Indianapolis Colts' Biggest Preseason Disappointments So Far

The preseason, as well as the offseason, is full of optimism.

We love to find the next unknown superstar, the undrafted free-agent running back with eye-popping production, the unheralded special teams star who earns a roster spot or a successful reclamation project. The preseason, admittedly, is great for that.

Unfortunately, the preseason isn’t all optimism.

For every upstart wide receiver who draws attention with an 80-yard touchdown, there’s a second-round cornerback getting burned. For every rookie pass-rusher that earns multiple sacks, there’s a starting tackle getting chewed out.

For Indianapolis, it might even be fair to say that there have been more disappointments than standouts so far. Just look at the score of the first two games. Pro Football Focus has the Colts with one of the worst team grades of the preseason thus far at negative-43.2.

Of course, there were other teams projected to be contenders with even worse grades, like Seattle and Pittsburgh. This is the preseason, and shouldn’t be a reflection of the team’s regular-season projections.

But the Colts have had a lot of disappointing play on the field so far, perhaps an indictment of their overall level of depth.

WR Duron Carter

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For a former CFL wide receiver, Duron Carter has been the unfortunate victim of the hype train.

Carter, the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter (Did you forget?), was hyped up all offseason, especially after being extremely productive during a few red-zone drills in training camp.

But Carter has been limited to third-string reps through the first two weeks of the preseason, with Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett and even Griff Whalen getting snaps ahead of him. Not only has Carter's usage been disappointing, but the few chances he has received have not gone as well as hoped.

In five targets, Duron Carter has:

• One contested catch on a 15-yard dig
• Two drops on quick, contested slants
• One incomplete pass on a deep jump-ball opportunity
• One overthrow by Matt Hasselbeck down the sideline

The thing about Carter is that the one strength he brings to the table for Indianapolis is the ability to make tough, contested catches, especially in areas like the red zone. But if he can't do that, or at least show it in actual game opportunities (drops in tight spaces, missed jump-ball chances), his effectiveness will be severely limited.

He's not a guy who excels in route running or gets in and out of his breaks quickly. He has decent speed for a receiver his size, but it's not nearly enough to make him stand out. He won't get open easily against NFL defensive backs, so he has to be able to capitalize in contested situations. His return abilities on special teams have been mediocre at best as well.

There is still time for Carter to show his worth, but so far, he's been invisible for Indianapolis.

Backup Quarterbacks

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The tough part about evaluating receivers like Carter in the preseason is that the Colts quarterbacks, behind Andrew Luck, have been abysmal.

While Carter has been invisible, it's been impossible to ignore the play of Matt Hasselbeck and Bryan Bennett, in a horrible way.

The two quarterbacks have combined to go 19 of 49 for 183 yards and three interceptions in two games. The inaccuracies and slow decision-making has made it very difficult to evaluate the second- and third-string offensive players.

It starts with Hasselbeck, the one who will likely make the final roster.

Honestly, it doesn't matter much how good the Colts backup quarterback is. If Andrew Luck goes down, the Colts are no longer a Super Bowl contender. Hasselbeck has not been good for a long time, but he was at least competent enough to run the offense in the preseason and in garbage time, enough to get other depth players valuable repetitions.

But Hasselbeck has clearly taken a step back, making his $3 million cap hit a terrible value for Indianapolis. He's not going anywhere in 2015, but the Colts have to find a better, cheaper option in 2016. Look for the team to spend a late-round pick on a quarterback to develop next year.

OLB Cam Johnson

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

The Colts traded a seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers back in 2013 to acquire linebacker Cam Johnson, but the team has yet to see the fruits of that trade.

Johnson played in 12 games for the Colts in 2013, mostly on special teams. He was set to see more of a role in 2013 before an elbow injury forced him to miss most of the season. Going into 2015, Johnson saw some praise throughout the offseason.

"

OLB Jonathan Newsome told me fellow @Colts OLB Cam Johnson is "showing out" during OTAs.

— Steve Andress (@ColtsReporter) May 28, 2015"

But we didn't hear anything from Johnson through training camp, and so far in the preseason, Johnson has continued to disappoint.

Johnson has just one hurry in pass rush over the first two games, but has also struggled in run defense. His lack of focus on the edge was part of the reason Chicago Bears rookie Jeremy Langford was able to cut back and score a two-yard touchdown on Sunday. He has a negative-4.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in the two games, tied for the worst on the Colts defense.

If Johnson wants to make the roster, he'll need to flash early and often over the next two weeks.

OT Jack Mewhort

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With Gosder Cherilus getting hurt last season and eventually cut this offseason, the Colts were left without a starting right tackle.

Fortunately, second-year player Jack Mewhort was drafted specifically to be able to move over at some point. Mewhort played tackle at Ohio State, and while he is best placed at guard, his experience at tackle made him a natural candidate to take over for Cherilus.

Throughout the offseason, the Colts have praised Mewhort, especially in training camp.

“Until he proves otherwise, I sleep well at night knowing that he’s in there,” head coach Chuck Pagano said of Mewhort after a week and a half of training camp, per Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. "He’s been great. He’s consistent. He doesn’t make mental errors, he’s on the right guy (in the) run game, pass game. Tough guy. He’s going to be a good player for us.”

But in the preseason, Mewhort has had a few high-profile struggles, especially against the Bears on Sunday.

Mewhort allowed a sack and two hurries Sunday, finishing with a negative-2.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. His struggles nearly single-handedly killed the Colts' first drive.

Pagano's tune was a bit different after the game.

“You know he’s a second-year player, we lose sight of the fact that he’s a second-year player," Pagano told Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "There’s going to be growing pains and we need to find out what we can do to accentuate our strengths.”

The Colts have to hope that's all it is: Growing pains.

If Mewhort isn't a legitimate starting option at tackle this season, things could devolve quickly for an offense that has incredible potential.

OLB Jonathan Newsome

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Going into the 2015 season, there are a few young players that the Colts desperately need to step up in 2015.

But the leader of that group is clearly former fifth-round pick Jonathan Newsome. He was a pleasant surprise last season, leading the Colts with 6.5 sacks. That also led all rookie edge-rushers.

Getting a few sacks on stunts and speed rushes isn't enough for a team that lacks a threat on the edge, however. The Colts need Newsome to be a long-term talent as a pass-rusher, someone who can fill in for Robert Mathis as the rush linebacker.

So far this preseason, however, Newsome has been disappointingly quiet.

With the addition of Trent Cole, Newsome has been largely playing with the second and third teams, but hasn't been able to take advantage of backup defenders at all.

According to Pro Football Focus, Newsome doesn't have a single quarterback pressure this preseason, and missed three tackles in the Colts' loss to the Bears on Sunday. He has a negative-2.7 total grade for the preseason.

Like Mewhort, Newsome played a big role in the Colts' playoff run last year. If the franchise is to be an annual contender, they'll need these guys to step into larger roles.