The Indianapolis Colts are going all-in with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback. Last year, after a red-hot start, injuries completely derailed their season. While disappointing, the organization still has high expectations for this group.
As a result, they are largely bringing back the same roster with a few tweaks here and there. The biggest change has been at the wide receiver spot, where they parted ways with Michael Pittman Jr. One analyst believes that is an area where they need to add more depth before the season begins.
Indianapolis Colts Urged to Bolster Wide Receiver Room
Matt Okada of NFL.com urged the Colts to sign four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to fix any lingering wide receiver woes.
Going through their depth chart, he made the straightforward case for bolstering the WR room.
“After shipping Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh, the Colts have a notable hole at wideout opposite Alec Pierce, whom they signed to an eyebrow-raising $114 million contract. Josh Downs is an underrated asset in the slot, but at 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, he’s pigeonholed into that role,” he wrote.
Beyond Pierce and Downs, it’s clear he does not have a lot of trust in the Colts’ other weapons. While Jones is a dual-threat quarterback, the recurring injuries to his lower body could force him to play a more conservative style this season. It remains to be seen if the Colts will continue to call designed runs and QB scrambles for Jones.
Regardless, surrounding Jones with the best supporting cast possible will make his life easier. Okada doesn’t see any game-changers after Pierce and Downs.
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“Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and seventh-round rookie Deion Burks are depth pieces, not starters of Pittman’s caliber. And while tight end Tyler Warren will pick up a lot of the target slack, Indy’s three-receiver sets are going to look very underwhelming,” he wrote.
That’s where Diggs comes in.
“Depending on the finances, the Colts may want to consider free agent Stefon Diggs as a stopgap,” he wrote.
Last year with the New England Patriots, Diggs outperformed virtually all expectations. Putting up 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns, he was a key reason for the sophomore jump from Drake Maye.
As a result, he ranked at No. 7 in PFN’s WR Impact metric and proved that he can still produce at an elite level.
The Colts could be the perfect spot for Diggs as a contending team in need of a solid veteran receiver. Perhaps Diggs could be the missing piece for Indianapolis.
