Answering 53 Colts Questions For 2024 Training Camp

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INDIANAPOLIS – We have some answers.

The 2024 Colts training camp has ended and that means we can provide some answers to the 53 questions we asked prior to things beginning at Grand Park.

Here’s a look at what we found out about the Colts in their 12 practices, and 2 preseason games:

1. Will Anthony Richardson be limited in any way? Nope. Richardson took every single starting rep the Colts asked from him in camp. That, obviously, is a great sign as Richardson head for a 2 ^nd NFL season. Richardson making it through a 17-game season once the red jersey comes off is a question he will have to answer. But any shoulder concerns exiting the spring were certainly quieted by Richardson’s full participation this camp.

2. Will we see a veteran free agent addition at cornerback? Another nope. The Colts have gone through the entire 2024 offseason program/training camp without making any somewhat notable move at cornerback. Outside of Kenny Moore II, the Colts have easily one of the youngest cornerback rooms in the league and they will get tested early in the season with C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love right out of the gate. Is Dallis Flowers coming off a torn Achilles last October really the first man up if the Colts have an injury at cornerback?

3. How hot is Chris Ballard’s seat going into his 8 ^th year as general manager? What does Jim Irsay think of his GM? A resume that includes 0 division titles and 1 playoff win in 7 years indicates a warm-to-hot seat, but Irsay’s words aren’t saying that. During the 2nd preseason game with the Cardinals, Irsay made his annual TV preseason appearance and called Ballard a “blue chip GM.” Irsay has never given any public indication that Ballard is on any sort of seat. If the Colts miss the postseason yet again though, will we see a different tune from the Owner?

4. What will be the playing time for rookie Laiatu Latu? I still think it would be a surprise if Latu was a 17-game starter as a rookie. But that doesn’t mean he will have a limited role in 2024. No, Latu should/will be part of this team’s pass rushing packages as a rookie. We saw plenty of Latu flashes at Grand Park. Latu’s raw playing time, snaps wise, might not be super high, but if he’s part of the passing downs defensively, he’s going to earn some important moments to disrupt the game.

5. Who will win the starting free safety job? Entering camp, this answer was Nick Cross, and that has remained the case. Cross appears to be the favorite for this job. Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Rodney Thomas II would probably qualify as the most realistic competition for Cross. Even though the ride has been a bit bumpy, I’d still say Cross exits camp as the starter next to Julian Blackmon.

6. Will veteran kicker Matt Gay bounce back from an inconsistent close to 2023? That was an odd training camp/preseason for Matt Gay. He barely kicked at Grand Park (1, maybe 2 days?) and then went 1-for-4 in two preseason games, missing left from 44, 53 and 54 with his lone make from 35 yards. A bit lost in the shuffle late last season was Gay missing 8 field goals, which tied the most of his 5-year career. Now, 7 of those misses came from further than 40 yards, 5 of which from longer than 50 yards. The Colts are paying Gay way too much money to miss that number of kicks, no matter the distance.

7. Is Jonathan Taylor back to being a true bellcow back? A healthy training camp from Jonathan Taylor should lead to a strong workload for him to begin 2024. If you go off of the last game we saw from Taylor (30 carries in Week 18 vs. Houston), the Colts are very comfortable giving him a heavy workload. It’s possible a healthy Taylor becomes the highest percentage carry guy of any running back in the league, although Richardson’s presence might influence that. How will the departure of Zack Moss impact the high usage rate of Taylor, too?

8. Is Jelani Woods, indeed, fully healthy? It’s been a healthy offseason of work for Woods, after several hamstring issues last season led him to missing his entire second year in the NFL. While the Colts have opted to run it back in 2024, Woods is a guy in the “raise the ceiling” category. Having said that though, Woods had a really quiet camp, playing behind the likes of Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson and Drew Ogletree. Is Woods a definite to make the 53-man roster? Woods has yet to miss a practice this offseaon, but did suffer a toe injury after 4 snaps in the preseason game against the Cardinals.

9. What is in store for Kwity Paye’s 4 ^th season? An interesting note from Kwity Paye to start camp: He has dropped around 10-15 pounds, putting some muscle back on in his Year 4. Paye mentioned playing around 270 pounds last year, and really feeling that late in games, late in seasons. Paye says he is down to around 260 pounds, with the desire to be able to bend more off the edge. Hearing this from Paye seems to be a smart attempt at becoming a more consistent pass rusher. When Paye was drafted, the Colts lauded his combination of strength and impressive quickness testing numbers. Watching Paye play though, that speed element off the edge hasn’t been truly felt. Three years into the NFL, Paye has felt the need to try and make a concerted effort in changing that. Paye had some nice moments early in camp.

