Indianapolis Colts: Breaking Down Final Roster and Week 1 Starters
Cut day has come and gone, and the Indianapolis Colts have made their final moves before the regular-season opener (unless they haven't).
Despite a few attention-grabbing cuts, the Colts ended the weekend with a rather balanced roster, picking up players to bolster a few of the positions that have been hit by injuries. It's obviously still an offensively balanced roster, and there will be issues defensively that must be worked out.
For now, however, we look ahead to Buffalo.
The Colts will visit Buffalo on Sunday, September 13, with a starting roster that seems to be set in stone. Barring future injuries, let's take a look at the who will be taking the trip to Western New York this weekend.
Quarterback
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Starter: Andrew Luck
Backup: Matt Hasselbeck
Has there ever been another young quarterback as anointed as Andrew Luck who has lived up to the hype at every turn?
Expected to be a franchise savior, Luck has done just that, turning a 2-14 team into annual division champions and Super Bowl contenders. Expected to lead, Luck has done that, owning his huddle and sideline in an uncanny way for a fourth-year player. Expected to put up great individual numbers, Luck has done that, leading the league in touchdowns in 2014 and setting the rookie record for passing yards in 2012.
Oh, and those pesky playoff wins that eluded former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning for so long? Luck already has three of those in his short career.
The expectations are at an all-time high for Luck entering 2015. The Colts have more talent around him than ever, with perhaps the most talented receiving corps in the league to go along with a pair of young tight ends and veteran rusher Frank Gore. The increased help has many media members predicting Luck to be the league's MVP.
Running Back
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Starter: Frank Gore
Depth: Josh Robinson, Vick Ballard, Tyler Varga
In one of the team's most high-profile offseason moves, the Colts signed veteran Frank Gore in an attempt to solidify the team's starting running back spot for the first time since 2011. With a more balanced rushing attack, the Colts hope that their offense will be a bit more difficult to slow down in January.
But there has to be some concern with Gore, who turned 32 this year and showed some signs of slowing down in San Francisco. That being said, the 49ers offense was a mess last season, and Gore still was able to rush for over 1,100 yards and 4.3 yards per carry.
While he may not reach those heights in Indianapolis, Gore should be able to hold down the starting job quite easily if his body allows. Throw in a more active role in the passing game and a huge increase in touchdown opportunities, and you get a player who most fantasy analysts are very excited for this season.
Behind Gore seems a bit thin since Dan Herron, his leading backup, was waived after hurting his shoulder in the final preseason game. If unclaimed, Herron will revert to the injured reserve list, but he won't be available until next season.
Rookie Josh Robinson has shown some exciting features, but also lacks the top-end speed to be a sure thing. Still, the Colts have to be pleased with what he showed, especially in comparison to the rest of the Colts backs this preseason.
If the Colts can count on Vick Ballard to be healthy, he could be a very useful utility running back, but the former fifth-round pick has struggled to stay healthy for an extended amount of time. That's what happens to bodies after missing consecutive seasons with lower-body injuries.
The final back to make the roster is undrafted free agent Tyler Varga, out of Yale. Varga showed a bit more elusiveness and creativity than last year's final back, Zurlon Tipton, both in running the ball and catching out of the backfield. With Herron's injury, Robinson's current concussion and Ballard's hamstring issues, Varga could be in line for a Week 1 role.
Wide Receiver
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Starters: T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson
Depth: Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Griff Whalen
The most talented receiving group in the NFL is led by two very different, but two extremely talented No. 1 receivers.
At least, Andre Johnson was a No. 1 at one point.
But here in Indianapolis, T.Y. Hilton is the first mouth to feed, and for good reason. Luck-to-Hilton has become one of the most lethal deep-ball combinations in the league, and it's one of the reasons Hilton signed a five-year extension a few weeks ago.
But limiting Hilton to stretching the field would be a disservice. One of the most impressive things about Hilton is how well he runs his routes, and any route on the route tree at that. With more impressive leaping ability than his size would indicate and hands that have become more consistent, Hilton gives the Colts a top option at the position on any given day.
While he's not the No. 1 receiver in Indianapolis, Andre Johnson has had a stellar career. Now, he hopes to add a Super Bowl title. To do that, the Colts need the veteran to own the middle portions of the field, to be the possession receiver that Reggie Wayne struggled to be last season. With a big frame and the ability to use it to his advantage, Johnson should be a catch machine in Indianapolis.
The depth for the Colts is best characterized as explosive.
Both second-year player Donte Moncrief and rookie Phillip Dorsett clocked in 4.4-second 40-yard dashes in the predraft process, and the two should help the Colts stretch the field when teams look to take away Hilton.
