Colts mailbag: Who replaces Kwity Paye? O-Line changes? Why don't Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods play more?

The Colts are fresh off a mini bye following one of the ugliest and more bizarre wins you will see, but it's a win nonetheless. The 12-9 overtime victory over the Broncos moves the Colts to 2-2-1, keeping them firmly in the mix in a vulnerable AFC South but also looking like a team needing massive improvement.

The story of the team remains the same with the offensive line. This game was another trip in pass protection, leading to more conversation about Matt Ryan and his fight to find comfort in this offense.

So, it's unsurprising where the questions went. (If you have one, feel free to email natkins@indystar.com. or follow me on Twitter, where I put out the call each Monday.)

Question: "How do the Colts replace the injured Kwity Paye? Internally or with a signing? Do they plan on trying out anyone?" -- @Ocean_Sandz via Twitter

Answer: The Colts are currently working through the severity of Paye's ankle injury, which required the cart on Thursday but for which X-Rays came back negative. It won't be a surprise if he needs to miss a game or more, which will test the depth on the Colts' strongest position group to date.

Dayo Odeyingbo played 55% of the snaps against the Broncos, helping fill in when Paye got hurt, so I think we have one answer there. He had yet to top 26% of snaps before that. He has 1.5 sacks the past two weeks, so he's ascending at the right time. But replacing Paye and his 10-sack pace will be difficult, as Odeyingbo hasn't played enough to have the same pass rushing moves quite yet.

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Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley raved about Tyquan Lewis unprompted this week, and he's another guy they are looking to get back after he missed the Broncos game with a brain injury. He's the swiss army knife of this defensive line, moving inside to outside based on situations. Odeyingbo has the size to do some of that was well, so I'd anticipate a committee.

It'll stress Ben Banogu and Ifeadi Odenigbo to bring sound depth to the "LEO" spot behind Yannick Ngakoue. If they aren't bringing it enough in practice, I could see the Colts looking for some competition. I also wouldn't be surprised to see DeForest Buckner steal a few more edge snaps as they try to get the most out of how dominant he looks at the moment. If Paye hasn't suffered a long-term injury, I assume they'll patch it together with these guys for now.

Question: "I’d be interested on a best possible guess of how the offensive line will shakeup by position? We don’t know the health of Ryan Kelly. Does Dennis Kelly get a shot at right tackle, or do you think Braden Smith goes back and they kick Matt Pryor inside? Can Dennis Kelly play inside?" -- Matt Skeens via Twitter

Answer: It was interesting to see the Colts make a massive switch on the offensive line last week, moving Matt Pryor from left tackle to right, Braden Smith from right tackle to right guard and third-round rookie Bernhard Raimann from second string to starting left tackle. It was time to try something different, but it was a tough spot to do it with just two walkthrough practices and a Thursday road game in Denver, and they would up looking like a line in that kind of disarray in pass protection.

Matt Ryan was sacked six times, bringing him to a league-high 21. That obviously can't happen with a 37-year-old quarterback.

This was a look the Colts had experimented with since training camp, but they were waiting on Raimann to heal from an ankle injury. He had a rough first start with three holdings and a false start, but they believe he's very coachable and will get better from here. I'd be surprised if he moves off this spot now, as jerking a rookie around based on performance at a critical position isn't wise. They need to live with the growing pains and how Quenton Nelson can help bring him along a little more each week.

The right side is still a question mark. It got beaten badly Thursday, though some was to be expected. Matt Pryor spent the offseason training as a southpaw boxer to get his hips wired to the left side, so his footwork wasn't right. It's possible he'll never have the speed for a starting tackle spot, but he did feel and play more comfortably there last season. He's left-handed, so it helps to be on the right side to punch inside to help teammates in pass protection.

I still wonder if Pryor at right guard and Smith at right tackle is the best combination, as solving the spot between Kelly and Smith could give both the comfort to get back closer to how they used to play. Given the Colts' unwillingness to play Dennis Kelly, I would guess that this is the group of five moving forward when healthy. The challenge is finding a combination that can build together rather than constantly learn new spots.

Question: "Clearly the O-Line is a huge issue. Do you think Chris Ballard is being stubborn to not sign a street free agent (Eric Fisher for example) to try and fix this before Matt Ryan gets hurt?" -- Michael Mangini via Twitter

Answer: The hard part of having personnel issues at that position during the season is solutions are pretty bare. Offensive line depth is at such a premium that guys who add value are usually on rosters. Capable tackles are especially hard to find available, so the fact that Eric Fisher is should be a red flag. The Colts have an easy line to him if they thought he was an answer.

