Rosters haven't been locked down, but by watching mini-camp practice we can get a decent sense of who will likely start at certain key positions. On the position of guard, the Colts have a lot of candidates on the roster who may win one of two potential starting gigs. During mini-camp practice Saturday, Eric Hartz of Colt Power Tweeted that the interior linemen working with the #1 group were Kyle DeVan at right guard and Mike Pollak at left guard.
DeVan at right guard is not surprising, but Pollak at left guard is.
Sitting out from the Saturday practice were Tony Ugoh, Jaimie Thomas and Jamey Richard. All three are competing for one of the guard spots along with DeVan and Pollak.
Also competing for a spot is Andy Alleman, who was picked up after the Chiefs chose not to tender him for 2010. Alleman, unlike DeVan (6'2, 306) and Mike Pollak (6'3, 301) has a bit more size with his 6'4, 310 pound frame. He also seems to fit the trend that the Colts are looking to get bigger along the offensive line in 2010. I mean, if they aren't looking to get bigger, why did they dump Ryan Lilja (6'2, 290) for no apparent reason following the 2009 season?
Also left off the #1 group was Jacques McClendon, the 6'2, 308 pound kid from Tennessee that everyone is so high on.
Regarding Pollak, having him in there over Alleman and McClendon is a bit of a pleasant surprise. Also, it is possible that his practicing at left guard with the #1 group is something he earned rather than him playing because Ugoh, Thomas, or Richard were held out of practice. Recently, Jim Caldwell had some very positive things to say about the 2008 second round pick:
He’s done well. He’s battled through some adversity. I think he will benefit from that, just in terms of his determination, his dedication. He is a guy that has physical tools. He has strength and size. He’s very bright, and I think you’ll start to see him really come along. He’s been doing great thus far in practice. He’s been handling his assignments well. It’s not like he hasn’t been playing at all for us. He’s been around and in the system and we need him to come along. Right now, he is doing very well.
It would be nice if Pollak were to re-earn a starting job and contribute to this football team. He was awful in 2009, losing his starting right guard spot to Kyle DeVan, who the year prior was playing Arena II football. If Pollak can return to the starting group, it would be a big step towards him removing the "draft bust" sign that is hovering over his head.