Tag: Ryan Kelly

Colts’ Ryan Kelly dubbed the ‘alpha dog’ of the OL

Ryan Kelly enters a big year.

The Indianapolis Colts offensive line is the strength of their roster on that side of the ball, and they feel the one anchoring the middle of the unit has proven to be right for the job.

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Ryan Kelly is entering a contract year with the Colts, but he will still be leading the unit in hopes to get a new deal past his fifth-year option in 2020. It seems head coach Frank Reich certainly hopes so, especially with the praise he gave on Monday in a conference call with reporters.

“Man, I didn’t realize how much of an alpha dog he is. He has been top-notch,” Reich said. “I mean this guy has taken complete control of the offensive line room as far as the calls – what we do in the protection world and the run game. He is a really, really smart football player.”

Kelly’s first season with Reich was one coming off of a 2017 campaign that saw him play just seven games. In 2018, their first season together, Kelly played at a Pro Bowl level but wound up missing four games. That likely hurt his chances to go to the All Star game that year.

But in 2019, Kelly returned to form. He started all 16 games while playing 95% of the offensive snaps—the highest total since his rookie season in 2016. Kelly wound up going to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.

Reich feels the work done behind the scenes has helped Kelly turn into the alpha dog in the room.

“He prepares very hard. He is tough. He’s got that personality. You guys know what I am talking about, he’s got that deep voice and he talks with a lot of authority,” Reich said. “He’s not one for much small talk, right? He just calls, barking out the signals. I just think Ryan breeds confidence. I just think when you hear him make the calls you hear it with authority, you hear it with conviction. I think the offensive line feeds off of that.”

Kelly is coming off of a strong campaign in 2019. He allowed just one sack and five quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus. He enters a contract year and it will be interesting to see if he gets another deal before the 2020 season begins.

Regardless, Kelly has certainly grown into being one of the top centers in the league. He has taken over the offensive line as its leader and should continue to do so for at least one more season.

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4 Colts most likely to receive contract extension before 2020 season

Which Colts might see an extension before the season.

The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear that they aren’t afraid of handing out contract extensions to players they feel deserve it—even if said player has a full season ahead under contract.

General manager Chris Ballard has made that move several times in the past, most notably with cornerback Kenny Moore and punter Rigoberto Sanchez during the 2019 offseason.

The Colts have 24 players entering a contract year as unrestricted free agents, but there are a few that stand out. Some of them could wind up getting a new deal before the 2020 season arrives, but most of them are likely proving they deserve another deal.

It may only happen to one of them. It may not happen to any of them. But here are four Colts most likely to receive a contract extension before the 2020 season:

Ryan Kelly | OL | Age: 26

The 2016 first-round pick out of Alabama turns 27 years old at the end of the month and is currently playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. If there is one player most likely to get a contract extension before the 2020 season starts, it’s Kelly.

Though he had a two-season stretch where injuries were becoming a massive concern, Kelly bounced back in a big way for the 2019 campaign. He started all 16 games anchoring the offensive line for the Colts while playing on 94.5% of the team’s offensive snaps.

He was extremely efficient as well. According to Pro Football Focus, Kelly allowed just one sack on 591 pass-blocking snaps in 2019. He proved he could be reliable and productive while excelling at one of the most difficult positions in the game of football.

The offensive line is the strength of the Colts offense. Keeping that continuity going is essential, and Kelly’s production isn’t easy to come by.

The Colts might not want to wait and see if Kelly can produce again like he did in 2019. If he does, his value on the market will be as high as its ever been.

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Breaking down the Tide’s 29 first-round NFL picks: Ryan Kelly

This time, we will be focusing on another former Alabama football star, Ryan Kelly.

Since Nick Saban’s arrival to Tuscaloosa in 2007, Alabama has not only become a team that has created a dynasty winning national championships, but it also has become a program that sends players to the NFL every year.

