Colts 2021 Season Review: Tight Ends

A position that is so crucial to a Frank Reich offense may need to be retooled going into 2022.

Andrew Moore | Feb 17, 2022

As the confetti rained down from SoFi Stadium on Sunday night with the Los Angeles Rams winning Super Bowl LVI, the 2021 NFL season had officially come to a close.

For the other 31 teams throughout the league, the season did not end how they had wanted. Only one team can raise the Lombardi trophy at the end, and everyone else’s season ends in disappointment.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of those 31 other teams. Watching the Super Bowl from home, the Colts brass continues to evaluate how they can overcome what was an embarrassing collapse to end the 2021 season and reach the point where the Rams currently sit.

With the Colts evaluating every aspect of the team and organization, we are doing the same at Horseshoe Huddle. The next position in the “2021 Season Review” series is the tight end position. For a group that holds such a huge role in a Frank Reich offense, 2021 was not a year to remember.

Jack Doyle

Stats: 17 games, 29 catches, 302 yds (10.4 ypr), 3 TDs

For the past nine seasons, the player that could always be counted on to get the job done has been Jack Doyle.

The phrase “What Would Jack Do” has been used throughout the locker room for years now, signifying how much teammates look up to Doyle’s professionalism and reliability.

“He’s such a great player,” Reich said in December. “He’s dynamic in the run game. We can move him around. He’s a playmaker in the run game. He’s an excellent blocker. But the thing that I think Jack has made a career of is he continues to fool people in the pass game. He can play a lot of different roles in the pass game for us. He’s a very good feel route on zone coverage, but he also has very good instincts versus man coverage. So, we value what Jack brings to this offense.”

Like many of the skill players on the Colts this year, 2021 was not the best season for Doyle. While his 2021 stat line is close to what he had in 2020, he played three more games this season. Doyle has taken a few steps back from the Pro Bowler he was in 2017 and 2019.

He also battled injuries throughout the season, gutting through the pain to be able to play each week. While he did not have any major injuries, it was obvious the season had worn on the veteran tight end.

“I’ve just been banged up,” Doyle admitted at the end of the season. “It’s been tough – tough on my body, tough on me just in general. It’s tough to play football and it’s tough to get out there every week. It’s kind of taken a toll.”

Like T.Y. Hilton, Doyle is seriously contemplating retirement this offseason. The reliable target who grew up not too far from Lucas Oil Stadium may have played his last down in the NFL.

Mo Alie-Cox

Stats: 17 games, 24 catches, 316 yds (13.2 ypr), 4 TDs

The hope for the 2021 season was that Mo Alie-Cox could become a consistent producer at the tight end position. Alie-Cox had flashed his potential in 2020, and the Colts were hoping they could use their 6’5”, 267-pound tight end as a mismatch down the field.

While the Colts gave Alie-Cox more opportunities and more snaps in 2021 (55% up from 49% in 2020), the production ended up being close to the same. While he had a career-high in touchdowns and targets, his catches and yards decreased.

Alie-Cox has been a good, not great, tight end for the Colts. After not playing collegiate football at VCU and instead being a star on the basketball court, Alie-Cox has been adjusting and learning the NFL game since he made his debut in 2018. He has certainly improved in his ability to block and catch the ball throughout his career.

The biggest question surrounding Alie-Cox is whether or not he can be a full-time starter at tight end. While he has shown flashes each year, and become a consistent contributor the last two seasons, he is still not on the level where opposing defensive coordinators have to game plan to stop him. This is something the Colts desperately need in their offense.

Alie-Cox will be a free agent this spring. General manager Chris Ballard has expressed that the team would love to bring him back this spring, and I would expect the feeling to be mutual.

Kylen Granson

Stats: 17 games, 11 catches, 106 yds (9.6 ypr)

At the start of training camp, it looked like Kylen Granson would take on a prominent role in the Colts’ offense during his rookie year.

The fourth-round pick out of SMU was consistently making plays and showing off the athleticism that drew the Colts to picking him. The Colts have been looking for an athletic tight end that can stretch the field and put pressure on the defense. With how much attention Granson was getting in training camp, it looked like he was going to have great production early.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Granson was relegated to the third-string tight end and only saw 21% of the Colts’ offensive snaps in 2021. It was a much different look from what we saw in training camp.

A variety of factors contributed to Granson’s reduced role, including the offense becoming so run-centric throughout the year. Granson is a former wide receiver who converted to tight end in college and does not have the biggest body or best blocking skills. While he gave great effort as a blocker, this is not his game, and the Colts did not draft him as an in-line blocking tight end.

The Colts did not use him as much in the passing game as what was originally thought. The Colts opted instead to use Doyle and Alie-Cox more and bring Granson along slowly. Granson did start to see more snaps towards the end of the season but never finished with more than two catches or 27 yards in a single game.

Granson certainly has upside, and the Colts still have faith in his skillset. With the tight end position in flux for 2022, Granson very well could have a much more expanded role.

Outlook for 2022

The tight end position is another group that must improve in 2022. This is especially true in a Reich offense where tight ends play a prominent role.

“Tight end position needs work,” Ballard said after the season. “Depending on what Jack (Doyle) does, Mo Alie (Cox) is up and we like Mo. We’d like to get Mo back. And then we’ve got a young kid in Kylen (Granson) who we thought showed some things and he’ll continue to grow.”

It is looking very likely that Doyle will retire instead of coming back on the final year of his contract. While the Colts would like to have Alie-Cox return, this isn’t a guarantee as he will be a free agent, and other teams could be looking to offer more.

There is a chance the Colts have two new starters at tight end for 2022. Luckily for them, 2022 presents a bevy of options to add at the position, whether through free agency or the draft. The Colts have shown before that they are willing to spend for a tight end under Ballard and Reich when they signed Eric Ebron in free agency before the 2018 season.

The Colts will certainly look to add a tight end that can be a good blocker and a security blanket on third down to replace Doyle if he retires. While Granson could take a leap in year 2, the Colts will also have their eyes set on acquiring a tight end that can create mismatches in the passing game and be a threat down the field.

The Colts have talked about becoming a more dynamic offense next year. Adding some help at tight end could be just what this offense needs.

Have thoughts on the performance of the tight ends from the Colts in 2021? Drop a line in the comments below and let us know what you think!

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Published Feb 17, 2022

ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.