Colts Projected 53-Man Depth Chart - A HSB Writeup

[horseshoeblue22]

Now, training camp hasn't even really began yet. The rookies haven't signed their deals, or even stepped on the field. Practices and preseason games will determine our depth chart, but I'll take my best shot at figuring out where everyone fits in. These are the guys I expect to make the roster, and which roles they will fit in...with a little bit of detailed analysis.

 

Note: "Depth" is referring to a player that will not see the field much, if at all, without a significant injury to a guy listed above him. "Rotation" refers to a player that could get anywhere between 25-50% of the snaps early, or even more as we get towards the end of the season.

 

 

-- Special Teams (4) --

 

K: Adam Vinatieri

P: Pat McAfee

LS: Matt Overton

Kickoff/Punt Returner: Phillip Dorsett  (ROOKIE)

 

We bring the "4th Down Army" back intact for at least another year. Vinatieri only missed one FG in the regular season last year and McAfee was one of, if not the best punter in the league. Overton resigned to be our long snapper. Dorsett will provide an immediate boost to our return game, providing a spark that us Colts fans haven't seen at the position for as long as I can remember. Other return options Josh Cribbs (already cut) and Jeff Demps won't make the team.

 

 

-- Offense (23)--

 

QBs (2)

 

Starter: Andrew Luck

Backup: Matt Hasselbeck

Gameday Emergency QB: Pat McAfee

 

Andrew Luck might be the best QB in the league. Matt Hasselbeck might be the best backup QB in the league. These are obvious guys to make the roster, only thing worth mentioning is that we won't be bringing a 3rd QB with us on our active roster. UDFA Bryan Bennett will likely make the practice squad, being promoted if Andrew or Matt get hurt.

 

RBs (4)

 

Starter: Frank Gore  (FA)

Change of Pace: Daniel "Boom" Herron

Short-Yardage/Depth: Josh Robinson  (ROOKIE)

Rotation/Depth: Vick Ballard OR Zurlon Tipton

 

I don't expect us to carry more then 4 runners on our regular season rosters, and these are the guys most likely to make the team. Gore will be our lead back, and provide the veteran leadership we need at the position. Boom will be featured more in our passing sets, taking advantage of his receiving ability on dump-offs and screens. Josh Robinson is a hard-nosed physical runner. The kind of runner that Trent Richardson was supposed to be. He will come in to help us convert 3rd-and-inches and provide us with fresh legs late in the game, and late in the season. He is the kind of runner that defenses will hate to tackle after chasing Frank Gore all game.

 

If Vick Ballard makes it through training camp with his health in tact, I expect he makes the team, but if not, Tipton makes it and Ballard goes on IR. Otherwise, I don't see Tipton making the cut. Tyler Varga and Jeff Demps have pretty much no chance of making the regular season roster, especially Demps who is a KR with limited skills at RB.

 

TEs (3)

 

Starter/Slot Receiver: Coby Fleener

Starter/FB/H-Back: Dwayne Allen

Third TE/Depth: Jack Doyle

 

Fleener is a TE that plays like a WR. He has limited skills as a blocker, but can run down the seam and wreck your defense over the top. He has great height in the redzone. He is the ideal TE for a vertical passing offense. While still a TE by trade, Dwayne Allen is a completely different kind of player. He is also a red-zone nightmare, but doesn't have the speed of Fleener. He is a much better blocker. He often plays like our sixth lineman, and moonlights as our starting FB/H-Back role player. His versatility is really valuable to our offense. I don't expect the team to carry a "true" fullback on the roster for this reason. Jack Doyle made some really nice plays for us last year, and I expect him to make the team again this season. He will come in for 3-TE short yardage sets, and provide injury insurance, but won't see the field much as long as Fleener and Allen are healthy. Erik Swoope and Jean Sifrin won't make the team this year, but both could be practice squad options.

