Now that the 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone, it’s time to look deeper into the roster construction for the Indianapolis Colts going into the rest of the offseason.
[lawrence-related id=43692]
In the draft, Chris Ballard and Co. addressed a lot of needs at wide receiver, offensive line depth, potential future at quarterback and depth at safety. But there are still some holes on the roster for the team to figure out.
Here are some of the Colts’ remaining needs as they head into what should be an interesting offseason:
Future at OT
Anthony Castonzo re-signed with the Colts in late-February to a two-year deal. While the immediate need is filled, there still is a question if Castonzo will continue to play when this contract runs up—he will be 33 at the end of the contract. He’s still in the prime of his career but has already started to think about retirement.
As of now, the Colts currently have long-time backup Le’Raven Clark on the roster, but he hasn’t had his best reps when filling in for Castonzo. Indianapolis had two picks in the top 50 in the draft, and there were plenty of good prospects available with their picks but didn’t like any of them. The Colts will have to find the successor to Castonzo here soon.
Vertical threat TE
Currently, the Colts have Jack Doyle, Trey Burton, Mo Alie-Cox and Billy Brown in their tight end room. Doyle isn’t getting any younger (29), Burton is on a one-year deal, Alie-Cox hasn’t broken through yet and Brown has limited NFL experience. There is a need to find a player at tight end that can stretch the field, a lot like what Eric Ebron did for the Colts the past two seasons.
Going into 2020, the guess is Burton will get the early TE2 role and be expected to be the vertical threat in the room but over the past two years, Burton has unperformed and dealt with injuries. The tight end class wasn’t anything to drool over, but there were some interesting prospects that could’ve been taken in the later rounds. If Burton plays well in his reunion with Frank Reich, then the problem might be solved but as of now, there’s a need there.
Edge-setting defensive end
Over the past three seasons, Jabaal Sheard held the role of being the run-stopping edge player for the Colts. Now that Sheard is older and no longer with the Colts, that leaves an open spot for someone to take the starting role.
The right defensive end mans the defense on run downs, this player will play a lot on first and second down, and won’t be asked to be a rusher like Justin Houston or Kemoko Turay, but could be a threat. Guys like Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ben Banogu, and Denico Autry will all have an open competition for that spot come training camp.
[lawrence-related id=43679,43667]