WR corps needs help if Indianapolis Colts want Matt Ryan to serve up wins

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts’ extensive receiver room is at present like whenever you open up a pantry at dwelling after you have not been to the shop shortly. There are merchandise in there, however there won’t be sufficient elements to make you suppose you possibly can create an eye-popping completed product.

That’s not nice information for the Colts’ skilled chef — properly, new quarterback — Matt Ryan.

The Colts took care of two of their greatest offseason wants by buying and selling for Ryan and pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. These two received’t be sufficient, although.

Ryan – and working again Jonathan Taylor – need assistance at receiver, the following most-pressing want for the Colts. Ryan wants some targets he can depend upon, and Taylor wants receivers to maintain opponents from stacking the field frequently when he tries to run the ball.

“Do we have to add [receivers]? Sure,” Colts common supervisor Chris Ballard advised reporters through the NFL house owners conferences final month. “I’m not going to sit down right here and say we don’t. However we’ve some younger gamers that we like.”

The present state of the Colts receiving room is Michael Pittman Jr., who’s coming off a 1,000-yard receiving season, and loads of unproven gamers. That’s as a result of veteran T.Y. Hilton continues to be a free agent and Zach Pascal signed with former Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Colts aren’t panicking over their present receiving state of affairs as a result of they really feel optimistic about what they’ve coming again. Coach Frank Reich has excessive hopes for younger receivers like Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin and Mike Strachan. Among the finest receivers returning – Parris Campbell – has develop into an provided that participant. Campbell may develop into the staff’s No. 2 receiver subsequent season provided that he finds a approach to keep wholesome. He has missed 34 out of 49 regular-season video games within the first three years of his NFL profession.

“Our job is at all times to enhance the roster,” Reich stated through the house owners conferences. “I occur to have lots of perception within the younger guys.”

It’s nice to have perception within the younger gamers on the roster, however returning receivers not named Michael Pittman Jr. mixed for a complete for 28 receptions, 387 yards and 4 touchdowns final season.

And that’s between six receivers.

To offset any lack of expertise they’ve at receiver, the Colts are anticipated to incorporate working again Nyheim Hines within the passing recreation much more subsequent season. Hines, a former receiver at NC State, is coming off a season the place he had a career-low 40 receptions. That ought to assist the Colts, since working backs accounted for 29% of Ryan’s completions (110 out of 375) final season with the Atlanta Falcons.

“We speak about it on a regular basis. We speak about the true specifics at extensive receiver we’d prefer to have … you’re on the lookout for tremendous aggressive guys who’re very productive and explosive however have nice change of route and nice fingers,” proprietor Jim Irsay stated concerning the free-agent market at receiver. “You’re on the lookout for an actual particular expertise at this level, and it doesn’t look like on the market.”

The dangerous information for the Colts is that they don’t have a first-round choose after giving it to the Philadelphia Eagles as a part of the Carson Wentz commerce. The excellent news is that they have seven draft picks and this a deep draft class at receiver.

ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay had seven receivers taken within the first spherical and extra 4 extra going within the second spherical of his most up-to-date mock draft. He has the Colts taking Georgia receiver George Pickens with the No. 42 choose, six spots after Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore went to the New York Giants at No. 36.

Though ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. additionally had seven extensive receivers getting into Spherical 1 of his latest mock, and one other 5 in Spherical 2, he addressed one other Colts roster concern (left sort out) by giving them OT Bernhard Raimann from Central Michigan at No. 42.

The Colts can’t go into subsequent season nonetheless having questions of their extensive receiver pantry. Not if they need Ryan to serve up wins at quarterback, particularly with the improved expertise within the AFC, the place offensive manufacturing is predicted to be even greater in 2022.

“We now have the draft picks, and we’re enthusiastic about that,” Irsay stated. “We all know it’s arduous to usher in a rookie, simply plug him in. Generally it occurs, generally it doesn’t. Once more, endurance is crucial, and never making errors is crucial.”