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.
2. Jonathan Taylor
There’s no denying that Jonathan Taylor’ sluggish start last year was attributed to the fact he was thrust into the starting role earlier than expected following Marlon Mack’s season-ending injury.
However, we’d argue that the play of Philip Rivers, who threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) over the first five games, also contributed to Taylor’s struggles.
Though the 2020 second-round pick hit the ground running down the stretch of the regular season, he could’ve enjoyed a more well-rounded rookie campaign had a more dynamic quarterback been running the Colts’ offense.
Colts fans should expect a big leap from Jonathan Taylor in Year 2.
Given that Rivers didn’t pose any semblance of a threat as a scrambler, it was fairly easy for opposing defenses to game plan for Indy’s offense. More often than not, Taylor faced stacked boxes. For as nimble and powerful as the Wisconsin product is between the tackles, any rookie running back would struggle finding holes with a physically-limited QB under center.
That figures to change in a big way with Wentz taking over. While you could argue that both players will make each other better, the former No. 2 overall pick’s dynamism should create an abundance of opportunities for Taylor to pick up chunks of yards on early downs.
That will help set up play action, which is when the Colts can truly open up their offense…including potentially taking shots down the field, which brings us to our next player.
1. TY Hilton
Full disclosure: we had a tough time deciding between TY Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr. for the top spot on this list.
However, we ultimately ended up giving the nod to Hilton because the four-time Pro Bowler was essentially a non-factor in the Colts’ passing game for the first half of 2020, whereas Pittman was a model of consistency following his return from leg surgery.
Though we understand Wentz has enjoyed throwing to big-bodied receivers more so than wideouts with Hilton’s slight frame, we simply can’t ignore how much Hilton flourished with Andrew Luck (who has similar intangibles to Wentz) as his quarterback.
Carson Wentz can help rejuvenate TY Hilton after an inconsistent 2020 with the Colts.
Shortly after the Wentz trade was finalized, Hilton couldn’t help but rave about the fifth-year quarterback’s ability to maneuver outside of the pocket, make throws on the run and sidestep incoming pass rushers as if they weren’t there. Is that not what Luck excelled at for six seasons before he retired prior to the 2019 season?
In fact, the last year Hilton caught passes from Luck (2018), he tallied 76 catches for 1,270 yards and six touchdowns in just 14 games. The former second-rounder also averaged 16.7 yards per reception and managed a career high with 90.7 receiving yards per game that year.
It’s duly noted that Hilton is a few years older and has more mileage on his legs, but his inconsistency last season wasn’t the result of regressed athleticism. The truth of the matter is that his skillset was never going to be accentuated by Rivers.
Colts: Projecting realistic season for Carson Wentz with current roster
Assuming the Indianapolis Colts are done making upgrades to their roster, lets' project a realistic season for Carson Wentz.