Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) celebrates a touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Andrew Luck (12) to wide receiver Donte Moncrief (10) in the first half against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Lions won 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The who is who has begun for Colts fans, so who will start for the Indianapolis Colts in 2017? An early projection of Indy's depth chart.
With so many newcomers to the 2017 Indianapolis Colts roster, many questions remain about the potential starting lineup. I offer here, an early projection of 2017 depth chart. However, many positions are up for grabs and many scenarios are possible.
Draft picks and free agent signees are typically afforded a sense of security in knowing that the team has made a significant investment in them. This year, for the Colts, that may not necessarily be the case. The roster has been nearly wiped clean and each and every player will be fighting for their spot.
Keep in mind that 37 cuts are coming as teams must whittle down the roster from the current 90 players to the league requirement of 53 to start the season. The first round of cuts is June 1st.
Also expect the Colts to grab several players that have been cut from other teams throughout the process. Some teams have so much depth at any one position that they cannot afford to keep players that have starting potential elsewhere. Head coach, Chuck Pagano and the rest of the Colts' coaching staff will certainly evaluate the talent they now have and they will likely find additional quality at specific positions in need as we move along.
General manager, Chris Ballard has proven himself competent and capable, earning the trust of fans. I urge you, however, to remain patient and stay the course. All of these changes bring with them a locker room full of new faces. Players must learn to work with, and trust one another before they can grow into a solid unit. The league offers constant turnaround and this will be nothing remarkably new for players, but it is a significant amount of change nonetheless.
The guys from Ohio State and Miami may have a good start getting familiarized considering there is four former Buckeyes and five former Hurricanes on the roster.
This is my anticipated lineup as the team will not issue their own for some time. Well, enough banter, lets see how the depth chart looks so far.
Oct 15, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls running back Marlon Mack (5) leaps over his own man on the way to the end zone to score as Connecticut Huskies linebacker Matthew Walsh (36) and Connecticut Huskies linebacker Cameron Stapleton (10) during the second half of a football game at Raymond James Stadium USF won 48-27. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Depth Chart: QB, RB, WR
QB: Andrew Luck, Stephen Morris, Scott Tolzien, Phillip Walker
I think the back up spot will be an area of good competition with Morris barely edging out Tolzien. Expect the Colts to carry two, possibly three QB's into the season.
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RB: Frank Gore, Robert Turbin, Marlon Mack, Josh Ferguson
The Colts currently have Dalton Crossan and Brandon Radcliff on the roster as well, but they must prove themselves before earning a place. I expect Marlon Mack to get a sizeable amount of action in a change of pace role.
WR: T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Kamar Aikan, Tevaun Smith, Jerome Lane, Quan Bray
Wide receiver will be an interesting competition as it remains wide open beyond Hilton and Moncrief. I expect to see a lot of Marlon Mack out of the backfield an in the slot. Jerome Lane is the biggest wildcard on this list, but being an Akron native myself, he gets my nod.
Another Akron Zip to watch for is JoJo Natson, with his tremendous size of 5-8 and 159 pounds. He is a little burner that might be in the mix as a return specialist. I personally have loved watching them quick little guys since the days of Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeil with the Cleveland Browns.
Oct 18, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle (84) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler in the first half during the NFL game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Depth Chart: TE & OL
TE: Jack Doyle, Eric Swoope, Brandon Williams, Mo Alie-Cox
Other tight ends on the current roster include Darrell Daniels and Colin Jeter. This group will be thinned out before the season and yet again, the competition here will be something to keep an eye on.
I expect Mo Alie-Cox to climb the ranks as he gets a handle in the position. Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski loves to utilize tight ends and it won't take long to see what these guys can offer.
LT: Anthony Costanzo, Zach Banner
LG: Jack Mewhort, Denzelle Good
C: Ryan Kelly, Brian Schwenke, Austin Blythe
RG: Joe Haeg, Denzelle Good
RT: Le'Raven Clark, Zach Banner
Zach Banner may need to fine tune his skill set before earning the starting nod. There are a plenty of other guys on the current roster that are looking to claim a spot of their own and I do expect a lot of fluidity among this group as coaches determine the best possible arrangement. Keeping Andrew Luck alive and/or healthy is of paramount importance, so they'll look for the best way to ensure that.
Dec 27, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is sacked by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kendall Langford (90) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Depth Chart: DL & LB
DT: Johnathan Hankins, Henry Anderson, Grover Stewart, Al Woods
DE: Kendall Langford, Hassan Ridgeway, Margus Hunt
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Grover Stewart's play will determine if, in fact, he will crack the starting lineup, but he and Johnathan Hankins will provide a new anchor for the Colts' defensive line. Other contenders include: T.Y. McGill, Jhaustin Thomas, Kristjan Sokoli, and David Parry.
At end, that's still an area where the Colts would likely look to improve moving forward. With that said, Langford and Ridgeway have proven that they can play at least serviceably, if not better.
OLB: Jabaal Sheard, John Simon, Barkevious Mingo, Akeem Ayers, Tarell Basham
ILB: Sean Spence, Edwin Jackson, Jon Bostic, Anthony Walker Jr.
The linebacker position is another that will demand a lot of attention. Sheard and Simon are likely starters, but beyond that, anything is possible. Especially on the inside, anyone from Spence to Walker could potentially make headway and find their way into a starting position.
Mar 5, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes free safety Malik Hooker speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Depth Chart: Secondary and Special Teams
CB1: Vontae Davis, Nate Hairston
CB2: Quincy Wilson, Justin Gibbons
Nickel: Darius Butler
FS: Malik Hooker, Darius Butler
SS: Clayton Geathers, T.J. Green
My surprise selection here is Justin Gibbons, a 6-5, undrafted free agent from Aurora University in Chicago. He is a small-school guy with big potential.
LS: Thomas Hennessy
KR: Quan Bray, JoJo Natson
PR: JoJo Natson
K: Adam Vinatieri
P: Rigoberto Sanchez
Jeff Locke is also in the mix at punter, although I have Rigoberto winning the job. As you see, Natson did indeed make it on board, at least for now.
The roster is essentially wide-open this year as nearly half of the starters will be first-year Colts. The coaching staff will have their hands full as they too learn the names, faces, and numbers of the 2017 Indianapolis Colts. If the pieces fall into place accordingly, the Colts should be much improved.
