a run blocker. Then he wasn't re-signed in 2022, and we moved on to Matt Pryor. (No one really liked the plan at LT in 2021, especially passing on Christian Darrisaw, but the OL mostly held up throughout the season, especially in the run game.)

 

Glowinski left after 2021, and Pinter was the Week 1 starter at RG in 2022, but he got benched in Week 4, then came in at center in Week 5 when Ryan Kelly got hurt. He only played four more offensive snaps the remainder of the season. He was in the mix in 2023, but got hurt in preseason and missed the year.

 

Sorry..I did edit my post , but after this response. ..Yes, I was talking about 2022 with Pryor and Pinter starting.. Ryan was QB. It was a disaster...I think I remember Ballard apologizing to Ryan for not protecting him....Anyway, I don't expect anything like that again as long as Ballard is GM.

[OhioColt]

On 6/6/2024 at 6:31 PM, Creekside said:

 

Sorry..I did edit my post , but after this response. ..Yes, I was talking about 2022 with Pryor and Pinter starting.. Ryan was QB. It was a disaster...I think I remember Ballard apologizing to Ryan for not protecting him....Anyway, I don't expect anything like that again as long as Ballard is GM.

I just got a feeling that after this season our offensive line is going to look a lot different for 2025.  Do believe the organization doing their best not to repeat with Luck that they have now with AR and protecting him now.  I been on Over the Cap looking at our cap space for next season.  One idea been tossing around was to trade B. Smith to the Lions for Edge Josh Paschal even adding in Ebukam to the equation.  Still got to wonder about Kelly's health and looking at ages of centers in the league Kelly is one of the eldest playing to date.  Knowing both Pinter and French are upcoming free agents, wonder if Kelly would take a high-priced (7-8m) backup role and try to add Atlanta's Drew Dalman as his replacement.  In 2023, Dalman finished 6th best OL in zone with an 82.3 PFF grade.  Atlanta ran the most zone concepts of any team in regular season (315) where Dalman excelled earning a 90.9 run-blocking grade.  

 

LT2 Walker Little (Rival Jaguars) - potential to start RT upgrade over both Witt and ERFA Kidd

 

LG2 Nick Leverett (Patriots) – solid backup behind Nelson with both Sills and Hambright unsigned FAs

 

RG1 Daniel Brunskill (Rival Titans) – Will Fries costly penalties make him a FA and Brunskill has a low penalty history throughout his timeline and equally as good if not slightly better.

 

Draft day am really liking RG Jaeden Roberts (Alabama) in Round 2.  Roberts versus Michigan in the CFP semifinal, he didn’t allow a single pressure on his 35 pass-blocking snaps against 2024 top-50 pick Kris Jenkins Jr., nor 2025 draftees Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.  I went back and watched some of the highlights from the game and Roberts did fail to pick up the second blitzer and probably should off switched off coverage 2Q 00:27s.

 

Marcus Wehr (Montana State) is another player watched some of his tape this week.  Made 2023 College Football FCS All-America Team and graded out as the #1 OT in D1 last year.  Against Montana he started out at LT before the team moved him to RT and seemed a more natural fit.  Impressed with some explosiveness and hustle in his game.  See why his final 2023 earned a 93.4 overall offense grade, 86.7 PBLK and a 92.9 RBLK grades.  I know we just took Goncalves in Round 3, but Wehr could be another Round 3 target at RT.

[richard pallo]

11 hours ago, OhioColt said:

I just got a feeling that after this season our offensive line is going to look a lot different for 2025.  Do believe the organization doing their best not to repeat with Luck that they have now with AR and protecting him now.  I been on Over the Cap looking at our cap space for next season.  One idea been tossing around was to trade B. Smith to the Lions for Edge Josh Paschal even adding in Ebukam to the equation.  Still got to wonder about Kelly's health and looking at ages of centers in the league Kelly is one of the eldest playing to date.  Knowing both Pinter and French are upcoming free agents, wonder if Kelly would take a high-priced (7-8m) backup role and try to add Atlanta's Drew Dalman as his replacement.  In 2023, Dalman finished 6th best OL in zone with an 82.3 PFF grade.  Atlanta ran the most zone concepts of any team in regular season (315) where Dalman excelled earning a 90.9 run-blocking grade.  

 

LT2 Walker Little (Rival Jaguars) - potential to start RT upgrade over both Witt and ERFA Kidd

 

LG2 Nick Leverett (Patriots) – solid backup behind Nelson with both Sills and Hambright unsigned FAs

 

RG1 Daniel Brunskill (Rival Titans) – Will Fries costly penalties make him a FA and Brunskill has a low penalty history throughout his timeline and equally as good if not slightly better.

 

Draft day am really liking RG Jaeden Roberts (Alabama) in Round 2.  Roberts versus Michigan in the CFP semifinal, he didn’t allow a single pressure on his 35 pass-blocking snaps against 2024 top-50 pick Kris Jenkins Jr., nor 2025 draftees Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.  I went back and watched some of the highlights from the game and Roberts did fail to pick up the second blitzer and probably should off switched off coverage 2Q 00:27s.

 

Marcus Wehr (Montana State) is another player watched some of his tape this week.  Made 2023 College Football FCS All-America Team and graded out as the #1 OT in D1 last year.  Against Montana he started out at LT before the team moved him to RT and seemed a more natural fit.  Impressed with some explosiveness and hustle in his game.  See why his final 2023 earned a 93.4 overall offense grade, 86.7 PBLK and a 92.9 RBLK grades.  I know we just took Goncalves in Round 3, but Wehr could be another Round 3 target at RT.

No worries on the OL for me.  They drafted Bortolonni to take over for Kelly when the time comes.  We now have promising depth behind the starters with more to be drafted I’m sure.  No reason to break up the band right now.  They are top five.  I’m going to enjoy the music.