A new offensive line philosophy for the Colts?

by Brad Wells on Feb 20, 2010 2:00 PM EST in Colts News

I'm not sure how I feel about this bit from Pro Football Weekly's Dan Arkush:

While we hear it's far from a given the Colts will focus on tackles and guards early in the draft, it does appear that a change in the team's offensive-line philosophy could be in the offing with longtime position coach Howard Mudd finally calling it a career. "Howard always had a preference for smaller, athletic, versatile linemen," one team insider said. "But with the way the run game continued to struggle — especially in short-yardage situations — there's a feeling Polian might want to start really going after bigger, more physical guys. They've brought in bigger linemen before, but for whatever reason, they just haven't seemed to pan out."

The recent woes of the o-line in short yardage, and in running yardage period, have not been the result of a philosophy. When Tarik Glenn and Adam Meadows were working up front, the Colts were able to run the football with tremendous results.The issue with the current o-line is that Polian has busted two high round picks: Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollak. Both players suck, and when you spend back-to-back second round picks in consecutive years on crappy talent, it is going to hurt your o-line.

The key is not to bring in "bigger" guys. The key is for Polian to draft guys who "do not suck." Remember, Glenn and Meadows were not drafted by Bill Polian. Former VP of Football Operations Bill Tobin took those guys in 1997, the year before Polian was hired.

Tip to GoHorse88

Much of our pre-draft coverage will focus on o-line play, which seems to be the #1 priority for this team entering the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Perhaps

Polian should invite Tobin, Glenn and Meadows to participate in scouting this year’s O-Line talent

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Feb 20, 2010 2:18 PM EST reply actions

Bill Polian confessed to having trouble evaluationg O-Line

I seem to recall him telling this to Bob Lamey on one of his radio shows around the time of last year’s draft. My question would be -“If you know this about your talent evaluating skills, which are formidable for the most part, maybe you should delegate that part of drafting.”
Just sayin’.

by oldecoltsfan on Feb 20, 2010 2:38 PM EST reply actions

Maybe it has been

difficult for the Colts not just because Polian has problems with it, but because of the kind of the quarterback Peyton Manning is? I mean I’m sure there are easier Oline jobs in the league.

After all, how many o-linemen have to learn Gaelic?

by diagenesis on Feb 20, 2010 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

lol

Thank goodness we were able to keep Jeff!

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Feb 21, 2010 11:18 AM EST up reply actions

Pollak

Mike Pollak came out of college as primarily a centre (iirc), so i’d like to see him play there (after saturday hangs up his boots) before calling him a bust.

we probably will – considering how long polian usually takes to finally admit to fecking up a high draft pick.

by Passdinho on Feb 20, 2010 2:43 PM EST reply actions

I should change my handle to "PolianApologist"

but it’s difficult to let a high draft pick just walk before you’ve gotten 3 or 4 years out of him. Tim Jennings was still a better nickel corner than what was available elsewhere last year, and I suspect Mike Pollak still has some value.

BP did move quickly to cut loose Terrance Taylor when they figured out that likely wouldn’t work.

by Louisville Soul Train on Feb 27, 2010 6:13 PM EST up reply actions

Pollak was 3rd rated center . . .

. . . .in Sporting news Draft publication. Interestingly, Kyle Devan was 5th, Steve Justice was 6th, and Jamey Richard was 9th.
I wonder if Devan could actually be the heir apparent to #63. He seems to embody similar attributes to Saturday, and is a virtual clone of Jeff.
That being said, the right side of the line could stand an upgrade, for sure. Maybe somebody gives Jamie Thomas (6-4,330 lbs) a dynamite suppository to get him properly motivated, and we draft a Left Tackle, sliding Charlie over to the side that suits his skillset much better.
If the Colts can rejuvenate the running game, with the backs we already have and #18 calling the plays, we don’t really need a whole lot else for a return to the big game in February. IMO.

by oldecoltsfan on Feb 20, 2010 3:07 PM EST reply actions

Ugoh at right tackle

I wonder how much they might experiment with Ugoh at the right side in the off season. I always thought he was a fairly good run blocker, and while he might not be up to protecting Peyton’s blindside, he might be fine over on the right. They did have Ugoh over there at times in preseason, so I wonder if they might try and convert him over there rather than give up on the draft pick entirely.

