Holes

[Kray007]

Let’s start out by saying that there’s more than one kind of hole. At one end of the spectrum a hole can be a position where you are hoping that a promising young player can step up. At the other extreme, it can be a position where you have nothing but a gaping wound in your roster, an abyss through which the Mongol horde is about to pour.

The Colts don’t have many holes in their starting lineup. We’re depending on rookies at Safety and one Linebacker spot. A starter at the other Linebacking position is uncertain.

CJ Allen is widely expected to step into one Linebacking spot, and the other slot will come down to a battle between Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jaylon Carlies, and the rookie Bryce the butcher. None of those guys are ever going to get confused with Darius Leonard, but they might all offer improvement over the dumpster fire we saw from Zaire franklin.

Wide Receiver 2 is also a question. MPJ’s departure left a void of 80 catches, and the plan to spread the load among Pierce, Downs, and Warren seems tenuous to me. So, we’re left to ask who among Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, or Deion Burks is ready to step up? Is there a possibility of a further free agent signing or a trade before the start of the season? Is another AJ Brown lurking in the weeds?

Finally, we come to Defensive End, the position at which the wailing and gnashing of teeth is loudest. You can argue that Gabe Jacas should have been the guy, but reading his analyses, he sounds like Kwity Paye 2.0. Strong, tough, but not explosive or agile. So, we’re left with Arden Key, Tuimoloau, Forrest Gumbs, Caden Curry and a handful of spear carriers. I could be wrong, but the situation doesn’t seem particularly dire. You might not have a Reggie White among them, but if Deforest Buckner returns to form and we see normal years from Ward and Gardner, Lou Anarumo should be able to scheme somewhere north of 50 sacks.

Are there other areas that might be problematic? Sure, but I wouldn’t describe the need for a backup Quarterback as a hole.