With the 2020 NFL Draft happening in less than a month, it’s the perfect time to start a new series in which we will go over all of the Tide’s 29 first-round draft picks. The first player we went over was Andre Smith, who finished his career at Alabama with 15 awards and honors and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals as the No. 6 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The second player we went over was former Alabama star linebacker Rolando McClain who would not only win many incredible awards while at Alabama, but was drafted by Oakland Raiders as the No. 8 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The 3rd Alabama player drafted in the first round for the Tide was Kareem Jackson who would go on to be drafted by the Houston Texans as the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The 4th player to become drafted under Nick Saban was Marcell Dareus. Number 5 was Julio Jones who has spent his entire career in Atlanta after being the 6th overall pick in the 2011 Draft by the Falcons. The 6th first round draft pick under Nick Saban was James Carpenter who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the 25th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. At number 7 we have former Alabama running back Mark Ingram who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 28th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. The 8th player drafted by the Tide was Trent Richardson who was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Mark Barron was the 9th player drafted for Alabama in the NFL Draft. He was was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 7th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. The 10th player drafted for the Tide was Dre Kirkpatrick who was drafted as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. At No. 11, we have Dont’a Hightower who was drafted as the No. 25 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Dee Milliner was the 12th Alabama player drafted in the NFL. He was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. The 13th Alabama football player drafted in the first round was Chance Warmack who was selected in the first round as the 10th overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2013 NFL Draft. DJ Fluker was the 14th player drafted as the No. 11 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft. The 15th first round pick for Alabama under Nick Saban was CJ Mosley who was drafted as the 17th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens of the 2014 NFL Draft. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix was the 16th Alabama player drafted as the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Amari Cooper was drafted by the Oakland Raiders as the No. 4 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft and was the 17th first round pick under Nick Saban.

This time, we will be focusing on another former Alabama football star, Ryan Kelly.

Kelly quickly became a part of the Tide’s offensive success, especially after taking over the starting center position after the departure of Barrett Jones as a sophomore.

As a junior, he only missed a total of 7 assignments out of his assignments for a 99.1 success rate and never allowed a single sack.

In his senior season, Kelly missed only 8 assignments in 1,012 snaps for a success rate of 99.2 percent on the season. He also only committed one penalty and didn’t have any holding calls. He also won the Rimington Trophy in 2015.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Kelly as the 18th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft where has played at since 2016.

Ryan Kelly
Sep 23, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly (78) in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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How to watch and stream the 2020 Pro Bowl

Game info for the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Before the NFL world turns its attention to the biggest event of the season in the Super Bowl, the 2020 Pro Bowl will be taking place as the All-Star game for the league.

Game Information

AFC vs. NFC
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020 — 3:00 p.m. ET
Camping World Stadium — Orlando, FL

TV

ESPN
ESPN Deportes
ABC
Disney XD

Streaming

WatchESPN

Colts’ Players participating

LG Quenton Nelson
LB Darius Leonard
C Ryan Kelly
TE Jack Doyle

Coaches

AFC: John Harbaugh
NFC: Pete Carroll

Rosters

Full roster link 

4 Colts who could be in line for a contract extension

These Colts could b in line for a contract extension.

Since Chris Ballard has come to Indianapolis he has preached “keeping your own.” Drafting players and re-signing them to a second contract. Ballard has backed up his words on that since taking over in 2017.

Ballard has given contract extensions to players during the offseason even when they were still under contract for the next season.

Last offseason, Ballard extended Kenny Moore and Luke Rhodes, and before the 2019 season, Ballard extended Jacoby Brissett’s rookie deal.

Extending current players on the roster aren’t the biggest concern going into 2019 but don’t be surprised if Ballard tries to get ahead of the market and extend his own.

With all that in mind, the Colts have some key players that could be in line for an extension this offseason. Here are some of those players:

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

WR T.Y. Hilton

The 30-year-old wide receiver will be a free agent in 2021 and unless the Colts address the receiver position this offseason, Hilton will be the only real threat for the offense in the passing game.

2019 was a season to forget for Hilton—career-lows in receptions, yards, and yards per reception. And while Hilton did miss six games with various injuries throughout the year, there should be no hesitancy to extend Hilton.

Hilton is currently the ninth highest-paid receiver in the NFL but with him turning 31 when the contract expires, the Colts could look to sign him in the range of three to four years, and $50 million. Tyreek Hill signed an extension last offseason for three years and $54 million.

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Colts’ Ryan Kelly named to 2019 Pro Bowl

Ryan Kelly gets his first Pro Bowl nod.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly has been named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, the team announced Thursday.

Kelly will be replacing Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurice Pouncey, who has dropped out due to an injury. This is Kelly’s first Pro Bowl selection since entering the league as a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Kelly is coming off of a strong season that saw him play all 16 games for the first time since his rookie season. The talent has always been there as the anchor of the offensive line, but injuries have slowed down his progression in recent seasons.

