As NFL head coaches and team executives met in Florida this week for the annual league meetings, Indianapolis Colts leadership spent a lot of time addressing the upcoming offseason quarterback competition.
Head coach Shane Steichen announced this week that third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and newly signed veteran Daniel Jones will “split” first-team reps when OTAs begin this spring.
While Richardson’s development could be a major factor in the future success of the Colts, there are still holes on the roster. Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard addressed other key position groups this week.
Colts.com writer JJ Stankevitz summarized their thoughts on the team’s offensive and defensive line, tight end, and linebacker units. Stankevitz also shared quotes from Steichen and Ballard on how they will approach filling those gaps before Week 1.
Starting with the tight end position, which many draft experts believe the Colts will focus on with the No. 14 overall pick in this month’s draft.
Some mock drafts show either Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland landing in Indy to boost a position group that combined for just 39 receptions in 2024.
Kylen Granson led Colts’ tight ends last season with 14 receptions and 182 receiving yards in 17 games. Granson signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Mo Alie-Cox remains an unsigned free agent after catching 12 passes for 147 yards last year.
Stankevitz wrote that Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, Drew Ogletree, Albert Okwuegbunam, and Jelani Woods are the current tight ends on the roster.
The Colts writer said the team has a need for a tight end who can catch and also block.
“Because the Colts have a strong receiver room â Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce on the outside, and Josh Downs in the slot, primarily â having that singular tight end who can block in the run game and also catch in the passing game is even more important,” Stankevitz wrote.
Filling Holes Up Front
After losing offensive guard Will Fries to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, Stankevitz believes the Colts could address that position in the draft.
Steichen said this week that the team will have a competition for center between Tanor Bortolini and Danny Pinter.
Whether it be an addition through the draft or free agency, Ballard told reporters that the team will have confidence in whoever is tabbed to fill the guard position because of the faith in Colts’ offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.
On the other side of the trenches, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who played with the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams last season, signed with Indianapolis this offseason.
The Colts lost defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who led Indianapolis’ defensive linemen in snaps with 745 in 2024, to the Chicago Bears in free agency.
With that loss, Stankevitz wrote that the return of Samson Ebukam, who tore his Achillies last July, is “important to note”.
“It’s a concern, absolutely,” Ballard said of Ebukam coming off the Achilles’ injury. “But when you know who the kid is and what he stands for and the effort he puts into everything, I’m willing to make that bet. We missed his physicality. Undeniably, we missed what Samson brought a year ago.”
Ebukam, Stankevitz wrote, “led the Colts with a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2023, his first year with the team after signing as a free agent.”
Replacing ‘Speed’ At Linebacker
After E.J. Speed signed with Houston this offseason, the Colts will look to replace their starting weakside linebacker in 2025.
“[Jaylon] Carlies is a leading internal candidate after starting six games as a rookie in 2024; the converted Mizzou safety totaled 36 tackles with a pass break-up and a sack last year,” Stankevitz wrote.
“We think [Carlies] can really ascend. We have some young players that we like and then we got the draft. We’ll work through it,” Ballard told reporters this week.
Colts’ opponents scored 25.1 points per game against Indianapolis last season and lost three games despite scoring at least 27 points.Â
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