Tag: Isaiah McKenzie

6 most intriguing position battles to watch at Colts’ OTAs

Taking a look at the most intriguing position battles as the Colts begin OTAs.

The offseason program for the Indianapolis Colts kicked off last month and continues with organized team activities (OTAs) this week.

These activities happen in three phases (May 23-25, May 31-June 2, and June 5-8) and will consist of in-person meetings and dedicated classroom teaching designed to help players improve during the offseason.

It’s also significant because it marks the first time the Colts can run drills between the offense and defense even though no pads or contact are permitted.

As the players reconvene, the evaluation process of the roster begins. It’s a critical time for a young team such as the Colts.

Here are the most intriguing position battles to watch at Colts’ OTAs:

1 player at each position to watch at Colts OTAs

Keep an eye on these Colts as OTAs begin this week.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to begin organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, marking the first time this offseason the entire roster will be on the field competing against each other.

While there will be no pads worn or contact permitted, we will get a glimpse of some 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills throughout the 10 OTA sessions through the middle of June. The same will be said during veteran minicamp, which caps the end of spring practices.

With OTAs set to begin, here’s a look at one player at each position to watch for the Colts:

4 veteran Colts whose jobs could be in jeopardy in 2023

Here are four Colts whose jobs are in jeopardy after the 2023 NFL draft.

Competition. A word that from the beginning in his introductory press conference in early 2017, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has preached.

Ballard has always preached adding competition to the roster even if it means putting pressure on the projected starters in the lineup.

“It’s real important, and look, I’ve had it both ways where we’ve had guys make it and some years we don’t… but it’s very important. Look, the undrafted guys are, in my mind, no different than a draft pick. They’re going to get the same opportunity, and if they win the job, then we’ll move on from the other guy. But you can’t preach competition and not live it,” Ballard said all the way back in 2017.

A few weeks out from the Colts’ historic 2023 draft, where the franchise took an eye-popping 12 rookies in the 2023 NFL draft, the most the franchise has made in the modern draft era, there is a ton of newness across the 2023 roster.

Pair the number of picks with the high-end athleticism to boot, and you have a ton of competition at multiple positions across the roster.

With these fresh faces added under a new regime, there will be plenty of competition heading into the season, which means some players could be on the outside looking in when it’s all said and done.

Here are four veteran players currently on the Colts roster whose jobs are in jeopardy following the draft:

Winners and losers from Colts’ 2023 draft

Here are the winners and losers from the Colts’ 2023 draft haul.

The Indianapolis Colts got through the biggest weekend of the offseason with 12 selections in the 2023 NFL draft—the most of Chris Ballard’s tenure.

The decisions made during draft weekend will have both direct and indirect impacts on the roster. Some players have extra competition to fight through in order to earn a role. Others didn’t see any competition added to their positions and may have easier paths to claiming a role in 2023.

And while we call some of these players “winners” and “losers,” the latter term is meant more in the outlook of their stock or the standing of their team.

But without further ado, here are the winners and losers from the Colts’ 2023 draft:

How drafting WR Josh Downs impacts Colts depth chart

Josh Downs could compete as the starting slot receiver soon.

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The Indianapolis Colts went back to the offensive side of the ball with the No. 79 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Speedy wideout from North Carolina, Josh Downs, will be the newest weapon added for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson and a new-look Colts offense under first-year head coach Shane Steichen.

A player that wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne said he “needed” at the position and was “the best in this draft” during the combine, will give Indy another way to stretch with the field with his 4.48 speed able to blow the top off of defenses. Downs also wins with route running and elite athleticism.

Slot threats like Downs are exactly what this offense needs to rebound from a disappointing 2022 season.

Downs will likely come into a young room of pass catchers and battle early in training camp with veteran Isaiah McKenzie for the starting slot role. It could be likely we see special teams as another avenue for Downs to make an impact early on in his career as a Colt.

Should Downs win early work out of the slot, this is a player who can be an explosive home-run threat that the offense has lacked out of the slot since the departure of T.Y. Hilton.

With eight more picks on Day 3 in this year’s draft after multiple trades, expect more exciting additions on the way to Indianapolis.

Perfect prospect fits for Colts at positions of need

These prospects are perfect fits for the Colts in the NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL Draft finally begins this week. On April 27,  the Indianapolis Colts will look to add exceptional talent and critical depth to their roster. At the top of the list of objectives is addressing positions of need.

General manager Chris Ballard has often stressed the “need to get it right” this offseason. In terms of the draft, what does that look like?

Currently holding nine selections in the draft, the Colts will have their chances to address positions of need.

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Here are the perfect prospect fits for the Colts at critical positions of need in the draft:

Grading the Colts’ free agency moves in 2023

Grading every move the Colts have made in free agency this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have turned their attention to the 2023 NFL draft after making some waves since the opening of free agency last month.

While the Colts are still likely to add a handful of pieces to the roster before the draft—specifically at cornerback and offensive line—the majority of their moves have been made in free agency.

If and when those moves are made before the draft, we’ll add them to this list of grades.

Even with the noise quieting down, we’re still tracking the moves the Colts are making in free agency and will do so through the month of April.

