It's hard not to root for Joe Reitz. A local Indy kid and a high school multisport phenom, Reitz decided to play basketball at Western Michigan. When the NBA didn't come calling, he accepted an invitation to Baltimore Ravens camp in 2008.
They saw a future tight end in the 6-foot-7, 250-pound power forward, but when that didn't click, they told him to gain some weight and learn how to play offensive line. They stuck him on the practice squad, but he injured his shoulder, ending his development that year. When they tried to stick him on the practice squad in 2010, the Dolphins grabbed him; but they didn't know what to do with him and waived him three days later. The Colts then stepped in and — in a large part driven be injury-related necessity — took him seriously as an offensive lineman, giving him serious playing time.
Despite his height, Reitz played guard for the Colts. He won the starting right guard job in 2012, but knee and concussion problems limited him to eight starts.
His play in 2012 was average at best. In 275 pass-block situations, he allowed no sacks, but five hits and 13 hurries. That's not great, but better than any of the other guys who played any significant amount of time at guard for the Colts. I graded him as a slightly better run blocker than Jeff Linkenbach, but many others disagree. At any rate, he was no better than average.
If you watch him play, Reitz is interesting. Unlike so many other young players, he shows excellent technique in many aspects of the game. But he is low in functional strength, and gets overpowered.
Will other teams bid for him?: If the Colts tender him, they can't because Reitz is an exclusive-right free agent. If the Colts let him walk, he'd be invited to camp somewhere.
Chances he'll be back: Almost certainly. Reitz won the right guard job last season fair and square, and played better than the team's other guards. He was by no means great, just better than what they had. It would better if he were not starting, but he is a quality player who's still improving — remember, he was a 250-pound power forward just a few years back — who can be signed for a very low price.
1 comment:
How much would it cost to tender him?
WIth the offensive line being in the condition it is in, a tender seems like a given- even if the player is mediocre.
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