Tag: latest colts news

5 reasons the Colts missed the playoffs

Here are five reasons the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023.

Playoffs weren’t even a thought for those outside of the Indianapolis Colts organization heading into the 2023 season.

But thanks to Shane Steichen’s coaching, the team had a chance to crack into the postseason late in the campaign. However, they came up short in their Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans.

The reasons why they missed a chance for a Super Bowl run aren’t as negative as it was for this franchise a year ago, but there are still factors on why they found themselves on the outside looking in.

Resolving these issues will be key for the Colts moving forward if they want to compete starting in 2024.

Here are five reasons why the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023:

6 Colts who exceeded expectations in 2023

These Colts exceeded expectations in 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts were one win away from competing in the playoffs but instead find themselves sitting at home with the majority of the league preparing for the 2024 offseason.

Even though it was a decent surprise the Colts were in a position to compete for a playoff spot considering the amount of injuries along with the addition of a rookie head coach working with a backup quarterback, there were plenty of bright spots who helped get Indy to that position.

Here are six Colts who exceeded expectations during the 2023 season:

Colts’ Bernhard Raimann featured on PFF’s All-Breakout Team

Bernhard Raimann enjoyed a strong breakout season.

Indianapolis Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann enjoyed a strong second season in the NFL, earning a spot on Pro Football Focus’ All-Breakout Team for the 2023 season.

Raimann was a popular breakout candidate entering the season. Despite some struggles during his rookie campaign, he showed enough promise to warrant optimism going into Year 2.

Fast forward a calendar year later, and Raimann is now solidified as a cornerstone piece of the offensive line. Here’s what PFF said about Raimann:

OFFENSIVE TACKLE: BERNHARD RAIMANN, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

We’ve gone through all the offensive skill position players before the preseason breakout list gets its first hit. Raimann was a raw prospect out of Central Michigan, having played offensive tackle for only a couple of years before becoming a third-round pick by the Colts.

He showed some promise as a rookie in 2022, as both his run- and pass-blocking grades came out above 70.0. He broke out in year two, finishing as the seventh-highest-graded tackle in the NFL (82.3). Raimann continued to be very well-rounded as a pass blocker and a run blocker, grading out at 80.6 and 74.6 in those fields, respectively. He allowed just four sacks all year, and they all came against elite pass rushers — Myles Garrett, Josh Allen and Trey Hendrickson twice.

Preseason Pick: Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts

The entire offensive line stepped up in a big way during the 2023 despite the fact that the starting five rarely played any snaps together due to injuries. But Raimann was solid in both phases. According to ESPN, the former third-round pick was tied with Braden Smith and Patrick Mekari for the seventh-highest run-block win rate among offensive tackles.

Adding some depth to the offensive line should be a priority this offseason, but Raimann proved to be a solid cornerstone piece at one of the most valuable positions on the roster.

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Colts’ year-end awards from 2023 season

Handing out awards for the 2023 Colts.

The 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion for the Indianapolis Colts, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the future given what they showed throughout the campaign.

Considering where the Colts were just one year ago at this time, the outlook of the franchise is far more positive. They have a strong leader in Shane Steichen, a young quarterback in Anthony Richardson who shows promise, and some solid pieces to work off of this offseason.

But before we get into the thick of the offseason plans and predictions, it’s time to take a look back at the 2023 season and hand out some awards.

From MVP to the biggest disappointment, here are the Colts’ year-end awards from the 2023 campaign:

Colts had no All-Pro selections for 2023

The Colts had no All-Pro selections in 2023, but several players were close.

The Indianapolis Colts were not represented with any selections on the All-Pro First or Second Teams for the 2023 season, but several players were right on the cusp.

While the majority of the time the First-Team selections are what truly stick around, it’s notable when players are voted as Second-Team selections. It’s even noteworthy if a player fails to garner either selection but still receives votes.

The way the system works is the panel of 50 writers vote for each position. If a player is voted on the first team, that vote is worth three points. Second-team votes are worth one point. The players with the most points total get selected.

