Tag: T.Y. Hilton

Colts place WR T.Y. Hilton, two others on IR

Colts place WR T.Y. Hilton, QB Sam Ehlinger and WR Dezmon Patmon on IR.

The Indianapolis Colts placed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and wide receiver Dezmon Patmon on the injured reserve list, the team announced Thursday.

These moves were somewhat expected for the Colts, and they come as corresponding transactions to the team activating quarterback Carson Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and wide receiver Zach Pascal from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Hilton underwent surgery to repair a neck injury. Though the Colts wouldn’t give specifics, it has something to do with a disc. It isn’t clear when he will return, but the hope is that he does so before the first half of the season arrives.

Ehlinger sprained his knee during the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. His expected timeline is roughly 4-6 weeks so he could still return by the mid-point in the season.

Patmon is dealing with a foot injury, and the team was waiting to see what the best course of action will be. It seems they see it lasting long enough to cover the three-week minimum on the injured reserve.

All three players are expected to return at some point this season but will be out for at least the first three weeks with their respective injuries.

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Colts’ T.Y. Hilton expected to miss several weeks with injury

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton is expected to miss several weeks due to an injury.

Indianapolis Colts veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is expected to miss several weeks due to an injury, first reported by Stephen Holder of The Athletic.

Hilton suffered the injury during practice on Wednesday but would later return, which didn’t raise too many flags at the time. However, further tests concluded that Hilton will miss some time in order to heal.

The injury is reportedly not considered season-ending and while Holder reported the injury was undisclosed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it is an upper back/neck injury.

A specific timeline for Hilton’s return has not yet been established, but it is expected that he will miss several weeks.

The Colts re-signed Hilton to a one-year deal hoping he can be a veteran presence and complement to second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr., whom most believe will break out in 2021.

With Hilton sidelined, the Colts are likely to turn to Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal to fill the void. This also gives other wide receivers like rookie Mike Strachan, Dezmon Patmon and Ashton Dulin a better chance to make the roster when final cuts take place on Tuesday.

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Colts’ final roster cut decisions: Wide Receiver

Taking a look at the WR room before the Colts make their final roster cuts.

While the quarterback battle has been the main focus of the preseason, Frank Reich and Co. have some tough decisions to make when it comes to filling the final spots at wide receiver on the Indianapolis Colts roster.

Typically, teams will keep six receivers on the 53-man roster, with one of them used mainly on special teams.

There are four receivers that are locks to make the roster week one. T.Y Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, and Parris Campbell have proven they deserve to be in a starting role and can be difference makers any given week. The final two spots will be a battle between a group of young, talented players.

The training camp standout has been Mike Strachan. At 6’5” and roughly 225 pounds, the seventh-round pick from Charleston has shown he can be a threat in this league. He finished the preseason with 10 catches for 130 yards. A player like Strachan could really benefit Carson Wentz and provide some variety in the receiving core.

If Strachan makes the team, that leaves one spot left and it truly is a toss-up of who suits up week one. Second-year wide receiver Dezmon Patmon has looked really impressive so far and while his talent is there, it’s tough to say if he could step up in a special teams role. If he does not make the team, Patmon would likely end up on the practice squad once again, but with a much greater chance of getting called up if any significant injuries occur.

The player who will likely fill that final slot is Ashton Dulin. He signed a one-year extension back in January and thrives on special teams. He has filled in at receiver throughout his three-year career with the Colts, but would not line up on offense unless there were multiple guys hurt. Every team needs a player to fill in where they are needed, and Dulin seems to be that type for the Colts.

Honorable mentions include players like Tyler Vaughns and Tarik Black who have both made some very impressive plays this preseason. They will likely see a practice squad designation and will have the chance to prove they can crack an NFL roster.

53-man Predictions:

T.Y. Hilton

Michael Pittman Jr.

Parris Campbell

Zach Pascal

Mike Strachan

Ashton Dulin

Practice squad:

Dezmon Patmon

Tyler Vaughns

Tarik Black

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Colts’ Jacob Eason building rapport with T.Y. Hilton

Colts QB Jacob Eason and WR T.Y. Hilton appear to be making strides with their connection.

