Questions for the Colts as Offseason Workouts Begin

The Indianapolis Colts opened up their offseason program today. The team reunites for the first time since late January following the loss in the AFC Championship game. They will working out over the next eight weeks before breaking for the summer prior to training camp.

This is the first chance the team will have to work in additions from free agency and see how others are recovering from last seasons injuries. The Colts will assess the talent on the roster and integrate the rookies following the draft later this week.

Today, we pose a few questions for the team as they meet for this year’s offseason workouts.

Is this the year the team finally stays healthy?

The Colts perpetually have one of the most injured teams in the NFL. Every single season the team loses key players or half the roster is unable to perform. Last season, 15 Colts players ended up on IR. They also added linebacker Nate Irving and guard Todd Herremans who both missed roughly half of last season to injuries.

Chief among those returning for injury is Robert Mathis. We’ve heard that he might not be able to play until November and had a setback (read: second surgery) last December. Its unlikely that he’ll be the same player who led the NFL in sacks back in 2013 but will he be able to win one-on-one matchups and make a game changing play here and there?

The injuries along the offensive line forced the starting lineup to change on a weekly basis. Continuity is important, but can this group stay healthy? We looked at those issues last week and how the Colts had the least consistent line in the league last year.

While it wasn’t necessarily injuries that took down the team last season (they still made the AFCCG, hardly a failure) some good injury luck would help put the Colts at the top of the AFC in 2015.

Will the older additions to the team be able to produce?

The Colts had one of the older rosters in the NFL last season and didn’t do much to get younger during free agency. In fact, they added some of the best veteran players from 2010.

Wide receiver Andre Johnson will play the role of 2012, pre-ACL tear Reggie Wayne this season. This will be the first time that Johnson has had a truly talented quarterback in the NFL. He has put up near Hall of Fame numbers despite never playing with a quality QB on the Texans roster.

Running back Frank Gore will attempt to prove that he can still produce but he turns 32 next month. RBs generally start a sharp decline once they hit 30, yet Gore hasn’t had less than 1,100 yards rushing since 2010 when he missed five games. Even before taking a single snap for the Colts, Gore is already an upgrade over Trent Richardson and just providing the hint of a dangerous run game will help the offense.

Outside linebacker Trent Cole was brought in to add some depth at the pass rush position but will likely start until Mathis can return to the field. He doesn’t have to be a dominant, game changing player but merely a steady presence on the field.

Who finally develops into a solid contributor?

The player with the most to prove in 2015 has to be Bjoern Werner. The heir apparent to Mathis and 2013’s first round pick hasn’t developed into the sack artist he was supposed to be. He showed flashes last season, but that was just during a three games stretch early in the season. With all the outside linebackers on the roster, Werner is looking at an uphill battle just to get some playing time (and maybe to make the final roster).

Three offensive linemen have a lot to prove as well. Guard Hugh Thornton hasn’t been able to stay healthy and string together games. He’ll likely be a backup with the addition of Herremans to the lineup.

Khaled Holmes and Jonotthan Harrison will be in an open battle for the center position this season. Neither has been able to stay healthy and even when they are on the field, they’ve struggled to play well. The Colts desperately need to find a longterm option at center and stop tinkering with the offensive line.

In a 3-4 defensive scheme the most important position is arguably nose tackle. Josh Chapman appears to have the inside track when it comes to being the starter, but the former Alabama standout hasn’t quite developed into the player we’d hoped he’d be. The Colts use heavy rotations along the line, but need Chapman to develop into an anchor who can dominate the point of attack. His continued development might be the most important if the Colts defense is going to improve next season.

Will the development of the young players continue?

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The Colts have a lot of age on the roster and really need some of the young players to develop into future starters.

Were Jonathan Newsome‘s team leading 6.5 sacks an aberration or a sign of things to come from the second year outside linebacker? Newsome also had the game changing play against the Broncos in the playoffs (one very reminiscent of a Mathis special, the strip-sack). He looks like a solid player, but will he continue to develop his pass rush moves and see a improvement in his production? Its also possible that the added depth at OLB will stunt his development.

Wide receiver Donte Moncrief had a few great games late in the season as he was on the field more often. He looks like a future starting receiver, but the addition of Johnson will push him down on the depth chart. Does he become a more consistent option downfield and can he learn how to get open in tight coverage?

Dan Herron is another player who we’d like to see develop. Right now, he’s the backup running back to Gore and barring the addition of another RB in the draft (or Vick Ballard miraculously returning to form) will get a significant number of snaps. He was a featured part of the offense in the playoffs and integral to the teams wins. He needs to work on his ball carrying technique and cut down on the fumbles in addition to his pass protection skills. If those two things improve, he becomes a solid contributor to the Colts for the future (after the trend falls off Gore’s tires).

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