PALM BEACH, Fla. – While questions about the Colts’ quarterback competition dominated Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen’s press conferences at the NFL Annual Meeting in Florida this week, there were a few critical areas of the roster discussed by both the Colts’ general manager and head coach.
Here’s what you need to know about four key position groups, all of which lost players via free agency in the last few weeks:
- Additions: None
- Moving on: Kylen Granson (signed with Philadelphia Eagles)
- Re-signed: None (Mo Alie-Cox remains an unsigned free agent)
- Currently on the roster: Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, Drew Ogletree, Albert Okwuegbunam, Jelani Woods
The Colts have been searching for a true two-way tight end – one who can reliably block and catch passes – since Jack Doyle retired following the 2021 season.
“I remember when we lost Jack Doyle telling everybody in the building, we just lost a real game changing player,” Ballard said. “I my mind, Jack Doyle was freaking great. He was great in who he was, how he produced. It wasn’t sexy but he was great.
“And do we need a game changer? Absolutely we do. Will it happen? I can’t dictate the draft.”
With the NFL Draft approaching in just over three weeks, plenty of mock drafts have the Colts drafting either Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round. It’s easy to see why those predictions are being made: The Colts have a need for a tight end who can both block and catch.
While finding one of those dual-threat tight ends is difficult – there aren’t many of them in the NFL – having one can keep opposing defenses guessing in a way that’s difficult to replicate with tight ends who a capable in only one area (i.e. just receiving or blocking).
“That’s a huge part of it,” Steichen said. “When you got the guy who can do both and you can run, stay in 11 personnel (three receivers,…
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