It has been a quiet camp for Indianapolis Colts veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, but that came to an end during Tuesday’s padded practice at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

With quarterback Jacob Eason taking the majority of first-team reps as starter Carson Wentz heals up from foot surgery, it has taken a minute for the young passer to develop a rapport with Hilton. However, they took steps in the right direction on Tuesday.

Eason had his best day of camp on Tuesday, which just happened to follow a stellar outing in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. Getting Hilton more involved appeared to be the objective as the Ghost caught five of Eason’s 12 completions during team drills.

“Absolutely. It’s going to take time,” Hilton told reporters Tuesday. “But today was a good start, we’re in the right direction – just continue to build that trust with one another. I know the spots he wants me at, so just continue to build.”

Most are expecting second-year wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to take over as the leader in the room—and for good reason. Pittman Jr. has shown immense strides as the X-receiver in the formation and could be headed toward a breakout year.

But if the Colts can get Hilton playing at a consistent level as solid WR2 working from the Z-receiver position, that would provide a massive boost for Eason’s confidence when dropping back.

That confidence is something Hilton noticed a bit more during Tuesday’s practice after Eason finally got a game under his belt.

“The game he really needed, getting a game under his belt. But he’s just putting in the work, he’s putting in the film, putting in time out here on the field and it’s just showing off. He’s doing great. He’s looking good,” Hilton said of Eason. “Since he took over, just understanding the spots he needs me at. Just watching film, breaking down film – even in walk-thru we’re just talking, communicating. Even after the catches we’re just constantly communicating and that’s what you’re going to need.”

It isn’t clear yet when Wentz will return despite head coach Frank Reich feeling optimistic about his return two weeks after foot surgery.

But if Eason continues to develop confidence and a rapport with his pass-catchers, the offense just might be able to stay afloat enough to keep them in competitive games.

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Fantasy football draft: Where to target Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton

Analyzing Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton’s 2021 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton had to adjust to a new quarterback last season, and he’ll have to do so again in 2021. Below, we look at T.Y. Hilton‘s 2021 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Hilton has had three different starting quarterbacks to deal with across the past three seasons in Jacoby Brissett, Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers. This season, he’ll have to adjust to new QB Carson Wentz.

Despite the changes, Hilton was still very productive in 2020, his ninth full season in the NFL. He averaged 13.6 yards per reception, and his 93 targets were his most since 2018. In fact, he found the end zone five times, and he has scored at least four touchdowns in each of his nine seasons as a pro.

The former Florida International University standout has been a consummate pro despite all of the change, just showing up to work every day and making the proper adjustments.

Last season he didn’t have a normal offseason program to get on the same page with Rivers, but he still did well. He’ll have plenty of time to grow accustomed to Wentz and develop a nice rapport in 2021.

Hilton’s ADP: 152.32

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com)

Hilton’s ADP is an all-time low as he is well behind teammate WR Michael Pittman Jr. (average pick – 125.31), and in the same neighborhood as WR Parris Campbell (179.77). Is that warranted, however?

Yeah, Hilton is now over the hill in terms of football age, as he’ll turn 32 in November, but that doesn’t seem to dissuade folks from drafting WR Julio Jones of the Tennessee Titans.

Hilton was banged up in 2019, limited to 10 games after dealing with a rash of injuries, but he bounced back nicely in 2020.

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Hilton’s 2020 stats

Receiving: 56 receptions (93 targets) for 762 yards

Touchdowns: 5 receiving

Fumbles: 0

Where should you take Hilton in your fantasy football draft?

While I like Pittman Jr. quite a bit, I am still not willing to downgrade Hilton all the way to fantasy reserve status just yet.

If you’re picking him in the neighborhood of Rounds 12-13 in leagues of 12 or more teams, that’s exactly what you’re doing. I think the former Golden Panther has quite a bit left in the tank, too, and I’ll be excited to see how he jells with Wentz.

Hilton was targeted 93 times in 15 games in 2020, including at least five times in each of his final seven regular-season games. He also found the end zone five times in the final six games.

