With the Super Bowl behind us, teams are forced to move on from the 2022 season and look towards 2023. In a series of articles, we will recap the past season, and look at how teams are positioned at their skill positions for next September.
Indianapolis Colts
Current Available Cap Space: $20.865 Million
Upcoming Draft Picks: Round 1 (4th), Round 2 (35th), Round 3 (79th), Round 4 (106th), Round 5 (138th, 162nd, 169th), Round 7 (221st, 236th)
The Colts seemingly have been just a quarterback away from being a locked in division winner and potential playoff threat for the past few seasons, but after yet another disappointing campaign, the team looks to be closer to entering a rebuilding than contending for a title.
Their once feared defense didn’t show up consistently enough in 2022, finishing the season with the 27th most points against and 17th in PFF’s overall ranking. The team fired head coach Frank Reich midway through the season, then inexplicably hired former Indianapolis offensive lineman Jeff Saturday as an interim coach, despite Saturday having no NFL coaching experience whatsoever.
If the goal was to lock in a top pick, then the move paid off as the Colts are now in prime position to finally draft a replacement for Andrew Luck. A position they’ve tried to fill with a rotating cast of beyond their prime veterans since his surprise retirement in 2019. The team finished the season with the league’s worst turnover differential, which led to the end of the Matt Ryan experiment in 2022, so limiting turnovers will be key for the team to rise up in the always fluctuating AFC South.
Coaches:
After an exhaustive search that spanned over a month, the Colts went back to the Eagles organization and hired former Philadelphia offensive coordinator Shane Steichan as their new head coach. A move similar to what they did with Frank Reich in 2018. At only 37 years old, Steichen boasts 13 years of coaching experience, 12 of those in the NFL.
Steichen previously spent 4 years in the Chargers organization as quarterbacks coach before earning his first shot as offensive coordinator in year 5. He made the switch to the Eagles in 2021, and during his 2 years as coordinator in Philly, the Eagles offense ranked 1st in the league in rushing yards per game, total rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, which bodes well for franchise running back Jonathan Taylor who is looking for a bounce-back season after an injury plagued 2022.
His work with Jalen Hurts, whom he helped insulate at the start of his career and turned into a true dual threat quarterback in year 2, makes it all the more likely that the Colts will be looking for a big, athletic quarterback entering this year’s draft to help execute the type of offense that Steichen has had success with thus far in his career.
Joining Steichen in Indy is another young coach with plenty of NFL experience, as 38 year old Jim Bob Cooter gets his second shot as offensive coordinator. Cooter got his NFL start working with Peyton Manning in Indy as an offensive assistant when he was just 25 years old. He followed Manning to Denver for a season before joining the Lions where he was quickly promoted to offensive coordinator after just 2 seasons. He has also worked with the Jets, Jaguars, Chiefs and, noticing the trend, the Eagles.
Last season with the Jags, Cooter, who was the passing game coordinator, helped Trevor Lawrence bounce back from a wasted rookie season, as the team ranked 10th in total yards, passing yards and scoring per game, a huge improvement from 2021. In his early press conferences, Steichen has stated he will be calling plays for the offense, so Cooter can focus on game-planning and working to develop the franchise’s new quarterback.
The Colts retained Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator, who has 10 seasons as coordinator on his resume alongside his 4 years as head coach. While the Colts defense underwhelmed last season, much of that can be attributed to the offense’s inability to protect the ball, as the defense was regularly put in difficult situations. He did guide linebackers Zaire Franklin and Bobby Okereke to career years, while their superstar linebacker Shaquille Leonard spent most of the season dealing with back and concussion issues.
The team finished 10th in sacks and 5th in the league in tackles for loss despite the absence of Leonard. They struggled against the run all season long, but actually put up respectable numbers against the pass, earning Bradley another year working with the defense and its young defensive backfield.
Quarterbacks:
It was made abundantly clear that Matt Ryan’s best days were behind him, and he mercifully retired at the end of the 2022 season, giving the Colts some extra wiggle room with the cap. They signed veteran Gardnew Minshew to join Nick Foles and Sam Elingher in the quarterbacks room, but if any of these 3 play significant snaps in 2023, it can only mean that yet another season has gone off the rails for the Colts.
