Colts With the Most to Play For: Donte Moncrief

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 12: Donte Moncrief
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 12: Donte Moncrief /
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Donte Moncrief is set to be a free agent this offseason, and he has a lot to prove over the Colts’ final games of 2017.

Donte Moncrief has been a polarizing player for Colts fans ever since he was drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He showed some promise in his rookie year gaining 444 yards receiving on 13.9 yards per reception with 3 touchdowns. He followed that up with an even more impressive second season in 2015 gaining 733 yards on 64 receptions with 6 of those catches coming in the end zone.

Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been pretty disappointing for Moncrief. There are plenty of excuses to be made about Moncrief’s subpar performance in 2016 and 2017.

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He’s battled injuries for most of the past two years missing 7 games last season. He’s been on the injury report fairly often this year, but he’s proven he’s not an injury-prone player as he’s suited up for all 11 games thus far.

He’s also been forced to play with backup quarterbacks often over the past three years as Andrew Luck has been in and out of the lineup.

2017 is the final year of Moncrief’s rookie contract with the Colts, and new general manager Chris Ballard still hasn’t signed him to an extension to stay in Indianapolis.

Moncrief has the opportunity to prove he should be a long-term answer for the Colts as their number two wide receiver. He’s improved on his numbers from 2016 already this season with 354 yards receiving on 16.9 yards per catch, but he’s only caught 2 touchdowns this year.

Next: How Much Longer Should The Colts Keep Chuck Pagano?

This final stretch of games will go a long way in determining if Donte Moncrief is a part of the Colts’ future going forward.