Tag: Chris Reed

Colts’ PFF grades: Best and worst from Week 9 win over Jets

Taking a look at the best and worst PFF grades from the Colts’ Week 9 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) rode their offense and rushing attack to a 45-30 win over the New York Jets (2-6) on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In the first home prime-time game since the 2017 season, the Colts had several players step up on the national stage. From the rushing duo of Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines to some young pass rushers on the defensive side of the ball, there were some very encouraging developments.

As we take a look at the game grades from Pro Football Focus, we will be accounting for the top-three and bottom-three players who were on the field for at least 20% of the snaps on their respective sides of the ball.

Here’s a look at the best and worst grades from Pro Football Focus in the Week 9 win:

Colts’ Mark Glowinski, Chris Reed continue to split reps at RG

The Colts will continue to split RG reps between Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed.

The Indianapolis Colts will continue to use a split at the right guard position between veteran Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed.

With how Reed performed in the absence of Quenton Nelson for the three weeks that the latter was on the injured reserve list, the Colts were impressed enough o give him a shot at winning the starting right guard spot over Glowinski, who has struggled a bit in 2021.

Head coach Frank Reich told reporters that a starter has yet to be named for the Week 8 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, but the duo will split reps for now.

“No, at some level those guys are going to split the reps,” Reich said. “We’ll make a decision later in the week as far as the starter, but either way we go those guys are going to split the reps.”

The Week 7 win against the San Francisco 49ers was the first time the duo split reps. While Glowinski got the start, it was Reed who played 65% of the snaps compared to the former’s 35%.

Reed has given the Colts a lot of push in the run game and helped the unit get back on track while Nelson was recovering from his high-ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Glowinski is tied with Eric Fisher for having allowed the most pressures (21) on the team through seven games, per Pro Football Focus.

Both players are fighting for a new contract either with the Colts or with another team following the 2021 season and it seems they will split time for the foreseeable future.

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Stock up, Stock down in Colts’ 27-17 win over Dolphins

Stock report from the Colts’ 27-17 win over the Dolphins.

For the first time during the 2021 season, the Indianapolis Colts (1-3) came out on the winning end of a game, defeating the Miami Dolphins (1-3) on Sunday, 27-17, at Hard Rock Stadium.

Facing a familiar face in Jacoby Brissett, the Colts had an advantage knowing there was a good chance the defense would do its job after three concerning weeks. They were able to bottle up the Dolphins offense with relative ease.

Meanwhile, the Colts offense finally looked like a solid unit after a slow start against a Dolphins defense that is still trying to figure itself out.

As is the case every week, the stock report is fluid. Sometimes a player’s stock is the culmination of a trend while it could also be a new narrative we’re keeping an eye on.

Regardless, here’s the stock report from the Colts’ 27-17 win on Sunday:

Studs and duds from Colts’ 27-17 win vs. Dolphins

Studs and duds from the Colts’ Week 4 win.

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The Indianapolis Colts (1-3) got a much-needed first win of the year on the road over the Miami Dolphins (1-3) in a pretty impressive fashion for most of the game. It was a nice rebound for a struggling team fighting to save its season.

The Colts had more than a few solid performances on the day and here we’ll highlight just a few and low-light some others in our studs and duds of this Week 4 victory.

6 Colts to watch vs. Dolphins in Week 4

Keep an eye on these Colts in the Week 4 matchup with the Dolphins.

The Indianapolis Colts (0-3) are one of the five winless teams across the league and will be looking to end that streak when they visit the Miami Dolphins (1-2) at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Week 4 matchup is a big one for both teams. The Colts are looking to avoid an 0-4 start for the first time since 2011 and only the second time since Peyton Manning’s rookie season in 1998. The Dolphins are coming off of a tough overtime loss against the Las Vegas Raiders.

As the Colts play with their backs against the wall, here are six players to watch in the Week 4 matchup:

Who will replace Colts’ Quenton Nelson at left guard?

Taking a look at who will be the replacement for Colts LG Quenton Nelson.

Not only are the Indianapolis Colts down their starting quarterback as Carson Wentz recovers from foot surgery but All-Pro Quenton Nelson coincidentally had the same procedure done the day after and is out for the same timeline. Now, the team has to find a replacement.

General manager Chris Ballard made it a point to add some depth to the offensive line this offseason, and this is where it may have paid off. There is still a chance Nelson returns for Week 1—he certainly is hungry to do so. But there is also a chance he doesn’t return until closer toward the second half of the season.

Replacing Nelson’s talent and impact isn’t easy. He’s already on a hall of fame trajectory entering his fourth season. The Colts just need to find someone viable until he returns.

The options are pretty clear when it comes to who the most likely replacement will be. As it stands halfway through the second week of training camp practices, veteran Chris Reed will get the call with the first-team offense at left guard.

The Colts signed Reed in free agency to a one-year deal, and it could wind up being their most important signing—outside of maybe Eric Fisher. Reed is a nasty man who imposes his will in the run game via his strength and athleticism. His demeanor fits perfectly into what the offensive line wants.

