RT Battle
 

Figures this deserves its own thread.


@gmbremer
Right tackle remains wide open. Denzelle Good will get a "good shot" this week, but he won't play with the starters. Frank Reich hopes to make a decision after the game against the 49ers, but it could last through the final preseason game.

@mchappell51
Reich: Braden Smith will get work at RG this week. Others will get work at RT. 'Open competition.'


Looking like we might be down to Denzelle Good, Le’Raven Clark, and Austin Howard.

Austin Howard is getting cut

This is Good’s job to lose

Possibly, but I'm betting on Braden Smith, although I do like Good more at RT than RG.

Right now

Good is better than Smith

What the fuck is the deal with the guy, from what I heard on the radio tonight they gave him like 10 snaps at the position and said "fuck this". Just a situation of old man time catching up?

There are too many stories of us missing the mark in both FA and the draft. Worrisome.

I was rooting for Braden Smith to take the job but the fact that he’s getting work at RG this week, I’m guessing they’re looking elsewhere and that Smith is likely getting groomed to be the RG starter next year.

The dude was never really good to begin with.

Who knows what his issues are but there is no reason to play him over anyone else

Just weeks ago in an interview he was saying how he looked forward to bringing old-school toughness and leadership to the OL. Ha.

And on top of that I thought I was watching a Pags coached offensive last week.

Well to Ballard's credit apparently he isn't going to pull a Grigson and have someone on the level of Satele responsible for helping protect Luck. If he can't play any longer then see ya. Maybe he really does not have what it takes mentally any longer to play the position.

thats on purpose.

"Yes, we are playing it close to the vest, and there are a lot of things we are not doing, for sure, and we won't do in the last games, either," Reich said. "We are a new staff. We can have a competitive advantage by not showing some of the things that I feel like have looked really good in training camp and the ways that we are doing certain things. We are just not going to show those. That's just a philosophical approach that we've always taken. I think that will pay dividends."

http://www.espn.com/blog/indianapoli...a-in-preseason

Yep. For instance, did anyone notice that Luck called I believe no audibles, early in the game?

Reich was calling plays to evaluate players in specific situations. Flacco was calling audibles right from the get go.

Normally I would reply that's what we thought the last 2 years, however, it does sound like these coaches have brains, can think for themselves and have some common sense and game planning skills - something I couldn't say the last few years.

Austin Howard can be cut right now, as far as I'm concerned. He plays like he doesn't even care.

He actually plays like he has no fucking talent.

Denzelle Good suffered a knee injury tonight.

The. Right. Tackle. Job. Is. A. Mess.

#Colts injury news:

John Simon's neck injury was nothing serious, it's a day-to-day thing.

Denzell Good's knee is week-to-week. Won't play Thursday, and that muddies the water even further at right tackle.

Play Haeg and put a TE over there.

IF AC is still out for the opener, find an O lineman who can catch a cold, put him in an 80 jersey and put him next to _____________ playing RT.

Yeah, I went there.

Assuming AC is back at left OT, then Haeg at right OT will be fine by me. I like Haeg and trust him to play up to his abilities; he just does not have a terribly high ceiling but he can be trusted to work his butt off to hit it.

Him or Braden Smith at this point for me. I like Good when healthy but the healthy part has been questionable for awhile now.

Walk Worthy,

As long as AC is back and playing well I'm not overly worried. The line looks like crap because both tackles are incredibly weak without AC in. With only one really weak spot on the line (RT) we should be able to manage that with schemes etc. As an aside, I cannot believe the instincts and football intelligence of Nelson. He is amazing at seemingly instantly 'feeling' where he needs to help if not completely hooked up with his man and is quick enough in a small area to get there and help. He and Kelly already seem to be developing a feel for each others play. When these guys have been together for a while and get some cohesion as a unit they could be special if a RT emerges

A lot of Colt fans, maybe not on this board, who shit on AC are finding out that LT is a damn hard position to replace. Good LT's just don't fall out of trees. Colts definitely need AC back.

Apparently any position on the oline is hard to replace or 'place'.

Reich did mention that they are planning on starting Haeg at RT.

Had Haeg gotten much time at RT this off season? He has played ok there in the past.

I think Haeg is the best option for the right side, just needs the constantly time of play and keep improving, he has did pretty good last seasons, and plus, important for this OL, he has been a healthy player. My thoughts.

So, starting line of AC / Nelson / Kelly / Slausson / Haeg

Quality backups of Smith (OG) and Good (OT). I expect Smith to be the ever valuable "6th" O-lineman.

When camp started, I had hoped that additional quality players of Mewhort and Howard would have pushed guys like Slausson and Haeg into depth roles and we would have been REALLY deep.

However, health (Mewhort) and age (Howard) have caught up and we don't have the depth I would have hoped for. Hopefully, we will not have many injuries on the O-line this year stressing our depth (yeah, right!).

Behind Smith and Good I would guess we will see the decisions between:

OT = Clark or Webb
OG = Bond or Vujunovich

I don't really care who because I hope none of them ever see the field. If they do...

Walk Worthy,

This is the position battle I will be looking forward to seeing. I have fading hopes that someone actually wins this job and that we just don't end up having to 'give' it to a player. I'm hoping that Smith is that guy that wins it.

Vijnovich started on the LG all year last year. No, he's not Nelson, but he stayed healthy and the Colts could run left all year. He's steady and a young guy who will learn over time. He may make this team, and that's not a bad thing.

He was terrible last season. But from what I've seen of him in preseason, he hasn't played badly.