NFL record predictions for the 2018 regular season
By Ian Cummings
Indianapolis Colts
It’s easy to like what the Indianapolis Colts did this offseason. It’s also very hard to expect them to sustain any kind of success in 2018.
Even if Andrew Luck, this Colts’ squad still lacks proven talent. There are so many unknowns that, when it’s all said and done, the Colts could end up surprising a lot of people, especially in an AFC South division that seems to undercut expectations every year.
The Colts’ offensive line undoubtedly improved with the acquisitions of Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, but even now, it’s not an upper-tier unit. Ryan Kelly has to prove he can stay healthy as their starting center, and their projected starters, at left and right tackle, are Anthony Castonzo and Denzelle Good. Catsonzo is a veteran who has proven himself to be an above-average starter as a blindside blocker. But he’s aging, and right tackle is a much larger question mark for Indianapolis.
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It doesn’t help that the team’s offensive cast is rather short-staffed, in terms of game-changing talent. At running back, the starting job will come down to either Jordan Wilkins, Marlon Mack, or Christine Michael, and at wide receiver, the only proven assets are T.Y. Hilton and Ryan Grant, who proved himself to be nothing more than a reliable utility receiver with the Washington Redskins. At tight end, the Colts are banking on Jack Doyle to improve with more reps, simply continuing the trend of unpredictability. And none of it matters if Andrew Luck can’t get healthy and stay healthy.
Much of the same can be said for the defense. It was bad last year, and although steps were made in the right direction in the offseason of 2018, there are still many questions that can only be answered on the field. The defensive line rotation is particularly thin, and although they added a mass influx of talent on the edge, with players like Jabaal Sheard, Kemoko Turay, John Simon, and Tyquan Lewis all joining the fray, they won’t be able to collapse the pocket with their interior personnel, and stopping the run in a division with Leonard Fournette, Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis, and Lamar Miller might prove to be a tall task.
In the linebacking core and the secondary, the Colts only have more uncertainty. At linebacker, their most proven piece is Najee Goode, a player who totaled 51 tackles in five years as a special teamer with the Eagles. And in the secondary, their best three players are Nate Hairston, Quincy Wilson, and Malik Hooker. Hairston is an undrafted free agent who was forced into action last year, and the latter two names both lost time to injury in 2017, and have a lot to live up to in 2018. The Colts’ defense is underwhelming at every level, despite an effective offseason. They’ve started the rebuild. But it will take more than one year.
Every year, there are question marks that end up blossoming into key contributors. But as a roster, the Colts have too many question marks to be trusted to contend, and no question mark is bigger than Andrew Luck. Luck hasn’t thrown a pass for almost two years, and with this talent cast, it’s unlikely he can come back in and pick up where he left off. Frank Reich is a good coach. But he will need a redshirt year with this squad.