How the snaps shake out between the two young receivers will be one of the key themes of the first few games of the season. Both are talented, and both have different strengths.
Finally, former UDFA Griff Whalen made his way onto the roster yet again as a dependable slot receiver and special teamer, beating out former CFL receiver Duron Carter. While Whalen didn't possess Carter's upside, the Colts have plenty of upside in their receiving corps. A solid special teamer and someone who could fill in on the field at a moment's notice was more valuable in this case.
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Tight End
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Starters: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener
Depth: Jack Doyle
The biggest key for the Colts tight ends this season is consistency. For Dwayne Allen, it's staying on the field consistently, as injuries have severely hampered his production over the last two years. For Coby Fleener, it's consistency on the field as contested drops continued to plague him in 2014.
Both players have obvious talent, if in different areas.
Allen is a tremendous blocker, often asked to take on defensive linemen one-on-one in different blocking schemes. He also has great potential as a possession receiver, with strong hands and a history of using his body to his advantage.
Fleener, on the other hand, is a deep threat with speed that is too difficult for most linebackers to handle. But an ankle injury kept him out of the preseason, and he'll need to readjust quickly to be ready for Buffalo.
The third and final tight end is Jack Doyle, a blocking tight end with soft hands. He's not a prolific pass-catcher, but he's versatile enough to line up all over the field and can be utilized in the flats as a receiver.
Offensive Line
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Starters: Anthony Castonzo, Lance Louis, Khaled Holmes, Todd Herremans, Jack Mewhort
Depth: Joe Reitz, Hugh Thornton, Jonotthan Harrison, Robert Myers, Denzelle Good
The Colts offensive line is still filled with questions, even after an entire offseason of attempting to answer them.
Outside of Anthony Castonzo at left tackle, the line is a mystery. And if it's not a mystery, then it's an answer we're not particularly happy about. Each and every one of the interior linemen have struggled in the preseason, while Jack Mewhort has been up and down with several notable failures in pass protection.
Mewhort's play at right tackle may be what influences the offensive line outlook the most. If he plays well, the Colts will be able to pass protect just fine, the biggest key in a high-flying offense such as this. If he does not, however, the Colts' downfield passing could be seriously threatened by the opposing pass rush.
The depth on the offensive line is filled with young players hoping to carve out new roles for themselves. Hugh Thornton and Jonotthan Harrison were both starters at one point, but have been demoted for a number of reasons. Joe Reitz, meanwhile, has been the Colts' utility lineman for some time now and is an excellent fill-in at guard, albeit a mediocre one at tackle.
The two rookies, Denzelle Good and Robert Myers, are the most intriguing, however. Myers is a technically savvy guard from Tennessee State that was cut by the Baltimore Ravens during final cuts after being a fifth-round pick this spring. Myers is a bit limited in space, but works well in the confines of the line and could potentially be a future starter.
The Colts' seventh-round pick this season, Good looked good at tackle during the preseason, an important development considering the Colts' lack of depth at the position. If he could eventually slide in for Mewhort at right tackle, the Colts would be in good shape.
Defensive Line
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Starters: Kendall Langford, David Parry, Henry Anderson
Depth: Earl Okine, Zach Kerr, T.Y. McGill
The Colts defensive line looks very different than what most predicted this offseason due to both cuts and injuries.
Arthur Jones is the biggest loss after being put on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury late last week, ensuring that he would be lost for the season. Jones was projected to be the Colts' leader on the line, both on and off the field.
Josh Chapman, the projected starter at nose tackle just a few weeks ago, was one of the team's cuts on the final day—shocking considering the lack of true nose tackles on the team. Depth defensive tackle Montori Hughes was also cut in another surprising move.
Replacing the lost starters on the line are rookies David Parry and Henry Anderson, a pair of Stanford players who looked good during the preseason. Both are talented, although the lack of bulk in the middle to stand up at the point of attack is concerning.
The depth is an interesting mix.
Zach Kerr was a former UDFA who has made the roster for the second consecutive year. He's versatile and very big, perhaps shoring up that interior in bigger fronts. Earl Okine flashed consistently in the preseason, and the former Fall Experimental Football League product could help fill in for Jones.
Inside Linebacker
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Starters: Jerrell Freeman, D'Qwell Jackson
Depth: Sio Moore, Nate Irving
The Colts linebackers have not been a particular strength in recent years, and that's putting it nicely. Astute observers will notice that the linebackers were more at fault than the defensive line in the team's breakdowns against New England last year.
