Colts Mike Strachan Ready to 'Dominate, Be the Beast That I Am'
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Last year around this time, Mike Strachan was the star of training camp for the Indianapolis Colts.
The 6’5”, 224-pound receiver was seemingly making plays every practice, showing incredible athletic ability and tons of untapped potential. Many wondered if the Colts had found a gem in the seventh-round pick out of Charleston.
Unfortunately, things changed once the regular season rolled around. After only appearing in six games in 2021 – spending most of the season as a healthy scratch – Strachan managed just two catches for 26 yards. A disappointing rookie campaign for a player who showed so much promise throughout the preseason.
Fast forward to today, and questions remain about what Strachan can become. However, the second-year wide receiver has the mentality and self-belief that he can take the league by storm.
“My mindset is just to dominate,” Strachan said after practice Tuesday. “Just to come out here and be a beast that I am to be honest with you. Just come out here and use my strength, use my size, my speed to my advantage.”
Strachan made his training camp debut on Tuesday after being removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Monday. Strachan underwent a procedure on his knee earlier in the spring that had kept him out of all team activities. He elaborated after practice that it was much more serious than we had originally thought.
“I actually had surgery on my knee, like a scope,” Strachan admitted. “I had a torn meniscus, so getting back and getting better from that…It happened in OTAs a few months back in the spring.”
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The procedure on his knee has kept Strachan out all summer and through the first three weeks of training camp. All he could do physically was rehab and strength training, trying to get back onto the field as quickly as possible. Strachan knew he was missing valuable time with his new quarterback Matt Ryan, and potentially falling behind in the competition to secure a roster spot.
But after his first practice on Tuesday, Strachan feels good about where he is health-wise. The Colts are not holding him back, allowing him to be full-go from the jump.
“No restrictions at all,” he explained. “It feels great. Even running routes today feels great. Planting and coming out of routes, (I’m) feeling pretty smooth.”
Strachan immediately started making an impact on the practice field. Strachan was thrown in with the second-team offense on Tuesday and hauled in a couple of passes from quarterback Nick Foles in team drills. The knee does not look to be slowing him down as the wide receiver had fluid motions all over the field.
“It was good,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said about Strachan’s debut. “He got limited action, which was good just to see him get on the field, get his feet wet, get the limited reps. Saw him through individual getting some throws with Matt (Ryan) and the RVAs (routes versus air). I think he got a few reps in practice as well, so I’ll take a look at those on film and see where it goes. Today’s just the first steps.
“He didn’t look hampered at all. He looked good. So now it’s just building the endurance up again.”
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It is no secret that the Colts’ wide receiver room has been a big topic of conversation. Outside of Michael Pittman Jr., no other receiver on this team has proven they can be a reliable option. The young group has quite a bit to prove heading into the season.
Strachan is in the same category. There are still a ton of questions surrounding the former seventh-round pick. Will he be able to make a bigger impact in Year Two? How much has he improved, considering the amount of time he has missed?
For Strachan, these last few months have not been a vacation just because he cannot get out on the field. He shifted his focus to improve the mental part of his game, continuing to stay engaged for when he was back to 100%.
“For me, I just took a mental approach,” Strachan said. “I couldn’t really do that much physically but I wanted to stay in the books, watching film, just staying ahead mentally.”
Strachan is coming back just in the nick of time. The Colts have joint practices against the Detroit Lions the next two days of camp, setting up for some intense sessions. Strachan will have an opportunity to show how he has improved against different competition. The Colts starters are also not expected to play much in the preseason contest against the Lions, giving way for Strachan to receive quite a bit of run in the game.
The offseason has not been ideal for Strachan. For a player who is trying to prove he belongs and fighting for a spot on the roster, he needs every opportunity he can get to impress coaches and earn the spot. From everything Strachan has said since returning, he has the right mentality to make it happen.
“That’s my goal – to come back and be able to have a big impact on my team and be able to help them win moving forward.”
What do you think Mike Strachan can provide to this Colts team? Let us know in the comments below!
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