The Indianapolis Colts are less than a month away from the start of training camp, and there appears to be little competition for the starting right guard position.
Throughout the offseason training program, the starting role has belonged to Will Fries, a seventh-round pick during the 2021 NFL draft. He finished the 2022 season starting the final eight games and while he showed some promise, we’ve already seen what can happen when an unproven player isn’t given enough competition for the starting role.
So as Pro Football Focus suggested one move each team should make before training camp, they implored the Colts to add a veteran guard.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: SIGN OG GABE JACKSON
Jackson is coming off the two lowest-graded seasons of his career but was a model of consistency through his first seven NFL campaigns in Las Vegas. A 69.9 pass-blocking grade in 2020 was the worst of his run. Perhaps he can play some better football in a reserve capacity as opposed to preparing each week to be a starter.
Indianapolis started Will Fries down the stretch in 2022, and he earned a 44.4 pass-blocking grade with 15 quarterback hurries allowed — among the most at the position over the span. It will never be a bad idea to add some offensive line depth for new franchise quarterback Anthony Richardson.
The Colts typically stick to their guns when it comes to the valuation of the free-agent market. There’s a chance they make a move on the offensive line, which is something general manager Chris Ballard hinted toward following the 2023 NFL draft.
However, they haven’t done so yet as July officially arrived Saturday. It’s important for young players to get reps so they can continue to grow their game, but the lack of competition at right guard is alarming.
The Colts may believe Fries is the answer to their starting right guard question, and there’s a chance he exceeds expectations.
But adding competition in the form of a viable veteran like Jackson would help the team’s depth in a significant way.
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