Colts: 3 players Carson Wentz will make better in 2021

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the most balanced rosters in the NFL, but their success next season will ride on the shoulders of Carson Wentz.

It doesn’t take a football savant to realize that Wentz has all the requisite surrounding pieces to flourish with the Colts. If you compare Indy’s roster to what he was working with in Philly, he’ll have an improved offensive line, rushing attack, and wide receiving corps.

When you consider the situation he’s walking into, we strongly believe Wentz will return to being the top-tier quarterback he was over his first four seasons. After all, Wentz is as physically gifted as any QB in the league. It’s not like he just forgot how to play the position, right?

We’re talking about a supremely talented player who should (emphasis on should) be able to accentuate the talent of his surroundings. That got us thinking: which players on Indy’s offense figure to benefit the most from Wentz’s arrival?

Here are three players who Carson Wentz will make better in 2021.

3. Mo Alie-Cox

Ironically enough, Carson Wentz and Mo Alie-Cox actually found themselves trending on social media this week after the Colts tweeted out a video of their electric game of knockout at OTAs.

Let’s hope this was the beginning of a true bromance between Indy’s offensive stars, because Alie-Cox seems poised to take over the majority of tight end snaps in 2021 and we all know how much Wentz enjoyed throwing to Zach Ertz over his four seasons in Philadelphia.

Alie-Cox has all the tools to become a No. 1 tight end, and hopefully another offseason of development and getting acclimated to the playbook convinces the Colts’ coaching staff to unleash him on a permanent basis after he played just 46% (!) of the offensive snaps last year following a hot start.

Colts QB Carson Wentz might be just what Mo Alie-Cox needs to establish himself as a three-down tight end in the NFL.

While the former VCU basketball star is a world-beater in the blocking department, his potential as a pass catcher is even more compelling. At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds (Ertz is 6-5, 250), Alie-Cox is a mismatch waiting to happen in the open field. As long as his route running is up to snuff, he could become a breakout star in the Colts’ offense.

With Jack Doyle struggling to make an impact over the last two seasons, the stage is literally set for Alie-Cox to become Wentz’s middle-of-the-field security blanket. The 27-year-old should even have specific plays designed for him in the red zone, but that’s a topic for another day.

The bottom line is that the Wentz-Alie-Cox connection has elite potential. It’s just a matter of whether the Colts’ coaching staff finally decides to take the kids gloves off and let the now-fourth-year tight end prove he has what it takes to become more than just a blocking specialist who pops up for the occasional big play in the passing game.