Jerrell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson return as starters, with Freeman being the versatile, quick linebacker who sometimes struggles to get off blocks while Jackson brings a smart, stout run defender to the mix, although his lack of speed gets him in trouble at times.
While the Colts didn't make any wholesale changes in the starting lineup, the team did bring in a couple of high-profile depth pieces that could push for playing time or, at the very least, provide options for the future.
It started with the signing of Nate Irving out of Denver. Irving had a knee injury last year that cut his season short, and he's been recovering from that for most of the preseason. He did play a few snaps in the final game, and could push Jackson for playing time as the run-stuffer if the veteran struggles.
The Colts caught a few people's attention with a trade for former third-round pick Sio Moore out of Oakland, giving up a 2016 sixth-round pick for the third-year player. Moore has shown an ability to succeed in the NFL, having stood out as a rookie in 2013 before injuries plagued his 2014 season.
The new coaching staff in Oakland didn't feel that he was a fit, but if Moore can get back to 2013 levels of play, the Colts' linebacker position will be much improved.
Outside Linebacker
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Starters: Trent Cole, Erik Walden
Depth: Robert Mathis, Jonathan Newsome, Bjoern Werner
The Colts have done everything they can to bring talent in at the outside linebacker position under general manager Ryan Grigson, but the 2015 options still don't inspire confidence.
The team re-signed Robert Mathis back in 2012, spent significant free-agent dollars on Trent Cole and Erik Walden and drafted Bjoern Werner and Jonathan Newsome in the first and fifth round, respectively.
But as the season approaches, one still has to wonder whether the group will provide enough pass rush to have an effect on defense.
Walden has looked surprisingly powerful and quick in pass rush this preseason, while Cole still has some of his old tricks up his sleeve. But Mathis hasn't played and the two young players have shown very little this preseason.
It's really a shame that Werner and Newsome haven't shown signs of development. Newsome in particular showed a lot of promise last season and is the best hope for future pass rush on the roster.
Cornerback
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Starters: Vontae Davis, Greg Toler
Depth: Darius Butler, D'Joun Smith, Jalil Brown, Sheldon Price
The Colts kept six cornerbacks for the first time in several years this season, partly because of the injury to Greg Toler in Week 2 of the preseason. The neck injury has kept Toler from practicing at all, and the timetable is a bit fuzzy.
The other two main cornerbacks are Vontae Davis and Darius Butler, closing out the starting three that has been in Indianapolis for three consecutive years now. Davis was highlighted as one of the position's elite last season, locking down the left side of the field each and every game. Butler, meanwhile, had a bit of a disappointing year, but has been one of the league's best slot corners at times over the last two seasons.
Drafted in the third round this year, rookie D'Joun Smith is someone the Colts are very interested in investing in, even if his preseason and training camp was a bit rougher than he hoped. Smith was roasted throughout camp, but he is growing and still projects to be one of the team's top four or five cornerbacks.
Jalil Brown and Sheldon Price were in the Colts' building last season, but have mostly been practice squad guys. Brown in particular was impressive in August, and could get on the field ahead of Smith this season.
Safety
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Starters: Mike Adams, Dwight Lowery
Depth: Clayton Geathers, Colt Anderson, Winston Guy
The combination of veterans Mike Adams and Dwight Lowery in the starting lineup does not mark the best safety combination in Colts history, but it does seem to be the most reliable in the last six or seven years.
Adams is always in the right place at the right time and is a sound tackler, while Lowery plays up in the box well. Both, however, can rotate between box and deep safety if need be. Adams probably won't make the Pro Bowl again this year, but both he and Lowery are there to be dependable last lines of the defense, not be Ed Reed.
The Colts' depth safeties are more about special teams than defensive play, especially Colt Anderson and Winston Guy, but there is a bright spot in rookie Clayton Geathers.
Geathers impressed coaches way back in minicamp, and the fourth-round pick was inserted into first-team defenses as a dime linebacker throughout the preseason. While there is some refining that must be done there, Geathers plays with an energy and aggressiveness that has been missing from Colts safeties. If he continues to develop, he could be a long-term starter in Indianapolis.
Special Teams
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Kicker: Adam Vinatieri
Punter: Pat McAfee
Long Snapper: Matt Overton
Same old, same old.
The Colts are returning with the same pair of kickers since McAfee was drafted back in 2009, and Matt Overton has been long snapping for the last three seasons.
It's one of the most dependable groups in the league, and a big reason why the Colts special teams was eighth in the league last season, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.
If the Colts can get their return units up to speed, the team's special teams could crack the top five this season.
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