Andrew Buller-Russ
Last year, the Indianapolis Colts gave their fans reasons to celebrate, both with a 7-1 start and by acquiring an NFL superstar in Sauce Gardner. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down when breakout star quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a knee injury. The Colts went 1-8 the rest of the way, even turning to a 44-year-old Philip Rivers in desperate times.
Jones is still recovering from his torn Achilles, but eventually, the Colts will be back to full strength. We saw what Shane Steichen’s offense was capable of last season, and the Colts spent a lot of money to keep their group intact, retaining Jones and receiver Alec Pierce in free agency. Yet, there could be a way to further weaponize the offense in Indianapolis.
Recently, ESPN’s Matt Bowen stated that the Colts are the “best team fit” for free agent receiver Deebo Samuel, a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler.
“The Colts added veteran receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine this offseason, but Samuel would bring a unique skill set to coach Shane Steichen’s offense as a complement to Alec Pierce and slot man Josh Downs. Steichen can create a long runway for Samuel to get up to speed on crossers, while building in manufactured touches on screens and fly sweeps. Signing Samuel, who caught 72 passes last season in Washington, would also give quarterback Daniel Jones another catch-and-run target alongside tight end Tyler Warren. Both Samuel and Warren ranked in the top 15 of yards after the catch last season.”
ESPN’s Matt Bowen on Deebo Samuel
Samuel, 30, spent last season with the Commanders, where he appeared in 16 games and recorded 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns. Yet, the Commanders didn’t use him as much as a rusher, where Samuel had just 17 rush attempts for 75 yards and a touchdown, both rushing totals were the fewest he had since 2020.
Samuel’s last season with over 1,000 all-purpose yards came in 2023, yet he’s only ever had one season with fewer than 800 yards from scrimmage. That could make him a perfect complementary weapon to Warren, Pierce, Downs, and Westbrook-Ikhine.
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