Wide Receiver and Offensive Line Edition

Coming off January’s brutal playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, many Colts fans were sad to see such an exciting season finish with a thud. The Colts had won 10 of their previous 11 games and were undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the league if not the hottest team. After the game, many like myself didn’t immediately dive into the film. I wanted to appreciate what the Colts had accomplished during the 2018 season.

Don’t get me wrong, I was still sick about the loss. In addition, I was literally ill. I watched the game isolated in my in-law’s basement shivering in a coat and blanket while I heard the (seldom) cheers above me.  The Colts just didn’t look like the same team. Blaming the winter storm was just such a tired argument and one that I refused to accept. They looked more like the team that lost to Cody Kessler and the Jags 6-0 (a game played in Florida mind you) than the one the week before taking down the AFC South Division champs in the playoffs.

One of my biggest takeaways from the game initially were two things on the offensive side of the ball: the line didn’t have a great day and the receivers failed to get any separation from a supposedly bad Chiefs secondary. T.Y. caught the game’s only TD pass from an absolute dime of a throw by Andrew Luck. One thing I was reminded of while watching the film was just how hurt Hilton was. He was hobbled for most of the season including this game (which is a solid explanation for his lack of separation). Luck had to constantly thread the needle on every pass to move the chains.

Stephen Holder from the Athletic had an interesting comment this month which is what partially led me to go back to the film. To paraphrase, he said something along the lines that the receivers were taking too much of the blame for the playoff loss and the battle was lost in the trenches. My takeaway? Yes and no.

Sometimes, all it takes is a couple plays from the defense’s pass rushers to change or even win a football game. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis’s heyday speak to this sentiment loudly. I believe it was the case in this game as well. The Chiefs defensive line was strong (especially Chris Jones in the interior D-line), but there were really only two significant plays I saw where they beat the O-line for a sack. The first one being Justin Houston beating Mark Glowinski on an inside pass rush move to take down Andrew Luck. Thank God that dude is on our team this year.

The second was Dee Ford (now a 49er) beating Braden Smith on a outside edge rush with pure, blazing speed. He turned the corner around the rookie right tackle and batted the ball out of Luck’s hands for a costly strip-sack. I vividly remember Andrew laying face first in the turf for about five seconds although it felt like a minute. His reaction symbolized what a crucial turnover at that point in the game felt like. Like I said, sometimes it only takes one or two plays to wreck a game and it certainly did here.

With that being said, I think there were multiple other times where Luck had a clean pocket, but just didn’t have anywhere to go with the football. T.Y. couldn’t have been asked to do much more especially after the sacrifice he put his body through all season long. It speaks volumes that their first big FA signing was Devin Funchess on a one-year $10 million-dollar deal (up to $13 million with incentives reportedly). Then they drafted Parris Campbell in the 2^nd round, the fastest wide receiver at the combine that also brings some size at 6’0 210 lbs.

Many might also point out that the Colts didn’t run the football as effectively as they did during the regular season. It’s true they didn’t run it well at all until the Chiefs started playing more a prevent style defense in the fourth. Therefore, they’re right although the team was playing behind for the entire football game. A few critical mistakes early allowed Patrick Mahomes to take an early lead and never look back so it might be a chicken or the egg type deal.

Pinning the blame on the offensive line (and it was really just the right side) for a having a bad day would be an unfair assessment in my opinion. Of course, there’s room for improvement, but it’s difficult to criticize after the performance they had once this specific lineup solidified. It’ll be even more difficult to repeat with those expectations.

In conclusion, this game should more highlight the importance of not getting down early, especially against the more explosive offenses in the league. They’ll have many more challenges like these against QB’s like Brees and Roethlisberger. Oh and of course, the much anticipated Week 5 prime-time rematch at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Defensive Line’s 4 Most Versatile Players

Since switching to a 4-3 defense at the start of the 2018 season, the Colts have approached building their defense in a surprisingly efficient, transcendent manner. Chris Ballard has sought out players that have the ability to play inside and outside on the defensive line. Learning one position in the NFL is difficult let alone two. You often see swing players on the offensive line like Joe Haeg or Evan Boehm. It’s even more rare to find a player than can move around on the other side of the line AND be good at it.

Here, I’ll breakdown the players that can and will play both spots. Therefore as a disclaimer, this article will not include ‘specialist’ players like Kemoko Turay or Grover Stewart as they’ll be analyzed in future pieces.

After 2018 free agency ended, Denico Autry being the Colts’ highest profile free agent signing was almost a punchline. Who? The formely undrafted player, whose community college was featured on the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” was signed to a modest 3-year deal worth $17.8 million. He had only started 18 games in 4 years with the Raiders producing just over 10 sacks.

