The biggest story for the Indianapolis Colts is, without a doubt, the quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. But it's not the only position where several players are having to face off to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. Battles at wide receiver and cornerback have started to receive some attention, but there's another position where someone could see themselves getting cut - and someone who just got signed to boot.
Could Khalil Herbert get cut?
There's no denying that RB1 Jonathan Taylor is a powerhouse who is bound for the Hall of Fame one day. But there has also been a massive problem: Taylor has been the only Colts' reliable running back. Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson were disappointments, so Taylor has been overworked year after year, which has therefore meant that he has suffered injury every season. They've been minor injuries, thankfully, but imagine how much better the Colts' run game would be if Taylor was actually able to play every game of the season.
The Colts need more running backs to take some of the pressure off of Taylor, and this offseason, general manager Chris Ballard, for once, delivered. Indianapolis signed Bengals running back Khalil Herbert to a one-year contract, and then drafted DJ Giddens in the fifth round.
From the beginning, there was speculation that Giddens could surpass Herbert to become RB2. This is not because Herbert is a poor running back; on the contrary, he is a powerful, explosive running back, whose weak points are in receiving and blocking.
Sound familiar?
Herbert is all-too-similar to Taylor, and the Colts need more diversity in their running back room. Ultimately, as talented as Herbert is, he will have to fight Giddens and Goodson (Sermon signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason) to gain a spot on the roster.
This might seem like an easy battle for Herbert on the surface, as he is a strong running back. But he's older, and his weaknesses are the same as Taylor's, so the Colts might want to focus on someone who can complement his skills rather than keeping a Taylor 2.0.
There is seemingly no doubt that Giddens will make the final roster, with the only question being where. So will Herbert be able to beat out Goodson? So far, Goodson has been disappointing, but he's also still young and has potential. If he has a breakout performance in training camp, Herbert's days in Indianapolis could be over before they even began.