Ballard could try a trade or a signing to the practice squad for options, like he did with 36-year-old tackle Ty Nsekhe on Tuesday. It feels less likely at tackle, but at some point, he just has to find someone who can be a serviceable right guard.

I think you could argue that Ballard believed too much this offseason in internal growth from backups like Pryor and Danny Pinter. He had options at right guard, such as re-signing Chris Reed, who left for the Vikings. Left tackle is more of a multi-year issue, as free agency didn't offer good options there and it's hard to find a ready one without a first-round pick. They spent a third on Raimann, and he's working through those growing pains now.

I don't see the problem as a lack of aggressiveness, though. The Colts rank No. 1 in the NFL in offensive line spending with nearly 20% of the salary cap tied to this group. It looks like the front office overestimated some parts, as Kelly and Smith appear to be regressing and Pinter doesn't look ready to start. But Ballard is a confident man who believed strongly in at least three of these players as stalwarts, and it's reasonable to have expected them to play a whole lot better than they have.

Question: "Alec Pierce is developing well. Jelani Woods, too. Why aren’t they seeing the field more?" -- Always A Hoosier via Twitter

Answer: The Colts' Day 2 pass catchers are both making some nice plays lately. With the league's last-place offense by Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, it makes sense to build upon what is working.

Playing time is more about trust than anything else. Coaches have to believe that what they're seeing and hearing in the meeting rooms and at practice will click in hyperspeed with a crowd and game situation, and that process is different for every rookie, and it's different by position.

For Woods, the climb at tight end is especially difficult because it stresses mentally with the playbook, athletically as a receiver and physically as a blocker. Woods is at his best right now in the open field, where the play design breaks him open and lets him use all that size and speed for a big gain, like he had against the Chiefs and Titans. But those are isolated plays by design. The Colts need something more physically dialed in out of tight ends in the run game, and the more that the blocking is the mess, the more they'll likely lean on players they trust. Woods' body profiles here, but he needs to keep working at it.

Pierce's role is already growing, as he went from two targets and zero catches in his first game to 20 targets and 15 catches over the past three. He played a season-high 59.5% of snaps against the Broncos and showed the toughness and nuance to make catches across the middle. I think that growing trust with Ryan will earn him more looks, especially now that Ashton Dulin, the team's third-leading receiver, is out for at least the next four games with a foot injury. I think Pierce will still come off the field more in two-receiver sets as the Colts trust Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell more as route spacers and blockers.

Question: "I know it’s a small sample, but something I’ve noticed is that the defense has been significantly better when Shaq Leonard hasn’t been on the field. What do you think Bobby Okereke and Zaire Franklin have done to make the Colts feel that they shouldn’t rush Shaq back until he’s 100%?" -- Jack Rizzo via Twitter

Answer: The Colts have held together in the middle of their defense well without Shaquille Leonard, which is a big testament to everyone involved. Filling in for an All-Pro is not easy.

Give credit to Gus Bradley, who has always connected best with linebackers and has developed his man-match coverage well after a tough first couple of weeks. His linebackers coach, Richard Smith, has one of the longest track records around at this spot, and he's connecting well with Okereke and Franklin, two energized and really intelligent players.

Okereke is showing the athleticism that has popped in certain moments to be more of a sustained product in his fourth and final year of his contract. He's a good fit at the "Will," and Franklin has really surprised with his ability to handle the "MIKE." Not only is he leading the NFL with 54 tackles, but he's showing coverage ability, like when he stayed with Jerry Jeudy to the back of the end zone last week.

I don't think their success should take away from Leonard's impact. The four-time All-Pro is a splash play waiting to happen. As a rangy and instinctive cover player and master puncher of the football he led the NFL last season with 15 turnovers, which is more than the 13.6 the Colts are on pace to produce as a team. Another turnover a game would help out an offense stuck in the mud.

The Colts have been patient with Leonard in part because of how secure they feel about their linebacker depth. This defense has been very good lately, but it can become truly special with one more All-Pro an offense is trying to avoid.

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts mailbag: How to replace Kwity Paye, fix O-Line issues