At a glance, he was viewed as someone that could help the pass rush and that he did; and more. The first sign was a (little talked about) compliment from eventual All-Pro Quenton Nelson in the 2018 off-season. When asked who was giving him the most fits in practice, he said Autry was the most difficult to block. “Slippery” was the term he used. Maybe his quote wasn’t taken as seriously because it was Nelson’s first experience in the league, but Denico Autry lived up to that compliment.

Autry churned out 9 sacks in 12 games in what (I believe) should have qualified as a Pro-bowl level campaign. Not too many people in the national media, outside of Brian Baldinger, recognized this and his ‘Madden 20’ rating would be a perfect example: 76 overall. Pull up any highlights from the Colts season and you’ll see #96 consistently driving linemen backwards. He was able to get pressure consistently and lived in the backfield just like he has so far this year.

Most of the Colts beat writers have chosen him and T.Y. as the best players on the field so far during training camp. Standing at 6’5 285 lbs. Autry has displayed the ability to generate a pass rush lining up inside and out. He’s my favorite player on this Colts defense and I look for him to have a 10+ sack season.

The next player on this list surprised a lot of people when the first depth chart was released. Many viewed Tyquan Lewis as just a defensive end/rotational edge player coming out of a talented Ohio State defense. It was clear the Colts had a different vision for him when they traded back into the second round to make him their 4th second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. His spot on the depth chart as a nose tackle all but confirms their plans to play him in multiple spots.

The Colts vision for him was put on hold when a toe injury sidelined him in training camp last season. This vision stemmed from their belief that Lewis could play on the interior defensive line as well. He was one of two candidates designated to return from IR which was a newer policy the Colts utilized. He returned late in the season with his most memorable performance coming against the Dallas Cowboys in a 23-0 shutout. Both of his 2 career sacks came in that game while lining up in both spots.

Depth chart’s can’t be taken too seriously this early, but it was peculiar to see Lewis as the starting nose tackle being listed as 6’4 277 lbs. Again, depth charts can be especially meaningless when players are consistently moved around, but it was interesting to see that as his “main” spot. After the departures of Hassan Ridgeway and Al Woods, there seems to be a noticeable lack of girth inside besides Grover Stewart.

The fact that they didn’t draft any interior d-linemen (with Caruan Reid being one of the only notable additions) shows the Colts confidence in the players they have; including Lewis. They look to replicate their run defense success from last season as the 2018 Colts didn’t allow a single 100 yard rusher. I’ll be interested to see how Lewis holds up if they decide to play him inside consistently.

The next player is coming into a contract year that will be his third season with the team. Signing Jabaal Sheard to a 3-year deal worth $25.5 million was one of Chris Ballard’s first free agent signings. Still not a household name, he’s consistently generated pressure the past two seasons and played in all 16 games both years. He repeated his sack total of 5.5 to the exact amount, but somehow managed to do it even more quietly. Not only is his pass rushing presence valuable, but his run defense (especially on the edge) is superb. He has the ability to “bench press” much bigger players than him which can only be a result of experience and skill.

A quiet guy by nature, Sheard didn’t complain (from what we know) about being asked to play inside when the Colts switched to a 4-3 defense after the 2017 season. He hadn’t played in a 4-3 defense since the Browns made him their 2nd round pick in 2011. Playing for the Patriots and Belichick’s 3-4 defense translated to playing “outside linebacker” meaning he was asked to drop into coverage frequently instead of primarily rushing the passer. That may help explain why he’s never had a double-digit sack season; although it didn’t stop Justin Houston from putting up huge sack numbers. The former Kansas City Chief is entering a similar situation.

Although it’s unlikely the Colts ask Houston to play inside, they asked Sheard to last year and he held up surprisingly well for being 6’3 268 lbs. Currently, Sheard is dealing with a relatively serious knee injury suffered early in camp. The Colts have been tightlipped about the severity of the injury which makes it difficult to asses when he’ll be back. The Colts Man of Year candidate is an underrated veteran on this team who’ll be missed if the season starts without him.

The last player on this list is my dark horse candidate to have a breakout season. Coming out of Illinois, scouts gave Jihad Ward the title of a defensive end that could bump inside as well. It seems to be vice-versa now as the Colts haven’t lined him on the outside that much. It’s certainly not because he can’t, but he seemed to flash inside last season putting up 4 sacks in 6 games.

Ward’s above average athleticism at 6’5 290 lbs. intrigued teams enough to send his draft stock soaring in 2016. The Raiders used a second round pick on him which brought high expectations from a young player (similar to Quincy Wilson). Oakland showed they didn’t have time to develop him by trading him to the Cowboys for Ryan Switzer. After being waived by the Cowboys in final cuts at the start of last season, he was signed to the Colts practice squad.

