Category: Colts Wire Features

Colts’ 2023 rookie review: DT Adetomiwa Adebawore

Reviewing the rookie season of Adetomiwa Adebawore.

The Indianapolis Colts rookie class from the 2023 season had plenty of ups and downs throughout what was an encouraging campaign from the organization as a whole.

With their first season now behind them, it’s time to take a quick look back at how they performed and where they may be headed in the future. In our rookie review series, we’ll be taking a look at each 2023 draft pick currently still with the team.

Here are the rookie seasons we’ve reviewed thus far:

Now, it’s time to review the rookie season for defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore, who was selected with the No. 110 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Is Mo Alie-Cox a cut candidate for the Colts?

PFF listed Mo Alie-Cox as a cut candidate.

As the new offseason arrives, conversations regarding what the Indianapolis Colts should do range from free agency targets, potential draft selections and players seemingly on the chopping block.

Given that the Colts are in fantastic standing with the salary cap, there is little reason for the front office to cut bait with players simply to save money.

As Pro Football Focus looked for potential cut candidates for every team across the NFL, one player stood out for the Colts.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: TE MO ALIE-COX

Salary Cap Details: $0 dead money, $5,920,000 cap savings

The Colts have a stable of young tight ends, and Alie-Cox’s role has diminished a bit as his pay has increased entering the final year of his deal signed in 2022.

Alie-Cox is still a quality jump ball target in the red zone, with three of his 13 receptions in 2023 going for touchdowns. In addition, the 6-foot-5, 267-pounder is an asset in the blocking game. Nonetheless, with a bunch of recent draft picks and a lot of savings here, perhaps this contract is adjusted heading into 2024.

While the Colts would save nearly $6 million in salary-cap space by releasing Alie-Cox, there isn’t a huge need to make a move right now. There likely isn’t a need to make a move even after the 2024 NFL draft.

Alie-Cox was given the keys as the starting tight end following Jack Doyle’s retirement in 2022. He’s in the final year of the three-year deal he signed that offseason.

The issue is that Alie-Cox hasn’t developed into the type of impact player the Colts are paying him to be. He’s still a decent starter because his blocking abilities give him an edge in the tight end room, but if the Colts can find a true Y tight end, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them cut bait.

It’s unlikely a move will happen without a reason behind it, but this will be something to keep in the back of our minds over the course of the offseason.

[lawrence-related id=94295,94287,94285]

Colts’ 2023 rookie review: OT Blake Freeland

Reviewing Blake Freeland’s rookie season.

The Indianapolis Colts rookie class from the 2023 season had plenty of ups and downs throughout what was an encouraging campaign from the organization as a whole.

With their first season now behind them, it’s time to take a quick look back at how they performed and where they may be headed in the future. In our rookie review series, we’ll be taking a look at each 2023 draft pick currently still with the team.

Here are the rookie seasons we’ve reviewed thus far:

Now, it’s time to review the rookie season for offensive tackle Blake Freeland, who was selected with the No. 106 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Colts’ 2023 rookie review: WR Josh Downs

Reviewing Josh Downs’ rookie season.

The Indianapolis Colts rookie class from the 2023 season had plenty of ups and downs throughout what was an encouraging campaign from the organization as a whole.

With their first season now behind them, it’s time to take a quick look back at how they performed and where they may be headed in the future. In our rookie review series, we’ll be taking a look at each 2023 draft pick currently still with the team.

We’ve already reviewed the rookie seasons for quarterback Anthony Richardson and cornerback Julius Brents thus far.

Now, it’s time to review the rookie season for wide receiver Josh Downs, who was selected with the No. 79 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Biggest surprises from Colts’ 2023 season

The biggest surprises from the Colts’ 2023 season.

The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for a vital offseason that can help further the development of a young roster, but there were plenty of surprises that hit the organization in 2023.

From the turnaround of the offensive line under Tony Sparano to the release of Shaquille Leonard, here are the biggest surprises from the 2023 season for the Colts.

5 moves the Colts should make to get back to the playoffs in 2024

How the Colts can get back into the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons with narrow misses coming in two of them.

The last time the Colts were in the playoffs, Philip Rivers was the quarterback and Frank Reich was about to sign an extension as the head coach at the time.

Now, the Colts have a hopeful future led by young quarterback Anthony Richardson and head coach Shane Steichen. They missed out on the playoffs by one game in 2023, and the AFC South is now loaded with competition from the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Getting back to the playoffs is not an easy task. Here are X moves they can make this offseason to get back to the postseason to end this mini drought:

Colts’ 2023 rookie review: CB Julius Brents

Reviewing the rookie season for Colts CB Julius Brents.

The Indianapolis Colts rookie class from the 2023 season had plenty of ups and downs throughout what was an encouraging campaign from the organization as a whole.

