INDIANAPOLIS -- The start of the Indianapolis Colts training camp is less than three weeks away at Anderson (Indiana) University.
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 a head coach -- who has plenty of pressure on them next season. It could because they’re in their final year of contract, they’ve failed to live up to expectations or because they have a teammate breathing down their neck for their starting spot.
We started looking at the players with the most pressure prior to my vacation last week. Running back Vick Ballard (No. 10), guard Donald Thomas (No. 9), defensive lineman Josh Chapman (No. 8) and guard Hugh Thornton (No.7) opened the top-10 rankings.
No. 6 safety Dwight Lowery
Why the pressure: All indications pointed to Lowery starting alongside of Mike Adams at safety this season when he signed with the Colts during the spring. Lowery is still the leading candidate to start with Adams during Indy’s season opener at Buffalo in Week 1, but he’ll likely be pressed by rookie Clayton Geathers, the team’s fourth-round draft pick, for his spot throughout the season. Geathers has made an early impression on the Colts. So much of an impression that coach Chuck Pagano said they can use Geathers as a dime linebacker who can match up against tight ends.
What he has to do: Lowery, who can play either safety position, has to join Adams in being a veteran leader in the Colts' secondary. Lowery has started 38 of the last 41 games he’s played. The issue is he’s only appeared in 41 games over the past four seasons. Lowery missed 13 games in 2013 and seven games in 2012. He has suffered four concussions in his career, one of which ended his season in 2013. Lowery can’t afford to get injured because if Geathers continues to improve at the rate he did during offseason workouts, he may move into the starting lineup and not relinquish the job.
Quotable: “If I felt like it was an issue, I probably wouldn’t have played anymore,” Lowery said. “To be honest with you, that’s not something that you really want to play with. I’ve talked to a lot of doctors. I’ve done a lot of research myself to understand the concussion situation.”
