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 the head coach -- who has plenty of pressure on them next season. It could be 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), guard Hugh Thornton (No.7), safety Dwight Lowery (No. 6), center Khaled Holmes (No. 5), linebacker Bjoern Werner (No. 4) and right tackle Gosder Cherilus (No. 3) opened the top-10 rankings.
No. 2 tight end Dwayne Allen
2014 stats: 29 receptions, 395 yards, 8 TD
Why the pressure: Talent-wise, there’s no question that Allen is the Colts’ best all-around tight end because of his blocking and receiving abilities. But it’s hard to display those skills when you’re spending the majority of your time on the sideline in street clothes watching. Allen has nine touchdown receptions, including eight last season, in the past two seasons. Now the bad news: He’s missed 18 games because of injuries the past two seasons. That’s not a good thing since he’s headed into the final year of his contract, and the Colts may have to make a decision on who to re-sign between Allen and fellow tight end Coby Fleener. You would have to give the Fleener the edge today because, while he’s not as good of a blocker as Allen, he’s got 1,382 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns the past two seasons. And more importantly, Fleener has played in every game in that time span.
What he has to do: It sounds so easy, but it's been so hard to accomplish for Allen: stay healthy.
Quotable: “All I can do is control what I can control. And that’s preparing my body to go out there and be that best all-around tight end in the National Football League. Injuries are going to happen in this league. Sometimes you get the short straw.” --Allen
