Tag: Anthony Castonzo

Colts to host former Chiefs LT Eric Fisher on a visit

The Indianapolis Colts are bringing in former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher for a visit this week.

The Indianapolis Colts have set up a visit with former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Fisher, a former first overall pick of Kansas City in 2013 out of Central Michigan, and a recent Super Bowl champion in 2019, was released by the Chiefs in March after a brutal Achilles tear in the AFC championship game last season against the Buffalo Bills.

While the road to recovery for Fisher will not be an easy one, the Colts and general manager Chris Ballard, who was a part of the Chiefs front office that drafted Fisher clearly see enough potential to outweigh the risk of a potential deal.

However, it’s likely that Fisher may not be fully healthy in time for the beginning of the 2021 season. If Fisher is able to get back to his two-time Pro Bowl (2018, 2020)  form, he would go a long way to filling the void in Indianapolis at the left tackle position left by Anthony Castonzo earlier this off-season.

Colts to sign former Chargers OT Sam Tevi

Colts add an OT in free agency.

https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1374158654505689095

The Indianapolis Colts are signing former Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Sam Tevi, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Tevi was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers out of Utah. Tevi played in a total of 58 games with 44 starts in his four seasons with the Chargers. The majority of his starts before last season came at the right tackle position in place of then injured starter Joe Barksdale, who he replaced as the full-time starter on the right side after his release.

In 2020, Tevi stepped into the role of blindside protector for young rookie Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, starting 14 games at the position. Tevi also had one prior left tackle start as a rookie in place of then injured starter Russell Okung in 2017.

According to Pro Football Focus, Tevi graded out at a 52.9 overall last year, a grade nearly 10 points worse than struggling Colts reserve tackle Chaz Green. Needless to say, last season was a rough year for Tevi, and he’ll hope to bounce back with a much stronger supporting cast all around the line in Indianapolis.

The Colts continue to look for answers to solve the problem of longtime left tackle stalwart Anthony Castonzo’s retirement after a 10-year career protecting the blindside in Indianapolis. While I wouldn’t expect Tevi to be the planned starter at the position, he brings experience at both tackle spots and may provide solid depth as a swing tackle that the Colts have desperately needed for the last few seasons.

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Colts’ Anthony Castonzo offically moved to retired list

Castonzo officially moved to retired list.

Former Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo has officially moved to the reserve/retired list, per the league’s transaction wire on Monday.

None of this is a surprise. It is simply a formality that Castonzo goes on the list making his retirement official. Now, the Colts face an offseason of trying to find his replacement.

Castonzo spent 10 seasons anchoring the left side of the offensive line for the Colts and had a strong run of campaigns under Frank Reich in recent seasons. On 417 pass-blocking snaps, Castonzo allowed two sacks and 18 total pressures in 2020, per Pro Football Focus.

They are likely going to have to go a bit cheaper at the position given the need of signing an edge rusher in free agency and the extensions coming up. But they can still get away with going cheaper in free agency and then drafting another tackle to compete for the starting role.

Regardless, the retirement of Castonzo is now official as the Colts will look to find his replacement.

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5 questions the Colts face this offseason

Questions the Colts face this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have a big offseason ahead of them, including many questions at some big positions on the roster.

With an abundance of salary cap space and seven total picks in the upcoming draft, the Colts will have plenty of resources to better a roster that finished the season with an 11-5 record.

Here are five questions the Colts face this offseason:

How Anthony Castonzo’s retirement impacts Colts’ salary cap

Colts owe no dead money and gain $16 million in salary-cap space.

The offseason for the Indianapolis Colts changed a bit on Tuesday when left tackle Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons anchoring the left side of the offensive line.

Though there are some options the Colts can consider to replace the 32-year old, there is also the question of how this move will impact the salary cap for Indy.

In short, it doesn’t have a negative impact at all.

Losing a bonafide starting left tackle is never easy, but the Colts won’t be hurting in the salary cap department because of this move. Thanks to the way the Colts set up his latest two-year extension, which he signed before the 2020 season, the Colts won’t owe any dead cap money.

