Record: 8-8
Offense: 321.4 YPG (28th), 20.8 PPG (24h)
Defense: 379.1 YPG (26th), 25.5 (25th)
The Colts were 1 of the worst 8-8 teams I’ve ever seen in my life. If you just look at the numbers and the roster, it’s a miracle they weren’t 4-12. The Colts weren’t impressive on either side of the ball. Offensively, injuries to Luck derailed the Colts, but even before he got hurt, the league’s now highest-paid player was stinking up the joint himself. The running game wasn’t that good as Frank Gore appears to be nearing the end of his career. TY Hilton played well, Donte Moncrief showed flashes, and Fleener did some good things, but ultimately the QB play was just too poor to take advantage of all the weapons they had. Defensively, things weren’t much better in Indy.
Offseason:
Key Acquisitions: CB. Patrick Robinson
Key Loses: LB. Jerrell Freeman, S. Dwight Lowery
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(18) | Ryan Kelly | C | Alabama |
| 2(26) | T.J. Green | S | Clemson |
| 3(19) | Le’Raven Clark | OT | Texas Tech |
| 4(18) | Hassan Ridgeway | DT | Texas |
| 4(27) | Antonio Morrison | OLB | Florida |
| 5(16) | Joe Haeg | OT | North Dakota State |
| 7(18) | Trevor Bates | OLB | Maine |
| 7(27) | Austin Blythe | C | Iowa |
Coaching Staff
HC: Chuck Pagano
OC: Rob Chudzinski
DC: Ted Monachino
ST: Tom McMahon
Projected Depth Chart
Offense
QB. Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien
RB. Frank Gore, Robert Turbin
WR. TY Hilton, Quan Bray
WR. Donte Moncrief, Josh Boyce
WR. Phillip Dorsett
TE. Dwayne Allen, Erik Swoope,
LT. Anthony Castonzo, Le’Raven Clark
LG. Jack Mewhort, Hugh Thornton
C. Ryan Kelly, Austin Blythe
RG. Jonotthan Harrison, Denzell Good
RT. Joe Reitz, Joe Haeg
Defense
DE. Kendall Langford, Henry Anderson
NT. Daivd Perry, Zach Kerr
DE. Arthur Jones, Hassan Ridgeway
OLB. Robert Mathis, Erick Walden
MLB. D’Qwell Jackson, Sio Moore
MLB. Nate Irving, Amarlo Herrera
OLB. Trent Cole, Trevor Bates
CB. Vontae Davis, D’Joun Smith
SS. Mike Adams, Dezmen Southward
FS. TJ Green, Winston Guy
CB. Patrick Robinson, Jalil Brown
NB. Darius Butler
Special Teams
K. Adam Vinatieri
P. Pat McAfee
Offense:
The Colts were not very good offensively in 2015 and all they would need to show much improvement in 2016 is improved health in their franchise QB Andrew Luck. But if the Colts want to actually make some noise or even make the playoffs, they are going to need Luck to play at a Pro Bowl level. How well Luck will or won’t play, or even if he can stay healthy at all, will have a lot to do with the Indianapolis O-Line. They were a below average bunch last year, but could improve this season with the addition of potential stud Ryan Kelly, who was the teams 1st-round pick this year. The left side of the line is where the strength of this unit resides. Jack Mewhort is the best player of this bunch and will hold down the LG position. Next to him at LT is Anthony Costanzo who had a bit of a down year, but is still 1 of the better players at the position. The question marks are on the right side of the line. The RG and RT positions are both up for grabs at the moment and those 2 spots could be a real hindrance for this team. The receiving options are there for the Colts, who are just loaded with speed. TY Hilton is 1 of the best deep threats in the game, Moncrief is a developing talent that could emerge as a star this season, and 2nd-year player Dorsett in the slot also has a ton of speed. The team elected to let tight end Coby Fleener walk in free agency and opted to give Dwyane Allen a long term deal, who isn’t quite as good receiving, but much better as a blocker. In the backfield, the Colts have no RBs that I feel are qualified to be feature backs in the NFL. Frank Gore at best should be a backup at this point of his career. Ultimately, what the Colts are offensively will come down to what Luck is or if he’s on the field. Much like the Cowboys go as Romo goes, the Colts will go as Luck goes.
Defense:
The Colts might be better offensively, but I actually think they’re gonna be worse defensively. There just aren’t enough impact players on this defense. I like Kendall Langford, who starts at DE, and he’s a good player but when he’s potentially 1 of your top 3 players on your defense, you simply have a lack of talent. Langford is joined by 2nd-year player David Perry in the middle at nose and Arthur Jones at the other end to form their 3 man front. Both are only 1 dimensional players that only really impact the run game and neither of them are necessarily great at that. The linebacking group took a big hit losing Freeman to free agency. D’Qwell Jackson remains as the best of this bunch and is a tackle machine but also mediocre in coverage. Joining him in the middle is Nate Irving who was a backup last season. He’s a decent player, but not a difference maker. On the edges, the Colts will most likely have a rotating trio of 2 old declining pass rushers in Robert Mathis, Trent Cole, and Erik Walden, who’s never been that good of player and is best suited in a reserve role. The Colts are hoping to be a lot better in the secondary just with improved health of Vontae Davis, who before this past season was seen as 1 of the top 5-10 corners in the NFL. Opposite him at the other corner spot will be former Charger and the only significant free agent signing they made, Patrick Robinson, who is a solid player. At safety, veteran Mike Adams returns at strong safety who had 5 interceptions a year ago. 2nd-round pick T.J. Green looks to replace Dwight Lowery at the other safety spot who left in free agency. Green has a lot of promise at 6’2, 210 with athleticism. Overall, Unless Vontae Davis is elite again and Mathis and Trent Cole can fight off father time the Colts will struggle defensively in 2016.
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