Frank Reich Reveals Colts’ Plan at Left Tackle Moving Forward

The Colts head coach gave insight into what the team is thinking regarding one of the most crucial positions on the offensive line.

Left tackle is arguably the most important position along the offensive line.

It protects the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks and is generally tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best pass rusher. Left tackles are generally the highest-paid players on the offensive line because of the importance of their job.

But good left tackles are hard to find.

The Indianapolis Colts have not been able to find an answer at left tackle since Anthony Castonzo retired. Castonzo retired at the end of the 2020 season after manning the position for ten years. Former Pro Bowler Eric Fisher took over in 2021 but could not regain his form after an Achilles injury in 2020.

2022 has been even worse at the position for the Colts. Matt Pryor has been a revolving door at left tackle, allowing pass rushers to bring an exorbitant amount of pressure on Matt Ryan. Instability at left tackle, combined with the struggles at other positions on the offensive line, has turned a strength into a weakness in Indy.

Last week against the Denver Broncos, the Colts gave rookie Bernhard Raimann the start at left tackle. The third-round pick out of Central Michigan struggled to begin the game, committing four penalties in the first half alone. But as the game went along, Raimann settled in and looked more comfortable by the game’s end.

So, with the Colts at 2-2-1 and trying to save their season, who is head coach Frank Reich planning to move forward with at left tackle?

“Yeah, I mean I think that is going to be our plan with Raimann,” Reich said on Wednesday. “He did some good things. I know there were some calls and some stuff, but that’s just going to be part of the process. We feel like that was a good pick. We feel like he’s got a lot of upside. Right now, I’d be willing to tell you we think that’s going to be our left tackle.”

When Raimann was drafted by the Colts back in April, he was seen as a project player who needed time to develop. Raimann was a tight end at Central Michigan before transitioning to left tackle. The rookie only had 18 career starts at left tackle before his first NFL start on Thursday Night Football.

Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Getting his first start against the Broncos, a team with plenty of firepower on defense, it was a tough matchup for Raimann. According to Pro Football Focus, Raimann received an overall grade of 48.0 (75th out of 80 tackles), a run blocking grade of 66.9 (27th), and a pass blocking grade of 43.1 (66th). The rookie gave up one QB hit, four QB hurries, and five pressures.

“That was a tough matchup for (Raimann) all game,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said. “That’s a very good defense, very good pass rush and he was thrown into the fire. I thought he battled, competed and you saw some good things there that he can build off. Did he get beat? Yes, but we kind of knew that was going to be an issue. We try to, when we can, try to help him when we could. But he’s only going to get better. We like where he’s at. We think that he’s going to continue to grow just with more reps here.”

Raimann was never supposed to be thrown into the fire this early. The plan was to bring him along slowly to get him more acclimated with the position and the speed of the NFL game. The Colts loved the tools he possesses but knew it would take time.

Turns out, the time is now. The Colts are desperate to find a solution at left tackle. Ryan is getting beaten to a pulp, and the constant pressure is greatly affecting his game. Because of the need for Raimann to play left tackle sooner than expected, Reich and the rest of the coaching staff expect some growing pains.

“There are going to be growing pains,” Reich admitted. “But we just think he has the makeup, he has the physical talent. We’ve liked what we’ve seen so far. We understand, like a lot of our young players, it’s a process.”

The Colts have already experienced growing pains with two other rookies this season. Alec Pierce, the second-round rookie wide receiver, had multiple drops in Week 1 and missed Week 2 with a concussion. Rookie tight end Jelani Woods, a third-round pick like Raimann, looked lost at times throughout training camp.

© Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

However, the Colts have continued to play these two and it has paid off. Pierce has come alive over the past three weeks and looks primed to take the WR2 role in the offense. Woods had a two-touchdown performance, including the game-winning score, against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. The only way that rookies and young players get better is by playing and getting those incredibly valuable game reps.

“You have to allow these players to develop and they are only going to develop with experience,” Brady explained. “As coaches, you understand they are going to make some mistakes there but they are going to get better. We know that two to three weeks from now he’s going to be a better player than what he’s showing, but in order for him to get him to where we want him to be, he’s got to go through those reps and go through those things.”

For Raimann’s part, he knows he did not have the best debut on Thursday. But the rookie is not discouraged, instead using his performance as a learning opportunity and a tool to correct his mistakes.

“A huge honor to have the coaches believe in you that way,” Raimann said. “Huge honor but also a huge opportunity for me to grow in the position. The game obviously didn’t go the way I wanted to. We got the win but it wasn’t good enough on my end. Really, lots to learn from, lots of mistakes from last week to clean up now during practice.”

The entire Colts’ offensive line has struggled in 2022. Various lineups have been tested as the team tries to find the best combination of five to put on the field. Raimann hopes he can be the answer at left tackle and finally start building cohesion with the unit.

“We’re getting tight as an o-line,” the rookie declared. “Which helps with call-outs and communication out there, which translates to the run game as well and the pass-pro, passing off games and stuff. I think it’s getting better and better every day.”

For the Colts’ sake, they hope it is true. Indy needs to find answers for the offensive line and fast. Raimann could eventually be a huge piece of that puzzle.

---

Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.