Minshew is certainly a fun character and will lighten the mood in the locker room, but his play on the field has declined after showing flashes during his tenure in Jacksonville. He spent last season backing up Hurts in Philly, so there’s a familiarity there with Steichen and how he will run his offense, which will help in the learning process for their new starter.
Foles, who was another hail Mary attempt by Reich at finding a solution at quarterback, spent most of the season not even dressing for game days. He has, however, performed well in big moments in the past, and his wealth of experience over his 11 seasons will be valuable if he is willing to act as almost a player/coach for the incoming quarterback.
Sam Ehlinger was a 2021 6th round pick who has 3 career starts, and will be fighting to stay on the roster at training camp.
As the offseason began, the Colts were temporarily linked to some available veteran options at quarterback including Aaron Rodgers, who is still waiting for his trade to the Jets, and Lamar Jackson, who now seems excited to return to Baltimore after the signing of Odell Beckham Jr, but the smart money is that they will in fact take a quarterback in the draft.
When the Colts lost to the Texans on the last play of the last game of the season locking up the 4th overall pick, draft projectors everywhere immediately began predicting which quarterback the Colts would be taking with their pick.
The Panthers trading up to #1 overall pick all but assures that 2 quarterbacks will be off the board by the time the Colts are on the clock with the Texans holding the 2nd overall pick. It seems that the Colts are playing a game of chicken with the remaining quarterback needy teams who may try and make a trade with the Cardinals for 3rd pick to get ahead of Indy.
With C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young both likely taken, the next two most talked about quarterbacks are Will Levis and Anthony Richardson. Both have excellent size (Levis, 6’4” and 229 lbs, Richardson 6’4” 244 lbs) and tested well athletically, with Richardson stunning the combine with a 99 athleticism rating, which would fit in well with the type of offense the Steichan likes to run. Both the quarterbacks do have some warts in their passing game, so it will be up to the coaching staff to really work with whoever they choose (or end up with) to nail down their footwork and focus on the details of being an NFL quarterback.
Of course, there’s always the projected 5th option at quarterback Hendon Hooker, who’s name has recently surfaced as an option for the Colts if they aren’t sold on who is available to them at 4. Hooker, who is already 25 and coming off of an ACL tear, has the talent, patience and footwork to potentially become a high end NFL starter, and has received positive injury updates around the time of the combine that should raise his draft stock, although he will still likely fall to the 2nd round. His age and injury history may scare off most teams, but the Colts may consider looking to fill other roster holes with their 4th overall pick before circling back to quarterback in the 2nd round.
Wide Receiver/Tight End:
The Colts wide receivers didn’t have a standout year, but again, we can put most of that blame on the shoulders of the quarterbacks and the inconsistent offensive line play. They entered the 2022 season low on depth, but had some promising performances from some of their young rookies which gives hope for this group in 2023.
They still have to properly replace Parris Campbell who they let walk in free agency this offseason, who operated well as a #2 option from the slot. Campbell put together his first healthy season in 2022, and someone will have to step up and cover the missing 60ish receptions and 600 plus yards.
Michael Pittman managed to put together a decent season with 99 catches for 925 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he was obviously hampered by the offense as his yards per receptions and yards per target were both career lows. Impressively, despite being targeted by opposing teams #1 cornerbacks for much of the season, he managed to set a career high in catch percentage and receptions per game.
While the overall numbers don’t stand out, with things taken in context, Pittman has the look of a solid #1 receiver who should easily surpass 1,000 yards and add a few more touchdowns to his total in 2023. He’s entering the final year of his contract, so look for him to really make strides this season to try and secure a big payday next offseason.
Rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce was taken in the 2nd round of last year’s draft, and at the time it was seen as an odd pick. There was no doubting the talent, but his skill set seemed to be too similar to Pittman’s and with both he and Campbell slated to be on the field for most offensive snaps, there were doubts as to how Pierce would be able to fit into the offense.
Pierce turned just 41 receptions over his 12 starts into an impressive 593 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per reception in his rookie season, including some highlight reel catches along the way. With Campbell gone, Pierce is a candidate to have a breakout season lined up opposite of Pittman in 2023.