Yes, Hilton managed just one 100-yard game, and that’s bad for fantasy managers, especially those who receive bonuses for hitting triple-digit yardage. But he is still a decent WR4 or flex fantasy option, especially in PPR leagues.

If I were getting into Round 10 or so, and it was choosing between Hilton, whom I have seen compete for many years and be very productive, or selecting a rookie or second-year player with upside, I always like the tried-and-true guy.

Hilton isn’t a single-number round guy at this juncture of his career, but don’t put him out to pasture yet, either. I just don’t trust Campbell to push Hilton to third-receiver status.

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Colts GM Chris Ballard bullish on WR corps

Chris Ballard believes the Colts WR room is underrated.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has heard some of the criticism when it comes to the wide receiver room entering 2021 due to the lack of a true alpha.

After adding Carson Wentz via trade this offseason, the Colts opted against adding a prominent wide receiver in free agency and the draft. Part of this is due to the way Ballard feels about the room.

“I’m betting on Michael Pittman, who I think’s got a chance to be really good,” Ballard told Robert Mays on ‘The Athletic Football Show.’ “I thought he ended the year strong. He had a big playoff game with over 100 yards. Everybody just ignores Zach Paschal, but all he’s done is catch (10) touchdowns over the last two years. And then getting Parris Campbell back is a big bonus and he’s looked great during the offseason. We think we’re a little better than other people do.”

Pittman Jr. will be the player to watch in the room to see if he can have a Year 2 leap as the team’s WR1. They did bring back T.Y. Hilton on a one-year deal, and he could benefit from Wentz wanting to look more downfield.

Even with the lack of an alpha in the room, Ballard is still bullish on what the unit can do.

“They’re a talented group,” Ballard said. “Is there a guy that, you know, you just line up and go, ‘Holy crap man, how are we gonna stop this guy?’ Maybe not, but they are really damn good players, and T.Y. Hilton can still play. He can still play. T.Y. Hilton is as competitive and as good a teammate as I’ve ever been around.”

It will be interesting to see how productive the wide receiver room is with Wentz behind center. If Pittman Jr. can ascend to be a solid WR1 with Hilton and Parris Campbell serving as complements, the passing offense shouldn’t take too much of a hit.

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Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: WR T.Y. Hilton

Ghost is hoping for a bounce-back season.

The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up their spring workouts at the end of May and will return for training camp sometime at the end of July to prepare for the 2021 regular season.

Before that happens, we will be going through the majority of the roster to preview their background, projected role and bottom line with the team entering training camp.

After taking a look at Michael Pittman Jr., we turn our attention to the elder statesman  of the wide receiver room in T.Y. Hilton.

Late-season heroes: Wide receivers

Which wideouts were better later in the season?

Below shows the “points per game” ranking for running backs for Weeks 1 to 8, and Weeks 9 to 16 with a minimum of four games played. Overall shows the total points ranking for the season.  Points-per-game (PPG) and “Games” refer to Weeks 9 to 16.

While each one carries their own story of a unique season, the lack of Top-30 wideouts that were younger players is a bit of a surprise. The wideouts are very sensitive to their quarterback situations and occasionally weather later in the year.

Will Fuller (HOU / BAL) – What would fantasy football be without Will Fuller showing up like a rock star and then disappearing just when you finally buy into him.  He’s moved onto one of the worst passing teams (Ravens) who have better options to also to not target much. Fuller only played in ten games in 2020 and yet registered a touchdown or 100 yards in eight. According to drafts this summer, no one is buying into the oft-injured wideout now with the Ravens.

Mike Evans (TB) – This was nice to see since it was the first season with Tom Brady as the starting quarterback. Starting in Week 9, Evans scored six times to finish the regular fantasy season that included 100-yard efforts in Week 15 and 16 while making the playoffs. He gained 119 yards in Washington in the Wild Card Round and scored in the next two playoff games as well.

