How Will the Indianapolis Colts Replace Gosder Cherilus?

The Indianapolis Colts were back in the news Sunday afternoon as owner Jim Irsay informed the public on Twitter of veteran offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus' release.

The veteran tackle spent two seasons in Indianapolis, starting 29 regular-season games and two playoff games. Cherilus turned 31 in June and will look for work elsewhere, although a return to Indianapolis is not yet out of the question. We'll return to that in a minute.

But first, a reflection on Cherilus' time in Indianapolis.

Cherilus was a cornerstone of the infamous 2013 free-agency class, Ryan Grigson's first free-agent spending spree that has now become a universal bust. Grigson has made his share of good moves over the last three seasons in Indianapolis, but 2013 was a dark time for the young general manager.

Player	Price	Result	Notes
Gosder Cherilus	5 yrs, $35M	Cut	-7.9 cumulative PFF Grade
LaRon Landry	4 yrs, $24M	Cut	-6.6 grade, PED suspension
Ricky Jean Francois	4 yrs, $22M	Cut	-1.9 PFF Grade
Erik Walden	4 yrs, $16M	Starting OLB	-0.7 PFF Grade
Greg Toler	3 yrs, $15M	Starting CB	-16.9 PFF Grade
Donald Thomas	4 yrs, $14M	???	Played one game (injuries)
Trent Richardson	1st-rd pick	Cut	-8.4 PFF grade, 3.1 YPC

Signing an inconsistent Cherilus to the most expensive contract in the league for a right tackle was the perfect example of the exaggerated spending that year. Fortunately, Grigson has altered his habits in recent years, spending on proven players for short contracts.

Still, the Cherilus signing happened, and it will (and has) cost the Colts.

Cherilus was signed to a five-year, $35 million contract back in 2013, a contract that was regarded as way overpriced even at the time. Because the contract only had $15 million guaranteed, however, Cherilus won't see more than half of the contract.

With Cherilus' release coming after June 1, the remaining prorated portion of the contract is split into two sections: the part that was originally going to count toward next season and the cumulative remains added onto the 2016 cap.

Year	Original Cap Hit	New Cap Hit	Savings
2015	$6.9 million	$2.9 million	$4 million
2016	$9.9 million	$5.8 million	$4.1 million
2017	$10.4 million	-	$10.4 million
Total	$27.2 million	$8.7 million	$18.5 million

It's nice to get a bit of cap relief in both seasons, leading to the idea that the team could be planning to use that extra cap space in 2015 to replace Cherilus with a veteran free agent like Evan Mathis or Jake Long. But those high-priced, well-known names aren't long-term options, and I don't know that Grigson wants to go that route.

The Colts have numerous important re-signings coming up in the 2016 offseason, including T.Y. Hilton, Anthony Castonzo, Jerrell Freeman, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. While re-signing all of these players, among others, is not critical, re-signing a few of them is.

One of the things the Colts have failed to do well in recent years is add blue-chip level talent to the team. If Indianapolis can't keep their few high-level free agents around, the future core will suffer tremendously.

So if a veteran free agent isn't the plan, then what is?

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The good news is that the Colts have been planning for this. Cherilus' inability to return from injury was a distinct possibility all offseason, so the Colts have had second-year player Jack Mewhort running with the first team, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Now, Mewhort did play right tackle for a brief time last season, but the product didn't give us much to work with. Mewhort played right tackle in Week 17 and in the Wild Card Game, accumulating a negative-0.9 grade from Pro Football Focus while allowing two sacks, two quarterback hits and three hurries.

Mewhort played tackle in college, and Grigson likes his ability to transition into that role in the NFL, per Wells:

"

I like the fact that he's played the position, both sides, college. Like the fact that Jack in a similar way as [starting left tackle] Anthony Castonzo, I feel like he has a certain determination about him and a certain intelligence, toughness and that he cares so much, he's going to get the job done. I think athleticism is there at right tackle. If he has to play that position he's going to do a very good job because he won't accept otherwise.

"

Of course, simply having a drive and playing experience at the position does not necessarily translate to a seamless transition in the NFL.

But Mewhort is the Colts' most promising player on the offensive line not named Anthony Castonzo. While this accelerated timeline is not ideal, it could be good for him as a player.

What there is less confidence about, however, is the Colts' ability to replace Mewhort on the left side of the line.

The Colts' interior offensive line has been a mess for years, and Mewhort was one stabilizing force last season that played a big role in occasional stretches of strong play. While Mewhort was really just average at best as a rookie, that was a big step up from some of the lineups the Colts have started.

It's also worth considering that Anthony Castonzo's play at left tackle can swing up and down depending on the kind of player he has next to him. Castonzo and Mewhort worked exceptionally well together during the 2014 season, leading to the former Boston College product's best season.

So far this offseason, it has been Lance Louis and Hugh Thornton splitting snaps at left guard, with veteran Todd Herremans starting at left guard, per Wells. The center competition between Jonotthan Harrison and Khaled Holmes continues to be a question mark.

But Louis and Thornton are both concerning at left guard.

Quite frankly, Louis was a mess last season. He finished the season with a negative-15.1 grade from Pro Football Focus in 11 games, the worst of any lineman in Indianapolis outside of a gimpy Cherilus. Louis turned 30 in April and has struggled to find a role since tearing his ACL in 2012. He did not play at all in 2013, and was released by the Miami Dolphins in training camp before signing with Indianapolis in the 2014 offseason.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Thornton represents much more upside in Indianapolis, but the high-energy guard still has a lot of inconsistencies to work out, especially in pass protection. The concern here is how it will affect Castonzo's play. The two played next to each other during Thornton's rookie season in 2013, and Castonzo finished the year with a negative-6.4 pass-protection grade from Pro Football Focus, including allowing 51 total pressures.

Still, Thornton does have potential for improvement—and the highest potential ceiling of any Colts lineman outside of Mewhort and Castonzo.

The wild card in this whole conversation, however, is Joe Reitz. The four-year veteran has long been one of the Colts' most underrated linemen, and he can play both tackle and guard, which may be to his detriment as far as the starting lineup goes.

There is little doubt in my mind that Reitz would be the best option to start at left guard next to Castonzo. The two have an uncanny chemistry that allows for beautiful pass protection, and if there is a true competition for the spot, Reitz should win it.

But the Colts like Reitz's ability to play four of the five spots on the offensive line in a pinch, and that may have him playing more of a "sixth man" kind of role like he did last season. During training camp, Reitz played backup tackle to Mewhort, indicating that the Colts may be trying to save him for emergencies at tackle. (It's worth noting here that Reitz does have a history of injuries.)

While there is some logic to that thinking, if Reitz is the best option at left guard, the team has to put him in. This is especially true if Thornton's pass protection is as bad as it has been in recent seasons, as it affects Castonzo's play. The Colts need some stability on the line in their deep-passing offense, and a Reitz-Castonzo combination on that side would provide that.

If Thornton has progressed as hoped, there is a possibility that continuing to develop and trust in him will pay off.

But an open competition is going to be the key here. The Colts are shooting for a Super Bowl in 2015, it's not time to play favorites.