The Colts signed Isaiah McKenzie to replace some of the missing production in the slot, but entering his 8th year in the league, it seems like the book has already been written on the shifty receiver. He would show enough flashes during his time in Buffalo to make you believe there’s more untapped potential, but disappears far too often to be considered a reliable option for an entire season. That being said, he is a solid sure handed slot receiver, which is always a helpful tool for rookie quarterbacks.
The Colts also re-signed Ashton Dulin, who’s speed can take the top off of a defense, and to this point in his career, has been a vital special teamer. The Colts were smart to reward the former undrafted free agent, as his hard work within the organization earned him a spot on the All-Pro 2nd team in 2021 for his special team play, and his speed and toughness along with his character and work ethic are welcome in any locker room in the league.
There are more bodies that will fill out the wide receiver room, but at this point none of them project to have any impact on the offense as they fight for special team roster spots and depth roles this coming training camp. The Colts would certainly like to surround their new quarterback with as much talent as possible, and with free agency looming for Michael Pittman, adding a high end talent to the receiver room looks like it should be a high priority.
At tight end, the Colts have a oddly excessive amount of depth. The team signed Mo Alie-Cox to a 3-year $17.5 million extension in March of 2022 after the surprise retirement of Jack Doyle, then went out and drafted Jelani Woods in the 3rd round, and Andrew Ogletree in the 6th round of the 2022 draft. As of this writing, they currently have 8 tight ends under contract, including most recent veteran signee Pharaoh Brown, for this coming season.
Mo Alie-Cox’s extension at the time seemed like an overreaction to Doyle’s retirement, and after the first season as the undisputed starter he hasn’t done much to change that narrative. Alie-Cox finished his 5th season with just 189 yards on 19 receptions despite playing in all 17 games, and was essentially a non factor as a blocker either. He finished the season as the 70th ranked tight end according to PFF, and with all the depth the Colts have at the position shouldn’t be entering this training camp thinking he has the starting role locked up.
The person who looks prime for a larger role in the offense in 2023 is Jelani Woods. He played in 15 games in his rookie year, and turned 25 passes into 312 yards for 3 touchdowns, averaging 12.5 yards per reception. His blocking leaves a lot to be desired, but that is largely the norm for first year tight ends.
At 6’7” and 265 lbs he certainly has the size to change that narrative if he so chooses. The only issue that Colts fans have with his 2022 season is his lack of usage, receiving less than 3 targets in 10 of his 15 games. The one game where the offense seemed to have him as a key element in the game plan, he turned 9 targets into 8 catches for 98 yards against a strong Steelers defense. Look for the new coaching staff to try and get him more involved in 2023.
2021 4th rounder Kylen Granson will also be looking to make a larger impact in 2023 after a 31 reception 302 yard sophomore season. He, like Alie-Cox and Woods, offers the offense an explosive element, but not much blocking, making his path to the field all the more difficult.
Andrew Ogletree’s rookie season was cut short by an torn ACL suffered in a joint practice with the Lions, but up to that point the former wide receiver had been running with the 1st team offense and was really making an impression on the former coaching staff. Whether he can return to that form and dart his way back up the depth chart remains to be seen, but he gives the Colts yet another explosive receiving option at the tight end position.
Running Backs:
The Colts offensive line problems did no favors for the running backs in 2022, but neither did Jonathan Taylor’s health. Taylor, the 2021 rushing champion, finished 2022 with 861 yards and 4 touchdowns over 192 carries, battling an ankle injury throughout the season that caused him to have surgery on January 25th.
Impressively, he still surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards despite an atrocious 3.6 yards per target in the passing game, showing how he was constantly fighting for space in his own backfield. Thankfully for Colts fans, the surgery was more to remove debris from the ankle to reduce pain and improve movement, so Taylor is expected to be fully healthy in time for training camp. Entering the final year of his contract, look for Taylor to rebound running in Steichen’s offense behind what has to be an improved offensive line in 2023.
