Why did we think the Colts were changing the philosophy of their offensive line?
We know the line is an issue, especially in run blocking. For months we’ve been operating under the assumption that the Colts were “trying to get bigger”. Some people took the relatively inconsequential signings of two potential backups (who might not even make the team) as evidence of that.
In the end, the only evidence we had that the Colts were doing anything different was the word of…
an agent…
for a player who had just been cut…
for failing a physical.
Whoops. The parts seemed to add up, maybe. Polian ripped the line. Howard Mudd retired. Moore stepped aside. Maybe the Colts were going to go in a different direction.
Nope. As it turns out, that talk was completely fabricated by the agent of Ryan Lilja. The Colts have no intention of doing anything any differently than they ever have. What’s interesting is that Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollack, for all the justifiable abuse they’ve taken, are still on the team. It’s fascinating that both players’ problems are said to be largely mental by scouts. They have problems letting go of the bad plays and their mistakes. I don’t want to be too Polyannish about things, but no one has claimed that they lack the physical skills to play at a high level. Maybe they just need to grow up a little.
Can that happen? Sure. Most people change pretty radically from 22 to 26 years old. It’s the new American adolescence. Suddenly, Polian’s shot across the bow to the line can be seen not as a change of direction, but rather a wake up call to some young men who couldn’t get themselves back on the field. The answer to the line problems may still be on the roster.
I expect the Colts to pick up some projects today. I expect to see a kicker, another corner or linebacker and definitely a lineman or two. The fifth round is an Indy favorite for a new guard.
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