Thursday, February 28, 2013
Fixing Colts O-line
By Tom Carpenter
With the NFL combine in the rear view, ESPN AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky took a look back at some things he picked up regarding the Indianapolis Colts over the weekend. One thing is that he expects the Colts to target a veteran offensive lineman via free agency.
"Given a choice between a rookie cornerback or a rookie offensive lineman in the lineup, [GM Ryan] Grigson said he’d prefer a rookie corner," he wrote. "The logical conclusion, then, is that a team with a ton of cap room that is pledging not to go crazy in free agency will prioritize at least one veteran O-lineman. One report says they'll target Louis Vasquez if the Chargers allow him to reach free agency."
Another guy they may target is former Bills guard, and unrestricted free agent, Andy Levitre:
Field Yates and Gary Horton
Offseason Playbook: Colts"The Colts franchise will continue to rise with the further ascension of Luck, who already has a promising supporting cast of skill players around him. But protecting Luck will be critically important, as 41 sacks surrendered by the Colts in 2012 were far too many. Levitre isn't a household NFL name, but he's a young, experienced and productive guard who graded out as the ninth-best at his position according to Pro Football Focus in 2012. He has strong pass protection skills with the ability to prevent interior slant rushes and also can anchor in his pass set. The Colts offense calls for its offensive linemen to be able to play in space on wide receiver and running back screens, and Levitre has enough athleticism to latch onto defenders downfield. One offensive lineman isn't all that it will take to shore up the protection issues the Colts experienced in 2012, but Levitre would give Indianapolis a dependable anchor to help keep Luck on his feet."
