The Colts used their first two draft picks on offensive lineman but the first line of defense for Peyton Manning is far from settled in.
After Peyton agreed to a long-term deal with the Colts, one of the guys the team was able to keep was right-tackle Ryan Diem. But they also lost a valuable asset in the versatile Charlie Johnson to the Minnesota Vikings.
Peyton Manning was so confident in Johnson because when Charlie subbed in and played most of Super Bowl 41 without Peyton noticing.
Johnson spoke with Michael Grady on ESPN 1070 The Fan and sounded frustrated with the Colts not re-signing him. His tone was depressing, saying he essentially was waiting on a return call from the Colts, but it didn’t come until too late. (Listen to the podcast.)
And with the uncertainty at line, Indy was also able to re-sign running-back and pass-blocking specialist Joseph Addai. Manning urged management to get a deal done with his final protector while in the pocket.
Bill Polian heavily criticized the offensive line after Indy’s loss to the Saints in Super Bowl 44. He flat-out called them out, yet didn’t address the line last offseason and this year didn’t sign any free-agent lineman.
Last season, the Colts finished 29th in rushing yards, just ahead of Washington, Seattle and Arizona. They managed to pick up just 3.8 yards per carry, forcing Manning to attempt nearly 43 passes per game.
In April, Indy drafted offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, both of whom have now signed and are at training camp. But the loss of OTA’s and rookie camp will slow the progress by these rookies. (Castonzo finally signed today and is reporting for afternoon camp.)
Not only may they not be conditioned to immediately step-in, but the two rookies also are just getting playbooks–a very detailed playbook being in Peyton Manning’s offseason. Having a solid veteran like center Jeff Saturday will however, be a huge plus. Entering his 13th season, Saturday is a brilliant man and player. Remember he was one of the top voices for the players during the offseason lockout discussions.
You can bet Manning and Saturday will spend extra time with the rookies, going over the playbook and watching previous game film.
I have never seen Castonzo or Ijalana play so there’s no way I can say right now they’d make a big impact this year or start; I did pencil in Colts first-round draft pick at left tackle because all indications after the draft have pointed to that.
Right now I venture to believe they will up like this:
LT Anthony Castonzo, LG Kyle DeVan, C Jeff Saturday, RG Mike Pollak, RT Ryan Diem
Peyton Manning is obviously the engine of the Colts–they run as #18 does. That’s why he was worth every penny of his $90 million dollar contract. And that’s why shoring up the offensive line is critical to the success of the team this season.
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