Ward was promoted to the 53-man roster not long after, but an ankle injury ended his season early. I was excited to see what he could do in a full year after a fast start since he was on pace for at least double digit sacks. Now after a full-offseason with the team, I’m even more excited to see if he can step up in a big way as a rotational player. Time will tell if his versatility and athleticism are enough to make a lasting impact on this football team.

Mo Alie-Cox, Ross Travis, and Hale Hentges Edition

The next tight end on the depth chart is Mo Alie-Cox. Believe it or not, it might be safe to say that Cox is a lock to make the roster as the No. 3 tight end. It’s a pretty bold assessment for a player that’s only caught six passes his entire NFL career. He’s a guy that’s still learning how to play football at the game’s highest level. Going into his third season, the complexities of an NFL offense haven’t been too much for him.

Before being signed by the Colts in 2017, Cox hadn’t played football since his freshman year of high school. Cox elected to play basketball in high school and went on to be a four year standout at VCU where he holds the all time field goal percentage record. Coming out of school, he was on a handful of team’s radars. After some impressive combine style workouts, he was the one picking where he wanted to learn and develop. Going into his third year with Indianapolis, he continues to develop and learn the game.

So how can a player with such little football experience be a lock to make the roster? Making an insane one-handed TD catch like he did last year against Oakland certainly helps. And so does having 11.75 inch hands (measured from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinkie finger) which would be an NFL combine record if he’d been invited. Imagine your hand being (just shy of) the size of a ruler from thumb to pinkie. That’s insane. Those mitts are not only good for catching, but for blocking.

Going back to how Frank Reich used his TE’s in Philly, I can see him playing a similar role that Brent Celek played for the 2017 Super Bowl Champion Eagles. He was primarily a blocker in his final season in the league catching a career low 13 balls despite appearing in all 16 games. Cox’s 6’5 265 lb. frame is more than capable of playing that role. He’s still a raw talent beaming with potential and has been one of the Colts most hyped players this off-season.

Hopefully he can contribute more in the passing game than in the last two seasons. Although he’s probably a better blocker than a receiver at this point in his career; despite his highlight reel, one-handed catch. The next areas in need of improvement would be his route running which correlates directly to creating separation. This shouldn’t be an issue considering he’s been willing to learn and improve his craft. This is probably which is why the coaches love him and have been patient enough to allow him a spot to develop. Unfortunately, that may not be said about the next TE on the roster that also played college hoops instead of football.

Despite the basketball background and not having played football since his freshman year of HS as well, Ross Travis’ game is quite contrasting. Chris Ballard likely played a role in bringing him to Kansas City in 2015. He undoubtedly played a role when the Colts claimed him off waivers in November 2017.

The former Penn State forward is quicker (4.6 vs. 4.75 40 time by Cox) and a little lankier producing only 7 bench press reps at his pro-day workout. Standing at 6’7 245 lbs. puts him in the ‘tweener’ category with his receiving abilities being his biggest strengths. Along with his frame, his game is just different from Cox’s while also being a multi-year project. If Travis wants to carve out a niche in the NFL, he’ll need to maximize his receiving strengths.

Ever since he was picked up after being cut by the Chiefs, I’ve looked for him to make plays. An ACL tear in the pre-season prematurely ended any chances of him making the roster last season. He was still re-signed in February which says a lot about how the team feels about him. After Ryan Hewitt wasn’t re-signed, I thought the No. 4 TE spot was Travis’ for the taking. Unfortunately, I don’t think his skill-set matches what they want from that spot such as lining up in the backfield as a lead blocker. In addition, this next rookie player is currently challenging Travis for that spot and may be the perfect upgrade over Hewitt.

For the past 20 seasons, an undrafted rookie free agent has managed to make the Colts final 53-man roster. Last year, George Odum kept that streak alive and this year Hale Hentges has the best chance of making it 21 straight seasons. The former Alabama tight end has drawn rave reviews from coaches during training camp. They knew his strength was run blocking when they signed him in April giving him a $15,000 signing bonus.

Considering he only caught 15 passes in 4 years in Tuscaloosa, most coaches thought his game was predicated upon blocking not receiving; including Nick Saban apparently. But of all the tight ends this training camp, Hentges has been the one giving defensive backs the most fits. Just this Sunday, we saw Hentges “moss” Matthias Farley (one of the Colts most intelligent veterans) sparking plenty of excited reactions from Colts fans in the bleachers. The ball looked under-thrown and Hentges adjusted to make the difficult, contested catch over Farley.

Even without his unknown (and formerly underutilized) receiving skill set, I still think he has a spot on this roster possibly playing the role Ryan Hewitt did last season. He’d be an upgrade from a versatility standpoint considering Hewitt only caught one pass the entire season. Look for Hentges and Travis to get plenty of game action during the pre-season as they battle it out for a possible fourth tight end spot.

