Tag: Anthony Richardson

CBS Sports ranks Anthony Richardson among QBs from 5 draft classes

Anthony Richardson was a top-five pick in the 2023 draft, but how does he compare to other quarterbacks drafted over the past five years.

The quarterback position is usually the most talked about during any draft cycle, and with Caleb Williams dominating the headlines ahead of the 2024 draft, CBS Sports is ranking the five most recent QB classes — including this year’s group.

Florida fans only care about the two Gators quarterbacks drafted over the past five years — Anthony Richardson and Kyle Trask — so we’ll cut to the chase. Richardson is ranked No. 13 by writer Chris Trapasso and Trask didn’t make the list as a depth player in Tampa.

Richardson might have more talent than his ranking on this list suggests, but Trapasso notes that he’s hurt by playing in just three games before getting injured as a rookie.

“Richardson probably gets an artificial boost because he hasn’t played, and sometimes not playing is better than playing for the reputation of NFL quarterbacks,” Trapasso wrote. “But this was my QB1 in the 2023 draft, ever-so-slightly ahead of C.J. Stroud. We saw Richardson for 2.5 games, and, after his season-ending shoulder injury, his head coach Shane Steichen nearly got a Gardner Minshew-led Colts club to the playoffs.”

There is plenty of optimism surrounding Richardson, but a weak receiver corps makes for a tough comeback from injury. Trapasso suggests addressing that concern in the draft, but the Colts could go in a different direction.

QBs drafted better than Richardson

Joe Burrow (Bengals), Jordan Love (Packers) and C.J. Stroud (Texans) make for a strong top three, but there’s a surprise in North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 4. Caleb Williams will go first overall in this upcoming draft, but Maye might have more talent. Trapasso seems to think so. Rounding out the top five is Justin Herbert of the Chargers.

The rest of the list can be found here.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Colts’ Anthony Richardson expected to be ready for spring workouts

Anthony Richardson should be ready for the spring workout program.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is expected to be ready to participate in the spring workouts when they begin during mid-April.

Speaking to the media at the league’s annual owners meeting Monday, head coach Shane Steichen provided a positive update as it pertains to Richardson’s progress.

“I think he’ll be good to go for spring practice,” Steichen said Monday via IndyStar. “Obviously, we’ve got to limit it and monitor it and don’t go overboard, but I couldn’t be more excited to get him back going again.”

Richardson has been working through a throwing program for the better part of the last 1.5 months. He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in October following a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.

The ceiling of the Colts in 2024 largely orbits what kind of player they get in Richardson. He showed a lot of promise during the early part of his rookie season both as a runner and a passer.

What Richardson brings in terms of upside is something the Colts are rallying behind. Though they haven’t made many outside additions to the roster, Richardson’s return can bring an immediate boost if he stays healthy.

From what Steichen saw during the limited sample size in 2023, the excitement is only going to build as the months pass.

“He made some plays that I’ve never seen guys make,” Steichen said. “To get him back going in training camp and to get him through a full season, I couldn’t be more excited about that.”

The Colts can begin Phase 1 of the offseason workout program on April 15 and even though the on-field work won’t arrive until Phase 2.

[lawrence-related id=95142,95140,95131]

Colts HC provides update on Anthony Richardson’s rehab

Anthony Richardson is ‘making great progress’

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery that claimed the majority of his rookie season, and the updates seem all positive.

After missing the typical press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine due to an illness, head coach Shane Steichen met with the media Tuesday in order to make up for the absence.

Without going into great detail, as expected, Steichen offered some positive news on Richardson’s rehab program.

“He’s been doing a little bit of both. He’s been here (Indy), he’s been in Florida doing his rehab. But he’s making great progress. You guys have seen obviously through social media, he’s throwing,” Steichen said. “I’m not going to put a timetable on his return, but he’s in great spirits, feeling good. Obviously, going through stuff but he’s making really, really good progress.”

