Mike Strachan

[AustexColt]

Mike has been inserted into the lineup more than last year. With opposing defenses keenly aware of Pittman, Pierce, Grandson and Parris, it is time for Mike to find ways to get open. He needs to be able to read defenses and get to the open spaces. He has the size and speed, and hands. I hope he can add to the arsenal of weapons for our offense.

[Mr.Debonair]

He is not taking advantage of his opportunities

[krunk]

Hes been in there but never gets open. Could of had a TD in the red zone if he didnt fall down

[DougDew]

Pitt, AP, and Parris are the Colts' three receivers we need to be concerned about.  If things are working properly, they should each be getting 90% of the snaps (with Parris sharing some time with Granson when he plays big slot).  When these three play like reliable NFL WRs and develope a chemistry with the QB, then the passing game will work.  And if they don't cut it,  then we need to get other second round talent or first round talent.  Lets hope they work out. 

 

This stuff about getting Dulin, Strachan, or Patmon more involved or criticizing how they are used is missing the point.  They have gotten invovled when the other three can't cut it, which has been too often this year.  These three are nice to have, but they are not the players who will be driving the production of the passing game.

 

Strachan is nice, but seeing more of him at this point is a bad thing.  He is a backup.

[stitches]

I had huge hopes for him, but so far he's disappointed.

 

The type of receiver he is(big bodied, contested catch type receiver) requires the QB to trust him and he's done close to nothing to win Ryan's trust, unfortunately. At this point we have 2 receivers that can do what he is supposed to provide, and they add more to the table, so I have to agree with @DougDew above - right now he should probably be a backup. 

[Breeze]

From a birds eye view at LOS, he gets open quite a bit.  He’s just been 3rd or 4th option at this stage.  Until this past Sunday, getting to 3rd option was a pipe dream.

[cjwhiskers]

I agree with most of the other posters here. Mike is getting plenty of opportunities but isn't getting open or isn't catching the balls thrown at him. It could just be some growing pains and I think he will pick it up. However, Colts brought back DeMichael Harris to the practice squad today. He should feel a bit of pressure. 

[sb41champs]

He was considered a "raw" prospect when he was drafted.

 

He needs practice - practice - practice - and - then some "big boy" game experience.

 

Everyone was bustin' on Parris Campbell - and - he's begun to show some promise.

[Hark]

The top three receivers are clearly Pitt, Pierce, and Campbell. With Woods and Granson both coming along as solids receiving options, anyone else is likely going to the 4th read or later. Strachan is fighting with Dulin to be that late read. Not going to see many balls, so whoever it is needs to take advantage any time their number is called. I believe Strachan got 2 targets on Sunday with 0 catches. I'm a fan of Big Mike, but he has to improve if he wants to see more targets.

[holeymoley99]

9 minutes ago, cjrulli said:

I agree with most of the other posters here. Mike is getting plenty of opportunities but isn't getting open or isn't catching the balls thrown at him. It could just be some growing pains and I think he will pick it up. However, Colts brought back DeMichael Harris to the practice squad today. He should feel a bit of pressure. 

Harris is more a precaution if Keke is out a bit with concussion with Dulin on I.R. and Hines still not cleared. Big Mike has to worry more about Patmon and newly signed Vyncint Smith.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I would rather have Patmon as that 5th guy then Strachan. Patmon just seems more ready.

[coming on strong]

mike has the athletic ability to be elite but his route running is raw .  coming from a small d2 school and sitting his final year due to covid really hurt his development .   it might take 3 or 4 years to see what he brings to the table .  his route running leaves much to be desired .    he reminds me of derrick rogers  well see if he can turn it around

[Mr.Debonair]

4 minutes ago, TaylorTheStudMuffin said:

I would rather have Patmon as that 5th guy then Strachan. Patmon just seems more ready.

No chance

[DougDew]

59 minutes ago, cjrulli said:

However, Colts brought back DeMichael Harris to the practice squad today. He should feel a bit of pressure. 

Harris and Strachan are about as opposite kind of a receiver as there could be.  Harris is a short route shifty guy who needs the ball in some space to then make things happen.

 

Really, the guy who should be concerned (not saying that ANYBODY should be) is Hines.  For all of the fans who wanted to see Hines in the slot, or do more jet sweeps, or just take more passes...Harris is the player that does just that. (and is better at it, IMO...Hines is the better player at taking handoffs)

 

Maybe Frank/Matt see something with the short passing game they didn't see before, and Harris will add to that.  JMO.

 

Edit: as has been said.  Harris is insurance for the smaller receivers who might be injured.

[colts89]

He seems to be doing decently in blocking. He's still raw and is our 4th WR. I'd rather our first three guys get the reps while he continues to develop in practice.

