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The Indianapolis Colts made a drastic change to their offensive line in Week 5, moving 2 starters to different positions and inserting a rookie into the starting lineup. But the Colts may not be done making adjustments to their offensive front.
When asked about whether veteran lineman Dennis Kelly was an option for the starting lineup in future games, Colts head coach Frank Reich didn’t say absolutely yes.
But Reich also declined to say that Kelly won’t be a starter at some point this year and added that the unit will continue to be under evaluation.
“We’re happy to have Dennis [Kelly] on our roster,” Reich said. “He adds that veteran presence. We’ll continue to evaluate that.
“As he was coming off of his injury in training camp, you can see him getting more and more physically comfortable and comfortable in the system. Love that he’s here, and we’ll continue to evaluate.”
Colts Shifting Offensive Line
Despite having the most expensive offensive line in the NFL, the Colts have experienced issues at both ends of their offensive front, especially at left tackle. Former sixth-round pick Matt Pryor started at left tackle in the first 4 games of the season, but during that time, rookie Bernhard Raimann also received snaps along quarterback Matt Ryan’s blindside.
In Week 5, Raimann made his first start at left tackle. The Colts running game improved with Raimann in the lineup, but the rookie committed 4 penalties in the first half alone. Also, the Denver Broncos recorded 6 sacks and 12 quarterback hits against the Colts offensive line.
Pressure on Ryan has been a problem all season. Ryan is among the NFL quarterback leaders in sacks taken at 21, and that’s helped contribute to 7 interceptions and 11 fumbles. The 37-year-old signal caller is on track to set the new single-season NFL fumbling record.
Somehow, Reich has to find a way to at least slow down the opposition’s pass rush. Pryor doesn’t appear to be the answer, and while Raimann is probably still the team’s long-term solution at left tackle, there will be growing pains with starting the rookie.
What Kelly Could Bring to the Starting Lineup
With the struggles from Pryor and Raimann, Kelly has become a possibility at tackle for Indianapolis. The 32-year-old has played in 4 games this season but has yet to appear on offense.
Kelly underwent a procedure to deal with a knee injury he suffered early in training camp. But he returned for Week 1 and has played 17 snaps on special teams in 2022.
Last season, Kelly appeared in 10 games, starting 4 of them at tackle for the Green Bay Packers. He started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2020.
That’s the only year of Kelly’s career where he started every game, and there has been just 1 other season in his career where he started at least 10 contests. But Kelly still has 10 years of NFL experience, which is far more than what Pryor or Raimann offer. Perhaps his veteran presence can steady the Colts offensive line.
However, Kelly has never consistently started at left tackle. He started at right tackle for the Titans and Packers during 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Therefore, if the Colts insert Kelly into the starting lineup, one has to figure it will be at right tackle. That means Pryor would have to move back, or Raimann would have to remain, at left tackle.
Inserting Kelly into the lineup won’t fix everything, but it’s worth considering as a start.
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