Jack Doyle & Eric Ebron Edition

(Indianapolis)- When Frank Reich arrived last season, not too many people knew what to expect from Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator. The man who wasn’t even in Chris Ballard’s top five coaching candidates proceeded to exceed expectations across the board. Exceeding expectations may even be an understatement, but what made the offense so much more successful this season?

It doesn’t take an NFL analyst to recognize a key component of Reich’s offense: he loves him some tight ends. More specifically, he loves lining up in two tight ends sets. In Part 1 of 2 for TE’s, I’ll analyze the two Colts TE’s at the top of the depth chart who I consider 1A and 1B.

Going back to his 2017 Super Bowl Champion Eagles roster, they carried three tight ends that all carried a role in bringing a title to Philly: Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, and Brent Celek. Each of them played a part in their Super Bowl victory whether it was Celek’s blocking contributions, Ertz’s pro-Bowl receiving abilities, or Burton catching the famous Philly special TD.

When you look at what role those players had, the comparisons and similarities start to flood in for this Colts team. They laid out the blueprint for Reich’s offense in the 2018 season and should continue in 2019.

Jack Doyle is entering his seventh season in the National Football League. I often refer to him as Pro-Bowl TE since he was selected to the league’s all-star game after the 2017 season. In the league of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, that season may as well been ten seasons ago.

Unfortunately, Doyle has battled through several injuries which have been his only downside as of late. He’s currently not practicing while dealing with an oblique injury. Besides the injury concerns, he’s the ultimate package for a tight end. When he was placed on IR last season a void was left in the offense.

Two different tight ends had to step up for the loss of one player. One was Ryan Hewitt playing the role of a modern day fullback/lead blocker. They even sprinkled in some Spider2YBanana made famous in Gruden’s QB Camp before Luck was drafted (see Hewitt’s lone catch during Week 17 for an example). A nicked up Erik Swoope had to step up in the receiving department. Even then, neither player executed at the level that Doyle did. That’s when I realized he basically was those two players combined and that speaks volumes to the valued versatility he brings to the team.

Doyle has everything you want in a tight end: excellent blocker, reliable hands, and an ability to create separation. It’s crazy that the Titans cut Doyle the same season they used a 6th round pick on him in 2013. Tennessee hoped to sneak the Cathedral alumni through waivers in order to sign him to their practice squad, but the Colts claimed him before they could do so.

The native Hoosier has remained on the team ever since with great results emerging as Andrew Luck’s security blanket. Luck missed him more than ever against Kansas City in the playoffs. Nobody seemed to get any separation against what was labeled a terrible Chief’s secondary the entire week leading up to the game.

With that being said, Doyle is a different type of receiving threat than Eric Ebron. You hear the word “play-maker” a lot in the NFL. It’s no disrespect to Doyle’s game, but you probably wont see many flashy “play-making” catches from him. Instead he makes up for it in another crucial (if not just as important) area, and that’s creating separation to help move the sticks.

We’ve seen countless, clutch third down conversions stemming from Luck-Doyle connections. Most of these seem to come from short-to-intermediate routes. Having Doyle raises this offense’s ceiling even higher, and I think that’ll be the case if he can stay healthy.

This is especially true when you pair him with Ebron who is a downfield “play-making” receiving threat. Doyle’s hip and kidney injuries only gave us a handful of games to see them on the field together last year. Hopefully this season gives us more than a glimpse of them on the field together. And believe me they will line up on the field together. Prepare again to see several multiple tight end looks this season in Reich’s offense.

In hindsight, signing Eric Ebron seems like an absolute no-brainer. His 13 touchdown catches last year sent him to his first Pro Bowl. Chris Ballard inked him to a 2-year deal ($7.5M a year approximately) after being labeled a bust in Detroit. Expectations were high out of the gate after being picked 10th overall in the 2014 NFL draft.

His struggles in Detroit were headlined with drops; something that still pops up from time to time. Lions fans and execs couldn’t fathom that he was picked with Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald still available. Donald was just voted the No.1 player in the NFL in the most recent edition of the Top 100 players in the NFL.

While Ebron is far from being the best tight end in the NFL (let alone the best player like Donald), Ebron came in as the 66th best player in the league according to his peers. Best of all, it seems the former Tar Heel may have found his football home and according to him, he’s never been happier.

The 2018 season was a renaissance year thanks to an elite QB and a tight end friendly offense. Of course, it’s much easier to be happy when you’re being targeted and winning football games. The real test comes when those things aren’t happening. How will/would he respond to adversity?

After watching Amazon’s All or Nothing: the 2018 Carolina Panthers, we saw how Devin Funchess handled adversity in a contract year: not very well. With this being a contract year for Ebron as well, Ballard will keep a close eye on him to see if he fits in the long-term picture. Questions about his on-field play have almost silenced (with the exception of some drops and blocking skills), but Ballard’s been extremely tactful in building a strong locker room culture.

