Colts have two more players opt out of 2020 season

Two more Colts opt out.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich told the media Wednesday on a conference call that cornerback Marvell Tell III and safety Rolan Milligan are opting out of the 2020 season.

Tell and Milligan are the second and third Colts players to opt out after linebacker Skai Moore informed the team on Tuesday. Reich said he doesn’t expect anymore opt outs before the Thursday deadline but also admits the situation is very fluid.

Two more opts outs for the Colts: DBs Marvell Tell and Rolan Milligan, per coach Frank Reich.

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 5, 2020

These opt outs are a bit more significant as both Tell and Milligan held a depth role in the secondary. Tell was expected to provide depth on the boundary behind Rock Ya-Sin and Xavier Rhodes while Milligan was expected to work in the safety rotation as well as on special teams.

It will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Colts make to replace these two players in the secondary, but these are not insignificant for a position that was already thin.

5 under-the-radar Colts to watch at training camp

These Colts are flying under the radar entering camp.

The Indianapolis Colts officially begin their strength and condition portion of training camp as the ramp-up period gets underway. While the next month will be unique in terms of recent years, there are still players to keep an eye on.

Throughout the offseason, there have been players who are mentioned more than others. Maybe they are bouncing back from injury or they are a new piece joining the team at an important position. But then there are those who are flying under the radar.

They might not get as much coverage as other players, but they should still be monitored as training camp commences.

Here are five under-the-radar Colts to watch at training camp:

WR Ashton Dulin

With T.Y. Hilton returning, Michael Pittman Jr. joining as a second-round pick and Parris Campbell hoping to bounce back from an injury-riddled rookie campaign, there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about the rest of the room. And while the competition for the final spot on the wide receiver depth chart features a few names, Dulin is flying under the radar.

The second-year wideout will be competing for one of the final spots in the room and while other names like Marcus Johnson and Daurice Fountain get all of the attention, Dulin shouldn’t be cast aside immediately.

Dulin has an impressive athletic profile to warrant consideration for the final spot in the room but he also has an advantage given that he can work on special teams. He played 172 special teams snaps (42%) in 2019, and that could give him a leg up in the competition.

The favorites might be Johnson and Fountain, but don’t sleep on Dulin when the competition begins.

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3 Colts who should see more playing time in final two games

Get these players some more game action.

Having already been knocked out of the playoff race, the Indianapolis Colts have two games remaining before the offseason begins. While they will be trying to win those games, this is also a crucial time for some depth players to show what kind of impact they can make.

There is nothing like getting live reps in a game. No training can ever truly replicate that. So while the starters won’t be benched for the final two games, the Colts must also find a way to get some of their younger depth pieces more playing time so the front office and coaching staff has a better idea going into the offseason.

Here are three Colts who should see more playing time in the final two games:

WR Chad Williams — Snaps played: 6 (0.6%)

A recent call-up from the practice squad, Williams isn’t a player that needs more game-action because he’s lighting it up. He’s a depth piece, and the Colts need to know what they have in the former third-round pick entering the offseason.

Given the massive need at the wide receiver position the Colts face this season, they have to get a better idea of what Williams can do against NFL defenses. He shouldn’t be expected to turn into a WR1 but if he can prove to be another solid depth piece like a Marcus Johnson, that could change how the Colts go about offseason.

Zach Pascal has emerged in a breakout year, Johnson has been solid and we already know what Dontrelle Inman brings to the table. It’s time to see if Williams is actually a future piece of the team.

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Stock up, stock down in Colts’ loss to Bucs

Stock report from the Week 14 loss.

Losers in five of their last six games, the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) have seen their season go from being a potential division winner to out of the playoffs in the matter of a month and a half.

Sunday’s 38-35 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) all but closed the casket on the Colts’ season—if they lose in Week 15 to the New Orleans Saints, it is officially over.

Here is the stock up, stock down from Sunday’s loss:

Stock Up: WR Marcus Johnson

The Colts have been seriously plagued with injuries at the wide receiver position this season. That said, there have been some intriguing instances when it comes to players stepping up when needed most. The latest player to do so was Johnson.

Leading the team with 105 receiving yards, Johnson got his day started on Jacoby Brissett’s first pass, beating broken coverage for a 46-yard touchdown bomb early in the first quarter.

The Colts have always liked Johnson and he’s proving to be a quality depth piece in the wide receiver room.

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Colts vs. Buccaneers: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 14

Key matchups in Week 14.

Despite losing four out of their last five games, the Indianapolis Colts remain optimistic about their playoff chances as they return to the road for a Sunday matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers While both teams are only one win apart in the standings, their play has gone in different directions.

As the Colts lost all of their momentum from the first half of this season, the NFC South competitor has only gotten better in recent weeks. Following a string of tough, last-minute losses in October, the Buccaneers have won three out of their last four games and are attempting to grab the NFC’s final Wild Card spot.

Here are three, key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 14 bout:

WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin vs. Colts’ secondary

If there’s any duo of wide receivers who are the best together, it’s quite easily Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The dynamic duo has carried the Buccaneers’ offense this entire season at the tune of 1,100 receiving yards apiece, 140 combined catches and 16 total touchdowns.

