Mo Alie-Cox Named Colts' Most Underappreciated Player
The Indianapolis Colts have a weapon on their offense who is dangerous to opposing defenses, but he doesn't get a lot of notoriety during the season.
At least that's the perception.
The odd part about it all is that Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox actually does have some clout nationally.
Recently, we told you about Pro Football Focus considering Alie-Cox the Colts' most underrated player as well as Alie-Cox and Doyle both ranking among the league's top 32 tight ends.
Now, NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund has used her metrics to reveal Alie-Cox as the Colts' most underappreciated player.
To begin, Frelund explains how she came to her conclusions:
First, I calculated and then ranked each player's season-long contribution metric by team. To sum it up without getting overly technical, contribution metric measures each player's production during the 2020 season. The metric encompasses a value for every snap by each player and reveals each player's contribution to the team's overall win total. After making those calculations, I ranked each player's salary by position (contract data via the Over The Cap) to add some context around who was being "underappreciated." I gave priority to players who did not switch teams this offseason (since it's hard to be underappreciated by a team you haven't played for yet). Then I weighted players drafted in Round 2 or later who have been to no more than two Pro Bowls. That said, the most critical component to this method is contribution metric.
Then, Frelund specifically explains why Alie-Cox made the cut for the Colts:
While he hauled in 31 of his 39 targets (for 394 yards and two touchdowns) and averaged 1.9 yards per route run in 2020 (highest on the Colts, per PFF), Alie-Cox was actually even more productive when he wasn't the subject of a pass. His productivity in pass blocking (based on percentage of snaps) was only surpassed on the team by three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.
In 2020 — Alie-Cox's third year in the NFL — he started 6-of-15 games, catching 31-of-39 balls for 394 yards (12.7 avg.) and 2 touchdowns.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
It was far and away his most productive season, setting new single-season career highs in basically everything.
In total, Alie-Cox has started 9-of-40 career games and caught 46-of-63 targets for 620 yards (13.5 avg.) and 4 touchdowns.
Among NFL tight ends who had at least 39 targets like Alie-Cox did in 2020, he ranked No. 6 overall according to PFF with a grade of 78.2.
He was a reliable target for former quarterback Philip Rivers to make plays downfield and win in contested catch situations. However, what makes him so valuable are his abilities to also affect the game as a blocker.
According to PFF, Alie-Cox was the second-best tight end in the NFL at pass blocking in 2020 with a grade of 81.8 — not allowing a single pressure all year — and No. 15 in run blocking with a grade of 68.2.
In 2021, Alie-Cox's role could expand slightly as the former basketball player continues to develop as a football player, and the 31-year-old Doyle continues to age.
The Colts drafted tight end Kylen Granson in the fourth round of the recent 2021 NFL Draft, but he is unlikely to affect Alie-Cox's role this year. Rather, he is likely to play a similar role as third tight end Trey Burton did last year.
Generally, both Alie-Cox and Granson appear to factor into the Colts' future more than Doyle.
As Alie-Cox's arrow continues to point up, he may finally ascend to the point of no longer being considered "underrated" or "underappreciated."
What do you think about Alie-Cox? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