This same monitoring applies to any upcoming free-agent in a contract year including Funchess who signed a 1-year deal. Players like those two will be under the microscope; not only on the field, but off of it. Winning usually cures all and Ebron was a positive influence on the locker room so we can only hope for an encore.

This off-season, even Ebron himself acknowledged that he needs to improve as a blocker if he wants to see his maximum share of reps. But just as play-making isn’t Doyle strong suit, blocking isn’t Ebron’s. Even if it is a vital part of the position, this offense allows him to line up in more than just the line.

Last year, we saw him lining up in the slot frequently. He’s a match-up nightmare; plain and simple. He’s too fast for linebackers and too big for defensive backs to cover. Eric Ebron’s mismatch ability will keep defensive coordinators up at night figuring how to slow him down. My one recommendation for stopping him in the red-zone: do NOT play man coverage.

🗣 DON'T PLAY MAN COVERAGE AGAINST 85!@Ebron85 makes his #NFLTop100 debut.

🎥: @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/4GN4trakef

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 26, 2019

QB Battles Edition

(Westfield)– Sunday marked my first opportunity to check out the sports complex the Colts call home this time of year. It meant getting to see Jacoby Brissett run the first team offense while Andrew Luck continues dealing with a strained calf. #12 has already been ruled out for this Thursday’s preseason opener against Buffalo so expect to see Brissett start. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them hold out their super-star QB the entire preseason to ensure there aren’t any setbacks.

Apparently a minor setback took place recently considering Andrew participated in a few practices this training camp. I say ‘setback’ because this is an injury that first popped up in late April. Reich said if there was a game that Sunday he’d be able to play. Fast forward three months later and he’s still not practicing. Colts fans should probably mentally prepare themselves to not see Luck this pre-season. It’s not worth the risk for an exhibition game. Yes, pre-season reps are important because it’s live game action. The reps in those games and even camp helps build chemistry specifically with the newer additions to the receiving core. But the QB who’ll turn 30 next month is a veteran in this league. My only concern is that this may lead another slow start that Colts fans are accustomed to seeing. Even the national media has huge a spotlight on the situation so it won’t hard to follow over the next four weeks.

The Colts have to feel good about the man who’s filling in for Luck while he’s sidelined. Jacoby Brissett played admirably in 2017 with a terrible roster winning only 4 games. It’s interesting to imagine what he can do with an upgrade in surrounding talent. Brissett was sacked a league high 50-some times behind a porous offensive line two seasons ago. Now Indianapolis has arguably the best offensive line in football.

Although much less athletic and mobile than Andrew, Jacoby brings above average arm strength and a ‘cheap’ rookie contract to the table. He’s set to make $2,000,000 in base salary entering the final year of the rookie contact that’s had an average salary of 850K. If he still has the desire to be a starter in this league, here’s another chance to display his talents to the rest of the league. Ballard said that he won’t trade Brissett just anywhere for picks; which is nice to see an executive look at a player as a person instead of a number. Regardless, it’d be hard to turn down a high 2nd-rounder on a guy who’s probably going to leave in free agency when his contract expires anyway. Nonetheless, a starting QB goes down early every year so I’m keeping an eye out for any potential suitors once the season begins.

After the first two quarterbacks on the roster, there are two relevant players that follow: Philip Walker and Chad Kelly. 5’11 Walker was the team’s practice squad QB last season. He was also cut and re-signed about 937 times as a causality for roster transactions. Props to the former Temple QB for handling his ego through the psychological duress of being fired and re-hired so many times. I think the coaches like Walker skillset because he can simulate (to a degree) other QB’s like Russell Wilson that have a similar playing style. But the real question comes down to if Walker can be a legitimate No. 2 QB that’s an injury away from being the starter. This scenario isn’t that unlikely considering Luck and Brissett’s current individual situations.

The man trying to take Walker’s job is Chad Kelly former Mr. Irrelevant (the tongue-in-cheek title given to the final pick of the draft). Unfortunately, there’s more to write about regarding his off-field situation than on-field. IF he makes the roster, he is set to serve a 2-game suspension stemming from an arrest while with the Denver Broncos. His arrest made national news. Kelly apparently wandered into someone’s Colorado home late at night which led to Elway releasing him from the team. Kelly’s also reportedly told a night club bouncer while at Ole Miss that was going to return with his AK-47 and “spray” the place. He also left Clemson afer feuding with the coaching staff.

