The Indianapolis Colts believe they’ve found the recipe for success with Daniel Jones. Brought in as competition for Anthony Richardson Sr, he earned the starting quarterback role. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his season, and the team fell out of the playoff hunt.
But they still believe this combination can work. As a result, Jones signed a contract extension in March. However, with Michael Pittman Jr. traded, one analyst believes they need more help on offense to sustain themselves in the AFC.
Colts Will Need More Help Around Daniel Jones
To begin the year, the Colts were firing on all cylinders. Jumping out to an 8-2 record, they seemed like a dominant team in the AFC and the clear-cut best team in their division. While the defense was suspect, the offense was more than holding its own.
A spectacular year from Jonathan Taylor was the backbone of the offense. But the passing game was extremely dynamic with Jones slinging it to Pittman and Alec Pierce. The team was confident enough to part ways with two first-round picks to bring in Sauce Gardner.
Gardner’s injury, before Jones went down, complicated matters, and they ultimately fell to third in the AFC South. But the organization still believes its success is replicable. Unfortunately, giving their quarterback a large-scale extension came at a cost.
They made the rather shocking decision of trading Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers and now lack a ton of depth in the wide receiver room. Alec Pierce ranked 9th among receivers in the league last season, according to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric. He tallied 1,003 receiving yards and six touchdowns, but he will be required to have a bigger impact on the offense.
Even though his overall numbers were excellent, Pierce recorded just 47 receptions on the season. Now that he’s the lead wide receiver on the squad, his involvement in the offense needs to increase, especially with the glaring hole left by Pittman.
However, PFSN’s Deputy Editor, Alex Kennedy, believes the Colts could be the perfect team to take a swing at Stefon Diggs to make up for some of the lost touches. He immediately acknowledged the concerns regarding the veteran wide receiver.
“Stefon Diggs got released by the New England Patriots a week before free agency, and he is still unsigned in April. There are certainly some red flags when it comes to Diggs, particularly off the field.”
But a team like the Colts, which has made a ton of investment in their current core, could take the jump with Diggs. If he can be a productive asset for them, it could help them answer any remaining questions about the former New York Giants star.
And, the former Buffalo Bills star does bring some incredible upside with him. “But on the field, Diggs is still playing at an extremely high level,” Kennedy noted. “He finished fourth in the NFL in PFSN’s WR Impact Score despite coming off a torn ACL, finishing the season with 85 catches for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns.”
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A legendary 11-year career has seen him record over 11,000 receiving yards and 75 total touchdowns in the NFL. But he can still bring the best out of any quarterback, as evidenced by his time with Drake Maye.
That is exactly what Indy needs at the moment, making him a high-risk, high-reward target for them.
