The Colts Biggest Training Camp Position Battles: RB, LB & P
By Andrew Ites
The Colts have intriguing position battles at running back, linebacker, and punter that they hope to have settled during training camp.
We’ve already looked at the Colts’ competition for the starting right tackle and the third wide receiver spot, so here are the three other position battles fans should keep an eye on during camp.
Fourth Running Back
We wrote about this positional battle earlier this month, and not much has changed since then.
Frank Gore, Robert Turbin and Marlon Mack look to be the top three running backs heading into camp. Josh Ferguson, Troymaine Pope, and Dalton Crossan will compete for the fourth spot on the depth chart.
Ferguson gained 136 yards at 6.8 yards per carry in limited action for the Colts last season, and he’ll have the advantage of knowing the offensive system with a year in Indianapolis under his belt.
Troymaine Pope rushed for 44 yards on 12 carries with the Seahawks and Jets last season, and Crossan comes in as an undrafted rookie free agent from New Hampshire.
Linebacker
The linebacker position is one of the biggest question marks on this Colts roster as both starting positions are up for grabs heading into camp.
Sean Spence and Akeem Ayers will probably come into training camp as the favorites to start, but Antonio Morrison and Edwin Jackson will see plenty of playing time as rotational players regardless of who starts.
Anthony Walker Jr. is a wild card in this battle as he joins the Colts as a fifth round pick after an insanely productive career at Northwestern where he racked up 225 tackles with 29 tackles for loss in his last two seasons as a Wildcat.
Punter
Pat McAfee’s decision to retire and join the media leaves a huge void at the punter position for the Colts.
Indianapolis signed former Viking Jeff Locke this offseason, and he’ll be the favorite to enter the regular season as the starter.
However, fans should keep an eye on rookie Rigoberto Sanchez. As we mentioned in the kicker/punter positional preview, Sanchez could have an edge over Locke because he can also be the Colts’ backup kicker as he went 13-for-13 as Hawaii’s field goal kicker and punter last season.