The Colts traded pass catching specialist Nyheim Hines at the deadline to the Bills for Zach Moss after Hines reportedly voiced his displeasure to the organization about his continued low usage within the Colts offense. Moss himself was fazed out of the Buffalo offense after they drafted James Cook. Moss, who is also on an expiring contract this coming season, shouldn’t give the Colts faithful anything to be excited about, as he was given ample opportunities of his own to carve out a significant role behind Devin Singletary but failed to do so. He’s best suited for a complementary role to spell the starter for a few snaps, which should bode well for Taylor as the Colts try to limit his usage and keep him fresh for the entire season.
The running back deal opened the door for 2nd year back Deon Jackson, who finished the year with a respectable 30 receptions for 209 yards and an 88.2% catch rate despite playing a limited role. He, alongside with Moss, should provide adequate depth behind Taylor and help insulate the Colts if Taylor is forced to miss time again in 2023. Taylor himself is a more than capable pass catcher, which will limit Jackson’s usage (and likely led to Hines’ trade), but he will provide the team with a receiving threat out of the backfield even when Taylor is subbed out.
The Colts filled out the room with depth pieces Jake Funk, Aaron Shampklin and Darryton Evans who will all be fighting for roster spots. Their most recent signing, Evans, was the back up to Derrick Henry in Tennessee for 2 seasons before moving to Chicago. The former 3rd round pick but couldn’t take hold of regular rotation this past season on a bad Bears team.
Offensive Line:
Once a strength of the team, the offensive line struggled to find continuity to start the season before improving in the latter half once they finally settled on their starting 5. The team as a whole allowed 60 sacks, with PFF attributing 41 of those to the offensive line, the 3rd highest total in the NFL. They raised almost every metric from week 9 onwards, the same week that they finally removed Matt Pryor from the starting rotation. The starting 5 who finished the season are all under contract for at least the next 2 years, so the Colts opted not to sign another veteran lineman but will need the group to get off to a quicker start this coming season.
Despite some offseason trade rumors, it looks like veteran center Ryan Kelly will look to work with the new starting quarterback as the former 1st round pick returns for his 7th season in the organization. He’s one season removed from a pro-bowl appearance, and was the highest rated lineman for the Colts this past season. His steadying presence will be a major factor in the development of their rookie QB.
Flanking Kelly will be 5-time pro-bowl, 4 time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson who still made the pro-bowl in 2022 despite having what can only be considered a down season for his lofty standards. Nelson played every single offensive snap for the Colts, and after this season stated “I have to do better and be better”, which is a scary thought for the interior pass rushers that have to go against him in 2023.
Braden Smith, who still has 3 years left on his 4 year, $70 million extension, had another strong season at right tackle, scoring a 75 in PFF’s run blocking and pass blocking scores. Another high Colts draft pick, Smith only missed one game this season, playing in virtually every snap for the offense. The remainder of his contract will take him right into the prime of his career, as he will lock down another spot for the Colts along their line for the foreseeable future.
Rookie tackle Bernhard Raimann was one of the major additions to the starting lineup in week 9 that helped bring things together for the group. There’s no doubt that Raimann had some struggles, particularly in his first start against the Patriots, but the Colts were wise to show patience, as Raimann rewarded them by finishing the season with the 2nd highest rookie tackle pass blocking grade in the league. Pretty impressive for the third round pick. With those critical snaps under his belt, chances are high that he takes another leap forward in his development over the offseason and into 2023.
The one spot along the line where the Colts may look to improve is the right guard spot. Will Fries held down the spot at the end of the year, but finished the season as the 50th ranked guard in the league, rating particularly low in pass blocking scores.
From a business perspective, it’s easy to see why the Colts did not pursue an improvement in free agency, and the team has devoted a large amount of the cap to locking down their sure fire starters for the next couple years. It would make sense, however, for the team to sign a veteran swing tackle to add more depth, and be there in case Raimann falters to begin his second season. Finding an improvement over Fries in the draft would likely cost them a day 2 pick, so there remains the possibility of the team trusting in the growth that the group showed in the latter half of the season.