For the Colts, the following positions received no votes whatsoever for the 2023 AP All-Pro teams:

  • Quarterback
  • Running Back
  • Wide Receiver
  • Tight End
  • Left Tackle
  • Right Guard
  • Edge Rusher
  • Cornerback
  • Kick/Punt Returner
  • Special Teamer

Now, let’s take a look at the Colts players who did receive votes for the 2023 AP All-Pro teams, courtesy of the Associated Press’ Rob Maadi:

Colts’ Ed Dodds schedules GM interviews with Panthers, Chargers

Ed Dodds has interviews scheduled with the Panthers and Chargers.

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds will interview for the general manager vacancies of the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.

It was previously reported that the Panthers requested to interview Dodds for their general manager vacancy, and the Colts granted that request. According to Schefter, Dodds will interview for the vacancy on Sunday.

As for the Chargers, it wasn’t clear if Dodds would be on their list at first, but he is now. According to Schefter, Dodds is scheduled to meet with the Chargers brass on Wednesday.

Whether Dodds would want to work with an owner such as David Tepper, who is known for being heavily involved remains to be seen. But it makes sense for him to interview for the vacancy regardless simply for the opportunity.

The role with the Chargers is certainly appealing despite the salary-cap issues they are going to run into this offseason. Having a quarterback like Justin Herbert makes an outlook much brighter for an incoming general manager.

We’ll see if anything comes from these interviews, but it’s clear that Dodds is in high demand this offseason.

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Colts’ top needs entering 2024 offseason

Taking a look at the top needs for the Colts entering the 2024 offseason.

With the 2023 season officially over for the Indianapolis Colts, they are officially in offseason mode.

As 2024 begins, Indianapolis will look to add to its roster and strengthen some perceived weaknesses through free agency, trades and the NFL draft.

With that being said, here are some of the top needs for Indianapolis moving forward:

Colts’ Anthony Richardson scheduled to begin throwing next month

Anthony Richardson is expected to begin throwing next month.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is scheduled to begin throwing next month as a part of his rehab program, he told reporters Thursday.

Richardson has been on the mend since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, an injury he suffered during the Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans.

He gave an update on his rehab status and told the media he expects to begin throwing again in the next month.

“Every day I’m trying to push the trainers to go a little harder with me so I can get back to throwing and get back on the field. Everything is smooth right now. I’m excited. I’m just ready to start throwing again,” Richardson said Thursday. “I know it’s soon. It’s supposed to be sometime next month. But I don’t have an exact date right now, but whenever that day does come, I’ll be trying to light it up.”

Despite his inexperience entering the league, Richardson showed a lot of promise as a passer during the short time he was on the field in 2023. He completed 59.5% of his passes for 577 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and an 87.3 passer rating.

His rushing ability was evident even before the Colts drafted him No. 4 overall, and he put that on full display taking 25 carries for 136 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Assuming Richardson will begin a throwing program during the month of February, it’s not at all difficult to imagine him being ready for minicamp and OTAs, which don’t begin until April. That would be pure speculation at this point as it hasn’t been confirmed he will be ready for the offseason workouts.

The Colts have a bright future with Richardson leading the way. As long as he can stay healthy, and the front office can continue adding weapons to the offense, they’ll be a very competitive team in 2024.

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Takeaways from Anthony Richardson’s end of season press conference

Some notes from Anthony Richardson’s press conference on Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson met with the media Thursday, touching on a few topics for the first time since he underwent surgery to repair a season-ending shoulder injury.

Richardson’s natural charisma was present throughout the press conference, and it is clear he is eager to get deeper into his rehab. He’s scheduled to begin throwing for the first time since surgery next month.

Here are some quick notes and takeaways from Richardson’s end of season press conference on Thursday:

Colts’ Ed Dodds to interview for Raiders GM vacancy Friday

Ed Dodds will interview for the Raiders GM vacancy Friday.

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds reportedly will interview Friday for the Las Vegas Raiders general manager vacancy.

Dodds is on the list of potential general managers for the Raiders after they parted ways with Dave Ziegler during the regular season. There is a strong history between Dodds and the Raiders so this is certainly something to monitor.

This is no surprise considering the link and history Dodds has with the Raiders. He got his start in Oakland under Al Davis and interviewed for their general manager vacancy during the 2022 offseason.

Dodds has been the right-hand man to general manager Chris Ballard since the latter began his tenure in 2017. He got his start in Oakland as a scout before joining the Seattle Seahawks for 10 years, serving in scouting and senior personnel executive roles.

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