'We've Got Everything We Need' Reich Says Regarding Colts' Offensive Playmakers
Change has come fast and furious for the Indianapolis Colts on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
Gone are familiar faces in longtime tight end Jack Doyle and (at least for the time being) wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. Quarterback Carson Wentz was sent packing after one year at the helm, and left tackle Eric Fisher was not retained following an up-and-down season.
Guards Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed, and wide receiver Zach Pascal were also allowed to depart in free agency, opening up some holes on the roster along the offensive line, wide receiver and tight end on the depth chart under head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.
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Following the acquisition of future Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Ryan in a surprising trade though, Reich believes the Colts have the pieces in place to be a good offense in 2022, especially with some stability at quarterback.
Speaking with the media Wednesday during OTAs at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, Reich stated the Colts have "everything we need" offensively, which certainly raised some eyebrows.
“I’m excited about obviously Matt Ryan. Really, just getting a couple days to meet with him in his transition and signing him. Wow, I mean he’s an impressive guy. And really diving into his film from Atlanta, seeing all the things that he has done great over his career," Reich said to reporters Wednesday, according to video via Colts.com. "The more I look at his career over 14 years, the more I realize wow – I knew this guy was a great player, but I think he’s had a special career in many regards. I just feel like we’re going to come back, obviously we’ve got JT (Jonathan Taylor) and that run game, we’ll get things going well. We’ll see how things play out with T.Y. (Hilton) and all those questions. Chris (Ballard) will handle that as he always does, on how some of that stuff plays out.
"When I look down at the depth chart right now and I see those young receivers – I understand what the outside perception is. You’ve got a bunch of guys, and how many catches do they have? I see the side of a lot of upside with those players and looking forward to seeing those guys continue to develop," Reich added. "I’m really excited to get Mo (Alie-Cox). With Jack (Doyle) being retired, and hats off to Jack right? One of the all-time true greats. But this is going to be an opportunity for Mo to step up, Kylen Granson to step up from the tight end position. Then we’ll see who we add.
"You guys know there’s nobody better than Chris (Ballard), there’s nobody better than Chris at continuing to develop the roster as we go whether that be in the draft or whether that be signing guys in the next couple months or signing somebody in training camp," Reich added. "In my mind, there is nobody who does that better than Chris. When I look at our roster and I think about where we’re going to be, I trust Chris and I trust our guys. In my mind, we’ve got everything we need, but I know Chris is always working on that and it will get better.”
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It's hard to look at the depth chart and truly believe Reich's words that the Colts have "everything" they need offensively. Of course the head coach is going to be as positive as possible and throw his support behind GM Chris Ballard.
But there remains holes throughout on offense, and the Colts certainly know that.
Matt Pryor will get the first crack at starting at left tackle in 2022 after a solid 2021 season, but there's no real backup behind him or right tackle Braden Smith.
Danny Pinter is expected to get the first crack at right guard, while Will Fries is the lone depth piece on the roster at the moment for either left guard, center or right guard as the backup. That's concerning.
At receiver, Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin, Mike Strachan, Parris Campbell, DeMichael Harris, Dezmon Patmon, and Keke Coutee round out the depth chart offensively, but none of those guys behind Pittman Jr. truly scream consistent playmaker offensively, aside from maybe Coutee, who has the most career receptions of the group with 84.
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Tight end is another story with the reliable Jack Doyle riding off into the sunset in retirement, opening up a hole on the depth chart at tight end.
While there's not much left on the market in free agency that will truly move the needle, this is the time and place where Ballard usually cleans up well and plugs holes.
Retaining Hilton on another one-year deal would be wise for the Colts, as would double dipping at the position in the draft to give Ryan the weapons he needs. Adding a tight end through the draft looks more and more likely as well, as does addressing the depth on the offensive line through the draft and free agency.
Though it's nice to hear Reich have confidence in the guys on the roster currently offensively, those words at least ring hollow when looking at the depth chart on paper.
There's work to be done offensively, that's for sure.
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