Aside from Andrew Luck, the Colts might have the worst roster in the NFL, opines Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders (in a piece for ESPN Insider: subscription required). Since 2010, Indianapolis draft picks have borne little fruit, as Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Dwayne Allen are the only above-average players selected during the span. Because of the lack of draft success, general manager Ryan Grigson has been forced to add talent via trade and free agency — a strategy that hasn’t worked well, as the Trent Richardson, Erik Walden, and LaRon Landry acquisitions have yielded substandard results. Finally, effective veterans like Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis are nearing the end of their careers, meaning the Colts’ lack of roster depth could be a long-term issue.
More from Indianapolis and the rest of the AFC South:
- Despite his struggles last season, Richardson is now feeling more comfortable in the Colts’ offense, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
- New Colts receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t yet impressed at training camp, Indianapolis offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton tells Tom James of the Tribune-Star (Twitter link). …”I don’t know if I can say that I’ve seen enough. I think he is still working to get himself in game shape…” said Hamilton. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets, the Colts are only paying Nicks as a mid-to-low-tier receiver (~$4MM), so it wouldn’t be a major problem if his performance is lackluster.
- After adding to their defensive line over the offseason, the Jaguars are intent on raising their sack totals in 2014, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Union-Times. Jacksonville got to the quarterback just 31 times last year, tied for last in the league.
- Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked to be at his best during Sunday’s scrimmage, and head coach Bill O’Brien tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he’s pleased with the veteran’s performance. “I think he is getting better every day. He’s more and more comfortable,” said O’Brien. “…[T]here is a lot to this offense. It’s good to have a guy that has been in a few offenses…He loves this offense, as do all the quarterbacks, because it is a quarterback-friendly offense.”