Rounding Up the Latest Indianapolis Colts Offseason Buzz
With the Indianapolis Colts' minicamp complete, most of the team's offseason activity is now finished until training camp. From now on, the only potential news is contract extensions (a positive) or off-field issues (a big, big negative).
So as the biggest down period of the offseason looms, let's take one last look back at the hints and tidbits we've gotten recently.
It's difficult to stay motivated for football as we hit this time period, although for many it's a time to recharge the batteries before the buzz of fantasy football, training camps and the preseason hits come August. Though we'll keep you busy with loads of offseason content in the coming months, this may be our last meaningful chance to discuss actual news for weeks.
What, if anything, should be drawing our attention as minicamps close?
Jack Mewhort the Heir Apparent at Right Tackle
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One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of OTAs is the fact that Jack Mewhort has been taking most of Gosder Cherilus’ snaps at right tackle as Cherilus rehabs from offseason surgeries. With Cherilus’ recovery taking a larger chunk of his offseason than expected, the Colts’ Plan B was a big question mark.
The team had several options going into OTAs, including Mewhort, Joe Reitz and free-agent addition Todd Herremans. I’m a bit surprised that the Colts have been so quick to move away from what was a successful pairing of Mewhort and Anthony Castonzo on the left side, but this hints at the Colts’ long-term plans, which is using Mewhort at tackle.
As Jim Irsay discussed plans to extend Castonzo last week, it seems the Colts think they have their long-term tackle tandem.
"Leftover from #Colts practice today: Pagano downplaying it, but Jack Mewhort taking a lot of RT snaps. Doesn't strike me as an experiment
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 27, 2015"
If Cherilus returns and is healthy early on in 2015, I don’t doubt that he’ll get his starting job back, but don’t be surprised if he is a cap casualty in 2016 as the Colts express trust in the younger, cheaper Mewhort.
Colts Won't Go After Evan Mathis
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As soon as the Philadelphia Eagles cut former All-Pro offensive guard Evan Mathis, social media was abuzz about his potential landing spots. While the Colts didn’t necessarily get national attention early on, local fans were immediately intrigued about the possibility of upgrading the interior line.
With Gosder Cherilus still injured and Mewhort rotating to right tackle, the left guard position is open. While Joe Reitz would seem to be the most logical replacement, having strong chemistry with left tackle Anthony Castonzo and playing well as a reserve guard in recent years, it seems that Hugh Thornton and Lance Louis are currently getting the lion’s share of the snaps.
It’s safe to say that Mathis would be a significant upgrade.
But whether or not the Colts are interested has been questionable. According to Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com, the sense from Indianapolis last weekend was that the team didn’t want to add another older, expensive veteran. But according to ESPN.com’s John Clayton on Monday, the Colts are one of four main teams looking at Mathis, along with Kansas City, Miami and San Francisco.
We’ll see what happens this week with Mathis, but there is no question that he would be an upgrade on the offensive line, and the Colts do have some wiggle room in terms of cap space. One potential move, for example, would be to cut Donald Thomas. He seems unlikely to come back from two consecutive season-ending injuries and costs the Colts $3.75 million this season.
Contract Extensions Possible, but Not Close
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Jim Irsay turned heads in Indianapolis when he talked to the media last week, as he usually does, but the most notable of his comments involved pending contract discussions with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. According to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, Irsay said that he expects a deal to get done sooner rather than later, possibly before the season.
Irsay also mentioned Anthony Castonzo as somebody who should get a new contract, per Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Discussing the need to “draft great players and keep great players,” it’s clear that Irsay wants to get back to building a team the right way, similar to franchises like Baltimore and Green Bay.
But when Ryan Grigson talked to media later in the week, he left an impression with the media, like Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com, that Hilton’s deal will likely wait until after the 2015 season. In the end, that’s the smart move for Indianapolis. This way, they can wait and see what receivers like Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas get in their new deals as well as weigh the possibility of using the franchise tag.
The Colts want to show loyalty to their star wideout, but the market for receivers is changing as the number of quality receivers in the league seems to increase exponentially. The Colts need to keep Andrew Luck’s top target around, but they don’t need to panic to get it done.
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Luck, Johnson Will Continue to Prepare
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It should come as to no surprise that Andrew Luck will continue to work with receivers over the offseason.
With Peyton Manning in Indianapolis for years, however, fans got used to impeccable timing between the quarterback and receivers, a staple of those Manning-led offenses both in Indianapolis and now in Denver. With Luck and the Colts, that timing hasn’t been at that same level, and it really shouldn’t have been, given Luck’s status as a young quarterback in transitioning offenses.
But as Luck enters his fourth season in the league, he’s taking more of a leadership role, and that only spells more success for Indianapolis. Both Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, veteran free-agent additions this offseason, have been impressed with how much Luck has taken charge of the offense, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Pep Hamilton said that Luck’s perspective is more of a coach this year than of a fourth-year player.
Johnson also mentioned last week, per Bowen, that he and Luck have plans to get together in July to continue throwing together. It’s not a new thing for Luck to work with skill players, but it’s another example of his leadership expanding this offseason.
Banner News Is Nonsense
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Honestly, the fact that I'm even commenting on this story—a term I'm using rather loosely—is a sign of how deep into the offseason we've sunk.
Last week, national media got ahold of a story about the Colts putting up an "AFC Finalist" banner for their AFC Championship Game appearance. The banner went viral, with social media and national sports coverage alike deriding the Colts for having the audacity to put up a banner commemorating a non-championship.
This, of course, conveniently ignores the fact that this practice is commonplace among the Colts, other NFL teams and sports in general.
Teams hang up winning division banners across the board, despite the fact that it's a much lesser achievement than reaching the conference championship. The New England Patriots hung up a banner for their 16-0 regular season in 2007. College teams hang up Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four banners regularly. The Colts themselves have hung up "AFC Finalist" banners before as well, for the 1995 and 2003 conference championship game losses.
Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward was just as surprised at the attention for the same reasons, per ESPN.com:
"It's very hard in the National Football League to win. Not every team gets to make the playoffs. To make the playoffs, and more so consistently, is something to be proud of. It's an achievement to be proud of. A lot of teams would love to be in a position to recognize a playoff season regardless of how it ends.
I'm very surprised at what it's turned into. This is not a new thing we've just started. All the visiting, all the national media -- as well as media attending the [NFL scouting] combine and other major events -- have all seen our banners since 1987, have known we've done them. So it's interesting that it has suddenly become a news story. I know we're not the only team and franchise in sports that recognizes in-stadium achievement that doesn't involve a world championship.
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Fun in the offseason is fun in the offseason. Keeping things lighthearted is the only way we get through these dead months, as long as we keep things in perspective. This banner news isn't news. It's just a cheap joke.
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