Who is going to step up their game this year for the Colts and be their impact player? To me there are a few choices. Andrew Luck, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Donald Brown. While there may be other names pop up, these guys stuck out in my mind right away based on the roster as it stands. Who knows if anyone else will come along, but I’ll give each guy their time to shine here, and you let me know who you think is the impact player this season.
Andrew Luck
An obvious choice as he’s the new quarterback for this team. He’s being touted as the most ready NFL quarterback in a long time. He’s got a whole new offense to learn, but one that he could master and manipulate to make his own. He’s got a tight end that he’s already played with. He’s got a wide receiver in Reggie Wayne that I think is ready to step up this season. Barring any injury, Luck should leading this team before we know it.
Reggie Wayne
It wasn’t exactly a down year for Wayne last season, but his numbers were down from the past year, which is understandable based on the quarterback performance. That’s why I am thinking he has a much better year. I think he wants to show the fans there’s a reason why he stayed here with the Colts. Who knows if he can match his 2010 stats of over 1300 yards receiving? But he should be an easy target for Luck to throw to. And I believe he’ll step up what he can do once he catches the ball.
Donald Brown
This is the make or break year for Brown. He’s shown flashes here and there, but now he should be the primary or at least get a good number of carries as the running back of the Colts. He needs to step up his game if he wants a good contract come next year, so that’s a reason to believe he’ll step up. Of course if that offensive line can’t get any holes for Brown, there’s not much he’ll do. But he does hold the record for longest rush by a Colts player, so there’s obviously something there.
Dwight Freeney
A defensive guy who is going to be part of a new scheme, but I’ll still expect great things from him. Who knows he might be even better with this new package? I think the defense will be called up to win some games for the Colts, and if they win games, it will be because of Freeney. I am excited to see what he does this year, and that’s why he’s on my list of impact players.