 

WRs (4)

 

Starter/Speed Receiver: T.Y Hilton

Starter/Possession Receiver: Andre Johnson  (FA)

Slot/Speed Receiver: Phillip Dorsett  (ROOKIE)

Slot/Possession Receiver: Donte Moncrief

Depth/Special Teams: Vincent Brown  (FA) OR Duron Carter  (ROOKIE)

 

While technically I have 5 WRs making the team, Dorsett's roster spot is already accounted for above (ST). Hilton is Luck's favorite target, and will only come off the field for the bigger receivers on obvious running downs. Johnson will provide veteran leadership, a big body, and an the ability of an excellent run blocker. He may not play every down at his age, and Moncrief will step in to his spot while he is off the field, while providing another solid run-blocker and contributing as a slot receiver. Dorsett, along with being our KR, would be our primary slot receiver. He will be a deep threat, and a "blitz beater" with tremendous speed. He was the fastest guy in the draft, and now the fastest guy on the Colts. Possibly the fastest player in the league, Dorsett is well...fast. I could even see the offensive coaches designing a package that features Dorsett in the backfield, forcing other teams to cover him with a linebacker or safety. Slip screens, wheel routes, end-arounds or delayed outside runs out of this formation could be particularly dangerous. Duron Carter will likely have to nail down a special teams role AND be a red-zone nightmare to make the team, because Vincent Brown already has the ST experience. All the other WRs on our team, including Griff Whalen, aren't expected to make the final cuts.

 

OLs (10)

Starting LT: Anthony Castonzo

Backup LT/Depth: Ulrick John

LG/Backup RT:Jack Mewhort

C/Depth: Khaled Holmes

C/Depth: Jonotthan Harrison

RG/Primary Backup: Joe Reitz

RG/Primary Backup: Todd Herremans  (FA)

RT: Gosder Cherilus

G/Depth: Donald Thomas

Depth: Hugh Thorton OR Lance Louis OR Denzelle Good  (ROOKIE) OR Ben Heenan  (ROOKIE)

 

These are the ten guys we will be keeping, I think. I expect Thorton to earn a spot, but Louis and Good have outside shots at making the roster. Everyone else will likely be cut by the end of the preseason. Holmes and Harrison are expected to compete at C, where I think Holmes has the advantage. Reitz and Herremans will likely compete at RG. We didn't pick an OL in the draft (other then Good with the second-to-last pick), which to me indicates that the health reports on Cherilus and Donald Thomas look good. Mewhort could stay at LG, but I think they will give him some looks at RT. Training camp will determine our 5 best guys, and our 5 best guys will be on the field Week 1. Heenan, signed from an experimental league, has a puncher's chance at becoming a reserve guard...but I don't expect it will be enough to win a job.

 

 

-- Defense (26) --

 

DLs (8)

Starting DE: Kendall Langford  (FA)

DE/Rotation: Henry Anderson  (ROOKIE)

Starting NT: Josh Chapman

NT/Rotation: Montori Hughes

NT/DT (Rotation): David Parry  (ROOKIE)

Starting DT: Arthur Jones

Nickel DT/Rotation: Zach Kerr

Depth: Kelcy Quarles OR Gannon Conway OR Earl Okine   (ROOKIE)

 

Langford and Henry Anderson will both see plenty of time at DE, projecting a 60% / 40% split in favor of the veteran. Langford also has experience playing DT in a 4-3 front, which adds to his value. Hughes is probably our best pure NT, our biggest at the very least. Chapman sees a lot of play in our base front, and seems to be the favorite of our coaching staff. He is an effective player, but we need to do a better job managing his snap count. David Parry has some good skills for a young NT, but at 307 pounds, he may need to bulk up or move to more of a DT role. Arthur Jones was a big-ticket FA addition last year, who sat out quite a few games with a high ankle sprain...but when he was on the field our run defense was much better then when he was on the sidelines. Zach Kerr flashed some real talent last year, and I would be surprised if he is cut. Quarles, Conway and Okine will be lucky to make the roster, with Quarles the favorite of this group. Good thing here is (while we may not have superstars in this group) we have a lot of guys to rotate in, keeping our guys fresh for 4 quarters.

 

LBs (8)

Rush OLB: Robert Mathis

Rush OLB/Rotation (Passing Downs): Jonathan Newsome

Rush OLB/Strong Side OLB (Starter): Trent Cole  (FA)

Strong Side OLB: Erik Walden

Depth: Bjoern Werner

Starting ILB: Jerrell Freeman 

Starting ILB: D'Qwell Jackson

ILB/Rotation: Nate Irving  (FA)

Depth (If Irving or Mathis start season on PUP List): Henoc Muamba OR Amarlo Herrera  (ROOKIE)

 

If Mathis (Achilles) and/or Irving (ACL) aren't ready to go at the start of the season due to their injuries, one or both could start on the PUP list. Trent Cole's role in our defense is unclear at the moment, he could either be the replacement for Mathis, or a guy who will supplant Walden on the other side. Either way, we will see Cole on the field a lot. Walden was the best edge defender on the strong side we had last year. Newsome will be a pass-rushing, sack specialist. Werner won't, or shouldn't, see the field much at this point...but I don't expect the coaching staff to give up on him. Freeman and Jackson are our returning starters, and there has been little indication that those guys will be replaced easily. Irving will likely sub-in on running downs and provide depth in case of injury. Herrera may not make the roster as a late-6th round pick, and Muamba was a underdog favorite of some last year. Don't see returning reserve OLBs Cam Johnson or Daniel Adongo making it this year, or any of the UDFA guys.