Whether Richardson will be ready for the start of the spring workouts in April remains to be seen. Steichen offered some hope that could be the case during the 2023 regular season, but a lot of time has passed since then.

The No. 4 overall pick from last year’s draft showed immense promise both as a passer and a runner despite the small sample size. He’s far from a finished product, but the fact that he didn’t look overwhelmed in the slightest is extremely encouraging.

The likelihood of having a strong supporting cast around him increased this week as well. The Colts used the franchise tag on top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. with the expectation of signing a long-term deal.

“When you have a reliable player like Pitt (Michael Pittman Jr.) that is going to show up every Sunday and make plays like he does, it definitely helps a young quarterback,” said SteichenTo keep getting that chemistry with those two guys, building, will be huge for Anthony’s (Richardson) growth.”

The Colts won’t begin spring workouts until the middle of April, and the on-field work doesn’t come until after the 2024 NFL draft.

But it all seems positive for Richardson as he continues his rehab work ahead of a crucial second season.

[lawrence-related id=94668,94673,94667]

Colts’ 2023 draft class ranked near bottom by CBS Sports

CBS Sports ranked the Colts’ 2023 draft class near the bottom of the league.

The Indianapolis Colts came out of the 2023 NFL draft with their biggest haul of the Chris Ballard era, which included several high-potential players at positions of need.

While there is still much promise surrounding the class, the 12-player draft haul didn’t have as big of an impact due to the amount of injuries that hit the group of rookies.

That is largely why CBS Sports had the Colts at No. 25 in their ranking of the 2023 draft classes across the league.

Year 1 hits: WR Josh Downs

Downs was a spark underneath for Gardner Minshew with 68 snags for 771 yards with two scores. JuJu Brents was average at his very best at corner, and fifth-round tight end Will Mallory turned in 18 receptions for 202 yards. Other than that, the Colts did not get much impact from the rest of their huge, 12-pick class. Of course Anthony Richardson waits to return from an early-season shoulder injury.

When it was all said and done, the Colts wound up selecting 12 players in the 2023 draft. Before they entered the regular season, three of those selections suffered season-ending injuries.

Safety Daniel Scott tore his ACL in OTAs, offensive tackle Jake Witt suffered a hip injury that placed him on season-ending injured reserve in August and edge rusher Titus Leo suffered an undisclosed knee injury that forced him to spend the entire season on the injured reserve list at the time of roster cuts.

Then, running back Evan Hull suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Cornerback Julius Brents missed the entire spring workouts due to wrist surgery and didn’t make his season debut until Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson missed 1.5 games due to a concussion and then suffered the season-ending shoulder injury while Josh Downs picked up a knee injury halfway through the season that clearly limited his play during the second half.

It was a tough break to see so many rookies deal with injuries, especially given how vital it is for Day 3 picks to get their careers off to hot starts.

Regardless, it will be an important season for the majority of the class in Year 2 as they all look to prove these injuries won’t hinder their development.

[lawrence-related id=94201,94203,94197]

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.

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]

Colin Cowherd snubs Dolphins in 2024 playoff picks

Talking head thinks Dolphins will miss the playoffs in 2024.

The 2023 NFL season just ended last weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs claiming their third Lombardi Trophy in the last five years with their win over the San Francisco 49ers.

In just his second season as Miami Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel got his team to the postseason for the second year in a row, a feat that no Dolphins coach had achieved since Dave Wannstedt did so in 2000 and 2001.

Despite that fact, some believe that Miami will miss the cut next year.

On his FOX Sports show “The Herd,” Colin Cowherd spent time this week projecting who will make the playoffs next season, and the Dolphins weren’t one of the seven teams that he named. His picks included the Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers.

In fact, Cowherd gave a reason for his line of thinking.

“Nothing against Miami, but Tua was completely healthy this year,” Cowherd said. “Think that’s going to happen again next [year]?”

