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INDIANAPOLIS – A busy Tuesday for the Colts saw them ink perhaps their most important free agent in 2019, and then fill two vacant assistant coaching positions.
Jason Michael is the team’s new tight ends coach and Chris Strausser will lead the offensive line unit.
Both hires occurred at positions with the Colts’ cupboard fully stocked with waiting talent.
Strausser comes over from Denver, where he was the Broncos offensive line-tackles coach in 2018 and the assistant line coach in 2017. The Broncos finished last season 8th in sacks allowed per pass attempt and 4th in rushing yards per play.
He brings 30 years of coaching experience, 28 of which came at the college level.
In 2019, Strausser will now coach an offensive line in Indianapolis that has all 5 of their starters returning from last season. Even the Colts’ first few depth spots are under contract for 2019.
Taking a look at the future at offensive tackle, where Strausser’s primary role was with Denver last season, the Colts will need to eventually develop a tackle whenever Anthony Castonzo is done playing.
Strausser was on the Denver staff of recently fired head coach Vance Joseph.
Looking at Strausser’s past stops, there doesn’t appear to be any parallels between himself and Frank Reich’s coaching tenure.
Strausser takes the place of the fired Dave DeGuglielmo, who coached an offensive line unit that allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL last year.
At tight end, Michael replaces the void created by Tom Manning, who decided to return to the collegiate game at Iowa State.
Michael arrives in Indianapolis with 13 years of NFL experience. He most recently was in Arizona (2018) and Tennessee (2014-17).
Before that, Michael was in San Diego, coaching the tight ends in 2013, when Reich was on the same staff, as the Chargers quarterbacks coach.
Michael was actually the Titans offensive coordinator in 2014-15 and has spent time working with quarterbacks in other NFL stops.
With the Colts, Michael has a unit with just Ryan Hewitt as an unrestricted free agent. The likes of Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox and Ross Travis are expected to return in 2019.
After spending last week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., the Colts have returned to Indianapolis to begin prep for free agency and the Combine.
The only remaining open position on the team’s coaching staff is the assistant offensive line coach.