Chad Kelly doesn’t really sound like the player the Colts are looking for. Especially considering the young culture they’re building that is naturally susceptible to poor influences. In the end, everyone deserves a second chance. Or third. Or fourth or whatever; regardless this may be his last shot to show he belongs in the league. Yesterday on Query & Schultz, Frank Reich paused when asked if his relationship to Jim Kelly played a part in bringing him in. Then he gave an honest answer that most had already assumed that their relationship did indeed play a role. Reich backed up Chad’s uncle in Buffalo for almost a decade. When it comes down to final cuts, the 2 game suspension has to weigh heavily on coaches minds. Time will tell if Kelly is worth the headache.

Scouting Report

In March of 2018, NFL free agency was highly active. To not many people’s surprise, the Colts were the exception. This was Chris Ballard’s first full offseason and the silence from him and the team was deafening. They brought in one higher-profile free agent for a visit Ravens’ OL Ryan Jensen. He left Indy without a deal and signed a lucrative deal (4 years 42 million) with the Bucs without ever even making a Pro-Bowl. The reaction to the Colts’ moves (or lack thereof) spawned similar criticism like what we heard this offseason. After free agency came and went, Denico Autry was the highest-profile signing. Cue the jokes and the sneers. Who? Irsay’s penny pinching again.

For the record, Jim Irsay undoubtedly wants the Colts to spend the money they have available. Ironically, the general manager he hired does not. Ballard has Irsay bought into his plan of reluctantly passing on the inflated price tags off free agents and building primarily through the draft. This year’s criticism for not being active in FA may have been magnified considering the team held the honor of the largest amount of cap space. But here’s the truth: it’s working. The Colts already have one of the more talented group of young core players and money to complement them where it necessitates. To say the Colts are in a great situation fiscally would be an understatement. While noting this, I wanted to take a closer look at a FA signing that embodied a lot of the vision and results in what the team is doing.

On the defensive side of the football, Ballard and his scouts have a type of player they are seeking depending on what part of the field they line up. Upon taking over, one of his first tasks was purging the roster of the toxic Grigson contracts and replacing them. Bloated contracts that have guaranteed money can hamper a team for years and the 2017 season was probably one that involved bleeding the roster out (mainly on the defensive side of the ball). Next was replacing those players with someone from an entirely different blueprint. This is easier said than done. Jon Hankins was a great example of this purge.

Johnathan Hankins was simply a casualty of cap-space clearing and the aforementioned evolution of the defense. He was a really good 3-technique that I hated to see go. Apparently Ballard saw the 3 year 30 million dollar contract as bloated after one year and released him. I was confused as others were, but Chris Ballard had a plan and he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of it: he’s sticking to it.

On the surface, cutting one of your best run-plugging d-lineman and replacing him with a discounted hybrid d-lineman will not earn you brownie points with the fans. But the truth is that it has largely worked. While I do acknowledge that the lack of girth may be an issue when stopping the run, Eberflus’ schemes didn’t allow a 100 yard rusher in 2018. Now with Al Woods and Hassan Ridgeway gone, it looks like a tough challenge to replicate those kind of results.

Former Warren Central High School and local Marian University alumni

When the calendar hits September, it will be Krishawn Hogan’s third year with the Colts. Or would be if he makes the roster. Since being signed to the practice squad in 2017, Hogan has been a frequent internal roster transaction. This means a player going from one list to another, but with the same team. Unfortunately for Hogan, he has spent more time on the Injured Reserve and practice squad lists than the active roster. Last year, he was notably promoted to the active roster only to tear his ACL and land on IR. Will this year be any different for the 24 year old from central Indiana?

Krishawn Hogan was barely recruited his senior season at Warren Central High School. After playing one year at Walsh, Hogan transferred to NAI Marian University at the DIII level. His 6’3 222lb. absolutely overwhelmed the lower levels of collegiate competition. The former MIC athlete turned into an absolute touchdown machine at Marian catching 56 touchdowns in his final 2 seasons at Marian. Somewhere in-between his high school days and Marian, Hogan took a job as a janitor at Lucas Oil Stadium where the Colts play their home games.

Hopefully this fall will be different for Hogan. If he has a chance to consistently show his abilities (polished route running, improved hands, willingness to block in the run game) without being hampered by injuries, he has a shot at the final roster. The fact of the matter is there just may not be enough spots. Even if they carry six receivers instead of five, Hogan making the roster would mean names like Pascal, Rogers, Fountain, Johnson will not. Without saying he doesn’t have a chance, Krishawn Hogan needs an unbelievable camp and a little luck to make the team. The physical attributes are already there. If he can show durability and willingness to contribute on special teams, this will go a long way towards helping him make roster. Make no mistake, all it takes is one minor injury. That injury siphons playing time which will be the largest indicator of Hogan’s shot at making the 2019 Colts.

One lesser known name on the Colts roster is 24 year-old WR Marcus Johnson. The Seattle Seahawks traded him to the Colts last offseason for blocking tight end Darrell Daniels. Daniels plays for the Cardinals now and Johnson plays for the Colts currently. Some might say Indianapolis just won a seemingly minor trade, but Johnson’s upside could prove to be a difference maker. The type of difference maker that raises the offense to another level. The Colts personnel department sees that type of player value as anything but minor.