Here’s a look at our grades for the Colts’ moves in free agency, which also includes the notable moves of a trade and the release of a pair of starters:

PFF names favorite, least favorite free agency moves for Colts

Here’s what PFF listed as their favorite and least favorite free agency moves for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have been pretty active since the start of free agency in the middle of March, going through some relatively extensive roster changes.

Most of the players they’ve brought in likely will hold rotational roles at their respective positions while they’ve seen the departure of a handful of starters from the 2022 season.

Pro Football Focus listed their favorite and least favorite moves for each team thus far through free agency. Here’s what they said about their favorite move for the Colts:

Favorite: Signing edge defender Samson Ebukam

Ebukam earned career highs across the board in 2022, with a 69.1 overall grade, 43 quarterback pressures and 11.8% pressure percentage. The former fourth-rounder profiles as a solid replacement for Yannick Ngakoue in Indianapolis as the smaller wide alignment edge rusher, with Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo the bigger defensive end types.

Ebukam has been touted as one of the better signings of the offseason throughout the entire league. Likely to take on the LEO role in Gus Bradley’s defense, he’s a perfect fit as an explosive pass rusher while adding more impact as a run defender than Yannick Ngakoue gave the Colts in 2022.

As for PFF’s least favorite move regarding the Colts in free agency, it’s the departure of a starting wide receiver who finally showed what he can do with a fully healthy season.

Least favorite: Losing wide receiver Parris Campbell

Campbell’s production in 2022 exceeded his three-year cumulative totals from 2019-2021 in nearly every statistical category once he was finally healthy, with nine games of at least 40 receiving yards on the year. The New York Giants continue to load up their roster with slot receivers, a trend that has spanned across multiple regimes, but the $4.7 million one-year flier for Campbell is a great value. The Colts’ offense ranked dead last in expected points added per dropback in 2022, and while a new quarterback can change that more than Campbell ever could, he certainly would’ve helped.

Losing Campbell is a relatively significant blow to an offense that is lacking stable depth in the wide receiver room. The Colts shouldn’t have gone all in for the oft-injured speedster, but re-signing him to a deal similar to what the Giants gave him would have made a ton of sense.

The Colts wound up signing slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie to a one-year deal, but he’s far from a proven commodity on the offensive side of the ball. If both players are healthy, that switch should be considered a downgrade.

Regardless, the Colts have been far more active in free agency than expected. No one knows how everything will turn out, but the start of the offseason is far from a failure from the team’s perspective.

Keep up to date with the latest news, signings and rumors through our free agency tracker for the Colts.

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Jersey numbers for free agents signed by Colts

Jersey numbers for the players signed by the Colts in free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts started off free agency making moves at a higher rate than we’ve been accustomed to seeing.

Adding to all three phases of the game, the Colts have signed five unrestricted free agents from other teams, as of this writing. While they are likely to sign a few more leading up to the 2023 NFL draft, which is less than a month away, we already know of the jersey numbers for the first five free-agent signees.

Keep up to date with the latest news, signings and rumors through our free agency tracker for the Colts.

According to the team’s website, here’s a look at the jersey numbers for the newest members of the Colts:

Is Parris Campbell the Colts’ biggest loss in free agency?

PFF believes WR Parris Campbell is the biggest loss for the Colts in free agency.

After four years of battling through various injuries, wide receiver Parris Campbell ended his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts in favor of signing with the New York Giants in free agency.

The Colts had a few notable names hitting the market this offseason, and Campbell was one of them. Losing him to free agency created a void in the slot receiver role of Shane Steichen’s offense.

And it’s partly the reason why Campbell was listed as the team’s biggest loss in free agency by Pro Football Focus.

Linebacker Bobby Okereke makes a lot of sense here, as well, but the Colts have a ton invested in Shaquille Leonard at the position, and although E.J. Speed’s main contributions so far have been on special teams, he earned a 78.4 overall grade and an 82.8 run-defense grade in 2022.

Campbell’s production in 2022 exceeded his three-year cumulative totals from 2019-21 in nearly every statistical category once finally healthy, with nine games of at least 40 receiving yards on the year. The New York Giants continue to load up their roster with slot receivers, a trend that has spanned across multiple regimes, but the $4.7 million one-year flier for Campbell is a great value.

The Colts’ offense ranked dead last in EPA per dropback in 2022, and while a new quarterback can change that more than Campbell ever could, he certainly would’ve helped.

Granted, there weren’t many players to choose from among the former Colts who have signed with new teams. As of this writing, only four players have found new homes.

That would be Campbell (Giants), linebacker Bobby Okereke (Giants), cornerback Brandon Facyson (Raiders) and defensive tackle Byron Cowart (Chiefs).

After Campbell signed with the Giants, the Colts brought in former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie as a potential option to fill the void at slot receiver.

While Campbell is the better player, McKenzie has shown flashes throughout his career and has a history on special teams as well. The Colts should still look to bring in competition for McKenzie in the slot role, but he’s a solid depth addition to the room.

We won’t know how much of a void Campbell left on the Colts offense until the season starts. It may be significant. It may hardly be noticeable.

But there are some question marks when it comes to the roles behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce now that Campbell is playing ball elsewhere.

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