Indianapolis Colts Roster 2018 Colts Roster

Will Luck Be Full Speed?

For the second consecutive season, the Indianapolis Colts entered their campaign with an operational mindset: winning without Luck. Andrew Luck spent his second season sidelined, continuing to rehab his slew of major injuries. The team posted a 4-12 record, with many holes to fill following the season. Their season was surrounded by experimentation with trial and error becoming the leading science behind their paltry record. This is the year that the team looks to rebound and rebuild upon internal relationships with the return of Andrew Luck.

Luck is finally returning to in-game competition levels. His mechanics, mental stability, and physical fitness levels were a past concern. He has regained and built upon these attributes and will finally see his first action in over two seasons. While this bit of news is a boost of confidence for the team, they still have a lot of work to do. The first is finding consistency within the offense. Head coach Chuck Pagano was fired this past season, opening the door for Frank Reich. Reich is the former offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that won the Super Bowl this past season. His level of expertise and game planning is something the team needs to uncover. The team is also without bell-cow back, Frank Gore. Gore left the team in the off-season, leaving a short-list on the depth chart. Marlon Mack is the projected starter. Mack has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but a running back's skill set is only as good as the offensive line he has protecting his lanes and holes.

Speaking to the offensive line, the team returns all of its starters from the past season. While these guys are being harped on pass protection to sans Luck of heavy pressures, they will need to add an element of run blocking to their repertoire. Most of Frank Gore's carries were plunges through the middle and involved heavy pushes. Marlon Mack has a game that revolves around getting to corners and bursting upfield. The pulling guards and tackles will have to work on footwork to make these lanes and field coverage an open area to work with. The team went heavy in the draft at the guard position, taking Quenton Nelson with the 6th overall pick. Nelson is an every-down player who will provide the necessary stamina needed to outlast his competition. Scouts have praised his footwork and run blocking capabilities, two attributes the team is happy to add to their talent list.

On defense, the team finished near the bottom of the league is most statistical categories. The team opted to create the biggest buzz at the linebacker position with the signing of Najee Goode and drafting Darius Leonard. Goode comes from an Eagles team that was stout in defending the run and limiting downfield pass plays. His coverage capabilities lend him to be a 5-tool player that is strong in the pass rush and solidified in the run game. Leonard is an instant plug-and-play talent. His position is that of a flex outside linebacker. His skill set mimics some of the qualities that Goode possesses, hosting a slightly stronger agility level. These two round out an improved core at the center of this defense. Most of the other additions to the defense were late-round draft picks or lesser known free-agent signings. The team has a little more talent to pull from on the defensive side of the ball heading into this season.