Opinion: Colts Will Regret Not Signing a Veteran WR This Offseason

The Colts only have one wide receiver with over 100 career catches. Should this be a cause for concern?

Let’s take a trip down memory lane at W 56th Street.

The Indianapolis Colts were a team in the 2000s lauded for their talent at the wide receiver position.

Marvin Harrison manned the right side on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Reggie Wayne could always be found on the left, forcing defenses to pick their poison when facing the Colts. These two talents, combined with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, led to the “Star Wars” numbers those Colts teams were so well-known for.

Fast forward to the early 2010s, and Wayne was still making defenses pay with his incredible route running and sticky hands. While a new quarterback threw him the ball in Andrew Luck, he was still an All-Pro talent. A young speedster out of FIU named T.Y. Hilton had also joined the party and would carry the torch from Wayne just like Wayne did from Harrison.

The year is now 2022, and the torched has been passed once again. Hilton has reached the twilight of his career, and Michael Pittman Jr. has become the team’s top dog. While a suitable counterpart was never found for Hilton, it did not stop him from dominating defenses and becoming the next in a line of great wideouts to don the Horseshoe.

Pittman now enters his third year poised to solidify himself as WR1. Putting up 88 catches for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns in his second season proved he has the potential to have a major impact on the Colts moving forward.

But what about the rest of the receiver group? If Pittman is the only threat outside, what is stopping teams from rolling coverage to him?

At this point in the offseason, the Colts do not have another viable option at wide receiver besides Pittman. If that is the case come Week 1, Indy will regret it, just like they did with Hilton for multiple seasons.

The group of receivers currently on the Colts roster lacks much experience in the NFL. The two receivers that have been with the Colts the longest are Parris Campbell and Ashton Dulin, who are entering their fourth seasons. Keke Coutee will be entering his fifth year, but only his second with the Colts.

© Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Outside of Pittman, the Colts’ wide receiver group has not produced at a high level either. Campbell only has 34 catches and 360 yards in three seasons. Coutee has 84 career catches for 946 yards, but only one of those came with the Colts last season. The rest of the wideouts – Dulin, Dezmon Patmon, and Mike Strachan – have a combined 22 career catches.

Health is also an issue with this group. This is especially true for Campbell, who has missed 34 of a possible 49 games in his three-year career. Campbell has the potential to be a weapon for the Colts, but at this point, they cannot count on him to stay on the field for an entire season.

“I’m not quitting on Parris Campbell,” general manager Chris Ballard said at the NFL Combine. “Does it mean we’re going to sit here and count on him to be our two or three right away? No, we will add competition to the position. But Parris Campbell is still a very talented guy. Unfortunate for the injury part of it, but the flashes have been really good with Parris. So hopefully we’ll see it come to fruition. I mean the guy has worked and done everything he can do. He’s just had some bad luck.”

It’s okay to have confidence in your young players as they continue to develop. It’s foolish to put all of your eggs in the “young players taking the next step” basket. The Colts are too good of a team to rely on so much unproven talent at one position.

Wide receiver is an area that the Colts have neglected for some time now. Since Wayne retired, Hilton never had a solid No. 2 to help take pressure off him. Pittman is now in the same boat, as the Colts did not have another player with more than 384 yards receiving in 2021.

In today’s NFL, teams have to have multiple weapons in the passing game to make deep playoff runs. The Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams had Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. The Cincinnati Bengals have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Kansas City Chiefs had Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The San Francisco 49ers have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It is no longer a privilege to have multiple playmakers. It is a necessity. Sure, the Colts have arguably the best running back tandem in the NFL in Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. Taylor ascended to the best running back in football in 2021, and Hines is expected to have a major role in the passing game in 2022. But having another proven playmaker on the outside opens up a variety of things for an offense.

A big factor in this is new quarterback Matt Ryan, who the Colts traded a third-round pick for to the Atlanta Falcons. The trade for Ryan was a win-now move as the veteran is still capable of leading a team deep into the playoffs. The Colts owe it to Ryan to give him the best weapons possible as they search for postseason success.

A veteran receiver would do just that, and there are still players available on the open market that could have an impact on this Colts team. Ryan’s former Falcons teammate Julio Jones, who has caught 838 passes for 12,744 yards and 61 touchdowns from the quarterback in his career, is currently available. There have been reports that the Colts have an offer out to former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. And don’t count out a return by Hilton, who is also a free agent and the Colts have continued to talk with.

Bottom line: The Colts cannot go into the 2022 season with this current group of wide receivers. The position has been neglected for too long, and more talent is required to ensure this offense is more dynamic. Indy still has time to make a move and get better at this position group and will need to do so as the season draws near.

If not, it could ultimately be the downfall of a team with championship aspirations.

Have thoughts on the Colts' current wide receiver situation? Drop a line in the comments below and let us know how you feel!

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