How Colts RB Nyheim Hines fits into the current offense

There have been some changes around the Colts offense this offseason. The running back room was affected as well. How does the second year player fit into the offense now?

The Colts offense was finally humming along well late last season. It took a little bit for them to get on the same page and play as a cohesive unit. Nyheim Hines was part of that late-season resurgence. He had a rough start to the year, but came on strong late.

All of a sudden, Hines looks like he could see the field a lot less in the upcoming season. The Colts signed Spencer Ware to be the primary backup for Marlon Mack. Hines was primarily used as a receiver anyway because of the dearth of outside talent. But now they do have that talent.

Adding Parris Campbell and Devin Funchess opens up the amount of pass catchers that the offense has. Hines’ main value is as a pass catcher because of his massive fumbling problems. Those issues cost him a chance to be the punt returner last season as well.

Hines is now looking at spot third down back duty. He could be lined up in the slot still, but his value has now gone down. He now has more competition than he had as a rookie, so he needs to work extremely hard to make sure that he can earn some playing time.

This doesn’t mean that Hines isn’t a bad player. He still has a chance to be a good player in the league for a long time. He has to fix his fumbling problems and get a little more consistent catching the ball. But Hines can still contribute to this team. It’s just a little harder for him now.