Why Hugh Thornton Has Everything to Prove in Indianapolis Colts Training Camp

For a number of Indianapolis Colts, 2015 looks to be a make-or-break season.

T.Y. Hilton, Anthony Castonzo, Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener and Jerrell Freeman (among others) are all looking for new contracts, and the 2015 season will affect those in enormous ways. Numerous young players, from rookies to the impactful 2014 class, will be looking to cement their place in the future of the franchise. Veterans like Andre Johnson, Frank Gore and Trent Cole are looking to prove they still have something left.

But for many of those, the role on the team is already set, with a few details left to figure out. The test will come once the season begins.

For Hugh Thornton, that make-or-break time starts as soon as training camp begins.

Thornton has been given every chance by the Colts to show his mettle, but unfortunately, he has struggled to develop in a way that the Colts can be excited about.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

In 2013, Thornton played in 14 regular-season games, starting 12. He was thrust into the lineup at left guard after Donald Thomas went down with a season-ending injury in Week 2. The guard held the position for the rest of the season, outside of two missed games due to injury. Thornton also started both playoff games.

Thornton's rookie season was inconsistent to say the least, with most of his outings ending in poor play. He did flash promising signs, but the majority of the year was rough for the rookie.

Finishing the year with a negative 15.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, Thornton most often struggled in pass protection, as his awareness and technique were lacking. Though possessing a load of strength and the physical quickness to excel as a run-blocker, Thornton was also inconsistent there.

Ben Gundy of Colts Authority recapped it well:

"

Prone to mistakes and vulnerable against clever defensive tackles. Wasn’t nearly as good a run blocker as he should have been, given his physical gifts. Often had trouble locking onto a target when pulling and flew harmlessly past. Occasionally appeared to forget a play. Had a hard time with stunts early in the season, but made progress in that area.

"

Now, Thornton was certainly an enthusiastic blocker, and he had enough eye-popping blocks to keep you excited, but the overall product was lacking in 2013. 

In his sophomore season, Thornton won the right guard spot, as rookie Jack Mewhort took over at left guard. Thornton only played in nine games, however, as injuries forced him to miss a variety of contests throughout the year. 

Though Thornton did seem to improve in 2014, his consistency issues lingered on, perhaps impacted even more by his nagging injuries. He finished the season with a negative 6.7 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Now, it seems that Thornton is healthy, a key part of what he hopes will be his breakout season. Per Mike Wells of ESPN.com, he said:

"

Every year is huge. I’ve got to earn a spot on this roster. Ultimately I want to earn a spot playing. I’m a team guy. Whatever they need me to play, want me to play, I’ll play it to the best of my ability. Obviously injures are a huge part of the game. We’ve got some depth at offensive line now where we have a bunch of starters battling for one spot.

It’s frustrating. My goal last year, and anybody’s goal, is to play consistent, but when you’re physically unable it hinders your consistency on a week-to-week basis. The biggest thing is to stay healthy and focus on the fundamentals and do my job to the best of my abilities.

"

This is the difference for Thornton: His role in 2015 is a complete question mark.

He could win the starting job at left guard. He could be relegated to depth work, earning inconsistent snaps. He could be pushed even further down the depth chart, as utility lineman extraordinaire Joe Reitz and younger players (Ben Heenan) get more of a shot as depth.

So for Thornton, the make-or-break season starts with a crucial training camp, where he'll need to win the starting job. If Thornton can't beat out Lance Louis' corpse, and potentially the ever-sixth man Reitz, his career arc will quickly be shifting toward journeyman depth lineman, rather than career starter.

This is also critical for Indianapolis, which is a big reason why he should continue to get opportunities.

The team has Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort as long-term building blocks on the offensive line, pending Castonzo's re-signing and Mewhort's continued development.

The rest of the lineup, however, is a question mark. Todd Herremans struggled last year, and turns 33 in October. The center position is an open competition. Left guard is a battle between Thornton and Louis' 30-year-old, ACL-surgery-ridden body.

The Colts desperately need long-term options, especially if the team attempts to draft for defense in the coming years. The Colts have spent an inordinate amount of draft resources on offense in the last few seasons, and 2015 was the first sign of Ryan Grigson spending serious draft capital on the defensive side (and that was with drafting a receiver with the first pick). 

As the team tries to keep Andrew Luck healthy for his career, they'll need options to emerge on the line. If Thornton does so, it will allow the team to use more resources on the defensive side of the ball.

But it all starts in training camp.