10. Who will win the position battle between Alec Peirce and AD Mitchell? Honestly, I don’t know if we saw significant separation from either player competing for that main outside wideout role opposite Michael Pittman Jr. Both Pierce and Mitchell rotated pretty consistently with the starting offense. Again, the “loser” of this battle won’t be shunned to the bench for good. Shane Steichen should/will still have a role for each of these guys. And then the injury to Josh Downs has turned both of these guys into a starter, for now, with Mitchell getting looks in the slot.

11. Will the Colts do anything unique in regards to the league’s new kickoff rule? On the first practice of camp, it was quite the sight to see the amount of kick returners special teams coordinator Brian Mason used. There were around a dozen guys back there to field kicks as the Colts experiment with different guys for the new kickoff rule. This is an answer that will probably continue into the regular season.

12. Will Shane Steichen make any specific changes to try and get the Colts a Week 1 win? Today’s NFL operates in a very scaled back version of playing time in the preseason. It’s crazy to think Andrew Luck once threw 23 passes in a single preseason game. The Colts are expected to play Anthony Richardson around 3 total quarters in the preseason. So you didn’t see grand changes to the Colts camp/preseason schedule in 2024.

13. Which rookie will play the most in 2024? This has to be a debate of Laiatu Latu or AD Mitchell. The season-ending injury to Samson Ebukam probably gives the edge to Latu on this question. For a Day 3 pick, Jaylon Carlies at linebacker might be a sleeper vote. But Carlies, who missed a week-plus of camp due to injury, would need an injury to Zaire Franklin and/or E.J. Speed to occur.

14. Do the Colts have enough room for 5 tight ends? One of the debates come roster cut time will be this in regards to the tight end position. Frankly, keeping 5 tight ends seems like a ridiculous number. But it is quite possible for the Colts. Obviously, proper health is going to be needed elsewhere on the roster for this to come to fruition, but it will be something to watch as August rolls on. In camp, another banged-up run for Will Mallory has him pretty low on the depth chart. Honestly, I’d probably put Jelani Woods just above Mallory if I were ordering the tight ends. Health wise, the Colts are in decent 53-man roster shape after 2 preseason games, so it’s possibly they keep that big number.

15. What is next for Michael Pittman Jr.? Statistically, the next item on the Michael Pittman Jr. list has to be scoring more touchdowns. It’s pretty crazy Pittman Jr. has just 15 touchdown catches in his 62 career games (4 years). Being more of that difference maker in and around the scoring area should be a goal for MPJ on his new contract. Pittman Jr. mentioned reaching double-digit touchdowns as a goal for him in Year 5.

16. Is the starting offensive line locked in stone? Entering camp, this question appeared to be one with a definite answer, and that’s how things played out at Grand Park. Outside of Blake Freeland taking some right tackle reps with Braden Smith (knee) brought back along slowly, the Colts did not mess with any of their starting offensive line spots. It’ll be the same quintet starting up front in 2024: LT-Bernhard Raimann, LG-Quenton Nelson, C-Ryan Kelly, RG-Will Fries, RT-Braden Smith.

17. How much will Anthony Richardson play in the preseason? 2 series in Week 1. Nothing in Week 2. A half of football in Week 3? That sounds like the 2024 preseason playing time for Richardson, which will follow the same pattern as what you saw from him in last year’s preseason.

18. How multiple will the Colts run game be? Perhaps the most dynamic element to the Colts offense moving forward will be this, assuming Richardson is under center. And you certainly saw glimpses of that at Grand Park, even with Richardson in a red jersey. Given Richardson’s skills, the Colts should be a multiple rushing attack, stressing the defense from a responsibility standpoint. Remember, Jonathan Taylor and Richardson spent just 2 snaps together last season. The Colts should be able to strike some serious fear into the opponent in this element.

19. Does Joe Flacco still have it? Entering last season, it would be hard to have much conviction in answering this question positively. But then Flacco resurrected his career with a super impressive stint in Cleveland. This spring, the 39-year-old Flacco still showed plenty of ability to sling it down the field. Flacco followed that up at camp with arm strength that rivals Richardson. If the Colts need to turn to him at any point this season, that element of the offense should still be a threat.

20. Is there a role for a pass catching running back? Maybe this is too much of a fantasy football question. But I’m curious if the Colts will have Jonathan Taylor play that third-down role, or if they’ll look for another player to eat up those duties. Second-year back Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson got the occasional look in this role at camp, but nothing in the form of a guy like Nyheim Hines. Taylor’s overall workload impacting this is definitely something to watch.