With their first season now behind them, it’s time to take a quick look back at how they performed and where they may be headed in the future. In our rookie review series, we’ll be taking a look at each 2023 draft pick currently still with the team.

We started this series reviewing the rookie season for quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Now, it’s time to review the rookie season for cornerback Julius Brents, who was selected with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Colts among teams ‘best set up for the future’

PFF sees a bright future for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts find themselves in a position to build off a surprisingly solid season despite many things going against them.

Now, they enter the 2024 offseason with a lot of salary-cap space and a young quarterback who will look to take the next step after his rookie season was cut short due to injury.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Colts are among the five teams that are best set up for the future.

4. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ($58.9M IN CAP SPACE)

The Colts don’t have quite as much cap room as the Titans, but given where quarterback Anthony Richardson was selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, they will be confident that they have the position figured out for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps they will look to make a splash on defense and add an impact defender like cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who earned a 71.1 PFF grade with the Kansas City Chiefs this past regular season. But the biggest advantage of having so much cap room is that they can place the franchise tag on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. as they look to keep him around long term.

Re-signing Pittman is the first piece of action the Colts must take. Signing him to an extension would be ideal, but they also have the franchise tag in their back pocket if they need it.

Adding more explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball is necessary this offseason to help further the development of Anthony Richardson.

On the defensive side of the ball, adding to the cornerback room will help with the depth concerns. Whether they go after a big fish like Sneed remains to be seen because Ballard rarely spends up in free agency.

Regardless, the Colts have a solid foundation to build off going into the offseason, and it should be interesting to see how they go about things given they know who their quarterback is.

[lawrence-related id=94190,94188,94186]

Colts’ Anthony Richardson resumes throwing: How Twitter reacted

QB1 resumed throwing. Here are the reactions.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson began throwing again months after his rookie campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury.

Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder that required season-ending surgery during the Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans.

The former No. 4 overall pick underwent surgery in October and appears to be right on track with his rehab program.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the news that the Colts’ QB1 began throwing again:

Bleacher Reports suggests Colts trade for Bills star WR

B/R makes a trade proposal sending Stefon Diggs to Indy.

The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear they look forward to using the 2024 offseason in order to add more explosiveness to the offensive side of the ball.

There are many ways to do so, and the likely scenario involves the Colts adding talent through the mid-tier of free agency and throughout the 2024 NFL draft. However, the fun part about the offseason is the many suggestions made about how teams can improve.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay had a trade proposal for the Colts that involved shipping their first-round pick in exchange for Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Indianapolis Colts receive: WR Stefon Diggs

Buffalo Bills receive: 2024 first-rounder (No. 15 overall) and 2024 fourth-rounder (No. 149 overall)

With Michael Pittman Jr. hitting free agency and due for a major contract extension, the Colts may want to have a contingency plan in place via a Diggs trade in case their incumbent No. 1 receiver walks.

Even if Pittman remains in Indy, pairing him with Diggs would greatly elevate a passing attack that averaged just 215.6 yards per game and scored only 18 touchdowns through the air in 2023.

Third-round wideout Josh Downs flashed some potential—tallying 68 receptions for 771 yards and two scores in his rookie season—while 2022 second-rounder Alec Pierce had another pedestrian campaign and hasn’t lived up to his billing. No other Colts wideout had more than 11 catches or 82 receiving yards last season.

Diggs would be a major upgrade for this group and should be attainable as long as Indy’s brass is willing to part with a first-rounder and potentially toss in an early Day 3 pick to sweeten the deal. He’s coming off his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season and has made four-straight Pro Bowls, showing no signs of slowing down despite being on the wrong side of 30.

With quarterback Anthony Richardson set to return, this all-in move for Diggs could be well worth it. If everything goes to plan, the trade would lift a unit that narrowly missed the playoffs up to legitimate contending status.

Of course, a lot would have to happen in order for this deal to be done. That’s what the offseason is for, though.

Pittman should be expected to return either with a new contract or on the franchise tag. Pairing him with Diggs on the other side would be lethal in Shane Steichen’s offense even if Diggs is prone to the occasional sideline outburst.

Convincing Chris Ballard to part ways with a first-round pick is difficult enough. The contract Diggs currently has is another point of contention. Diggs still has three years left on his current deal with salary-cap hits of $27.4, $28.5 and $22.5 million over the next three years, respectively.

Those numbers aren’t terrible, but they certainly are among the league’s highest at the wide receiver position. Having a quarterback on a rookie contract does give the team much more flexibility in these cases, though.

A deal like this is unlikely to happen. The Colts probably prefer to keep the No. 15 overall pick for the chance to grab a playmaker on their side of the ball.

Still, the idea of Diggs and Pittman lining up as the 1-2 punch for Richardson is still a fun idea in a vacuum.

What do you say Colts fans? Is this a trade you would make?

[lawrence-related id=94077,94075,94068]