On top of that, the Colts will gain an extra $16 million in salary-cap space. They were already projected to be amongst the leaders in salary-cap space, and now this simply helps their cause even more.

What the Colts did with Castonzo’s contract helped prevent any negative ramifications in case he did decide to retire. Having that foresight paid huge dividends.

The Colts signed Castonzo to a two-year deal worth $33 million with $17 million guaranteed. The Colts front-loaded that guaranteed money in the first year of the deal, which meant the only money they would have to pay in 2021 would be the base salary ($10 million) and the roster bonus ($6 million). With the guaranteed money out of the way, the $16 million comes back to the Colts for this offseason.

It’s sad to see Castonzo go, but he gave the Colts 10 seasons of above-average play at the left tackle position. Indy will have some big decisions to make in order to replace him, but they won’t be cap-strained in doing so.

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6 options to replace Colts LT Anthony Castonzo

How the Colts can replace Anthony Castonzo.

Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, just a few days after the 2020 season officially came to a close for his team.

Though it doesn’t seem like a big surprise given he had season-ending ankle surgery and was on a deal that didn’t include any guaranteed money for the final year of his latest extension.

Now, the Colts have to find his replacement for the 2021 season and beyond. Here are six options early in the process to replace Castonzo at left tackle:

Colts’ Anthony Castonzo releases statement on retirement

Anthony Castonzo’s statement announcing his retirement.

Indianapolis Colts longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement from the NFL after spending 10 seasons anchoring the left side of the offensive line while wearing the horseshoe.

Castonzo released a statement about his retirement through the Colts website giving thanks to those who helped him along the way and also to the Colts organization, of which he called the “best organization in all of sports.”

Here’s the full statement from Castonzo on his retirement from the NFL:

“As a kid, it was my dream to play in the NFL. I played my first full season of tackle football in second grade. Now I have played my last. As I sit here now, after a 10 year NFL career, I am extremely proud of all the hard work and sacrifice that allowed me to evolve that dream into a goal, and ultimately into a reality unlike anything I could have even imagined.

More than anything, I want to thank everyone who supported me along the way, especially those who believed in me during times when I did not believe in myself. So thank you to the GMs who believed in me. Thank you to all the coaches who have taught me so much in my 25 total years of football. Thank you to the fans who are so dedicated to the game we all love. Thank you to my teammates who have become friends and those who I now call brothers. Thank you to all the strength coaches, trainers, and medical staff who gave me the blueprint to build (and sometimes rebuild) myself into the best player I could be. Thanks to all the support staff who helped make my daily work experience a joyous one. And thank you to my family who is every one of these things and so much more.

I was fortunate to have been drafted by the Colts ten years ago. I was even more fortunate to spend my entire career here in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts is a special organization with special ownership who fill the organization with special people at every level. I truly believe this is the best organization in all of sports. I am lucky to have been able to call myself a Colt for the past ten years and will consider myself a Colt for the rest of my life.

I have given much to the game of football, but it has given me so much more. I close the book on the football chapter of my life gifted with memories and moments I wouldn’t trade for anything. So thank you, last but far from least, to football.”

Castonzo will certainly be missed on the left side of the offensive line, but now that position becomes a massive need for the Colts this offseason.

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Colts LT Anthony Castonzo retires after 10 seasons

Anthony Castonzo has called it a career.

Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo has retired from the NFL after 10 seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

Castonzo was in the final year of the two-year extension he signed before the 2020 season but with no guaranteed money, he decided to hang up the spikes. The former first-round pick has been a cornerstone of the organization for the last decade, and now the Colts will have to find their new left tackle.

“Anthony was a pillar of this team for the last 10 seasons,” said GM Chris Ballard in a statement. “He played one of the toughest positions in the game at an extremely high level for a long time. Anthony was a veteran leader in our locker room and will be greatly missed. We’re thankful for all of his contributions to the Horseshoe. We love AC and know he will thrive in the next stage of his life.”

