INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts' most pressing needs this offseason have been well documented. They need to find better offensive linemen and they need to improve their pass rush.
But it’s not as simple as that for them.
The team has other holes on their roster that need an upgrade, too, that can potentially be addressed in the middle and later rounds of the draft.
Here's a look at several positions that need improvement:
Cornerback: There’s a good chance Vontae Davis will have a new teammate starting alongside of him at cornerback next season. Greg Toler is a free agent and there hasn’t been any indication that the Colts will look to re-sign him after he dealt with injuries in two of his three seasons, and he performed poorly in 2015. It doesn’t stop there at cornerback. There are questions on who will be the nickel corner because the Colts want a player who can play on the inside and on the outside when needed. Darius Butler, the team’s primary nickel corner the past few seasons, is better suited to play on the inside. Depth at cornerback is definitely an area of concern, and the Colts will look to address it at some point in the draft.
“Believe me, I look at that depth chart and look at question mark, question mark, question mark,” general manager Ryan Grigson said. “But I think there’s some guys in that corner group who you guys don’t know yet who have length, have some speed, have athleticism and some dual, outside-inside versatility.”
Backup running back: Starting running back Frank Gore is coming off a season where his body took a lot of hits and he had 227 more carries than his next closest teammate. He also turns 33 years old in May. The Colts would ideally like to find at least a third-down running back to take some of the load off Gore. It would be even better if they had a running back who could take some snaps from Gore so that he can be fresher later in the season. Josh Robinson will likely get another crack at backing up Gore after a disappointing rookie season that ended with him on the practice squad and then on injured reserve. Tyler Varga, who went on injured reserve early in the season, is also under contract, but it won’t be surprising if the Colts look to the outside to add to the running back competition.
Receiver: We know about T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett. They’re the present and future for the Colts at receiver. But they have very little behind those players. Veteran Andre Johnson is a candidate to be released in the coming days and Quan Bray is predominately a return specialist. The Colts are 0-for-3 in signing veteran receivers the past three seasons. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks and Johnson all failed to live up to expectations as the second or third receiver on the roster. If the Colts do sign a veteran receiver in free agency, which is a legit possibility, it’ll be to add depth as the fourth receiver.
