What Are Most Pressing Indianapolis Colts Questions?
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite an offseason routine redefined by the Coronavirus pandemic, the Indianapolis Colts gave fans several reasons to be optimistic about the future.
While the 2020 season is still an unknown — the first and last preseason games were canceled on Wednesday — there are several lingering Colts questions that need answers if this team is going to move forward.
The Colts have missed the playoffs in four of the past five years, but have been projected by many in the national media to be AFC South Division contenders. For that to happen, the solutions to the following uncertainties need to be more favorable than not.
Is DeForest Buckner the dynamic defensive cornerstone as envisioned?
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said his bold March trade of the 13th overall draft pick to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from San Francisco was “a no-brainer.” Then Buckner received a four-year, $84-million extension, money the 49ers decided to give to Arik Armstead instead of him, making the three-technique lineman the second-highest paid player at his position. Ballard doesn’t usually part with high draft picks or shell out that kind of money, so it shows how much the Colts see Buckner as a difference-maker in their 4-3 scheme.
The Colts are young and talented on defense, led by All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard and nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II. But they needed a playmaker to anchor the defensive line. Buckner is just 26 entering his fifth NFL season and dominated in his last game with the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. He leads by example as a pass rusher and run stopper and is durable with only one missed game as a rookie.
A defense that was unable to protect leads and finish off opponents in the fourth quarter of too many one-score games — the Colts were 5-6 in them — should be improved if Buckner lives up to the billing.
Can Philip Rivers be the Colts quarterback for the near future?
When Philip Rivers signed a one-year, $25-million contract to play his 17th season with the Colts, the decision was seen by many as a one-year gamble on a quarterback who turns 39 in December.
Rivers, as well as Colts head coach Frank Reich and Ballard, hope the marriage lasts more than one season. For that to happen, Rivers must regain his 2018 Pro Bowl form instead of continuing his mistake-prone trend of 20 interceptions in his 16th year with the Chargers.
The Colts have set up a balanced offense that in theory will allow Rivers to utilize his ability to take advantage of defenses looking to stop a rushing game that ranked seventh in the league in 2019. Running back Jonathan Taylor was drafted in the second round to team up with Marlon Mack for a 1-2 punch.
An offensive line that was the NFL’s only group without a missed start is regarded among the best, so Rivers should benefit from stronger protection and more time to make the right reads to a pass-catching ensemble that added wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., another second-round pick.
If Rivers returns as the eight-time Pro Bowl passer who set franchise records with the Chargers, the Colts not only win games and contend for division titles if not more, Ballard and Reich are afforded additional time to find a franchise quarterback for the future. At best, Rivers plays no more than two or three more years, but that could prove to be an invaluable time frame for figuring out a long-term solution for the most important position on the roster.
Will T.Y. Hilton stay healthy and earn a final contract with the Colts?
Four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton enters a contract year after putting up the worst numbers of his eight-year career because he missed six games due to a calf tear. The year before that, he missed two games and played hurt for the second half of the season after suffering high and low ankle sprains to the same ankle.
Hilton said in an offseason Zoom video conference call that his next contract will be his last, and he wants it to be with the Colts. So the real question is whether the 30-year-old Hilton can stay healthy to make that happen. NFL.com's Adam Schein included Hilton among his short list of NFL players under the most pressure entering 2020.
The reality is Hilton hasn’t made the Pro Bowl without Andrew Luck at quarterback, so it’s imperative that he clicks with Rivers and reminds he’s still a speedy deep threat who can also run precise mid- and short-range routes to make move-the-chain catches when games are on the line.
Hilton has 552 receptions for 8,598 yards, an average of 15.6 yards per catch, with 45 TDs. Even when hurt, he had five TD receptions last year.
That reiterates the fact when Hilton is healthy, he can still make pays. And that should get him paid to stay put.
Is Xavier Rhodes a reliable cornerback?
Just three years ago, Xavier Rhodes was considered one of the best cornerbacks. Before his First-Team All-Pro season in 2017, the Minnesota Vikings rewarded him with a five-year, $70.1-million extension.
But his play fell off in the past two years, which led to his release after 2019. The Vikings didn’t consider him worthy of the money anymore. Rhodes said he played hurt, but conceded he must play better.
The Colts had an obvious need at the position and he wasn’t an expensive risk-reward option at $3 million for 2020. Rhodes is 30, so it’s feasible that he enjoys a bounce-back year in a new system. The Colts play a lot of zone, and with an improved defensive line, ideally won’t be demanding cornerbacks to play as much man-to-man coverage as Rhodes was asked to play with the Vikings.
If Rhodes is solid, he’ll earn a new multi-year contract, preferably with the team that took a chance on him this season.
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