[tvturner]

2 hours ago, sb41champs said:

He was considered a "raw" prospect when he was drafted.

 

He needs practice - practice - practice - and - then some "big boy" game experience.

 

Everyone was bustin' on Parris Campbell - and - he's begun to show some promise.

Campbell was a 2nd rounder

Strachan was a 7th

 

Campbell deserves the criticism he's gotten

Strachan is a long-shot starter

[jskinnz]

4 hours ago, AustexColt said:

Mike has been inserted into the lineup more than last year. With opposing defenses keenly aware of Pittman, Pierce, Grandson and Parris, it is time for Mike to find ways to get open. He needs to be able to read defenses and get to the open spaces. He has the size and speed, and hands. I hope he can add to the arsenal of weapons for our offense.

My favorite Strachan play from Sunday was when he hit Ehlinger with a Philly Special TD pass. 

[EastStreet]

3 hours ago, Breeze said:

From a birds eye view at LOS, he gets open quite a bit.  He’s just been 3rd or 4th option at this stage.  Until this past Sunday, getting to 3rd option was a pipe dream.

 

Yup. He's been open, and is typically last option in progressions. And his route participation is low. 

 

Not saying he's great, but he's normally the blocking guy, or doing dirty work. His snap% is under 20%, and when he's playing, his route participation is under 20%. 

 

Dulin was treated similar before this year. Blocking and dirty work. Dulin looked great when he got focus this year. 

[Shive]

4 hours ago, holeymoley99 said:

Big Mike has to worry more about Patmon and newly signed Vyncint Smith.

Smith is a raw height/weight/speed guy too. 6-3, 195, and ran a 4.36 40. Definitely a much better athlete than WR though, so unless Reggie can really help develop his technical skills, I don't see him realistically pushing Strachan or Patmon.

 

Don't get me wrong, the athleticism is exciting.

[EastStreet]

6 minutes ago, Shive said:

Smith is a raw height/weight/speed guy too. 6-3, 195, and ran a 4.36 40. Definitely a much better athlete than WR though, so unless Reggie can really help develop his technical skills, I don't see him realistically pushing Strachan or Patmon.

 

Don't get me wrong, the athleticism is exciting.

Agreed. Like 5ish teams in 5ish years. Great RAS though, but a total project. I think he's only 6-2, so likely not X competition given his height and weight. 

[GoColts8818]

3 hours ago, jskinnz said:

My favorite Strachan play from Sunday was when he hit Ehlinger with a Philly Special TD pass. 

Wrong thread that should be in the thank you for playing Ehlinger thread lol.

[Shadow_Creek]

what i dont get is how is someone like patmon who keeps working his butt off all off season these last couple of years always being reduced to the practice squad or held inactive for games ...it makes no sense at all id rather see strachan on the pratice squad and patmon in the game 

[Mr.Debonair]

6 hours ago, Shadow_Creek said:

what i dont get is how is someone like patmon who keeps working his butt off all off season these last couple of years always being reduced to the practice squad or held inactive for games ...it makes no sense at all id rather see strachan on the pratice squad and patmon in the game 

Patmon just isn’t as good and doesn’t have the ceiling Strachan doesn’t. 

[philba101]

Assuming Reich keeps the same spread, quick-hitting offense that we used on Sunday, I am not sure we need to see that much more production from our 4th-6th receivers. As some have stated, Pittman, Pierce, and Campbell are the top three receiving options with the tight ends figuring into the mix situationally. The newest wrinkle to our offense which we saw on Sunday was short dump or swing passes to our RB (D. Jackson-10 catches on 10 targets). I would love to see this utilized more often with Taylor and Hines as well. These short dump passes to the RB in the flat totally kept the defense honest and allowed us to pickup several positive gains on early downs. This helped relieve pressure off of the line and Ryan and kept us out of so many 3rd and longs that we lived in throughout the first 5 games.

[RollerColt]

Mike is a big guy, so one thing that he can do that's not overly flashy but will keep him on the team is improve blocking. Setting a pick here and a block there won't get many fantasy points, but it would help the team produce more 1st down conversions and ultimately get the offense going, including the run game.

 

He does that, and suddenly our screen passes will be hugely effective. 

[Shadow_Creek]

3 hours ago, Mr.Debonair said:

Patmon just isn’t as good and doesn’t have the ceiling Strachan doesn’t. 

right and strachan is catching TDs like crazy for us and leads the league because he's really dominant????  

[Mr.Debonair]

5 minutes ago, Shadow_Creek said:

right and strachan is catching TDs like crazy for us and leads the league because he's really dominant????  