While Castonzo did have one more year left on his deal. This doesn’t come as that much of a surprise. He had to undergo season-ending ankle surgery and with retirement already on the mind before the 2020 season, Castonzo finally decided to call it a career.

“I was an assistant coach with the Colts when Anthony was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. From day one, I knew he would be a special player. Anthony has a brilliant mind and he was a technician both on the field and in film study,” said HC Frank Reich. “He is a tremendous leader who put as much energy in making his teammates better as he did improving his own game. I’m thankful for the opportunity to watch him grow as a professional from the start of his career to the end. I wish him the best in his post-football career.”

Castonzo was a significant part of the Colts organization since being drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, and now the Colts will have to search for his replacement.

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Quenton Nelson a possible replacement if Anthony Castonzo retires

Big Q on the blindside?

As the offseason begins, so do the weeks of wondering whether certain players will call it quits for their career. Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo fits that bill, which makes him a player to watch this offseason.

Castonzo has one more year left on his current deal and seeing as there’s no guaranteed money for him in 2021, there is a chance he decides to hang up the spikes, especially after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.

Should that happen, the Colts would need a new left tackle. Bringing in someone new would be the most realistic option, but don’t overlook the possibility of Quenton Nelson moving from left guard to the edge.

“If AC (Anthony Castonzo) chooses to hang it up, I think discussing Quenton (Nelson) as an option out there is certainly a realistic option that – Chris (Ballard) and I have already had that conversation obviously when AC got hurt. It was like, ‘Hey, well let’s take a look at Quenton, maybe that’s a real option,” said head coach Frank Reich on Sunday. “I’ll let Chris go into more of the detail on that when he gets with you guys on Thursday. But yeah, that would certainly be an option but like every other decision, you have to look at all options and consider all factors.”

Nelson played a few snaps at left tackle during a game in which Castonzo left after tweaking his knee. The Notre Dame product is better suited as a guard, mauling interior defenders, but the Colts believe he has the skill set to make the move if necessary.

This would most likely be a last-minute resort situation if the Colts couldn’t find a better option at left tackle, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibilities for Nelson to make the switch.

Quenton Nelson could be temporary answer at left tackle

Big Q might see time on the edge.

The Indianapolis Colts find themselves in a bit of a conundrum after it was revealed left tackle Anthony Castonzo will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

Without much depth behind Castonzo on the edge, the Colts have toyed with the idea of moving All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson to the left tackle to replace the veteran Castonzo.

Though head coach Frank Reich wouldn’t tip his hand this week as to who will be playing on the edge, there is a chance that Nelson is the temporary answer at left tackle.

“Quenton Nelson is, as we know, just a unique player,” Reich told reporters Friday. “To do something like that – first of all, it not only takes a skillset but it takes a mindset and Quenton has the kind of mindset that can do something like that.”

Nelson saw a few snaps at left tackle during the Week 14 win over the Raiders. Castonzo was dealing with an MCL sprain and tweaked the injury, forcing him to miss a handful of snaps. After Chaz Green replaced Castonzo and struggled mightily, the Colts moved Nelson to left tackle and put center Joey Hunt at left guard.

Though Nelson has been a guard since entering the league, the Colts have confidence that the Notre Dame product could get the job done if needed. Given the depth they currently have, Nelson is probably the best option for the Colts right now.

With Castonzo and Le’Raven Clark (Achilles) on the injured reserve list and Will Holden ruled out for the game, the Colts don’t have many reliable options at left tackle.

They did sign veteran Jared Veldheer to the practice squad with the intention of elevating him before Sunday’s regular-season finale and the aforementioned Green has struggled to keep the edge protected when he has to go in.

Should Nelson have to play left tackle, the Colts made sure he got reps in this week at practice.

“Yeah, Quenton (Nelson) did get reps at left tackle and looked good out there,” Reich said.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the situation at left tackle, but don’t be surprised if Nelson is there protecting Philip Rivers’ blindside.

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