Indianapolis Colts: Why Andrew Luck Isn't Indy's Most Important Offensive Player

Indianapolis has been the focus of everyone's attention during the offseason with big changes on their roster. Long-time quarterback and franchise player, Peyton Manning was booted out of the Colts lineup and replaced by rookie Andrew Luck from Stanford University. During his time with the Colts, Manning was the backbone of the offense and a game-changing leader of the team.

Now with head coach Chuck Pagano’s No. 1 draft pick, Andrew Luck has found his new home in Indy. Pagano is looking for Luck to do what he does best and turn the Colts around in the 2012 season.
Superstar quarterback Peyton Manning holds many credentials to his name, including a championship ring from Super Bowl 41 in 2007. But after his severe neck injury, the Colts stumbled in the 2011 season.

At the beginning of the offseason, Manning and the Colts parted ways, and the recently recovered, veteran quarterback headed to Denver. As Manning left Mile High, it seemed that the Colts lost their most important offensive player and replaced him with the No. 1 draft pick from college ball.

Colts fans have much reason to be excited for their new quarterback, but it's too early to say if Andrew Luck will be Indy's most important offensive player. “Most Important” is too big of a title to place on the rookie quarterback who may have wowed NFL coaches when it came time to make draft picks but has yet to show his abilities as a pro player. Reggie Wayne put it best:

“We know he can throw a college ball, but we don’t know if he can throw a pro ball," (via FoxSports.com).

And it’s still taking the Colts a little longer to figure that out, as Luck has missed out on about a month of OTAs and minicamps. At this point, being the most important player is not as vital as just being a player who's present.

For the time being, the Colts’ running backs and receivers have been practicing and training without Luck. And hopefully by the time Luck is on the field to call plays and make passes, their practice will be enough to support and maintain a strong offense. But assuming that the running backs and receivers are focusing on doing their jobs, they should be fine. Players like Wayne are veterans of the game and know from experience how to execute once they have their hands on the ball.

As soon as Luck wraps up his degree at Stanford and heads to Indianapolis for the next round of minicamp, he will need to work on reading his receivers and staying in sync with his offense (via FoxSports.com).

The Colts have depth in their offense with players who will be more significant and influential in the 2012 season than Andrew Luck. The Colts are looking for a saving grace, and while Luck may help, here's who Indy can rely on:

Perhaps, Indy's most important player last year was Pierre Garcon. The wide receiver averaged 13.5 yards per reception and had six touchdowns in 2011. The 2012 season will feature a Garcon-less team for the Colts, as he heads for Washington to test his game as a Redskin.

Fortunately, the Colts still have Reggie Wayne. The wide receiver, had four touchdowns in 2011 and almost broke 1,000 receiving yards based on his track record, He should have no trouble achieving well over 1,000 in 2012. Although he only had three games with 100 or more receiving yards in the regular season last year, he's expected to gain a lot more ground in 2012, especially with Garcon's absence.

Running back Donald Brown averaged 645 rushing yards in 2011. And with five touchdowns and 134 carries, he has been consistently approving throughout his time in Indy. According to CBSSports.com, head coach Chuck Pagano spoke very highly of Brown saying that he could be their “best rushing weapon”. Pagano continued to say that Brown is,

"...Strong, he's quick to hit the hole, he puts his foot in the ground, he's decisive and all those types of things". Coach Pagano seems sure of Browns capabilities as a running back and possibly as Indy’s most important offensive player in 2012.

According to RB coach, David Walker on Colts.com, with Brown leading the position, the Colts have depth at running back with younger players: Delone Carter, Darren Evans and Vick Ballard.

While Colts fans and the team itself will be waiting to see what Luck has to offer, the new quarterback has a lot to prove in the upcoming season before he's deemed Indy’s most important offensive player. The quarterback is an essential factor in offensive playmaking, but as of now, the most important Colts players are Donald Brown and Reggie Wayne..

With their experience and skills, Brown and Wayne will be key players to lead the offense as they prepare for training camp and the upcoming 2012 season.

As Wayne said, “...We’ve got some work to do,” (via FoxSports.com). Yes, they do indeed.

Luck has a long way to go before he matches Manning's past history and position with the Colts. While he's not Indy's most important offensive player now, he certainly can be in the future.