INDIANAPOLIS -- The final month of the NFL offseason has arrived. At this time next month, the Indianapolis Colts will be at Anderson (Indiana) University for training camp.
There’s been plenty of hype -- and deservingly so -- surrounding the additions the Colts made during the offseason. On the flip side of that, there’s also several players -- and head coach Chuck Pagano -- who has plenty of pressure on them next season. It could be because they’re in the final year of their contracts, they’ve failed to live up to expectations or because they have a teammate breathing down their neck for their starting spot.
We’ll continue our countdown looking at the players with the most pressure at No. 9 with OL Donald Thomas
2014 stats: Did not play.
Why the pressure: Thomas, like Thursday’s No. 10 pick -- running back Vick Ballard -- has missed basically the past two seasons because of injuries. He tore his bicep and quad against Miami in Week 2 in 2013 and re-tore the same quad in training camp last year, which caused him to miss the entire season. The Colts signed Thomas in 2013 with the vision of him helping bring stability at guard. Instead, he’s played less than two full games with the franchise and now faces an uphill battle to get on the field. The Colts, despite the number of injuries they’ve dealt with along the offensive line the past two seasons, have a number of players who can play guard: Joe Reitz, Lance Louis, Hugh Thornton, Todd Herremans, Jack Mewhort and Ben Heenan.
What he has to do: Thomas has to get healthy first and then show he can be the player the Colts signed two years ago. If not, Thomas’ time with the Colts could be coming to an end. Thomas did not take part in any of the team’s offseason activities. So the first time he takes the field it’ll be in training camp, which happens to be the same field that he tore his quad at last year.
Quotable: “At the end of the day, it’s frustrating at times because nobody knows how I look 100 percent healthy. It’s not an easy feeling to go through something like this. But at the same time, you have to deal with it and take it day by day and try to get back, and hopefully when the dust settles show everybody what you can do.” -- Donald Thomas