Defense:
From the time Shaquille Leonard was drafted in 2018, he immediately transformed the Colts defense, becoming one of the most dominant tacklers and earning 4 straight all-pro and pro-bowl nominations. His rookie season, he blew away any expectations by leading the league in tackles and solo tackles, earning defensive rookie of the year honours.
In 2022, the defensive leader played in only 3 games for a grand total of 74 snaps. Leonard opted to have a second back surgery in November which is always a red flag, but as recently as April 6th he said that he’s finally feeling like his normal self again, giving fans across the league hope (or fear) that he’ll be back to 100% in time for week 1.
In his absence, the defense as a whole took a step back, but still had some promising players who stepped up. Zaire Franklin (who broke Leonard’s franchise record for tackles in a season), Bobby Okereke and E.J. Speed were all able to step up and deliver throughout the season, allowing Bradley to still have his linebacking core a focal point of his defense. Okereke has since left in free agency, but with a healthy Leonard back to center the unit, look for them to once again be the strength of the defense.
The defensive line has its rock as well, with DeForest Buckner running the interior as well as anyone in the league. As the 8th overall rated interior defensive lineman, Buckner racked up 8 sacks to go with his 74 combined tackles, and has the ability to single handedly shut down offensive game-plans. The Colts will be hoping to replace Yannick Nagokue’s 9.5 sacks with the free agent addition of Samson Ebukam, who will join the rotation with Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and the freshly re-signed Tyquan Lewis.
Paye and Odeyingbo seem to be on the verge of breakouts after improving their sack totals year after year, while the Lewis re-signing will hopefully provide depth as he continues to struggle with injuries. Another pass rusher would be nice to find and develop in the draft, but it certainly isn’t a top priority for the club.
The defensive backfield may become a focus in the draft. Starting safety Rodney McLeod, who played well after taking over the starting spot from promising rookie Nick Cross after week 1, is still a free agent. The club traded #1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in a salary cap dump. Brandon Facyson, who started the season as the cornerback opposite of Gilmore, was also lost to free agency.
The Colts are putting all their chips on their young core of defenders. There is a lot of promise there, but there are a lot of unknowns as well.
Rodney Thomas II, the Colts final pick in the 2022 draft, stepped in when starting free safety Julian Blackmon was hurt, and performed so well he continued to play key snaps once Blackmon returned. With McLeod gone, Cross looks to take over the other starting safety position. He has a college highlight reel filled with him making plays all over the field, and with a full season in the NFL, there’s no reason not to believe that Cross can take a big step in his development entering year 2.
If Thomas continues to perform at the rate he did last season, Cross proves himself to be a valuable starter and Blackmon stays healthy, the trio could potentially form a dangerous trio of safeties roaming the defense.
Cornerback is where the most uncertainty lies. The organization clearly believes in Isaiah Rogers Sr., as he was originally expected to take over a starting role after Rock Ya-Sin was traded to Vegas last offseason. The Colts have once again cleared a clear path for Rogers with the Gilmore trade. Despite losing out the starting job to Facyson out of camp, Rogers was clearly the better corner and eventually took over, starting the final 9 games for the Colts.
Kenny Moore will serve as the veteran cornerback on the roster, but entering his final year of his contract amid trade speculation, there does not seem to be much of a future for the 29 year.
Colts GM Chris Ballard will tell anyone who will listen about the untapped potential he sees in Dallis Flowers, who spent most of his rookie season as a special teamer. The team can believe in their young talent all they want, but they are unproven and lacking in depth at the position.
While the team certainly has holes on the roster, it is certainly believable that they can big step forward in 2023. Rookie quarterbacks often take longer than desired to get acclimated to the NFL, but the Colts have a strong offensive line that could easily rebound into a top 5 unit, and one of the best running backs in the league to lean on.
The need to add a top talent at wide receiver, and fix the defensive backfield before they can start to make noise when it comes to playoffs, but Ballard has notoriously pinched pennies over his tenure in Indianapolis, and if things are looking promising after this season, he can use all that extra cap space next offseason to plug the major holes and take advantage of his quarterback on a rookie deal. There’s certainly hope for Indy, but it all begins with making the right selection at the coming draft and properly developing him into the franchise quarterback they have struggled to find since Andrew Luck.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Tennessee Titans. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.