I say that because the Texas Longhorn product flashed high-level potential with Andrew Luck last season. The Week 6 Jets game at MetLife Stadium was undoubtedly his marquee performance. It also includes his only career touchdown which was a 29-yard bomb from Andrew Luck: https://coltswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/14/indianapolis-colts-andrew-luck-finds-marcus-johnson-long-touchdown-new-york-jets/.

Johnson will be 25 in August and has only played 15 games in the NFL. Some inexperience with drops bled through in key games. They blended in with virtually every other receiver’s dropped passes. Take Week 4 in OT against the division rival Houston Texans. His 3rd down drop killed a marching offense on their first drive forcing them to settle for a field goal. Drops can change game outcomes just like turnovers. Sometimes drops lead to even worse outcomes: turnovers i.e. interceptions from deflections.

Marcus played 10 games for the eventual Super Bowl Champion 2017 Eagles. Then he played five games with the Colts last year before an ankle injury in his marquee game prematurely ended his season. His roster fate will largely come down to his health status and predicted durability for this season. Staying healthy has seemingly been one of hurdles Johnson has faced. He played 21 games his first two seasons, but only 6 in his final season at Texas. Time will tell if injuries continue to be the status quo or a breakout season is in store for the young player.

Lucky for him, the coaching staff seems focused on developing players based on the analytics. I agree with this wholeheartedly yet cautiously. This is because for one Johnson is a low-risk, high-reward player. Luckily all they have invested is Daniels. If they have to cut him, they haven’t invested any draft capital compared to a player they drafted. Competition in the NFL is slim in the NFL and his $570,000 salary gives the Colts flexibility. To me, it would be surprising to see the team buying into 16 games from Marcus Johnson. He hasn’t had many chances to show he can hold up for a whole season, but when he has untimely injuries have struck.

Reich spoke highly of Johnson upon his arrival based off his time around him in Philly. The then-rookie head coach described his 6’1 190lb. frame as a perfect fit for the system. I think in some aspects he was right. This was on display for a short period of time before landing on IR with an ankle injury. He also had a few critical drops that show room for improvement in his hands. Ultimately his ability to catch the ball and his health are the biggest variables just for him alone. With that being said, it’s difficult to tell if he’ll be on the roster Week 1.

I personally hope he does make the team because it’s a win-win. Johnson retains his roster spot & salary and the Colts give another chance to a player that’s shown to be explosive when healthy. If he makes the team, that means they’re willing to make the gamble that he’s durable enough to last a whole season. In my mind, that’s good news for his health and it’s hard to against that. Once training camp arrives, roster spots will start to move themselves into place, and I’ll be sure to keep an in-depth view of how it pans out. Until then, I’ll keep looking at different areas of the team that I think are the most interesting.

The backup O-lineman violated the league’s policy on PEDs (performance enhancers)

Antonio Garcia was suspended four games without pay for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. The offensive tackle is a former 3^rd round pick of the Patriots in the 2017 NFL draft. Despite his high draft selection, New England parted ways with Garcia in September 2018. Doctors found he had developed blood clots in his lungs. His inability to train or practice led to him losing over forty pounds. After being claimed by the Jets, he remained on their roster until August cuts came. The phone finally rang in October when the Colts signed him to the practice squad.

In 2017, HC Bill Belichick (who is also the General Manager) traded up 11 spots to select him. That reason was more than likely to groom him as Nate Solder’s successor. Solder was eventually replaced by Trent Brown, but it says something that the Patriots were willing to part with a 4th round pick for Garcia. They clearly valued his potential enough to move up and take him at No. 85. His 6’7 300lb. size is exactly what you want in a prototypical offensive tackle. According to Colts Pro Football focus on Twitter, he was ranked 6th out of 323 qualifying OT’s while at Troy: https://twitter.com/PFF_Colts/status/1138183720308027394.

This seems like a curious situation that’s flown under the radar. Putting aside speculation about his health, at the end of the day his quality of life is what’s most important. If Garcia makes the team with five returning starters on the offensive line, he’ll be a nice depth piece. Anthony Castonzo and Braden Smith hold down the left and right tackle spots respectively. He’ll compete with swiss army knife Joe Haeg who can play guard or tackle when needed. The same goes for Le’Raven Clark and J’Marcus Webb would be the other obvious option for backup tackle. We’ll see if Garcia can overcome this slip-up and display the potential that Belichick saw in him.

Written by: Adam Ruder

The team adds a much needed body to the interior defensive line.

