WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Indianapolis Colts have no shortage of options at tight end. On any given day during training camp, any one of five different tight ends has shown the potential to become the team’s No. 1 option.
But therein lies the issue.
There currently is no clear-cut top-tier tight end in the unit, and the Colts aren’t sure one is going to emerge. They have a variety of styles and abilities among the available players, but what they lack is a high-end tight end who has demonstrated he can be the team’s go-to option.
The lingering question is whether this makeup will be problematic for the Colts’ passing game. Clearly, they believe it will not be an impediment.
“Do we have a, per se, superstar in the group? Probably not,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “Do we have really good players at the group? Yeah.”
There is a cross section of tight ends on the Colts. They have two extremely competent blocking candidates in Drew Ogletree and the seasoned Mo Alie-Cox. However, they don’t have the kind of dominant player that so many NFL squads are starting to feature when it comes to the passing game.
Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson are the only Colts tight ends to have more than 31 receptions in a single season. Granson was by far the most productive tight end for the Colts last season, finishing 31st in the NFL with 30 receptions.
The Colts have a ton of potential beyond that. Third-year player Jelani Woods, a 2022 third-round selection and the highest-drafted among the Colts’ starting tight ends, is frequently characterized by the Colts as having upside. He had sparks during his rookie campaign, was out for the whole previous campaign due to a hamstring injury, and has struggled to stand out in camp this summer.
Although Ogletree is a good all-around player, his primary role during the previous season was that of a blocker. Next is Will Mallory, a second-year player who caught 18 passes as a rookie last season and is a threat to spread the field. However, he will need to show that he can do more.
According to the organization, the group’s diversity is one of its strengths.
“Most teams have that one guy, but the good thing about our room is all of us are good at so many different things and that makes our room dynamic,” Alie-Cox stated. “I simply believe that we take advantage of our versatility.” They simply toss us in there, like a Swiss army knife. After that, we frequently [no-huddle]. Since many of us are multifaceted players, we may contribute to the game in a variety of ways.”
Receiving threat Will Mallory has the ability to extend the field. Although he only caught 18 passes as a rookie the previous season, he will have to show that he can catch more. Icon Sportswire/Michael Allio
It is undoubtedly advantageous to be able to maintain certain tight ends on the field in no-huddle scenarios rather than switching players. Furthermore, being versatile is always a good thing.
But will having a more reliable No. 1 tight end option benefit the Colts? And ought they to have spent more time in the offseason trying to find one?
It’s important to note that having a legitimate No. 1 tight end at his disposal has helped offensive playcaller and coach Shane Steichen succeed.
Steichen has experienced exactly that in his three prior seasons as a playcaller for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers. Hunter Henry caught 60 catches for 613 yards in 2020 while playing for the Chargers, guided by Steichen. Additionally, Dallas Goedert caught 56 and 55 passes under Steichen while playing for the Eagles in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The vast majority of passes intended for the tight ends on their teams were made to both players.
But can the Colts match their current group’s output at the position overall? It is conceivable.
Last season, four tight ends with the Colts totaled 70 receptions for 883 yards, including Steichen’s first with the team. Though not by much, that was the lowest total that Steichen has ever led an offensive to generate. Overall, it was consistent with the output he had previously received from the role.
The Colts claim that taking advantage of their existing circumstances will be the key.
“I think with Shane and our offensive staff, they’re going to play to the strengths,” Ballard stated. “So, he will do it if those players need to spend more time on the field—12, 13 personnel—every now and again. He’ll do whatever he feels is right and adapt to win.”
The personnel groupings that are referred to as 12- and 13-personnel, respectively, have two and three tight ends on the field simultaneously.
A drawback of the Colts’ tight-end grouping is that, due to their specialized roles, they may need to think about keeping a larger group of guys at the position. Is it feasible for the Colts to maintain four or five players at a position where usage rates aren’t usually high?
The possibility to alert defenses to run or pass play selection based on player presence is a related problem. The squad is acutely aware of that, according to offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and is making an effort to self-scout their inclinations in order to avoid dropping clues.
In spite of everything, the Colts are still confident that they can work things out with the team they have.
“Some tight-end rooms have that one guy that plays 65 snaps, and every single game, he’s doing that,” Cooter stated. There are numerous tight-end rooms throughout the league where, depending on the game, there could be three, four, or five players contributing in various capacities.
