Indianapolis Colts training camp preview: Will the youthful receiving corps take a step with Matt Ryan at QB?

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts report for coaching camp for the 2022 NFL season in the present day. With the beginning of follow comes the requisite storylines that accompany the start of every season.

Listed here are a couple of:

Who was probably the most impactful offseason addition? That is a straightforward reply. Quarterback Matt Ryan, on paper, represents a transparent improve over the unpredictable, uneven efficiency of final season’s starter Carson Wentz. The Colts landed Ryan for a mere third-round decide in a commerce with the Atlanta Falcons in certainly one of this offseason’s most heralded strikes, however will Ryan simply be strong for the Colts or does he nonetheless possess the power to supply at an elite stage when wanted? He’s 37 now, a number of years faraway from the man who gained NFL Most Helpful Participant in 2016. However the supporting forged he’ll have in Indianapolis is superior to these he had in Atlanta in latest seasons, starting with the sturdy offensive line in entrance of him and the NFL’s speeding chief final season, Jonathan Taylor.

What’s the largest query dealing with the Colts this season? The acquisition of Ryan solved the Colts’ pressing want at quarterback. However what stays to be seen is whether or not Indianapolis has completed a enough job addressing the group of gamers he’ll be throwing to. The collection of Alec Pierce from Cincinnati with the staff’s high draft decide (53rd) will go a protracted method to solidifying their wide-receiving corps. Search for the big-bodied Pierce (6-3, 213) to have a serious position on the perimeter if observations from the staff’s offseason practices are any indication. However with out veterans T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal on the roster, the position of No. 1 wideout Michael Pittman Jr., 24, takes on even better significance. For now, youth is that this group’s defining attribute. No member of the unit is older than 25. None has performed greater than 30 regular-season video games. They’re additionally uncomfortably younger at tight finish.

Who’s the participant with probably the most to show? As a former Defensive Participant of the 12 months, cornerback Stephon Gilmore’s standing is safe. But it surely’s truthful to take a wait-and-see strategy on the present model of Gilmore after the Colts signed him to a two-year contract together with his thirty second birthday approaching in September. Gilmore has missed 14 mixed video games the previous two seasons, most stemming from a hip surgical procedure he underwent whereas with the New England Patriots in 2020. However when he lastly returned, Gilmore demonstrated that he was recovered from the damage by performing nicely down the stretch with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. With the Colts committing greater than $10 million to Gilmore for 2022, they want him to play at an elite stage and solidify their perimeter cornerback spot. Gilmore has bought to remain wholesome to try this.

Camp prediction: Third-round decide Bernhard Raimann from Central Michigan will emerge because the starter at left deal with. It is hardly a assure, however that is why that is thought of a daring take. Although it is a massive ask for a rookie to begin at such a crucial spot, Raimann has the perfect mixture of abilities and measurement of the candidates to tackle this position. Raimann, 6-foot-6 and 303 kilos, ought to count on stiff competitors from veterans Matt Pryor, Dennis Kelly and recently-signed Jason Spriggs. However given the best way Raimann strikes, he’s well-equipped to deal with the pace that can confront whoever wins the job on Ryan’s blind facet.