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 are several players -- and a head coach -- who have plenty of pressure on them next season. It could be because they’re in their final year of their 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), guard Hugh Thornton (No.7), safety Dwight Lowery (No. 6) and center Khaled Holmes (No. 5) opened the top-10 rankings.
No. 4 linebacker Bjoern Werner
2014 stats: 50 tackles, 4.0 sacks
Why the pressure: Look no further than the AFC Championship game last season. Werner, who started 15 games in place of the suspended/injured Robert Mathis, was a healthy inactive for the Colts’ biggest game of the season when they needed pass rushers and players to help stop New England’s ground game. It was later revealed that Werner was dealing with a shoulder injury. But it should be noted that Werner was in the starting lineup all season while dealing with those same injuries. Werner could be facing a logjam at outside linebacker because the Colts signed veteran outside linebacker Trent Cole, Jonathan Newsome led the team in sacks (6.5) as a rookie last season and Mathis (Achilles) likely will be back in the lineup at some point. Don’t be surprised if Werner gets the majority of his snaps playing behind Erik Walden at strongside linebacker because he’s better at playing the run than he is at rushing the quarterback.
What he has to do: Remaining healthy is the biggest thing for Werner. The offseason didn’t give any indication that he’s on his way to being healthy. Werner was limited because of his shoulder during offseason workouts. Werner’s ability to play both outside linebacker spots is a positive for him, but he has stop being a tease by showing flashes to why the Colts took him in the first round in 2013 only to turn around and struggle the next game. He's got 6.5 sacks in his career.
Quotable: “It’s just a matter of him staying healthy. If he can stay healthy, he’ll have a great year. You’ve got to be out there because the only way you gain confidence is by playing and making plays and making them on a consistent basis and being there Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, etc.” -- coach Chuck Pagano
