DeVan's 2009 was even less likely.
Originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Washington Redskins, he has spent time on the practice squad of the New York Jets in 2008, but spent four games last offseason with the Boise Burn of Arena Football2 before signing with the Colts as a free agent.
He made the roster, played six games as a reserve, then supplanted Mike Pollak – a second-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft – as the starter in the final nine games of the regular season and throughout the postseason.
And while the Colts last offseason may not have known the eventual identity of their starting guards, the members of the line as a group did know they wanted to improve the running game in 2009. That was a subject they discussed often. They did so candidly, saying their 31st place finish in the area in 2008 was not satisfactory.
They said the same thing this past season about finishing 32nd in rushing, but while those around the Colts will tell you the area still must improve, there was a feeling throughout the season throughout the organization that the area had made significant progress. The guards, particularly Lilja -- long one of the team's best run-blockers -- were a reason.
The Colts weren't a dominant running team, but they ran well enough in spots to create play-action opportunities in the passing game, and that's a huge priority in the Colts' offense. They improved in late-game situations at times, and in the red-zone, and the Colts had several of their best rushing games late in the season and in the postseason, including an AFC Championship Game in which they outrushed the New York Jets, the NFL's No. 1-rated defense and rushing attack during the regular season.
The victory in that game put the Colts in the Super Bowl, a highlight moment for the team, and for a pair of starting guards who a year earlier faced uncertain football futures.
BREAKING DOWN THE OFFENSIVE GUARDS . . .
* The roster: LG Ryan Lilja (7), RG Kyle DeVan (2), Mike Pollak (3), Jaimie Thomas (1).
* The breakdown: Lilja and Pollak started the season at left and right guard, respectively, the first time the duo had started together. Pollak started in 2008, his rookie season, but Lilja missed that whole season while undergoing three knee surgeries in the span of a year. Pollak, a second-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, struggled enough early that soon into the season he was sharing time with DeVan, and by a Week 8 victory over Houston, DeVan had moved permanently into the starting lineup. Lilja is a savvy, tough veteran who is among the team's better run-blockers and while the team would have liked Pollak to have retained his starting position, officials haven't given up on him. Colts President Bill Polian said shortly after the Super Bowl he expected Pollak to return next season. Thomas, a seventh-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, spent last season on the Colts' practice squad. At 6-feet-4, 330 pounds, he's bigger than the Colts usually play on the offensive front, but if the team seeks to get bigger and more physical after the retirement of line coach Howard Mudd, he could play a role.
* What the offseason might bring: This will be an area of interest in the offseason. There likely won't be much movement in free agency, but draftniks and analysts have targeted this as an area of need. One other factor could be left tackle Charlie Johnson. He has started at guard for the Colts in the past, and if the Colts draft a player at left tackle, Johnson could play guard. It seems possible the Colts would like to have the reliable veteran Johnson on the field somewhere.
* Feeling the draft: Teams don't often take offensive guards in the first round, and the Colts typically haven't taken offensive linemen on the first day of the draft under Polian. Two recent exceptions, Pollak and left tackle Tony Ugoh, started early in their careers, but were replaced in the lineup this past season. It's always foolish to predict what Polian may do on draft day, but taking an interior lineman early this year seems like a logical move.
* Free agency status: With none of the Colts' guard a restricted or unrestricted free agent, it's unlikely there will be much movement at this spot. The Colts are rarely a player in free agency, and while they could sign a guard later in the offseason to provide depth, it likely won't be a high-profile move.
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