Why Indianapolis Colts Must Get Coby Fleener More Involved in Offense

The time has come for Coby Fleener to do what the Indianapolis Colts drafted him to do: become a dominant "move" tight end in the National Football League.

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft, Fleener has been two cups of disappointment lightly sprinkled with potential.

If the Colts can take that recipe and turn it on its head, their quest for supremacy in the AFC might prove a bit more manageable. If the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints hadn't made it clear enough in the last few years, the Denver Broncos settled it during Week 1 of the NFL season.

Tight ends can win games.

No matter how many weapons a team boasts out wide, they can be contained. Vontae Davis, for the second time in as many meetings with the Broncos, took Demaryius Thomas completely out of the game plan. Covered primarily by Davis and Greg Toler, Thomas finished up with just four catches for 48 yards.

The rest of the wide receivers weren't much more successful. As a unit, Denver's wide receivers caught just 12 of their 25 targets.

Montee Ball and the running backs racked up 94 rushing yards on 27 carries. That's a paltry 3.5 rushing yards per attempt.

Peyton Manning finished 22-of-36 passing. Manning finished only three games last season with a completion percentage that low, none of which were in the postseason.

So why did the Colts fall to the Broncos on Sunday?

Simple. Julius Thomas was unstoppable.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

He snatched seven of his eight targets, turning them into 104 yards and three touchdowns.

He beat linebackers and safeties alike. He torched Jerrell Freeman, D'Qwell Jackson and LaRon Landry for his touchdowns.

The Colts just didn't have an answer on offense or defense.

But why didn't they? Fleener was drafted to be that answer. After the Colts selected Andrew Luck first overall in 2012, they asked themselves a question, "What can we do to ensure Luck succeeds?"

Their first answer was to draft Luck's favorite college target, Fleener. He was the first tight end to be drafted that year, but he hasn't been able to put it together on the field.

Thomas has made his name in the NFL as an ultra-athletic move tight end, which essentially means he is relied on almost exclusively as a pass-catcher.

But here's a surprising piece of information: Fleener is objectively more athletic than Thomas.

40-yard dash: Advantage—Fleener (mid 4.4s, per Pro Football Talk). Thomas clocks in at 4.68.

Bench press: Advantage—Fleener (27 reps). Thomas managed only 16 at the NFL combine.

Vertical: Advantage—Fleener (37 inches). Thomas recorded a 35.5-inch leap during the combine.

Paul Sakuma/Associated Press

So with all the physical advantages of Thomas and little-to-none of the success, what is it that's holding Fleener back? He drops the occasional pass, sure, but that can't account for everything.

One possible explanation is that the Colts have simply failed to utilize his athleticism. In his 29 NFL games, Fleener is averaging just 11.2 yards per catch. College football is a different game, but the numbers are not even comparable for Indy's tight end. Fleener averaged over 16 yards per catch during his four-year career at Stanford. He never averaged fewer than 12.7 YPC, which he did his sophomore year, and as a senior he posted a mind-boggling 19.6 YPC.

While the Colts use Fleener most often in short-yardage or red-zone situations, they have largely refrained from using him to create deep-pass opportunities. His 6'6" frame, coupled with his unquestionable athletic gifts, should create coverage issues for all but the most talented safeties in the league. Even then, his height alone would be enough to secure many passes that other players simply can't get to.

If the Colts wants to reach the level of Manning's Broncos, it is imperative that they add as many dimensions as possible. Using Fleener to pick up big chunks of yardage is something they haven't done much of, but logic suggests it might be worth a look.

It can't be much worse than handing the ball to Trent Richardson.