 

 

CBs (5)

Right Corner: Vontae Davis

Left Corner/Slot: Greg Toler

Left Corner/Rotation: D'Joun Smith  (ROOKIE)

Slot: Darius Butler

Depth: Jalil Brown OR Deveron Carr

 

Vontae, Toler, Butler and Smith are locks to make the roster this year, so our corner depth has little questions to be answered at this point. Smith played exclusively as an outside corner in college, so I don't expect him to play the slot right away. I think he will come in for Toler on the outside, moving Toler to the slot on plays where our formation calls for a second slot corner. Butler is an experienced slot corner, and figures to get plenty of game time. Jalil Brown appears to have the leg up on Carr, but special teams experience will be key for whoever wants to nail down that last spot.

 

Safeties (5)

FS: Mike Adams

SS/Rotation: Dwight Lowery  (FA)

SS/Rotation: Clayton Geathers  (ROOKIE)

Depth/Special Teams: Dewey McDonald

Depth/Special Teams: Winston Guy OR Colt Anderson

 

I don't think either Geathers or Lowery will be an every-down player for us this year...rather, they will each see roughly 50% of the snaps at strong safety. Adams will be the leader of the group, and get a majority of the snaps at FS, giving up scraps to guys like McDonald, Guy and Anderson. Special teams play will decide who gets the final spots out of this group.

[Nobody]

4 WRs? No way man.

[3nk1du]

Sorry forgot to quote. Please delete this =D

[3nk1du]

4 WRs? No way man.

He has 5 WR but Dorsett was counted at ST KR/PR.

[SteelCityColt]

Nice and early but good write up, I'll have a proper read through later but on first glance seems to be logical.

[Dark Superman]

Very nice write up.

[ruksak]

Defensive Line and Safety are two cores that jump out at me. Very nervous about these positions, in respect to being better than we were last year. We couldn't cover TE's to save our butts, and I'm not sure if I'm seeing anything to tell me we aren't going to see the same thing again in 2015. Hopefully having Mathis back will allow our other pass rushers to flourish off of his double teams, IF Mathis hasn't lost a step or two. 

 

Our offense got noticeably deeper and more potent. I'm very excited to see this O in action. 

 

I think Herron will be easily beat out by Ballard (if healthy), and Robinson may have a great deal of impact as a pass catcher, specifically in regard to screens.

[horseshoeblue22]

I think Herron will be easily beat out by Ballard (if healthy)

 

That could certainly happen...if Ballard is healthy. And if he's healthy, does he still have the speed? Can he make all the cuts? Can he impress us in training camp?  I think we have to answer all of those questions before we start thinking about a role for him.

[ruksak]

That could certainly happen...if Ballard is healthy. And if he's healthy, does he still have the speed? Can he make all the cuts? Can he impress us in training camp?  I think we have to answer all of those questions before we start thinking about a role for him.

Yeah, we're just shooting in the dark, as we're ones to do in the off-season. Truth is, guys like Herrera and Good may not even make the 53 man roster, or even the practice squad. 

 

I have a good feeling about Robinson and Smith though. I think they'll be sticking around for 2015. 

[TKnight24]

Literally praying one of our LB'S surprise the staff and outshine Werner. Don't want him on this team anymore

Someone like Herrera from GA or someone

[Lawrence Owen]

I think we will be VERY deep in OL and DL this year (if people can stay healthy), and upgrade with our depth talent.  The list you have makes since to me.  

[NBColtsFanatic]

You're forgetting Sheldon Price at CB. I see him making the team at 5 CB.

[BullsColtsFan1]

I like it!  I think Geathers has a good chance to be the starter though.

[BlueShoe]

Nice write up!

 

I disagree only on a few things, but my disagreements are subjective only.

 

Good job.