INDIANAPOLIS – The longest tenured Colts offensive player is likely going to add another position to his long list of plug-in spots this weekend.
Joe Reitz has pretty much done it all for the Colts since joining the team late in 2010 (even catching a pass!).
He's started 19 games at left guard. Another four starts at right guard. Lately, Reitz has locked down the right tackle position in eight career starts.
Is left tackle next on Reitz's ever-growing/changing job description list?
"He's played really well," Chuck Pagano said of Reitz, who switched over to left tackle Sunday for the final three snaps, after Anthony Castonzo sprained his MCL.
"He's smart, he's tough and he loves playing. Plays with a ton of energy and passion. He's our emergency, emergency, emergency center, if you will, if we ever got to an Armageddon type of scenario. He can play guard, he can play tackle and now he might have to go over and play the other side."
If Reitz does indeed move over to left tackle for however long the "week-to-week" timetable is for Castonzo, it will cause another domino effect along the line.
Here's a breakdown of how the line looked when Castonzo (who had played all 729 snaps this season before his injury) left the Atlanta game for the final three snaps and how it might be going forward:
- LG-Lance Louis: When Castonzo got hurt on Sunday, Louis came in off the bench at left guard. That's where he started the first two games of the season. Louis started at right guard the final six games of last season with Reitz next to him during the postseason (on the right side of the line).
- C-Jonotthan Harrison: Harrison has started the past three games at center, with Khaled Holmes back healthy. Harrison has played almost exclusively at center during his two NFL seasons, but did play a bit of guard late last season.
- RG-Hugh Thornton: Since the Colts changed their line in Week Three, Thornton has been the team's right guard for every snap.
- RT-Jack Mewhort: When Castonzo exited Sunday and Reitz flipped over to left tackle, Mewhort was back outside at right tackle. That is where Mewhort started the first two games of the season and the spot he was expected to take over when the team parted ways with Gosder Cherilus prior to Training Camp.
Other Offensive Line Options
- C-Khaled Holmes: He was the Colts starting center for the first seven games of the season before a neck injury in the Saints game. Holmes is back healthy now and could play some guard in a pinch.
- G/T-Todd Herremans: The 11-year veteran started the first two games of 2015 at right guard. Coming over in free agency this offseason, Herremans' flexibility attracted the Colts. In his 11 NFL seasons, Herremans has started games at left tackle (6), left guard (71), right aguard (25) and right tackle (24). Herremans, Reitz and Mewhort are the only three healthy Colts linemen with tackle experience at the NFL level.
- T-Denzelle Good: The Colts seventh-round pick has been inactive for all 10 games this season. Good was thought to be a project in his rookie season after playing collegiately at Division II Mars Hill. At Wednesday's practice, we did see Good working with the first team offensive line during the open media portion. If Good starts Sunday, that would allow the Colts to keep their interior three intact.
