The Indianapolis Colts open training camp Wednesday in Westfield, Indiana. Coming off just their second playoff appearance since 2014, the Colts hope Carson Wentz will stop the revolving door at quarterback. He's replacing the retired Philip Rivers, who replaced the ineffective Jacoby Brissett, who replaced the retired Andrew Luck, who returned after missing the 2017 season.
The Colts didn't have a hectic offseason signing outside players. They re-signed many of their own players, like running back Marlon Mack, receiver T.Y. Hilton and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie while letting starters Anthony Walker, Denico Autry and Justin Houston depart.
Here is a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Wentz, Jacob Eason
Wentz will be the fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in as many seasons for the Colts. He's coming off a season in Philadelphia where he was sacked 50 times, threw 16 interceptions and was benched after 12 games. Wentz is reunited with coach Frank Reich, who was his offensive coordinator for two seasons with the Eagles. What also can't go unnoticed is that the Colts are giving second-year QB Eason the opportunity to be the primary backup this season. Eason didn't play a snap during his rookie season.
RUNNING BACK (4): Jonathan Taylor, Marlon Mack, Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines
This is the Colts' deepest position. Taylor was thrust into the starting lineup earlier than expected during his rookie season after Mack suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. Taylor handled the role just fine by rushing for 1,169 yards and will enter this season as the starter. The Colts could have arguably one of the NFL's top running back groups if Mack, who rushed for 1,091 yards in 2019, is able to regain his explosiveness to go with Taylor and Hines' ability to be used a number of different ways.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal, Michael Pittman Jr., Dezmon Patmon, Mike Strachan
Hilton turned down more money from Baltimore to re-sign with the Colts. Hilton will likely have more big-play opportunities down the field because Wentz has a stronger arm than Rivers did. Even with Hilton back, Pittman, who had 503 yards as a rookie, could transition into the role as the team's No. 1 receiver. Campbell has plenty of potential, but he has to prove the can stay healthy, as he's played in only nine games in two seasons in the league.
TIGHT END (4): Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Noah Togiai
Granson, who finished his college career at SMU, will have a chance to be used as a hybrid receiver the same way Eric Ebron and Trey Burton were used in the offense the past couple of seasons. Doyle has never been a flashy player -- he's simply a player who always gets the job done with his blocking and steady hands in the passing game.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Eric Fisher, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, Braden Smith, Sam Tevi, Joey Hunt, Danny Pinter, Julie'n Davenport, Will Holden
GM Chris Ballard acknowledged that he made a mistake by not having a lot of depth on the offensive line last season. Ballard won't make the same mistake again. Fisher was signed to replace the retired Anthony Castonzo at left tackle. But Fisher isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season after tearing his Achilles in January. Expect Tevi to begin the season at left tackle. A healthy and effective Fisher would help the Colts continue to have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL.
DEFENSIVE LINE (8): DeForest Buckner, Kemoko Turay, Tyquan Lewis, Kwity Paye, Grover Stewart, Ben Banogu, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Taylor Stallworth
Buckner is the anchor of the defensive line, but a lot of attention will be on Paye. The team's first-round pick will be counted on to make up for the loss of 15.5 sacks with the departures of Autry and Houston. The clock is ticking on Turay and Banogu. The two have shown flashes but haven't been able to be consistent because of either injuries or simply poor play.
LINEBACKER (6): Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Matthew Adams, Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Jordan Glasgow
Leonard has been one of the top linebackers in the league since he entered the league in 2018. Okereke will transition to middle linebacker after the Colts decided against re-signing Anthony Walker in the offseason. Franklin has the inside track to be the third starting lineup in the group, with Speed likely being his biggest competition for the spot.
CORNERBACK (6): Rock Ya-Sin, Kenny Moore, Xavier Rhodes, Isaiah Rodgers, T.J. Carrie, Marvell Tell
The Colts re-signed Rhodes and Carrie in the offseason after both players had effective 2020 seasons with the team. Like Turay and Banogu, Ya-Sin has to show more because he's not locked in as one of the starting cornerbacks. Rhodes and the always-reliable Moore are the top two cornerbacks on the roster. Tell is back after deciding to opt out last season due to the COVID pandemic.
SAFETY (4): Julian Blackmon, George Odom, Khari Willis, Sean Davis
Willis and Blackmon will be the starters. Blackmon, who tore his ACL while in college less than two years ago, became the starter after Malik Hooker tore his Achilles early last season. He had 42 tackles, six passes defended and two interceptions during his rookie season.
SPECIALIST (3): Luke Rhodes, Rigoberto Sanchez, Rodrigo Blankenship
Blankenship isn't guaranteed to be the team's kicker. His inconsistent rookie season led the Colts to sign Eddy Pineiro to give him some competition. Blankenship, who replaced veteran Adam Vinatieri, was 32-of-37 on field goals and 43-of-45 on extra points during his rookie season.