Running Back and Defensive Tackle Among Key Position Battles For Indy

Colts fans had surely become accustomed to normalcy in their depth chart every summer.

Peyton Manning always started under center.

Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne plied their trade together for almost a decade.

Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders were representative of the defense they anchored—undersized and fast.

Now Harrison is gone, his career likely over. Larry Coyer will assume control of the defense, and the defensive line might beef up upon his arrival. Even Hunter Smith is gone after 10 years as punter.

In other words, there are changes afoot in Indianapolis.

What follows are four position battles that should command plenty of attention when the Colts mass this summer in Terre Haute, Ind., for training camp:

Offense

1. No. 2 Wide Receiver

Wayne has the No. 1 position locked down, there’s no disputing that. Who backs him up as Manning’s second option will be key while the running back position sorts itself out (see below).

There are two likely answers to that question, only one of which involves a wide receiver.

Veteran tight end Dallas Clark finished second on the team in receiving yards with a career-high 848, and he tied Wayne for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.

The Colts can and should see if his role can continue to expand in the offense.

Answer No. 2 is probably Anthony Gonzalez.

The third-year man from Ohio State was Indianapolis’ second-most productive receiver last year, but in truth, he was their only other productive receiver. No other player at the position tallied more than 23 yards, so his best push will probably come from rookie Austin Collie, and that won’t be enough.

2. Running Back

This one is obvious. Joseph Addai has the top slot for now, but the Colts hope rookie Donald Brown or someone else can push him.

Not re-signing Dominic Rhodes was probably a sign that the Colts want to give Addai an unhindered shot at the position, but drafting Brown certainly says they have questions about either his production or durability. Brown could easily find himself in a similar role to that of Rhodes should Addai struggle early.

Defense

3. Defensive Tackle

Indianapolis has been small at defensive tackle since Lucas Oil Stadium was just a twinkle in the city’s eye.

Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney have the flanks covered, but the gaps will be critical for a run defense that hasn’t finished in the top 10 in the NFL this decade and has only finished in the top 20 in four out those of nine years.

The Colts drafted defensive tackles in rounds two and four in April, and both Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor weigh north of 300 lbs.

That’s a stark contrast to the Colts’ most productive trio of defensive tackles in 2008, Eric Foster, Keyunta Dawson, and Raheem Brock. None of whom weigh more than 274 lbs, and all 3.5 recorded between them were Brock’s.

The Colts should not and will not go big just for the sake of it, but run defense has been Indy’s prime weakness over the last 10 years, and those within the organization should—and by appearances, probably are—interested in adding weight to their interior.

Special teams

4. Punter

It’s not as sexy or exciting as any other position battle, but the fact is Hunter Smith was a rock for the Colts for 10 years.

The Notre Dame man averaged 43.4 yards per punt during his time in Indianapolis, and his net average was 37.5 yards.

The Colts drafted Patrick McAfee from West Virginia and signed Tim Masthay out of Kentucky. Both will likely get their shot at the starting nod.

McAfee appears to have an early edge if for no other reason than the fact he was drafted and Masthay was not.

The former Mountaineer never averaged less than 42.7 yards per punt in college, though Masthay’s career-best average (45.2 YPP during his senior year) is better than McAfee’s best number.