Diontae Johnson (PIT) – Johnson has quietly been outstanding, particularly in the second half of last season. Hampered with back and toe injuries earlier in the year, he missed one game and turned in minimal stats in three others. Starting in Week 9, Johnson finished the fantasy season with two 100-yard efforts and four scores along with at least eight catches in five of his final six matchups. The playoff loss to the Browns saw him catch 11 passes for 117 yards. Ben Roethlisberger’s arm left him with short passes last year – most of those went to Johnson.

Justin Jefferson (MIN) – This is what you dream of from a rookie wideout. He was already playing like a WR2 through Week 8 with a couple of monster home games (TEN, ATL) that helped his stats. Starting in Week 10, he went on a hot streak the rest of the way other than one week in Tampa Bay. The second half of the year saw him with  six of eight games sporting at least ten targets. All scores came in home games which should change this season, but he’s already a much-used outlet in the passing game.

Brandon Aiyuk (SF) – This is another rookie wideout of note who showed up better later in the year than many realize. Limited to a couple of catches in almost all the early games, Aiyuk became a difference-maker as of Week 7 when he caught six passes for 115 yards at the Patriots. He scored in four of the next five and gained 119 yards in the only non-scoring matchup in that stretch. He averaged  seven catches per game between Weeks 7 and 15.

Curtis Samuel (CAR / WAS) – It’s all academic now with Samuel changing teams, but the second half of last year saw him used more as a receiver than any time in his previous four years. He became reliable for five catches per game and now heads to Washington with a chance to be the No. 2 wideout behind Terry McLaurin.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT) – Similar to Diontae Johnson, Smith-Schuster was much more productive in the second half of the year with six touchdowns starting in Week 9. His yardage rarely broke 60 yards and he never managed a 100-yard performance, but he scored seven times in the final ten games that he played.

Marvin Jones (DET / JAC) – He changed teams as well, so the 31-year-old Jones resets his career beyond his prime. To his credit, he scored eight of his nine regular-season touchdowns starting from Week 8. Now he’ll have to elbow his way up the Jaguars depth chart playing with a rookie quarterback.

DK Metcalf (SEA) – It was bothersome to see Metcalf decline last year after a thoroughly impressive start. Through Week 8, he scored seven times and gained 90+ yards in seven of his eight games. He only managed three more scores in the regular season, and five of eight games held fewer than 62 yards. His initial four games all were only four catches each and yet never lower than 92 yards. His 25.1 yard average in the first month fell much lower when secondaries realized they should never allow Metcalf to get behind everyone.

A.J. Brown (TEN) – He was a touchdown machine in 2020, partially because the defense expected Derrick Henry to run it in. Brown opened the year injured but in Week 5 returned to string five straight games with a touchdown. His stats suffered later in the year since he caught more than four passes in a game just twice starting in Week 8. That seemed likely to change with Derrick Henry potentially not run into the ground this year, but the addition of Julio Jones throws that into doubt.

T.Y. Hilton (IND) – Hilton was never the same without Andrew Luck. Now t 31 years old, he isn’t likely to see any significant upturn with a different quarterback for the third-straight year. After flopping for the first eleven weeks of 2020, he surprised with four straight games with at least 70 yards and scored four times in that stretch. He became reliable for 70+ yards starting in Week 12, so keep tabs on him this season to see if he warms up with Carson Wentz later in the year.

Nelson Agholor (LV / NE) – He’s never been better than a mediocre wideout useful for fantasy depth, but he certainly came to life later last year in Las Vegas. His eight touchdowns were evenly spaced during the season, but he managed 100-yard games in Weeks 14 and 16 with a score in each. He was still more of an “every other week” kind of receiver and now lands in New England. While it is a positive that he comes off a career best season, it still wasn’t enough to induce the Raiders to stick with him.

Grading the Ravens’ 2021 offseason through one month of free agency

The Baltimore Ravens have now navigated through one month of 2021 free agency. How have they fared so far?

The Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of mixed reviews when it comes to their 2021 offseason moves so far. Many came into this offseason expecting the Ravens to be major players, but instead they’ve operated in the same way they always have.

They’ve made a few additions and re-signed multiple players that will continue to perform well in a Baltimore uniform. Although the team did see a few players depart, their current roster is still extremely competitive, even without breaking the bank for a free agent or signing a massive amount of new players.

