Indianapolis Colts Daily Digest: On the Colts' offensive line and Ryan Lilja (part two)

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It's just that it's way too early to project. Polian is fond of cautioning media on draft day not to judge only the first round or so, that a roster is built many, many ways – late-round selections, rookie free agents, Canadian League acquisitions, waiver-wire acquisitions, etc. – and although Polian and the rest of the Colts' decision-makers have been bunkered while making the aforementioned offensive line moves, it's a good bet he'd say the same thing about these changes.

What does seem certain is the Colts are getting bigger on the line.

That was the reason Lilja was released this week, according to his agent.

What remains to be seen is exactly how they plan to add the size.

Yes, the 6-feet-8, 335-pound Terry is bigger than the Colts' prototype, and yes, Alleman – who played nine games with Kansas City – at 6-4, 310 is, too. The question is, 'Will they be better – or at least good enough to start?'

Perhaps, but there certainly are no guarantees. Alleman didn't start for a struggling Kansas City team last season, and according to Baltimore Sun Ravens writer Jamison Hensley, “Terry never lived up to expectations because of injuries and a mild-manner attitude.”

Here's the thing about all the above speculation, and all of the excitement over the week of moves – and any excitement generated in March, actually: there's a long way to go before the regular season.

Remember this time last offseason? Lilja was a huge question mark with a knee injury and tackle Tony Ugoh and guard Mike Pollak were expected to be long-term starters. And remember on the other side of the line, how tackles Ed Johnson and Fili Moala were penciled in by many as the starters the week after the draft?

Neither played a significant role and the Colts' defense still improved against the run and made the Super Bowl.

This is not to change on the Colts' offensive line isn't a huge storyline. It is, and how the team approaches the change could change the dynamic and personality of the offense.

Just don't buy into the mid-March projections.

There's a very real chance the offseason's tweaking and building and reexamining on the line isn't close to over. Either way, the changes could easily continue for the next several weeks, crescendoing late April in the 2010 NFL Draft. That, of course, will be more fuel for speculation and analysis, both pre- and post-draft.

The Colts haven't been big on drafting offensive linemen early. Throughout much of the last 12 seasons, they have drafted linemen late or signed them as free agents, figuring – correctly in most cases – now-retired line coach Howard Mudd could turn them into productive players. Often enough, they were right. The Colts' few forays into early-drafted offensive linemen – Ugoh (second round, 2007) and Pollak (second round, 2008) -- have fared substantially less well than the team might have hoped. Each player is still on the roster, but each player lost their jobs in the last year, Ugoh to Johnson and Pollak to Kyle DeVan.

It's a fools game – albeit one in which we'll all foolishly and gleefully participate -- to try to predict what Polian will do on draft day. But considering Polian considers the draft first, second, third and fourth priority when building a team, it's equally foolish to think he wouldn't invest at least some draft equity on the line this offseason. Who the Colts draft and their size could tell much about the plans.

It's just as obvious it will be a while before we have a real firm grasp on just what those plans may be. . . .

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