Zach Hicks of Horseshoe Huddle had a great film breakdown with Reed during the offseason, showing the nasty streak he plays with while also detailing the high level of competition he’s gone against in his career.

With center Ryan Kelly also out due to an elbow injury, second-year Danny Pinter has been working at center in the meantime. The Colts gave Jake Eldrenkamp some run with the first team when Nelson immediately went down, but it was clear Reed is the much better fit.

The Colts are having to do some patchwork on the offensive line because of all the injuries, but having Reed waiting in the wings until Nelson can return will prove to be one of Ballard’s best moves of the offseason.

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Chris Ballard’s best moves of the 2021 offseason

The best moves Chris Ballard made this offseason.

With the conclusion of OTAs last week, the Indianapolis Colts will break for summer until returning at the end of July for training camp at Westfield.

The majority of moves are done for the Colts when it comes to constructing the roster for the 2021 season. The depth charts both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball are mostly set outside of some competition tweaking the order.

So with the majority of the moves having been already made, it’s time to look at the best ones that general manager Chris Ballard made this offseason.

It was a relatively quiet offseason for Ballard, though that is typically to be expected. They had plenty of holes to fill following the retirements of quarterback Philip Rivers and left tackle Anthony Castonzo.

He opted against making drastic moves in pre-draft free agency, signing a handful of depth players to compete for roles on the roster. Some big moves were made following the draft, but it was a quiet offseason for the most part.

There are still some moves to come like signing extensions for key players, but here’s a look at the best moves Ballard made this offseason at the end of the spring workouts:

Colts select OL Will Fries: How he fits with Indy

How does Will Fries fit with the team?

To round out their crop, the Indianapolis Colts finally took an offensive tackle with the No. 248 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft arriving in the form of Penn State’s Will Fries.

While many expected this position to be the team’s first pick in the draft, it actually turns out to be their last.

Fries brings that most important trait needed in any lineman brought into Indianapolis, position versatility. Fries was a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions, starting multiple games at four of the five positions on the line and even one start as a blocking tight end. The only notable exception being at center.

While tape may show far from a polished product, rarely is any seventh-rounder without a few flaws, the Colts are getting a tough and durable worker in Fries who’s gone up against some of the toughest competition in college football playing in the Big Ten.

Below average arm length at just under 33 inches and his athletic and speed limitations including a 5.38 in the 40-yard dash, Fries might be better suited to playing inside at the pro level. Interior play would help bring out the most in what Fries does well with his effort, tenacity, solid hand usage and balance to even the odds against top interior rushers.

As far as projection for the seventh-rounder, the expectation would be that his versatility would prime him to contribute as a depth option across the line, most importantly as a swing tackle candidate if need be. Based on comments made by Colts brass, one would expect Sam Tevi to be the presumed starter at left tackle with Julie’n Davenport also competing for the job.

Fries will have to battle it out with the likes of Chris Reed, Danny Pinter, and Joey Hunt for one of the remaining likely three to four final depth spots in training camp.

Rookie Projection: Depth lineman with swing tackle potential

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Panthers now have 2 players on reserve/COVID-19 list

Chris Reed was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule says the delay to today’s practice was due to an extra round of testing after offensive lineman Chris Reed was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list.

Here’s what Rhule had to say about the news, per the team website.

“It’s infected hundreds of thousands of people. I think we’ve realized all along we would have to put people on the COVID list. . . We did our normal testing this morning as we got here and just kind of listened to our doctors and trainers and went out and did a second round of the point-of-care testing.”

Reed joins defensive back Derrek Thomas on the reserve/covid list. He was waived/injured a few days ago.

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Matt Rhule says Panthers have Dennis Daley starting at left guard

Panthers coach Matt Rhule says Dennis Daley has been starting at left guard.

Like the rest of the roster, the Panthers offensive line went through some earth-shaking changes this offseason. Trai Turner was traded to the Chargers for Russell Okung, temporarily filling a long-standing hole at left tackle but opening up another one at right guard. The team also lost Greg Van Roten to the Jets in free agency, punching another hole on the other side of center Matt Paradis.

The Panthers have since added a couple of guards this offseason who could fill those spots. Somebody who was already around for last season is currently in the driver’s seat at left guard, though. After today’s practice coach Matt Rhule told the media that 2019 sixth-round draft pick Dennis Daley has been starting at that position.

Don’t give him the starting job just yet, though. Coach Rhule also said that both Michael Schofield and Chris Reed could compete for that spot.

Daley played left tackle during his time at South Carolina. Since he turned pro he’s been trying his hand at several spots, though.

Last year at this time, Ron Rivera’s staff had him training to play everywhere but center. That versatility will be useful as Daley tries to earn more snaps under Rhule and new offensive line coach Pat Meyer.

As for the other side, it sounds like John Miller may be the favorite to start at right guard in place of Trai Turner.

One advantage Miller has over the other candidates is his experience with Teddy Bridgewater. They played together at Louisville.

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