The legal tampering period began on March 15th, so we are officially one month into 2021 free agency. How have the Ravens’ fared so far?

The team has added just three outside players throughout the first month of the offseason in guard Kevin Zeitler, tight end Josh Oliver, and wide receiver Sammy Watkins. While Oliver is more of a reclamation project after playing in just three games during his first two NFL seasons, Zeitler and Watkins instantly make Baltimore’s offense better than it already was. Zeitler will shore up an interior offensive line group that struggled at times last season, and Watkins is an extremely versatile option who brings veteran leadership to an extremely young wide receiver room.

Despite adding some impact players, they did miss out on a few as well, such as Corey Davis, Marvin Jones Jr., Emmanuel Sanders and others. They were also reported to have interest in both JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton, both of which spurned the Ravens to return to their former teams. The team could have stood to make one or two more additions during the first month of free agency, but they value compensatory picks, so signing a lot of unrestricted free agents would limit their ability to acquire those picks.

When it comes to who Baltimore has re-signed, a few key names include linebackers Tyus Bowser, Pernell McPhee and L.J. Fort, defensive end Derek Wolfe, safety Anthony Levine Sr., and more. While the Ravens’ outside additions focus on the offensive side of the ball, their re-signings are defense oriented, making sure they brought back as many key pieces from a unit that proved to be one of the best in football last season. Bowser should have an increased role in 2021, while McPhee, Fort, Wolfe and others should continue to play well.

The Ravens weren’t able to re-sign everyone from their 2020 roster, losing a few key pieces that include linebackers Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue and Jihad Ward, wide receiver Willie Snead IV, and long snapper Morgan Cox. The team also opted to cut running back Mark Ingram II, who signed with the Houston Texans.

Losing Judon and Ngakoue are big blows to Baltimore’s pass rush, and losing Ward on top of both means that the Ravens will have to prioritize acquiring multiple edge rusher throughout the rest of the offseason. Snead was a key part of Baltimore’s offense for the three seasons he was with the Ravens, but with him primarily being a slot receiver, Baltimore opted to move in a different direction. For Ingram, it made sense for the Ravens to move on after a down year where he was phased out of the offense.

Overall, Baltimore has followed their blueprint from previous offseasons, so it’s not overly shocking to see the team not as active as many imagined. However, with Lamar Jackson on his rookie contract, the Ravens could have considered signing a few more unrestricted free agents, even if it meant sacrificing a compensatory pick to do so. The new players that they brought in and the old ones they re-signed keep the team extremely competitive, and as the offseason continues, Baltimore should slowly begin to sign more players and round out their roster.

Final grade: B-/C+

T.Y. Hilton ‘pumped up’ after throwing session with Carson Wentz

Hilton and Wentz have already gotten together.

It didn’t take long for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton to get together with his new quarterback in Carson Wentz shortly after re-signing with the team.

According to Pat McAfee on his show, Hilton and Wentz got together in Indy to throw and start building some of that chemistry together. Suffice it to say, Wentz has a new fan in the Ghost.

Be warned, McAfee does use some NSFW language, but goes into detail here about the throwing session and what he learned about Hilton’s thoughts.

“So, I have on good authority that T.Y. Hilton and Carson Wentz had their first throw session together on Saturday here in the Indianapolis area,” said McAfee on his April 5 show. “I also have it on good authority that T.Y. Hilton is [expletive] pumped up about how it went.”

Wentz has been making the rounds with his teammates already this spring. Even before the deal was announced officially, Wentz met with second-year wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Dezmon Patmon for throwing sessions.

The connection between Hilton and Wentz will be vital. It took a minute for Hilton and Philip Rivers to get going and while they eventually did, Rivers was fine spreading the ball around.

It isn’t clear how Wentz will be looking to distribute the ball but if he and Hilton are already connecting quickly, the groundwork could be laid down for a strong bounce-back season.

Hilton is likely going to be working as the WR1/WR2 depending on the development of Pitman Jr. but the fact that he already feels strongly about Wentz is a very encouraging sign before the offseason workouts begin.

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