21. What will the arrival of Charlie Partridge mean to the defensive line? The Colts are not only running it back roster wise, but also not at the highest levels of their coaching staff. Position coach Charlie Partridge is the new addition though, leading the defensive line unit. Partridge was extremely well thought of in the college ranks, with some impressive units in the pass rushing department. What will Partridge bring to a heavily invested defensive line group, as the unit strives for more consistent pressure? I would say the DL had some early camp moments of producing more routine QB disruption.

22. If AD Mitchell beats out Alec Pierce, what role will be there for Alec Pierce? As we said entering camp, the “loser” of a Mitchell vs. Pierce battle isn’t going to be diminished to splinters on the bench. No, that player still should have some role offensively. For Pierce, you can still view him like a home run hitter off the bench in baseball. He still has that ability, especially with more of a home run hitter at quarterback in Anthony Richardson.

23. Which tight end should be sweating a roster spot? For me, this was one of the hardest questions to peg an answer of conviction for. Exiting Grand Park, if you made me pick two guys at the bottom of the tight end depth chart, it would be Jelani Woods and Will Mallory (who missed the final week and a half of camp due to a hamstring injury). Is this enough to jeopardize either on the 53-man roster? I still think the Colts will try everything they can do to keep both, but it is something to keep an eye on.

24. Who makes up the third-down pass rush package? The “Indy Car” package, as we like to label it, had a pretty consistent personnel grouping last year of DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyignbo and then either Kwity Paye or Tyquan Lewis. But the injury to Ebukam means we will see some change. With Odeyingbo also missing some time in camp, the Colts drilled a pass rush quartet of these guys: Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye. Does a healthy Odyeingbo alter any of that?

25. How much will the deep ball be part of Anthony Richardson’s game? This supposed strength to Richardson’s game has yet to be truly seen in an NFL setting. But we definitely saw it on display at times in training camp. It’s easily one of the more intriguing aspects to the skillset of Richardson, and something the Colts have really lacked in quarterback play of recent. Will this, indeed, be a staple of Richardson’s quarterback style? The Colts can live with a lower completion percentage from Richardson, as long as he can dial up some plays vertically.

26. Is there a sleeper on defense that will impact in 2024? I think I’ll go with Isaiah Land off the edge. Land probably still needs another injury to receive some consistent reps off the edge, but he flashed a bit during camp. It’s hard to pick a sleeper when you bring back all 11 defensive starters.

27. How will Mo Alie-Cox handle a contract year? It was a healthy camp for Alie-Cox as he has appeared to stave off any potential questions about his spot on the roster. Many wondered this offseason if Alie-Cox would return for another season in Indy, considering his contract. Alie-Cox is back though, even as the Colts’ financial situation tightened a bit with many re-signings. Some playing time push from Kylen Granson and Drew Ogletree is there, but Alie-Cox looks to still be very much in the mix at tight end.

28. Will the Colts and Cardinals behave during joint practices? Credit to the Lions and Bears for behaving alongside the Colts in recent Grand Park joint sessions. And the Cardinals did, as well. Head coaches Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon have history together in Philadelphia so perhaps that helped those two teams to have a quiet post-whistle camp.

29. Will any undrafted rookie make the team on offense? This seemed unlikely at the start of camp, but offensive line depth injuries to Wesley French and Josh Sills has me shifting my thinking a bit. I had jotted down a name like Trent Pennix at running back and he did offer a moment or two in camp, before a groin injury in the preseason opener halted some things and led to an eventual waive. Along the offensive line, Dalton Tucker is the name I think could be emerging here. Is it him and Danny Pinter competing for a depth job?

30. What is the rookie role for third-round pick Matt Goncalves? The Colts mainly lined Goncalves up at right tackle in camp, but he also got some run at left tackle, and both guard spots. Back in the spring, Goncalves got his first NFL look at right tackle. When the Colts drafted him though they were very much up in the air on where the early fit would be for the Pittsburgh offensive lineman. It will be interesting to see if the Colts decide on a clearcut swing offensive tackle winner with Blake Freeland competing for that with push from Goncalves.