Cowherd is correct that 2023 was the first season that Tagovailoa played all 17 regular-season contest and their lone postseason game. With him under center, the Dolphins finished the year with an 11-6 record and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions. Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards and set career highs in yards, touchdowns and completion percentage.

Going against Cowherd is that when Miami made the playoffs in 2022, just a year ago, Tagovailoa dealt with multiple concussions that kept him out of a number of games, including the team’s playoff loss to the Bills.

There’s so much that can and will change by the time the playoffs come around in 11 months, but if the Dolphins go into the year with the exact same roster that they did in 2023, they’d be better set up for success if Tagovailoa were to go down. Mike White, who is the presumed backup, has experience in the system, unlike Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson, who were asked to lead the team down the stretch in 2022.

McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier have done a great job of putting talent around their starting quarterback and he certainly excels in that role, but even if he were to get hurt again in 2024, they should be able to keep moving forward until Tagovailoa is ready to go again.

And, more than that, having the Bengals and Colts in the playoffs and keeping Miami out because of quarterback health doesn’t make much sense.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson missed most of his rookie season with a torn ACL. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who was taken in the same draft as Tagovailoa, suffered a torn ACL in his rookie season and missed seven games due to a wrist injury in 2023.

It doesn’t make much sense to pick and choose.

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:

WATCH: Colts’ Anthony Richardson throwing footballs

He’s back.

Sound the alarms. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has resumed throwing.

The second-year quarterback continues to rehab his throwing shoulder following season-ending surgery to repair a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, which he suffered during the Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans.

Richardson posted earlier this week that he would begin throwing soon, and it seems that time has come.

Though there is still a long way to go, it’s encouraging that Richardson seemingly hasn’t suffered any setbacks. Beginning a throwing program in February may put him on track to participate in the spring workouts, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Richardson showed off his dual-threat ability during the first month of his rookie season and even proved his abilities as a passer are much further developed than initially thought when he was drafted No. 4 overall in 2023.

Richardson also showed some incredible poise in the pocket and command of the huddle despite his lack of experience as a starter entering the league.

We’ll see how Richardson progresses with his throwing program, but this should get Colts fans excited as the offseason truly begins.

[lawrence-related id=94110,94108,94073]

Colts are middle of the pack in ESPN’s way-too-early 2024 power rankings

A middling ranking for the Colts by ESPN.

The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2024 offseason looking to build off an impressive campaign after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot in the first year under head coach Shane Steichen.

There is a lot more optimism about the direction of the franchise compared to this time last year as it’s clear they have a strong leader at the front of the line. Though some questions remain, the outlook of the team is more positive than not.

In ESPN’s way-too-early 2024 power rankings, the Colts find themselves right in the middle of the pack.

15. Indianapolis Colts

2023 record: 9-8

Offseason in three words: Down to business

The Colts showed they have the ability to compete for a division title now, and not later, with a surprising nine-win season. So with the expected return of Anthony Richardson at quarterback, and with a roster that fell just one win shy of the AFC South crown, it’s time for the Colts to bolster their weaknesses with the goal of taking the next step. This is also not the time to take chances with their key free agents, like WR Michael Pittman Jr ., CB Kenny Moore II and NT Grover Stewart — each of whom is vital to their future success. — Stephen Holder

It will be interesting to see what the offseason has in store for the Colts. Re-signing some key free agents will be the top priority before the new league year arrives, and then there is the matter of the 2024 NFL draft.

The encouraging aspect of this offseason is the fact that we don’t have to spend most of the time discussing who the quarterback will be. Of course, Anthony Richardson is still working his way back from season-ending shoulder surgery, but we know he’s the man once all systems are going.

Considering how competitive they were without the upside that Richardson brings, it’s certainly possible the Colts outperform this ranking by the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, around the division, the Houston Texans (No. 9) led the way followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 14) and Tennessee Titans (No. 26).

[lawrence-related id=94073,94083,94080]