Colts
There were a few reasons the Colts were able to get OT Bernhard Raimann in the third round when he had generated some buzz as a potential earlier pick. He’s relatively new to the sport after moving to the U.S. from Austria as a teen, but he’s already 24 which isn’t ideal for a developmental prospect. He also has shorter-than-ideal arm length for the position. However, Colts director of player personnel Kevin Rogers cited Raimann’s top-tier athleticism as a compensating factor.
“You consider the arm length, but there are plenty of starting tackles playing in the league that have a little bit shorter arms,” Rogers said via 1075TheFan.com’s Kevin Bowen. “[Colts RT] Braden Smith is a guy that people questioned whether his arm length is going to enable him to survive. And really, the way the tackle position is anymore, I mean, right and left, they’re almost interchangeable. It’s a pass-protection league; you got to pass pro on the right and left. He’s got great lean body mass, 250 pounds of lean mass. He’s got the feet to center up on the edge. I mean, there’s plenty physically for him to survive on the outside.”
Raimann played soccer growing up before making the transition to American football. He started out at tight end before eventually transitioning to tackle at Central Michigan. That unique journey is something Colts area scout Chad Henry pinpointed as a plus on his scouting report, as the team wants players who are coachable.
“He’s like, a sponge, picks things up really quick (and) he’s got a top one percent work ethic,” Henry said. “I think he fits in our culture. One thing Chris (Ballard) always talks about is, ‘We want guys who are coachable, we want guys who want to get better.’ I think that he fits that to a T.”
Texans
- Doug Kyed of ProFootballFocus could see free-agent WR Cole Beasley filling into WR Danny Amendola‘s former role.
- Sarah Barshop of ESPN places OL Max Scharping on the roster bubble, as he has struggled to retain a spot on the offensive line this offseason.
Titans
Titans DL Naquan Jones was nervous when he first started his career with the team but feels that he has come into his own and is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“Last year when I came in, I was a little overwhelmed, just like any rookie coming in here, transitioning,” Jones said, via Jim Wyatt of TenneseeTitans.com. “I was overthinking (last year) and not playing as fast as I could because of that. But the more reps you get and the more you step on the field, you get more comfortable. This year I feel more comfortable, with a year under my belt, and I’m not the youngest guy in the room anymore. I came in with the mindset of every day I want to get better.”
“Just technique, you can improve on something every day,” Jones said about where he can improve. “Coach (Mike) Vrabel tells us that, (d-line coach) Terrell (Williams) tells us that. Just the mindset to get better every day is key. I always play with high effort, and I’m always going to play hard, especially playing next to Jeff (Simmons), next to (Teair) Tart. But one thing I feel like I need to improve on the most are things like fundamentals and technique. I feel like I can always get better.”
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