Colts LinkStorm: Ranking the Offseason, and the Future

The Indianapolis Colts are inching closer to the end of organized team activities and the summer break before training camp in August. News is slowing down to a trickle but we’ve pooled together some of the best stories from around the web.

Among the topics of discussion the past few days are whether or not the Colts addressed all their needs in the offseason and what the future holds for the team. There are also offseason rankings and some speculation about offensive firepower in the NFL.

First off is a breakdown of Duron Carter’s route to the NFL and the Colts by Stephen Holder at the IndyStar. It is a very detailed read about Carter’s path and the mistakes he made along the way. He was a good offseason addition and signing him was akin to having a second first round draft pick (or at least a second rounder, depending on how he pans out).

Also at the Star, Gregg Doyel shares his somewhat scattered observations from OTAs. It’s almost a stream of consciousness article and fun to read. Among those thoughts:

• The defensive line is looking a lot bigger. The additions of David Parry and Henry Anderson look good, but we won’t know for sure until they’re in full pads hitting people. Also, Kendall Langford is huge.
• Pat McAfee is tossing passes and kicking 60-yard field goals. He also drilled a punts over 70 yards. Pretty sure his leg is bionic.
• Trent Cole isn’t at the voluntary workouts and Nate Irving is frustrated with his knee, which is keeping him out of practice.

Over at Bleacher/Report, Kyle Rodriguez ponders the Colts offseason and wonders if they’ve shored up the team’s weaknesses. He singles out the run defense, offensive line, and defense over the middle of the field. Rodriguez breaks down all the additions and how they can help the Colts this season. He points out how the Colts really didn’t do anything with the offensive line and are basically praying for a jump in development from a few players and some others merely getting (and staying) healthy.

Over at ESPN, John Clayton doesn’t like the future of the Colts. He primarily cites the age of the free agent acquisitions and thinks the team could suffer from “roster decay” if they don’t start hitting on these draft classes. Our own Luke Schultheis broke down the piece, and what he felt was wrong with Clayton’s analysis.

Also at ESPN, Mike Wells looks at all the pass rushers the Colts have and why it isn’t a problem (never would have said it was a problem to begin with, though).

Gil Brandt at NFL.com takes a look at the team’s with the best offseasons. He ranks the Colts fifth overall and specifically loves the addition of Frank Gore. Brandt thinks having Gore will take a lot of pressure off Andrew Luck and really open things up for the receivers.

Also at NFL.com, Dave Dameshek discusses the best trios on offense in the NFL. With Luck, Gore and T.Y. Hilton the Colts rank fourth on his list. They’re behind the Steelers, Packers, and Seahawks.

At Grantland, Robert Mays wonders if there is a Steph Curry-like transformation for a player coming this season. Not surprisingly, Luck is the featured image for the story. He has Luck in the conversation for MVP alongside Le’Veon Bell (provided his suspension is shortened) and, shockingly, Cam Newton (which seems like a “sure, why not?” kind of pick).

Jason La Canfora at CBS Sports takes a look at the most influential figure on each AFC team. He has Jim Irsay in that role for the Colts. For some reason, he still doesn’t understand why the Colts haven’t locked up Chuck Pagano and Luck long term (of which there are numerous reasons) but knows that Irsay is capable of making moves.