31. Do we see more pass rushing from Grover Stewart? I know Stewart would like a few more reps on those passing downs. But his pass rushing impact will still likely have to come on those early downs, where the opportunities aren’t as abundant. Stewart is in terrific shape for an NFL defensive tackle, but it’s still a lot to ask of him to play all 3 downs, like a DeForest Buckner. When the defensive line unit is healthy in 2024, a pass rushing quartet will likely come from these 5 names: Laiatu Latu, Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis

32. Will Anthony Gould find any offensive role? On more than one occasion this spring and now in training camp, you saw Joe Flacco uncork a deep one that 5 ^th round pick Anthony Gould ran under. When Josh Downs got hurt a few weeks ago, Gould was the initial guy at the slot position. But that’s a role the Colts have explored more and more with AD Mitchell at. Still though, one has to think Gould has earned a random specific play or two designed for him to sneak into the offensive huddle and try to pop a big play with him. This is assuming Gould is going to earn the main returner duties as rule changes benefit a player like him. Plus, the injury to Josh Downs increased Gould’s overall importance, in the return game, too.

33. Any contract extension for Dayo Odeyingbo? Yeah, it’s probably not going to happen. A calf injury early in camp forced Odeyingbo to miss a week of work. He’s still an important piece to the Colts defensive line, but not at the level of contract extension before the end of his rookie contract. Odeyingbo heads into a contract year after some positive moments throughout his first 3 years in the NFL.

34. How healthy is Braden Smith? The only Colts starter who missed the entire spring due to injury was Braden Smith, coming off an off-season knee surgery. Smith missed the first few days of camp, before the Colts brought him along slowly into full team drills. Once Smith reached this level, he looked to be his normal self. Smith has missed at least 6 games in 2 of the last 3 seasons. His contract rises to a $19 million cap hit in 2025. For several reasons, this is a big year for Smith, as he continues to prove he is one of the most important players on this team.

35. Who emerges as the No. 2 running back? On the early downs, Trey Sermon probably needs to be viewed as the favorite there, although a hamstring injury in the preseason opener opened the door for some valuable practice reps to the likes of Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson. The overall running back depth chart remains very much “in pencil” with Jonathan Taylor the obvious bellcow.

36. Will Anthony Richardson be able to hit more singles in the passing game? When it comes to the passing game of Richardson, a definite goal for his in Year 2 should be to just hit a few more singles, and keep the passing game going in more of a methodical way, at times. It’s not the flashiest form of passing, but it is something that Richardson needs to fine tune as he progresses in the NFL. In training camp, Richardson did a nice job staying away from turnovers and did a complete a slightly higher percentage than he did from last year’s camp. If Richardson can “hit a few more singles” in the passing game, it’s going to aid the Colts in sustaining drives and staying away from the true negatives (turnovers).

37. What tweaks will be there for Gus Bradley’s third year running the defense? For some, asking this might just be wishful thinking and probably something we need to see play out once the season arrives. When you have a defensive coordinator going into his third year with the same team, leading a group filled with continuity, inquiring about tweaks and evolvements to a unit is fair. What, if any, will we see from Bradley’s defense? Is Julian Blackmon bouncing back and forth between strong and free safety within a game something to watch for?

38. What is the depth at linebacker? When healthy, Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed will hardly come off the field for the Colts. Just like last season. But some depth spots need to be found for insurance reasons. And that doesn’t account for a 3 ^rd linebacker, who will be needed for those occasional base defense reps. I’d put Segun Olubi as that 3 ^rd linebacker, and probably Franklin’s main backup, if need be. Jaylon Carlies had a nice start to camp, and is more of in the Speed body type role, but a hip injury sidelined him for some valuable reps.

39. Who wins the starting outside cornerback job? This, understandably, never really played out as much of a battle in camp. In the base defense, expect Kenny Moore II to start outside, with JuJu Brents as the other outside corner. In the nickel defense, Moore II will slide inside to play the slot, with Brents outside, and Jaylon Jones as the third cornerback. Dallis Flowers as the 4 ^th cornerback is a definite question as he tries to return from a torn Achilles in less than a year.

40. Any lingering injuries for guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce? Both of these wideouts missed the final week of the spring offseason program. But they returned for the start of training camp and had very healthy stints this preseason.

41. Will we see a veteran free agent addition at safety? This question certainly rose in prominence as training camp unfolded, but Chris Ballard didn’t budge at all in going outside of the building for safety help. The season-ending injury to Daniel Scott this spring started to add some little fuel to this question. Yet, nothing from Ballard. You can make a strong case no position group on the roster has more short and long-term questions than the safety position.

42. Will any undrafted rookie make the team on defense? Again, it’s hard to peg an undrafted free agent actually making the team. Defense might be even harder than offense to find a legit candidate. But that’s largely what happens when you return all 11 starters from last year, and some key depth guys.

