The Indianapolis Colts have been extremely busy this offseason, and are considered to be one of the Super Bowl favorites heading into 2015. General manager Ryan Grigson was aggressive in free agency, and the Colts made quite a few upgrades to both sides of the football. There is no question that the Colts have the potential to win a championship, but they will need five players in particular to step up in order to make those goals a reality.
1. Andrew Luck, Quarterback
Needless to say, everything starts with the quarterback in the NFL these days. Andrew Luck is one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the game, and is looking to take the final leap into the elite group of players at the position that includes Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Taking that leap would also make the Colts the best team in the AFC on paper.
Luck has to figure out how to take care of the football better than he has so far in his three NFL seasons. He is always looking to make a play, which can be good or disastrous at the same time. Figuring out when to make a play and when to take a sack is one area where the budding superstar has to find a balance, and it is an area that he should take a major leap forward.
2. Robert Mathis, Linebacker
Indianapolis simply didn’t have a pass rush last season, and the main reason was due to the fact that they were missing Robert Mathis who was out with a torn Achilles. Mathis racked up 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles during the 2013 season, and will be returning to the field in 2015. He is more than capable of fixing the pass rushing problem himself, and the Colts will need him to step up in a big way.
3. Frank Gore, Running Back
Frank Gore has been one of the NFL’s most consistent running backs over the past nine seasons, and is changing teams for the first time in his career. Things fell apart for him in San Francisco, and he decided to sign with the Colts over the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason. It was a move that fixed the biggest hole that Indianapolis has had since Edgerrin James left town, and he will see a huge role in 2015.
Throughout his first three seasons, Luck has never had a running back that could help take pressure off of his shoulders. That is exactly what Gore is going to do for his quarterback, and that is a scary thought for opposing defenses.
4. D’Joun Smith/Greg Toler, Cornerback
Both of these players are going to be competing for the starting position opposite of Vontae Davis at cornerback. Davis is one of the best corners in the game, but he has to have some help from the number two corner. Toler hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy while the Colts don’t really want to rely on the rookie Smith.
One of them has to step up and prove that he is capable of being a playmaker in the secondary and not allowing big plays to opposing offenses. Toler certainly hasn’t been good throughout his career with the Colts, and if he doesn’t show improvement this year, he will lose out to the rookie. Smith has the natural talent, but will still have to prove himself throughout training camp and in preseason action.
5. Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver
T.Y. Hilton has been the Colts’ number one wide receiver for the past couple of seasons, but Andre Johnson is going to be used just as much and will be just as dangerous. Stealing him away from the Houston Texans was huge for the Colts, and he is going to make the NFL’s best passing offense even more dynamic. There aren’t many defensive backs that can stick with him, and Luck is going to have a better target in Johnson than he has had throughout his entire career.