Thus, there are several methods. And over time, both have seen success. There are no right or incorrect ways to go about doing it.
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Dan Orlovsky joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss why Bo Nix is a fantastic fit for the Denver Broncos at quarterback. The secondary is looking for three new starters. (1:29)
Jeff Legwold, Senior Writer for ESPN
16 August 2024 at 6:00 AM ET
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ENGLEWOOD, Colorado: In the same way that a quarterback competition obscures other important club decisions, it can act as a roster eclipse.
The position group that will undergo the most drastic transformation of any spot on Denver’s depth chart is well concealed in the whirlwind of the Broncos’ competition for the starting quarterback position. One of the finest nickel corners in the game (Ja’Quan McMillian), one of the league’s top cornerbacks (Pat Surtain II), and three open places are now part of the Broncos’ secondary. That’s a far cry from the team that was locked in for the previous offseason, which included Surtain, McMillian, and veteran safety Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson.
“Those guys, Kareem and Justin, they set the standard,” stated P.J. Locke, who is expected to be among the new safety starters. We have generally always played strong defense since I’ve been here because of that. Saying, “Hey, I’m not them first of all, but they gave me a blueprint,” is what I do for a living.
It is my responsibility to enter the situation and determine how best to keep that ideal in my own unique way. That presents a challenge, but I am also aware of the consequences.”
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When Jackson was cut loose after serving two separate bans for flagrantly breaking unnecessary roughness regulations, the Broncos and coach Sean Payton started to pull together. With 118 games played, Simmons had the longest contract on the team at the time and was let go in March. Furthermore, Fabian Moreau, who was mostly a one-year stand-in at cornerback opposite Surtain, declined to re-sign.
Secondary coach Jim Leonhard, whose 10-year playing career included one season in Denver (2012), was hired as the secondary coach, and Christian Parker left to join former Broncos coach Vic Fangio with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Defense coordinator Vance Joseph stated, “I like our group, but there’s some change, always is.” “… These [preseason] games will carry a lot of weight, we’ll get them ready and they’ll compete, and it’s healthy to have competition like that to get ready for a long season.”
Since Surtain was benched during the Broncos’ preseason victory against Indianapolis, Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis, the two guys vying for his starting position at right cornerback, might both get the start. Starting in the two safety slots were Locke and Devon Key, with McMillian in his usual nickel post.
Security Cornerback Levi Wallace will play at some point, as will Brandon Jones, whose three-year, $20 million contract from March was the highest the Broncos have offered to any outside free agency this season. However, hamstring problems have kept both out of the game; Jones sustained his injury early in training camp.
In Jones’ safety position, Key and JL Skinner—the Broncos’ sixth-round pick in 2023—have seen the majority of first-team action. After joining the Broncos on December 20, 2022, Key has been on NFL practice squads for three seasons. However, he has prepared himself to be included on the 53-man roster for the first time right out of training camp.
According to Joseph, “[Key and Skinner] are both good young players.” It’s been nice to see them both develop. They’re both improving at making calls, and it’s been fun to watch them develop as competitors. Although [injuries] are clearly bad for individual guys and bad for us as a whole, it’s beneficial for our young men to receive reps.”
P.J. Locke, a fifth-year veteran, is in a strong position to take one of the starting safety slots that are open for the Broncos. Zalubowski David/AP
Before getting hurt, Wallace—who signed a one-year contract this past offseason—was vying with Mathis and Moss for the high-traffic spot beside Surtain. Given that opposition quarterbacks typically avoid throwing to Surtain, Joseph stated that playing this role requires “fortitude to play” and “you have to handle adversity”.
Surtain was voted the top cornerback in the NFL earlier this year by coaches, personnel executives, and scouts in an ESPN survey. The two-time Pro Bowler, who has seven interceptions in three seasons, has stated that he still hopes to enhance that number in the coming months.
Earlier at training camp, Surtain declared, “Of course I’m going to see myself in that regard.” “I certainly accept that responsibility, but everyone will undoubtedly have different thoughts about it. I’m just here to play my game and support the team at the end of the day, but it’s difficult to come by when you’re not targeted very often, so when I do, I have to seize the chance. I am more than capable of doing that.”
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