1. Who will start at quarterback?
An answer to this question is not going to come until the end of training camp.
Maybe even a little later than that.
But it’s the question that matters most, the question most Colts fans have been asking since Indianapolis drafted Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 pick in April’s draft, the highest the franchise has taken a quarterback since drafting Andrew Luck No. 1 overall in 2012.
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From the sounds of it, the key Indianapolis decision-makers have always been open to throwing Richardson in the fire right away. Both Steichen and franchise owner Jim Irsay said on draft weekend that they believed the best way for a young quarterback to get better is by playing, and Irsay has been saying since the owner’s meetings that he knows drafting and developing a quarterback could require some patience, the way Peyton Manning needed a little patience at the beginning of his career.
More:Colts owner Jim Irsay on when Anthony Richardson starts: It's Shane Steichen's call
Steichen backed up his words by handing Richardson first-team snaps right away, then splitting the first-team snaps between Richardson and veteran backup Gardner Minshew in the team’s mandatory minicamp last week, although there were multiple organized team activities in between those two sessions when Minshew took all the first-team snaps.
Richardson’s the immediate future of the franchise, and it sounds like the Colts are going to give him a chance to win the season-opening job in training camp.
No storyline matters more.
2. Are the Colts ready to realize the passing portion of Steichen’s offensive vision?
If Jonathan Taylor is healthy and Richardson plays any kind of role in the running game, Indianapolis is likely going to field a dangerous rushing attack next season. Working with Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders in Philadelphia the past two seasons, Steichen led Eagles offenses that finished first and fifth in the NFL, respectively, in the running game.
But Steichen’s offense is also predicated on cracking teams open with a devastating deep passing game, and there’s reason to wonder if the Colts will be ready to pull that off this fall.
Richardson’s accuracy remains the biggest question about the rookie’s game, and Minshew struggled in the practices open to the media, albeit while throwing to a group of receivers that didn’t include No. 1 receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (hip), third-round pick Josh Downs (knee) or promising tight end Jelani Woods (hamstring). No. 2 receiver Alec Pierce was also less than full strength for most of the spring, although he did take snaps exclusively with Richardson during the team’s mandatory minicamp.
Neither quarterback was sharp during the team’s mandatory minicamp. Richardson finished 5 of 13 in 11-on-11, and Minshew was just 1-of-6.
“We definitely need to be better there,” Steichen said at the end of the session. “That’s stuff we’re going to look at, obviously.”
The Colts need the passing game to be able to carry at least a part of its weight.
Even the league’s best running games have limits.
3. Will Indianapolis pay big money to Jonathan Taylor?
The Colts’ best offensive weapon plays a position, running back, that is no longer valued the same way by teams, prompting the releases of big-name players like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook this offseason, as well as franchise-tag standoffs for Giants star Saquon Barkley and Raiders stalwart Josh Jacobs.
Taylor has hit higher heights than any of them, and unlike any of those players, he plays for a Colts team that has its quarterback of the future on a rookie deal for the next four seasons. Irsay’s repeatedly said Taylor is “special,” Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has said he has no problems paying a running back who’s a special playmaker and Steichen said last week that he believes a running back with explosive ability can take an offense to the next level.
More:'I want to retire a Colt,' but running back Jonathan Taylor also wants a lucrative contract
The 2021 version of Taylor is that kind of player, and Ballard hasn’t been afraid to give big-money second contracts to players at positions that aren’t considered premier in the past, locking up both left guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Shaquille Leonard. Those deals happened in the days between the start of training camp and the opening of the regular season, so the timeline for Taylor isn’t at a critical place yet, but the moment the Colts descend on Grand Park, the clock will be ticking.
4. What happens to Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and will the Colts add a starting cornerback?
Rodgers Sr. remains under NFL investigation for alleged violations of the league’s gambling policy, an investigation Rodgers Sr. has already apologized for instigating. If the NFL finds Rodger Sr. has committed a serious violation, a suspension will be issued, and Indianapolis will have a decision to make. Most players who have been suspended for violating the NFL’s gambling policy have subsequently been released by their teams.
More oyel: NFL is hypocritical about gambling, but Colts CB Isaiah Rodgers Sr. has no excuse
Either way, it seems likely that the Colts need to add a starting cornerback, a move the team has been reluctant to make throughout the offseason despite trading away Stephon Gilmore and allowing Brandon Facyson to return to Las Vegas in free agency. Indianapolis likes the potential of second-year player Dallis Flowers, and the Colts added JuJu Brents, Darius Rush and Jaylon Jones in the draft, but Kenny Moore II is currently the only cornerback on the roster with significant experience.
More:Here are 6 cornerback options the Colts could sign to replace Isaiah Rodgers Sr. if needed
Indianapolis was happy with the way the defense played in Gus Bradley’s first season in 2022, and the Colts believe they’ve upgraded the depth on the defensive line.
But it’s going to be hard to keep that momentum going if the Colts have a hole at cornerback.
5. Is there enough depth on the offensive line?
The line of scrimmage takes a back seat during the team’s spring OTAs and minicamps.
Offensive linemen and defensive linemen aren’t wearing full pads or going full bore at any point.
When the pads finally do go on in late July, though, a Colts offensive line that collapsed in 2022 should be under the microscope. Indianapolis is counting on the continued development of second-year left tackle Bernhard Raimann and third-year right guard Will Fries, and even if those two players hit, an injury to any spot on the offensive line could be disastrous.
For example, fourth-round rookie Blake Freeland appears to be the front-runner to be the swing tackle behind Raimann and established right tackle Braden Smith, and the interior depth is a lot of young players, led by Danny Pinter, who wasn’t able to seize his chance to start at guard last season.
All eyes are going to be on the quarterback position when training camp opens, but as the 2022 season proved, it’s awfully hard to play quarterback under fire on every snap.
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06-19-2023, 12:37 PM
5 biggest storylines facing the Indianapolis Colts heading into the summer
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