Indianapolis Colts: 3 preseason worries no one is talking about
By Jerry Trotta
Training camp can be a drag for some fans, but the Indianapolis Colts‘ turbulent start has the annual preseason and regular season tune-up absolutely flying by.
After being bombarded with bad news to start camp (injuries to Carson Wentz and Quenton Nelson and Frank Reich contracting COVID-19, etc.) the tide is finally tuning in the Colts’ favor.
Reich and general manager Chris Ballard just inked contract extensions, and the latest buzz indicates Wentz and Nelson could even be available for Week 1 of the regular season.
Like any NFL team, however, the Colts are still battling some distractions with their first competitive fixture just a couple days away. In fact, there are some concerning developments flying under the radar that, quite frankly, deserve more attention.
These three Colts preseason storylines aren’t getting talked about enough.
3. Cornerbacks Not Getting Tested
As fourth-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus confirmed earlier this offseason, Indy is holding an open competition for its third cornerback spot.
The battle was created to put pressure on Rock-Ya Sin, who found himself benched during the latter stages of last season amid his struggles in coverage. While the young CB has recorded some nice pass breakups at camp, he was listed behind TJ Carrie on the unofficial depth chart.
The Colts’ cornerback room hasn’t been tested enough at camp.
The reason behind that? None of the Colts’ cornerbacks have been tested as much as coaches would like following Wentz’s injury. With Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger handling QB duties, they’ve been playing it safe by checking down or throwing short passes.
With Xavier Rhodes, Kenny Moore, Carrie, Rock Ya-Sin and safeties Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis, the Colts’ secondary has elite potential. However, we’d feel a lot better about the CB situation if Wentz was testing them with his arm strength and ability to elude pressure.
Since Wentz won’t return until Week 1 at the earliest, fans shouldn’t be surprised if Indy’s cornerbacks look rusty against DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Let’s hope the preseason slate is enough to help them work off the cobwebs and put their skills to the test.