The Colts have plenty of players who need to improve next season, but one of them needs to improve more than others if he wants to see playing time.
Rookies typically have a few years to develop to prove themselves useful. They are prized, young assets who can be groomed for success. But that might not be the case next year for a certain rookie who was drafted out of Rutgers last season.
Kemoko Turay hasn’t played a lot of organized football compared to everyone else on the Colts’ roster. That lack of experience may be his downfall. He showed promise early in his rookie year, but not enough to keep his starting spot at the defensive end position.
Turay could lose even more playing time depending on what the Colts do in free agency. They have a lot of money and could spend some on a good defensive end who can rush the passer. That could spell doom for Turay’s playing time if that happens.
There is usually a great deal of improvement for a rookie in their first full offseason. They get stronger, faster, and learn the plays better. They refine their technique and become better all around players. Turay will have to do that and more if he wants to see the field.
Tyquan Lewis, Jabaal Sheard, and Al Quadin-Muhammad all had better seasons than Turay, and Lewis only played half of the season. That leaves Turay as the fourth defensive end in the rotation and squarely as a backup, and that’s before free agency and the draft.
Expect Turay to have a motivated offseason and improve fairly dramatically. He won’t go down without a fight and will expect to win a starting job eventually. With his physical abilities, I wouldn’t put it past him.