43. Is there a sleeper on offense that will impact in 2024? The only real position where I see someone emerging in this category would be running back. Depth behind Jonathan Taylor is certainly not locked in, and that looks to be somewhat true exiting camp, although a healthy Trey Sermon is probably the No. 2 back. At wideout, do we have a D.J. Montgomery vs. Ashton Dulin battle for that 6 ^th wideout spot?

44. Will the kickoff rule change impact the roster building? An emphasis on finding a more dynamic returner, given the increase in kick returns coming in 2024, is one part of this question. But discussions on the types of special teamers to cover/block this new play has also been a poplar off-season topic. How will this impact the back end of the roster, where special teams focus rises? The Colts have used a few bigger body guys on their kickoff units, so that’s something to keep in mind with roster cuts coming August 27 ^th .

45. Is Nick Cross ready for a breakout season? It is such an important Year 3 for Cross. And camp brought some highs and lows for the man who still appears to be the favorite to start next to Julian Blackmon. Remember, Cross was still 20 years old when he started his first NFL game was a rookie in 2022. The “age/lack of experience” excuse for Cross is over though. He needs to secure that safety starting job and show that he was worthy of a trade back into Round 3.

46. Do we see the Colts scale back the playing time for their starting defensive tackles? This one had a wrench thrown into it with Raekwon Davis missing all of camp due to a high blood pressure issue. Davis appears to be returning this week, but what that means for DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart remains to be seen. The position with the most strength/quality depth for the Colts is certainly defensive tackle. It’s going to be interesting to see if some added depth at defensive tackle leads to dialing back Buckner/Stewart’s play time at all, to keep them fresher as they reach their 30s.

47. Who is the backup left tackle? If you are making an ‘indispensable Colts’ list, Bernhard Raimann would have to be very high on that. Raimann is vital to the Colts, so that brings up the question of who would be his backup? Blake Freeland? Rookie Matt Goncalves? That battle hasn’t led to an obvious answer, with definite questions here, especially with Freeland. Raimann’s health remains paramount.

48. How beneficial will two joint practice sessions be? The Colts will have 3 total joint practices in 2024, two with the Cardinals (at Grand Park) and one with the Bengals (in Cincinnati). Against Arizona, Indianapolis appeared to be the superior team.

49. What is the rookie role for fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini? It looks like Tanor Bortolini will slot into an interior depth role in 2024. The season-ending injury to Wesley French in camp turned the center depth to more of a Bortolini/Danny Pinter focus. The Colts have also used Bortolini at guard some.

50. Who will make up the defensive line depth? No position group rotates more on game day than the Colts defensive line. So ample playing time is there for guys who aren’t in the starting lineup. Assuming the Colts start a 4-man grouping of Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Tyquan Lewis, with heavy rotating from Laiatu Latu and Dayo Odeyingbo, other depth spots could come from Isaiah Land off the edge and especially Adetomiwa Adebawore. Big man Raekwon Davis remains an unknown with his lingering blood pressure issue.

51. What role will be there for the No. 2 running back? Given the contractual/injury issues with Jonathan Taylor last year, Zack Moss was a key piece for the 2023 bunch. The answer to that RB2 in 2024 isn’t defined yet, and neither is how that role will look. If Taylor is indeed the bellcow, it could be a whole lot of spot duty for a role that looked different last season. I think it’s fair to say that is the assumption.

52. Which Day 3 draft pick will play the most in Year One? I don’t feel as confident that Jaylon Carlies will be the answer here, with a hip injury sidelining him for a good chunk of camp. Tanor Bortolini would need a serious interior OL injury to occur. Anthony Gould seems like he could be slightly more than a specialty guy. Rookie defensive backs Jaylin Simpson and Micah Abraham are still a ways down the depth chart. A healthy Carlies could very well be the 3 ^rd linebacker though, and the first man up if Zaire Franklin and more so E.J. Speed gets banged up.

53. Is there a third quarterback competition? That doesn’t appear to be the case. It didn’t appear like Sam Ehlinger got seriously pushed for that 3 ^rd QB spot from undrafted free agents Kedon Slovis and Jason Bean. Although Bean getting in before Slovis in the 2nd preseason game, and flashing again, could mean something for the practice squad down the road. Remember, the NFL has a new quarterback rule in 2024 in that teams can dress a 3 ^rd quarterback on game day, and that guy can be on the team’s practice squad. Opening up a 53-man roster spot for a 3 ^rd QB has to be enticing to NFL teams. Typically, the Colts have carried a 3 ^rd QB on their 53-man roster. Will Ehlinger maintain this role for a 4 ^th straight year?

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