3 Colts players that should be out the door with Frank Reich
The Indianapolis Colts made a change at head coach by firing Frank Reich but that isn’t the only change the team needs to make.
Jim Irsay did something Monday that he has never done in his 25 years of owning the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Frank Reich was fired after the Colts got off to a poor 3-5-1 start. The team benched Matt Ryan and fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady before making the decision to part ways with their head coach.
Many fans, players, and coaches across the league were shocked at this move and the even more shocking announcement that six-time Pro Bowl center, Jeff Saturday, would be taking the reigns. Several people were left questioning whether Reich was solely to blame or if there was more that needed to be done. A coach motivates the team and creates a plan for the game but it is up to the players to execute that plan. Here is a list of three players that should have left shortly after Reich.
3. Offensive lineman Matt Pryor
This was the most obvious one. Most Indianapolis Colts fans have been calling for Matt Pryor’s removal for a while now. He played well enough in spurts last year that many were hoping he would fill in nicely this year. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Pryor has split time at three positions on the offensive line this season but hasn’t been stable in any of them. He’s played the most snaps at left tackle (249) and right guard (212) while playing a few snaps at right tackle (79). According to PFF, he has an overall grade of 42.7 which ranked 77th of 78 tackles who have played this season. On a more personal note, he is tied for second with six sacks allowed and tied for 14th with five penalties. His 542 combined offensive snaps rank 21st among NFL tackles.
The Colts offensive line has been atrocious so far this season and no one person is to blame. Danny Pinter went from starter to reserve after the team had high hopes for him. However, Pryor has been the worst out of the bunch. While Indianapolis doesn’t have the best depth on the offensive line, it’s worth seeing what Bernhard Raimann and Will Fries look like in live game action. Needless to say, Pryor should have been carrying Reich’s bags out the door.