An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing...

by bluegirl on Feb 20, 2010 4:55 PM EST reply actions

I thought Ugoh looked good early

Seems he’s lost the desire and isn’t putting in the effort needed anymore. That’ll get ya’ thrown out of the Colts clubhouse fast. Or, at least it should.

by ActionOxford on Feb 20, 2010 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

I hope they do get bigger, but they also need to get better.

Glen was 330 pounds, that’s big by any standard. They need some beef upfront. I don’t think they need all five linemen weighing in at 330lbs, but one or two big nasty maulers would be nice. I would love to see BP spend a lot of picks on big talented lineman.

Some people have mentioned moving Ugoh back into the rotation, I don’t see it happening. The coaches don’t seem to have any faith in his run blocking ability. This season, the games that Ugoh got extensive playing time, they didn’t run his direction at all. The coaches do seem to have faith in his pass blocking ability because they didn’t assign a TE to help him on passing plays.

If the coaches thought he would have been a better option, at RT, than Diem wouldn’t they have moved him there right away opposed to benching him?

Defense is more important than breathing.

by BetterD on Feb 21, 2010 9:42 AM EST reply actions

what about after a full offseason?

Could be they want to see what Ugoh can do at right tackle after a full offseason. I know he mentioned last offseason that switching sides is a little trickier than it may seem, which I imagine is more the case with a guy like Ugoh who’s probably never been the second-best lineman on a team in his life.

by Louisville Soul Train on Feb 27, 2010 6:15 PM EST up reply actions

Agree that they just haven't been right as much in the draft...

but Tarik was a behemoth. That definitely helped him as a run blocker.

by willyduer on Feb 21, 2010 4:01 PM EST reply actions

I think they will get bigger...

I noted this in last year’s draft when they took Jamie Thomas in the 7th round. I realize it was a 7th rounder and a bit of a throw away pick, but the fact that they would even consider bringing in a 340lb lineman showed a philosophical change. I actually think it is Caldwell driving this more than anyone else. The change is draft style was very apparent from the last year of the Dungy era to the first year of Caldwell’s.

This is also part of the reason I hesitate in suggesting that the Colts draft Charles Brown. A 285lb LT just does not follow with this potential new line of thinking.

by invisibulman on Feb 22, 2010 8:43 AM EST reply actions

BigBlueShoe

Were you the creator of this site or did you just invest serious time without pay to help get it going? I really hope you aren’t getting paid for the shit you put on here, because I know kids in middle school who are more qualified to give news on the Colts. I don’t even know where to begin with all your illogical statements, and it seems like it would be pointless anyway.

Does our oline have run blocking trouble? Yes.
Does Pollak suck? No
Have you even seen him play a lot? No
If he did suck would our o-line problems be his fault? No (he’s a BACKUP)
Why oh why was our running game so much better when Meadows and Glenn were around? Hmmmm maybe because our running backs were Edgerrin James and before that Marshall Faulk and not hop before you hit the hole Addai and a rookie who couldn’t stay on the field due to injury problems.

by Robiert on Feb 22, 2010 11:49 AM EST reply actions

No points for style

I agree with you, in general, up until the point where you say Addai is the reason for the poor running game. He didn’t hop to the hole before 2008, when the line became a train wreck, and, on further reflection, two of the guys creating that wreck were Ugoh and Pollak. BBS is too quick to call anyone and everyone a “bust,” but even a mediocre talent like Mike Bell can get yards if he’s running behind Jahri Evans.

by Louisville Soul Train on Feb 27, 2010 6:22 PM EST up reply actions