INDIANAPOLIS -- It’s the position group that will either help the Indianapolis Colts have one of the best offenses in the NFL next season or make it difficult to keep quarterback Andrew Luck on his two feet and for running back Frank Gore to find holes to run through.
It’s the same position group that used 11 different starting lineups last season.
Meet the Colts’ offensive line.
“I think it’s true for any team, it starts up front and that’s the mentality of 95 percent of offensive linemen,” center Khaled Holmes said. “It starts in the trenches. My grandpa always used to say no matter how good the quarterback is, he can’t make throws on his back.”
The Colts have deservedly received a lot of hype for their skill players at receiver, tight end and running back to go with Luck. But none of that will mean anything if the offensive line doesn’t do its job of blocking.
It’s easy to understand the concern with the offensive line when four of the five starting spots are up in the air and last season’s starting left guard is working at right tackle with the first team because the normal starter there is still working his way back from injuries.
The Colts signed former Philadelphia Eagles veteran Todd Herremans and Ben Heenan from the Canadian Football League and they waited until the seventh round to select an offensive lineman in the draft.
Left tackle Anthony Castonzo is the only player on the offensive line who is guaranteed to start barring an injury. Jack Mewhort will go back to starting at left guard if Gosder Cherilus is able to start at right tackle. If not, Mewhort will start at right tackle and Hugh Thornton and Lance Louis will battle it out to start at left guard. Herremans has the inside track to start at right guard. Holmes and Jonotthan Harrison -- for the second straight season -- are battling to start at center.
Are you following along, still?
“We have playmakers on the outside and if we give them time and we give them the opportunities to do what they do, we’ll be successful,” Castonzo said. “That’s the key. We take the challenge upon ourselves. If we do our job it’ll be fun to watch those guys go to work.”
The Colts managed to finish third in the league in total yards, sixth in points scored and Luck was sacked a career-low 27 times last season despite the constant shuffling along the offensive line. The goal, though, is for them to form some kind of continuity up front at some point.
Sooner than later, preferably.
“I feel great,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "It’s going to be some great competition once we get up to Anderson. But I feel really good about it. Again, like all positions, if we stay healthy, I feel like we’re going to be able to get the right five in there and then have six, seven and eight that are going to be really, really good. If they have to play, there’s not going to be much drop off.”