Besides their great numbers, Evans and Godwin scare opposing secondaries because of their evolving skill-sets and legitimate size. Although Evans is bigger at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, Godwin is still fairly big himself (6-foot-1 and 209 pounds), thus allowing them to box out and outjump their defensive counterparts.

Entering Sunday’s game, the Colts already had an unproven secondary dealing with some injuries and they will be missing their most valuable slot corner/blitzer Kenny Moore II due to injuries. It’s going to be interesting to discover who, when, and how they’ll defend Evans/Godwin, as their current depth chart includes Pierre Desir, Marvell Tell, and Quincy Wilson—if made available to play.

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5 Colts that must step up in final 5 games

These Colts must step up over the final games.

The Indianapolis Colts are in the heart of the AFC playoff race with just five games remaining and while there are some that have carried the team, there are others that need to step it up over the next month.

Some players may need to simply add a little bit more to what they were already doing. Others may need to improve their game greatly in order for the Colts to have a chance in the next five games.

Here are five Colts that must step up in the final five games:

QB Jacoby Brissett

With flashes of brilliance and confusing struggles alike, Brissett has to improve his game over the next month. The Colts’ passing attack has been almost non-existent in recent games and even though the offense revolves around the run, they have to be able to hit big plays in the passing game.

The lack of chunk plays this season has been a big reason why the Colts haven’t been able to win by more than one score. While it isn’t all on Brissett, he does deserve some of the blame. Despite having the tools to hit on deep balls, Brissett doesn’t seem as comfortable taking chances in tight windows.

Maybe Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni prefer him to take the more high-percentage throws, but he needs to be able to move the offense down the field at a higher rate than what has been happening lately.

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Colts vs. Jaguars: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 11

Key matchups to watch in Week 11.

A new week means another game for the Indianapolis Colts coming up Sunday. Following their two consecutive losses, the Colts are attempting to get back on track when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars in this big divisional matchup.

Among many reasons, the former AFC South leader has struggled in recent weeks, it was their loss of starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett which impacted them the most. The NC State product led the Colts to a 5-2 record and at one point and was a top-five leader in passing touchdowns before suffering a knee injury against the Steelers in Week 9.

Brissett’s importance to this team was evident last weekend when the Colts’ offense struggled mightily against the previously one-win Miami Dolphins in their 16-12 loss. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer was responsible for three interceptions and looked incapable of getting the job done.

Here are three key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 11 bout against the Jaguars:

RB Leonard Fournette vs. Colts’ defensive front seven

Amongst all of the skill players known on the Jaguars’ offense, one player who could and should receive the most attention from the Colts, is Leonard Fournette. The LSU product is on pace to have his best season ever to the tune of 831 rushing yards (sixth in the NFL) and a yards per carry average of 4.8.

Even though the Jaguars haven’t featured Fournette as much in recent weeks (30 combined carries in Weeks 9-10), this could be the game where they do so. So far this season, the Jaguars are 2-1 when their third-year running back receives at least 20 rushing attempts and in return, Fournette averaged 154 rushing yards per game.

Regardless of what the Jaguars’ plans are for Fournette, the Colts’ defensive front seven needs to quickly contain him in order to eliminate big plays and favorable down and distances.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Week 11 Q&A with Colts Wire

Jags Wire went behind enemy lines to discuss this weeks opponents in the Colts with Colts Wire’s Arden Franklyn.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have found themselves on a quest to reach .500 again and keep their playoff hopes alive. They will be in pretty good shape as far as health goes heading into Week 11’s game against the Indianapolis Colts after coming off their bye week and only having one player on their final injury report.

However, with Sunday’s game being against their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts, acquiring a victory won’t be easy by any means. To help us get a little insight on the Jags’ longtime rivals, I reached out to my good friend Arden Franklyn of Colts Wire. Below are four burning questions he was kind enough to answer on Indy, which is now just a game ahead of the Jags with a 5-4 record.

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Jags Wire: How has life for the Colts been minus Andrew Luck? Obviously, he was the face of the franchise, but the Colts still have found themselves with a decent record.

Arden Franklyn: It’s definitely been different, to say the least. While a portion of this fan/media base hadn’t drastically changed their expectations for the Colts, there was still a drop in that area/confidence in the team. As for on the field, Luck’s absence is bigger because of what it does for the offense. Without No. 12, to carry the load and make those Superman-like plays, the Colts truly have to play like a team and depend on all 11 starters and role players to do their jobs.

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Stock up, stock down in Colts’ loss to Dolphins

Stock report following the Colts’ loss in Week 10.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) have to take a long look in the mirror following the embarrassing 16-12 loss they suffered at home against the Miami Dolphins (2-7) on Sunday.

Even though they were without a few starters, there is no excuse for losing to a team like the Dolphins—especially if the Colts are supposed to be considered a team bound for the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the stock report in the Week 10 loss:

Stock Up: LB Darius Leonard

The All-Pro linebacker hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season and while he’s also dealt with some injuries, it was nice to see him return to his elite form. No one is doubting the impact Leonard has on a weekly basis, but this was truly his best game of the season.

The former second-round pick started off the game hot by punching out a fumble against Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. He also added a sack, two tackles for loss, two passes defended and a crucial interception in the fourth quarter.

The Colts have a massive stretch of games coming up, and they will need Leonard to play like this for the second half.

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