I used the word dominant in my post? Weird. Don’t see it. Funny how words just disappear 

[Stephen]

To be honest the only serviable wr after the big three is dulin and he is hurt. Strachan, patmon have been badcwhen given a chance

[Shadow_Creek]

2 minutes ago, Mr.Debonair said:

I used the word dominant in my post? Weird. Don’t see it. Funny how words just disappear 

how can you say patmon doesn't have as good as a ceiling as strachan when hes barely been used and that's not because of poor play it's just continued horrible coach decision 

[Smonroe]

5 minutes ago, Stephen said:

To be honest the only serviable wr after the big three is dulin and he is hurt. Strachan, patmon have been badcwhen given a chance

 

I wouldn't say bad, but inconsistent for sure.  They were late round draft picks for a reason.

[Myles]

1 hour ago, Shadow_Creek said:

how can you say patmon doesn't have as good as a ceiling as strachan when hes barely been used and that's not because of poor play it's just continued horrible coach decision 

I don't know who has the higher ceiling between Patmon and Strachan.  If you factor in their size, Strachan should have the higher ceiling but neither has proved to us anything.  I don't trust Franks ability to use  WR's very well, so I won't blame the WR's much.  

 

Here is some analysys on the Colts 7th round pick:

 

Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide): “A two-year starter at Charleston, Strachan was the X receiver in offensive coordinator Paul Johnson’s scheme while also winning several conference titles on the track team. He became the first player in school history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season, and he did it twice, finishing the 2019 season with 19 touchdowns (third-most at the Division II level). Strachan looked like the Division II version of Chase Claypool on tape with his acceleration, ball tracking skills and humongous catch radius to climb the ladder or snatch away from his frame. He won’t be able to physically dominate with his size/speed alone in the NFL, but he will benefit from not having another sport to focus on in the offseason for the first time in his life. Overall, Strachan will require development time before he is ready for the jump in talent at the pro level, but the athletic traits, body control and tracking skills for a player that size are uncommon and worth the day 3 investment.”

[Defjamz26]

I’m not sure I really understand what the point of this is. Strachan is a depth receiver. When everyone is healthy, he’s the team’s 5th receiver. He doesn’t really need any more opportunities, and they don’t need to scratch their head figuring out how to get him more involved. He’s playing his role perfectly. He’s a 7th round draft pick from a small school. 

[CanuckColt]

A 7th rounder is a 7th rounder for a reason.

[will426]

A lot of our players would look Amazing had we a better play caller they all have talent and ability..stop overthinking this crap 

[BlueShoe]

Strachan is the poster example of a receiver that will take a lot of time to develop. He comes from a small school that basically asked him to run the 9 route and outrun or out jump everyone on nearly every play. He has not fully reached his potential, because it doesn’t work that way. Nothing can replace experience. 

[GoColts8818]

3 hours ago, will426 said:

A lot of our players would look Amazing had we a better play caller they all have talent and ability..stop overthinking this crap 

Funny Pittman, Alec, and Campbell had no problem looking amazing Sunday while Strachan was a ghost.  Not saying play calling isn’t an issue at times but not EVERY struggle is because of play calling.  Sometimes players just aren’t very good.

[Hawkeyecolt]

Dulin was playing well.  Strachan is getting some looks with Dulin out.  I thought he got held in the first pass attempt to him in the end zone. He needs some reps in live game situations to improve his game but Mega-Strachan also needs to step up when given a look.  At least a play here and there since he isn’t the main target. 
 

Patmon had a big 3rd down drop in the first JAX game.  I’m sure that didn’t help his cause. 

[will426]

17 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Funny Pittman, Alec, and Campbell had no problem looking amazing Sunday while Strachan was a ghost.  Not saying play calling isn’t an issue at times but not EVERY struggle is because of play calling.  Sometimes players just aren’t very good.

I somewhat agree but he’s also not a 1-3 option when the ball is hiked honestly I’d utilize him where his height and jumping ability could be useful in the red zone or near the goaline..we have a lot of tall physical specimens yet we don’t use them to their abilities or physical attributes b4 patmon was demoted we had least 4 tall guys in pierce strachan patmon Pittman who all can win 50/50 balls on top of the huge and athletic TE room we have who ALSO can win those yet we don’t have them high pointing the ball at key times alot of vanilla playcalling 

[EastStreet]

22 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Funny Pittman, Alec, and Campbell had no problem looking amazing Sunday while Strachan was a ghost.  Not saying play calling isn’t an issue at times but not EVERY struggle is because of play calling.  Sometimes players just aren’t very good.

Strachan is doing blocking and dirty work (not real routes, mostly like clear outs/rubs/etc). Likely little to no early progressions/reads. His snap % is still low, but his route participation is also low. Dulin did the same stuff last year (dirty work, not real routes). 

[WHAM-Bam ThankYou Sam]

Mike strachan aka Roy hall aka duron carter aka da’rick Rogers aka deon Cain