The Ringer: Colts Are AFC South's Most-Improved Team

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Just about as important as anything else, the Colts made sure to retain many of their own this offseason, re-signing starters like left tackle Anthony Castonzo, wide receiver Zach Pascal, tight end Mo Alie-Cox and kicker Chase McLaughlin, as well as key depth pieces in wide receivers Marcus Johnson and Daurice Fountain, offensive lineman Le'Raven Clark and safety/slot defender Rolan Milligan.


It can be difficult to "improve" your roster if you aren't retaining your own quality free agents.


At quarterback, the Colts took advantage of a unique opportunity to bring in Rivers to become the new starter. Jacoby Brissett now becomes the backup, and one that the Colts are very comfortable with having. They also took Jacob Eason in the fourth round of the draft, although he is more likely to be a factor in the future rather than immediately.


By adding Rivers, the Colts' passing game opens completely at all levels of the field and in all situations. Although this is a new team for Rivers, he is already very familiar with the offense from his time with Colts head coach Frank Reich, offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni and tight ends coach Jason Michael while the group was together with the Los Angeles Chargers (San Diego then).


The Colts no longer have tight end Eric Ebron and wide receivers Devin Funchess, Dontrelle Inman and Chester Rogers, but the Colts replaced them and reinforced things around Rivers with rookie draft picks Michael Pittman Jr. and Dezmon Patmon, as well as free agent tight end Trey Burton. The three players are all big, athletic targets who can make plays all over the field.


Both Rivers and Burton have flourished with Reich earlier in their careers, as Reich was also the offensive coordinator for Burton while the pair was winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles just a few years ago.


Perhaps the biggest jolt to the Colts' offense is going to be in the run game, however.


After finishing No. 7 in the NFL in the category last year with an average of 133.1 rushing yards per game, the Colts added a former Pro Bowl fullback in Roosevelt Nix, who will be a key run blocker along with tight ends Burton and Jack Doyle, the Nos. 1 and 4-rated run-blocking tight ends in the NFL in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus.


In the second round of the draft, the Colts added running back Jonathan Taylor, who is one of college football's most accomplished running backs ever. Adding him to a backfield featuring reigning 1,000-yard back Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins is likely to signal long days ahead for opposing front sevens, especially since they have to be cognizant of what Rivers can do to them through the air.


Play-action in the Colts offense is bound to become deadly while defenses respect the threat of the run game and T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell are going over the top.


"We know we want to run the football," Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni told reporters this week. "We know a lot of the good running teams in this league and in the past have had good one-two punches. It feels like it's just a one-one punch though because we have two such exceptional backs. We've seen it work in the NFL so much where you have different styles of guys, right? Both these guys can do multiple things though. Jonathan is a little bigger than Marlon, but they both have exceptional speed, and they both have ability to make you miss, and they both have the ability to break arm-tackles and run with power. They have some different running styles, but again they're both complete backs. I think that's a fantastic problem to have, is to have two guys like that you can feed the football to. It's only going to help our running game."


On the offensive line, the Colts did lose two of their top reserves in Joe Haeg and Josh Andrews, but they drafted Danny Pinter as a replacement, who they are very high on. The Colts also signed one of the top Canadian prospects and a highly-regarded undrafted free agent in Carter O'Donnell.