Originally Posted by sherck (Post 87876)

I agree to a point.

But the fact that neither Smith nor Glowinski were projected starters out of Training Camp and that Clark and Haeg saw a lot of playing time earlier shows that you have to have QUALITY DEPTH to be a good O-Line.

We have one current O-Line starter ending their contract each year from 2019 - 2023.

2019 = Glowinski
2020 = Castonzo
2021 = Kelly
2022 = Smith
2023 = Nelson (with 5th year option)

As long as they continue to play well AND we choose to re-sign them, I totally agree with you on not needing to use TOP draft picks on the O-line and just keep up the quality depth.

BUT, there is no guarantee that they will continue to play well nor that the team will re-sign them. The key is that we have had the depth to survive to this point and find five guys who can play well together

2019 = Good
2020 = Clark, Haeg

Do we re-sign those depth guys? Or draft new depth?

To have a quality O-Line, you have to keep adding talent to it every season. One draft pick in the top four rounds every season (25% of your draft picks in those rounds) should go to O-Line (23% of your starters), IMO. If the O-Line is suprerior, then having only average offensive speciality folks can still make an offense run. If you have an average to below average O-Line, the best set of receivers will be worthless as the QB never has time to throw and the RBs never have holes to run in.

Walk Worthy

Originally Posted by VeveJones007 (Post 87879)

And Castonzo will be 31 years old next season. He's been remarkably healthy in his career, but you need to have a good backup plan for a 30+ OL.

Originally Posted by sherck (Post 87892)

Clark could be that backup plan. He played credibly well at LT early this season.

If he did not have a rookie OG next to him (granted, a good one but a rookie still) and a solid right side of the line, then swinging TE/RB chip coverage his way on elite rushers works.

Granted, in a perfect scenario, I want a young, stud LT to drop to us at the exact time Castonzo starts to decline but it rarely works that way.

Good O-Linemen often play well into their 33rd/34th/35th seasons. Time will tell where Castonzo falls in that timeline.

Walk Worthy,

Originally Posted by Oldcolt (Post 87936)

I don't think we have ever had an offensive lineman that is as destructive as Nelson. He gets more pancake blocks in a game than most guys get in a year. He is a tone setter. A steal at #6

Originally Posted by rcubed (Post 87948)

I would say good pick at 6, steal is too strong.

Originally Posted by sherck (Post 91582)

Snippet from a Colts.com article:


During the last 4 games:

- Averaging 152 yards rushing per game

- Averaging 245 yards passing per game

- 14 passing TDs (0f 26 total for the season)

- 4 rushing TDs (of 5 total for the season)

- Suffered 0 sacks

A strong O-Line is a wonderful thing......especially when it was not the O-Line that you envisioned at the beginning of the season and instead you just sort of......LUCK.....into it!

Walk Worthy

Originally Posted by rcubed (Post 91590)

yeah I get that taking a guard at 6 and 2 OL in first two rounds was not sexy but its reaping benefits. If we have a strong line for years to come it was worth it.

Originally Posted by sherck (Post 91591)

I get the "positional value" discussion of those who say that you will never get the value out of the #6 spot with an OG....

...however, the results speak for themselves over the past 4 weeks. While Nelson is not the whole answer for our O-Line improvements, neither is any defender/WR/RB/QB that you would have picked there either. They are all part of a TEAM.

And as for me, I am dang glad we have Nelson on our TEAM. Those pancake blocks are a thing of beauty.

Walk Worthy,