It does not appear the Colts are preparing position battles to replace Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. They have an obvious center successor lined up, in Tanor Bortolini, and their Fries successor is expected to also come from the 2024 draft class.
Indianapolis is sliding Matt Goncalves, Braden Smith‘s primary right tackle fill-in last season, to guard. He will be expected to take over as the Colts’ starting right guard, per the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. Colts O-line coach Tony Sparano Jr. confirmed the team’s plan is shifting Goncalves to the right guard spot.
[RELATED: OCD Diagnosis Led To Braden Smith 2024 Absence]
While Goncalves’ extensive tackle past would seemingly leave a door open to the Colts needing a contingency plan in case the 2024 third-rounder cannot make the transition, Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes the team will give him “every opportunity” to replace Fries. Goncalves took one guard snap as a rookie, and he played exclusively at tackle in college. Although he logged left or right tackle starts in all four of his seasons at Pitt, no guard games transpired.
The 6-foot-6 blocker will attempt to close a revolving door opposite LG staple Quenton Nelson, who is on a $20MM-per-year deal and entering his eighth season as the starter there in Indianapolis. Building a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, Nelson has seen turnover at RG during his time in Indiana.
The Colts used Mark Glowinski as their primary RG during Nelson’s rookie contract, but their plan to hand Danny Pinter the RG job after Glowinski’s Giants defection did not pan out. Fries ultimately replaced Pinter, and after he held down that gig throughout 2023, a broken leg sidelined the converted tackle. Fries signed a big-ticket Vikings deal in free agency, joining Kelly in leaving for the Twin Cities.
Goncalves played 333 snaps in place of Smith at right tackle last season while also seeing 230 snaps at LT in place of Bernhard Raimann. Pro Football Focus rated him a mid-pack starter, slotting him 47th among tackle regulars. Smith accepted a pay cut to stay; he is now on a one-year, $8MM deal that does not include any guaranteed money. The Colts now have both their starting tackles in contract years, and they used a fourth-round pick on 6-8 tackle Jalen Travis. This move came in lieu of a Fries replacement, leaving Goncalves a clear path to the first-string RG role (as Travis is potentially groomed to be a 2026 tackle starter).
The Colts brought back Glowinski to help replace Fries last year, also using UDFA Dalton Tucker as a seven-game starter there. With Travis the only notable O-line addition this offseason — as the Colts made rare high-priced outside additions in free agency on defense (Camryn Bynum, Charvarius Ward) — Tucker appears the insurance option in case Goncalves cannot complete the position switch effectively. (PFF rated Tucker 68th among guard regulars in 2024.) While Chappell does allude to Tucker being given a chance to start at RG as well, Goncalves certainly appears to have the inside track.