Well it’s finally official, Colts Pro Bowl LT Tarik Glenn has decided to hang ‘em up after 10 years in the league (9 protecting Peyton Manning’s blind side). BigBlueShoe at Stampede Blue has a great post on Tarik and his career:

“During his 9 years at LT (his rookie year he played guard), he protected one quarterback: Peyton Manning. Through all the highs (winning the Super Bowl), and all the lows (the o-line choking in the 2006 playoff game against Pittsburgh), Glenn and Manning always protected each other. When morons like Terry Bradshaw and Mike Florio crowed that Manning had called out his o-line after the Pittsburgh playoff loss in 2006, Tarik was quick to dismiss their opinions and tell it like it was. When Colts fans bitched and moaned about Tarik’s annoying false starts, Manning would state right in and say, without hesitation, that he’d only want Tarik Glenn at LT.

It seems like an eternity ago that Tarik was taken #19 overall in the 1997 draft. He was drafted by then-Colts GM Bill Tobin, made famous for putting Mel Kiper Jr. in his place, and essentially cementing Kiper’s career as ESPN’s resident draft hack. Tarik was drafted to protect Jim Harbaugh, but he played the 1997 season at guard while fellow 1997 draftee Adam Meadows played LT as a rookie. Needless to say, Harbaugh took a beating that season and the Colts finished 3-13. The next year the Colts fired Tobin, drafted Peyton Manning, moved Tarik to LT, Meadows to guard, and the rest is history.

Throughout Tarik’s career, he was under-appreciated. He played his college ball at Cal, and while there he was also unappreicated. At the pro level, inferior players like Baltimore’s Jonathan Ogden went to Pro Bowls over Tarik, even though Tarik’s QBs got sacked less and his RBs ran for more yardage overall. It wasn’t until Ogden was exposed as a fraud by Dwight Freeney that Tarik started getting some Pro Bowl love. From 2000-2007, Tarik was the best LT in the AFC. From 2004-2007, he was the best in the NFL. Better than Ogden. Better than Seattle’s Walter Jones. Better than them all. However, because Tarik was invited to so few Pro Bowls, and never made an All-Pro team, he won’t be considered for the Hall of Fame. At Tarik’s retirement announcement, someone asked Bill Polian if Tarik was a Ring of Famer. The answer is yes, absolutely. I personally don’t want to see another player wearing #78. It’s weird enough seeing rookie Michael Coe wear #32. #78 is Tarik’s number, and nobody should ever wear it again in a Colts uniform.”

While I’m not as convinced as BBS about Tarik’s HOF credentials (he’s a borderline HOF guy who should at least get some consideration, IMO) I would love to see Glenn’s #78 retired to the Colts Ring of Honor when the new stadium opens in 2008. Here’s what I said in the comments at Stampede Blue:

He anchored one of the most stable and solid O-lines in NFL history. Not a hall-of-famers-across-the-board o-line, but one when stacked up against others overall should be favorably compared with the best. Tarik was the heart of that. Sadly he won’t get NFL HOF consideration, but the team should honor him for sure. Ideally I’d like to see him and maybe Marshall Faulk both honored when the new stadium opens in ‘08.

It definitely hurts to lose him, and I do expect at least the first half of the season to see more false starts and more sacks given up. Possibly even some shuffling of the line until the find the right guy for the job (Johnson? Ugoh? Someone else already on the line moved to LT?) but I have faith in o-line coach Howard Mudd. if anyone can mold Tarik Glenn’s replacement quickly and well, it’s him.

The future is definitely the key question. Who steps up at LT for the Colts now, one of the most important positions for any team let alone one so dependent on audibles, quick reads and disguising blocking schemes. The candidates?

• The front runner is probably Charlie Johnson, a 2 year vet on the O-line who filled in at RT in the Super Bowl quite well. Even Glenn had nice things to say about him at his retirement announcement: “”I really believe in Charlie. I’ve always thought he was a really good player, a talented player. He’s smart. He’s athletic. He’s competitive. He’ll be able to do the job.” The question is can he make the transition from RT to the infinitely harder (and important to protecting your QB’s ass) LT position.
• 2nd round draft pick Tony Ugoh out of Arkansas. The Colts traded to get the second round pick used on Ugoh, thinking he would be Glenn’s eventual replacement after this season (when Glenn’s contract was up). While this pushes him into the conversation at LT a year earlier than expected, Colts OL coach Howard Mudd has proven to be a master as quickly getting rookies up to speed in the Colts system and getting them playing at a very high level.
• A vet already on the line switching to LT? The first that comes to mind is possibly OT Ryan Diem who has the size but I worry about whether he has the quickness off the snap to play LT against speed rushers. Returning OG Rick DeMulling is also a possibility as he played some LT in college and was a very solid OG for the Colts through 2005 when he signed with the Lions. Re-united with OL coach Howard Mudd should see him get back to his previous level before he went to the cesspool that is Detroit. Whether, again, he has the quickness to succeed at LT is the question.

My guess is we see a platoon of Johnson and Deim at LT with Ugoh getting decent snaps as he learns the scheme. As Ugoh improves he’ll get more snaps until (hopefully) he’s fully up to speed and becoming The Man at LT. I’m looking to see sack numbers go up a bit (thank god for Manning’s quick release and reads), too but hopefully nothing too crazy.

I’m not too worried. You can’t just replace a 9 year vet at LT without any worry, but the coaching of the O-Line and the track record of rookie linemen on the Colts is good enough that it certainly isn’t panic mode.

Thanks for 10 great seasons, Tarik. Enjoy your retirement.

Tarik Glenn’s next task: protect his place in line at the Golden Corral buffet