The Colts picked up a familiar face in defensive tackle Caraun Reid. The man drafted out of Princeton by the Lions lasted two years in Detroit. From there, he’s spent time on four different teams. One of those teams included San Diego in 2016 which included a matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. I had a front row seat to see him return an Andrew Luck fumble 61 yards for a TD. It’s also the same game I missed out on the ‘Kiss Cam’ because I was peeing. I’m not sure I’ll ever be forgiven for that.

This would mark his second arrival in Indy since he spent time on the roster late in 2017 and stayed on until August 2018. The 6’2 305lb. man played a position in Dallas nearly identical to the one used in Matt Eberflus‘ scheme. He’s not a prototypical 4-3 defensive tackle, but he has the versatility the Colts are looking for. He can quickly shoot gaps thanks to being slightly undersized. This is a start to adding depth at the spot, and the Ivy-League-intelligent Reid seems like a no-brainer “horseshoe guy.” It only takes a brief google search to see that the Chargers & the Cowboys recognized his flashes of talent (see link above).

Considering the Colts 2018 defense didn’t allow a single 100-yard rusher, the bar’s been set pretty high for them. While it’s not impossible to match that production, I still think the roster’s light on defensive tackles; specifically on traditional three techniques. When I say ‘traditional 3 technique,’ I mean a 4-3 defensive tackle like Warren Sapp. The 3 tech. term gained popularity in the late 90’s thanks to Tony Dungy’s Buccaneer Defense. The player(s) lines up on the outside shoulder of the center and will rarely ever line up outside. Some players generate stronger pass rushes inside (see DT Gerald McCoy) than others. Although the Colts boast a select group of versatile players that can play both spots.

Tyquan Lewis and his 2nd round pedigree sounds well-liked and they think he can play inside and outside. Denico Autry can play both spots, and he clearly proved that last season. In 12 games, he had a team-high 9 sacks in what I thought was a Pro-Bowl worthy year. Regardless, great free agent find by Chris Ballard.

Grover Stewart was the lone 6’4 333lb. man supposed to “specialize” in stopping the run and garner double teams. Part of that role is having the size & strength to take on the offensive interior linemen with full force. He has 40 tackles & 0 sacks in 2 seasons. The fourth round pick from Division II Albany State needs to be relied on less. I’m not intending too tear him down, but Stewart is a role player at best. We’ll see how much he can step up in the next few months. Hopefully he can take a big leap this year and become a force in stopping the run.

As one of Ballard’s first signings in 2017, Al Woods played this role quietly well the past two seasons. The 6’4 330lb. giant was placed on IR after a foot injury late last year. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 10th best player at his position in 2017: https://seahawkswire.usatoday.com/2019/05/12/how-addition-of-al-woods-impacts-seahawks-defensive-line/.

He played the run well with a powerful presence. AND he could disrupt the pocket like this bull rush from Week 1 against the Bengals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WTJeRgU96U.

Ballard inked Woods to a modest deal in 2017 and was one of his most underrated signings: even for the usual sneaky Ballard signing. Strong run support paired with an ability to rush the quarterback is a luxury at that size. I was miffed when the Colts apparently didn’t show enough interest allowing Seattle to sign him.

Hassan Ridgeway was another body 6’3 317lbs. that was traded to the Eagles this off-season. This transaction confused me because although he was a Grigson holdover, he was still young and inexpensive. I remember Ballard saying you can’t have enough versatile linemen (offense and defense). Ridgeway also had the aforementioned traits of run support and brought an inside pass rush. Injuries might have been the tale of the story, but nonetheless him and his versatility were sent to Philadelphia.

I get that Ballard is finishing his cycle of detoxing the roster from the Ryan Grigson days. Part of that is getting rid of slower yet proven players (see the talented Henry Anderson and Jon Hankins). Some of those player’s talents are more ideally suited as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Ironically, newest Colts GM ended up aiming for what Hall of Famer Bill Polian built: an undersized 4-3 defense that made up for it in quickness. Hopefully the Colts can continue to add veterans who know how what they expect from them. It’s relieving to Reid added so he can step in and play the position right away.

The addition of Jarrod “Chunky” Clements (after passing on Gerald McCoy) hadn’t convinced me they have the talent to compete in camp. The 6’2 299lb. defensive tackle was last seen playing for the Arizona Hotshots in the now folded AAF. Clements played with Jihad Ward at the University of Illinois. There they both played under current Colts defensive line coach Mike Phair. This will be Clements fourth NFL team he’ll try to catch onto.

Accruing depth should be necessary if they want to have heavy run-support packages. It may prove useful for slowing down dominant running situations on 4th & short. The Colts didn’t have too many run problems like that last year on defense, although Tyreek Hill can leave a sting in the off-season film. I’m confident Eberflus will work his scheme in order to match last years’ efficiency. Hopefully Reid can provide veteran leadership and become a cornerstone of that depth for the D-line.