With Andy Alleman jettisoned and John Gill soon-to-bee IRed, the Colts had one or more roster spots available to them this afternoon. They used on of them to sign former Seahawks guard-center Adrian Martinez.
Martinez is an undrafted rookie who signed with the Seahawks just following the 2010 NFL Draft. He played his college ball at Colorado State. The Seahawks cut Martinez yesterday to make room for Alvin Bowen and Nick Tow-Arnett.
Described at Colorado State as one of the "nastiest" lineman on the team, the 6'3, 308 pound former-Ram has a wrestling background and offers some versatility in that he can play both guard and center. Though he was not invited to the Scouting Combine, Martinez did have a strong Pro Day.
On Wednesday, it was linemate Adrian Martinez’s turn to show his strength at the Rams’ 2010 Pro Day. The guard, who started more games at CSU than all but one player in program history, bench pressed 37 continuous reps of 225 pounds. Had Martinez lifted at the combine, the 37 reps would’ve ranked among the most ever by an offensive lineman, as many as Michigan’s Jake Long put up in 2008 just before the Miami Dolphins made him the No. 1 overall draft choice.
Now, obviously, benching 37 reps doesn't make this kid the next Jake Long, but that and the fact that he started so many games at CSU tells me he is both strong and durable. He's got an uphill battle to learn a complex playbook already one week into training camp. But, if Martinez can showcase some of that versatility and prove that his strength can translate into strong play on the field, he might have a chance with the Colts.