NFL Team Previews: Indianapolis Colts
Starting off division four of the NFL, I'll be starting off with the most nationally recognized team, the Indianapolis Colts. After being favorites to win the Super Bowl last offseason, coach Chuck Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson had a lot of pressure as the fanbase had high hopes. With an 8-8 record and missing the playoffs, it's modest to say those expectations weren't reached. Part of that was due to Andrew Luck being injured, but it was also due to a mediocre offensive line and a traditionally not good defense. This season, everybody outside of Indy has lower expectations, but with Luck back in the fold the Colts think they are Super Bowl contenders.
DRAFT RECAP: Okay, first of all, they drafted a guy named Le'Raven. LE'RAVEN?!?! Is he the new D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and not because of position? He was drafted in the third round to help solidify the offensive line, and will likely see time as a backup to Anthony Castonzo. The main offensive line pick by the Colts was C Ryan Kelly, who is hopefully the next Jeff Saturday for the Colts. They've had massive issues at center since he left, and he is the best pick the Colts made in this draft. Along with fortifying the O-Line, the Colts went on to select S TJ Green from Clemson, who should also be fighting for a starting job alongside Mike Adams. I also like the pick of ILB Antonio Morrison, since the Colts lost Jerrell Freeman to the Bears and D'Qwell Jackson is 32 years old. He's another potential starter on that defense as a rookie.
FREE AGENCY: The Colts were nowhere near as flashy in free agency as usual, with to-be nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson and backup quarterback Scott Tolzien as their most notable signings. Robinson had a decent year for the Chargers last season, and Tolzien spent the entire year backing up Aaron Rodgers. He's not a long term replacement if something were to happen to Luck, but he's a younger guy than Matt Hasselbeck (like everybody else in the league) and should be more durable. Hopefully he won't need to be, though.
PLAYERS LOST: The Colts lost a decent amount of talent from last year, but their roster is not that much worse because of it. Outside of losing Jerrell Freeman to the Bears, the other big loss was losing FS Dwight Lowery to the Chargers. Lowery had four picks last year, and without him, it'll be rookie TJ Green or relatively inexperienced Clayton Geathers filling in next to Mike Adams. I don't think TE Coby Fleener was a big loss, especially at the amount of money he is receiving, as he did not meet his expectations with the Colts. The Colts also gave up on former first round pick Bjoern Werner, letting him go to the rival (ha) Jacksonville Jaguars. WR Andre Johnson is also a free agent, and he may be a training camp addition once they realize they only have three viable receivers.
STRONGEST POSITION (Besides Quarterback): I really don't know, because this team is Andrew Luck and nothing much else. They have players here and there, but it's mostly just Luck. Normally I'd say it would be wide receiver, but even with Andre Johnson, this group has underachieved outside of TY Hilton. Outside linebacker is pretty solid, but Trent Cole and Robert Mathis are aging. I'll say offensive line, because this is the strongest it has looked since Luck came into the league.
WEAKEST POSITION: These two are easy. Running back and tight end are tied in my eyes. Frank Gore had a decent season running the football last year, but he's another guy over thirty (which is when almost all running backs fall off) and there is nobody behind him without Boom Herron and Ahmad Bradshaw. Even then, you could argue nobody is behind him. But it's worse now. At tight end, Dwayne Allen is yet another guy to underachieve for the Colts so far, but he still has potential to turn things around. There is also no depth behind him either. To sum up, Luck needs more playmakers.
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS TO THE COLTS SUCCESS: QB Andrew Luck, CB Vontae Davis, OLB Robert Mathis, WR TY Hilton, C Ryan Kelly. We already know why Luck is important, and C Ryan Kelly is important for holding the line together for this season and the future. OLB Robert Mathis is a longtime Colt, and still a very good pass rusher. He's also a leader on this football team. CB Vontae Davis is the Colts version of a lockdown corner, and they need him to be successful to prevent the other team from engaging in a shootout with the Colts. WR TY Hilton is the only explosive player on offense, to this point, that Luck has. His success likely will trickle down to the rest of the team, and if that doesn't happen, he's even more important on offense. He's by far the biggest threat offensively.
PREDICTION: If it wasn't for Andrew Luck, I'd peg this team at 4-12. Did they not learn anything from how they got Luck in the first place? Luck should give this team four more wins though, and could reasonably even give them eight more if everybody else feeds off him. I'll go with 9-7, but it's still a tossup between them and Houston for the division.
