Indianapolis Colts Expected to Part Ways with Donte Moncrief

Donte Moncrief is set to be a free agent in a week, and the Indianapolis Star expects the Colts to move on from him this offseason.

Donte Moncrief had tantalizing talent when former general manager Ryan Grigson drafted him in the third round of the 2014 draft. Moncrief began his career with decent production for a third-round rookie with 444 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in 2014.

He began to look like a true number two receiver with a breakout year in 2015 where he gained 733 yards receiving with 6 touchdowns. Those numbers were even more impressive considering Andrew Luck only played in 7 games, and he was catching passes from a 40-year-old Matt Hasselback for most of the year.

Injuries slowed him down in 2016, but he still looked like a dominant red zone receiver with 7 touchdowns in just 9 games.

Moncrief was forced to play with a backup quarterback again for the entirety of 2017, and injuries held him out of four games. He never was on the same page with Jacoby Brissett last season as they only connected for 391 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

More from Horseshoe Heroes

There were rumors that the Colts were considering re-signing Moncrief on a one-year deal to see if he could recapture the magic he showed in 2015 with a hopefully healthy Andrew Luck. Moncrief is only 24 years old and he seems to still have some untapped potential.

However, Chris Ballard never drafted Moncrief so he doesn’t feel any loyalty to the draft picks made by Ryan Grigson. Ballard mentioned that the Colts will be in the market for a wide receiver during his NFL Combine press conference, and the need for a playmaker on the outside will be even greater now that Moncrief is likely gone.

Next: A History of Colts Running Backs Drafted in the First Round

Home/Colts Free Agency