We move onto our final area of the offense with the offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts. While the outsides of the line are secure at the tackle positions, we should see some competition on the interior of the offensive line, specifically at center and possibly at right guard in terms of depth. We know that left tackle Bernhard Raimann, right tackle Braden Smith, and left guard Quenton Nelson are the solidified starters at their respective positions.
The Colts tipped their hand early on how to replace outgoing linemen. Both center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries signed with Minnesota Vikings. While both were willing to come back to Indy, they were out of the budget that Indianapolis was willing to spend. They tipped their hand with that when they did not sign or draft anyone at right guard. This means that Matt Goncalves will move to right guard, with potentially no competition. They believe in him enough to hand him his position with the exit of Will Fries.
So that leaves the center position open with the exit of Ryan Kelly. The Colts have three current realistic options on the roster that will compete for the position. Wesley French will return from an ankle injury that kept him out of nearly the entire 2024 season. He will have an uphill battle to make the roster, and the remaining options are second year center Tanor Bortolini and veteran Danny Pinter.
The Case For Tanor Bortolini
The 2024 4th round draft pick has already had a crash course in starting at center. He played 12 games and started five when Ryan Kelly was out due to injury. While he was not flawless in those games, he was beyond capable. While both Bortolini and Pinter were drafted by Chris Ballard, Bortolini got the seal of approval from Offensive Line Coach Tony Sparano Jr.
Bortolini can be a starter - he just needs some more real game reps and the chance to get acclimated to the position full time.
The Case For Danny Pinter
The former local 5th round pick in the 2020 draft signed an extension last season. Pinter has seen time at both center and guard, and is the epitome of what the Colts call a “swing lineman.” He did miss the entire 2023 season with an ankle injury, but they believe in his talent. He has more experience than Bortolini, and has shown that he can be a plug-and-play interior lineman. As mentioned above, he was not hand-picked by the coaching staff but was drafted by Ballard.
The Final Verdict
Do I think there will be a true competition for center in training camp for the position? Yes, there will absolutely be a competition between the two of them. They are both capable of making the roster and even starting. This will boil down to what the team really wants. Do they want someone (Bortolini) that will need some time to grow with either of the quarterbacks and bring some consistency? Or do they want someone (Pinter) that does have experience, but has been plagued with inconsistency in a contract season?
I think they will end up going with Tanor Bortolini if he can prove to proficient with both quarterbacks. It also allows the team to have a viable depth piece at guard by keeping Pinter as the swing lineman position.