Kelly is widely considered one of the best centers in the NFL. He’s certainly a force in run blocking and his pass protection gives the Colts an advantage every week.

The Colts have Kelly under contract for one more season—his fifth-year option—and then he will become an unrestricted free agent. That is unless the Colts get a contract extension done beforehand, which is in the realm of possibilities.

Kelly will be joining fellow offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard has the Colts representatives at the Pro Bowl.

Colts vs. Jaguars: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 17

Key matchups to watch in Week 17.

To finish off their regular season, the Indianapolis Colts will head south and play in one last divisional matchup vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with their playoff hopes ended after Week 15, it didn’t stop the Colts from quickly coming out of the gates and dominating the Carolina Panthers in their 38-6 win last Sunday.

Whether it was Nyheim Hines having an all-time performance as a punt returner or the defense having their best success in several weeks, the Colts are looking to bring those factors and then some down to Jacksonville for their final game in 2019.

Here are three key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 17 bout:

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

RB Leonard Fournette vs. Colts’ defensive front seven

As I mentioned in this same piece in Week 11, when these two teams faced off, the Colts would have to put a lot of emphasis on defending running back Leonard Fournette. The LSU product has been the Jaguars’ best offensive player this season and is currently seventh in rushing yards (1,152).

But even with the fact, the Colts successfully contained Fournette in their first matchup (eight carries for 23 rushing yards), it doesn’t mean the Jags could allow that to happen again. Ever since the total number of Fournette’s carries have lowered since Week 11, the Jaguars are 1-4 and struggling to generate much offensive success.

So with an increased chance of Fournette getting much action on Sunday, the Colts’ defensive front seven needs to quickly contain him in order to greater pressure on rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

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Ryan Kelly wants to stay with the Colts

Ryan Kelly loves Indy.

Though he is signed through the 2020 season, Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly could be looking at an upcoming extension in the near future. If Kelly had his way, he would stay right where he is at.

Because Kelly was a first-round pick in 2016, the Colts have a team option for his fifth season. They intend to pick up that option for the 2020 season, but we have seen first hand how Chris Ballard likes to get extensions done sooner rather than later.

Kelly made it clear that his preferred choice would be to stay with the Colts.

“Hopefully they value what I do,” Kelly said via IndyStar. “If not, then I understand. But I love it here. I want to stay here. This is my home. I got a house here because I love the city. The guys in the room, I love what we’ve developed on this team. It’s certainly a lot different than it was when I first walked in the door Day 1. Time will tell. But right now, yeah, this is definitely where I want to be.”

When healthy, Kelly has been a borderline elite center. Both with his aggression in the run game and ability to keep the top of the pocket stout, Kelly’s only knock has been his inability to string together consecutive healthy seasons.

After playing a combined 19 games during the 2017–2018 seasons, Kelly bounced back this year to play all 16 games—the first time he’s done so since his rookie season.

With his health back, Kelly returned to form as an upper-echelon center. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate and his value in the run game can’t be understated.

Here’s a stat found by IndyStar’s Jim Ayello that is perfectly indicative of the impact Kelly has as a run blocker:

According to NFL tallies, the Colts have run right behind Kelly 152 times this year, second most in the NFL. With that volume, opposing defenses certainly know those types of runs are coming, yet the Colts average 4.83 yards on them, good for fifth in the NFL.

It can be difficult to quantify offensive line play, but it doesn’t get any clearer than that. The 26-year-old Kelly is also just as important in the locker room as he is on the field battling in the trenches.

Kelly’s extension might not be high on the priority list this offseason, but it is a deal that should get done before his fifth season is over.

If Kelly could have it his way, he would be signing another contract with the Colts.

Colts’ Ryan Kelly questionable to return vs. Texans

Indianapolis Colts OL Ryan Kelly suffered a knee injury against the Houston Texans.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly suffered a knee injury against the Houston Texans on Thursday night and is questionable to return.

On a long third down play during the second quarter, Chester Rogers was tackled and rolled up on the knee of Kelly, who immediately went down. After missing a scoring drive, Kelly was ruled as questionable.

As long as Kelly is out, Josh Andrews will be the one at center anchoring the offense. We will update this post with any new information regarding Kelly’s status.

UPDATED: Ryan Kelly has returned in the second quarter.