After losing to the Patriots on Thursday night, the Colts dropped to 1-4 on the season. With a record like that, the playoffs are pretty much out of reach. So the Colts should play for the future.
The Colts knew that they were in the midst of a rebuild, but they still thought they could win now. They clearly miscalculated. They have started this season with a 1-4 record. Now they should do the sensible thing and get some snaps for the younger guys.
They are a very young team. A lot of their talent has yet to develop on the roster. That is what the rest of the season should be used as: roster development. They aren’t going to make the playoffs, so they should get the younger guys some valuable experience.
Braden Smith is one of those younger guys. He played pretty well in his first start against the Patriots, and he started at right tackle. The Colts are going to need guys like him to contribute in the future if they want to win. He should definitely get more starts this season.
They should start some of the younger guys on defense too. Zaire Franklin could get a look at linebacker. Play him next to star rookie Darius Leonard. The secondary should get on the act too. Start Nate Hairston and possibly Quincy Wilson.
Wilson definitely needs to see more time. The Colts need to find out what they have in him, because so far he has been a bust. They need to find out for sure so they can move on from him as soon as possible if they deem him not good enough.
Most of these players won’t help you win now. But you’re not trying to win now anymore. You’re building for the future, and these guys are just that.