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The Indianapolis Colts have quite a crowded running back room this offseason. It also just got more crowded.
The Colts announced on May 24 that they have signed running back Ty’Son Williams. To make room for Williams on the roster, Indianapolis also waived center Alex Mollette.
General manager Chris Ballard has added Williams one week after signing 2018 Pro Bowl running back Phillip Lindsay. After the 2022 NFL Draft, the Colts also signed three undrafted free agent running backs.
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Colts Add to Running Back Depth
Indianapolis not only has the reigning NFL rushing champion in Jonathan Taylor, but also potentially one of the deepest running back rotations in the league.
Nyheim Hines sits just behind Taylor on the depth chart and is expected to have a big season in the passing game. The hope is Hines produces like Cordarrelle Patterson did with Matt Ryan as his quarterback last year with the Atlanta Falcons.
Patterson received a career-high 69 targets in 2021, which was third-most on the Falcons. Behind those 69 targets, Patterson posted 1,166 yards from scrimmage. That was more yards than he had from scrimmage in the three prior seasons combined.
Hines recorded 63 catches for 482 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2020 with Philip Rivers behind center.
Behind Hines on the depth chart is Lindsay, who struggled mightily with the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins last season. He averaged just 2.8 yards per carry with the two teams combined. But he ran for more than 1,000 yards in both 2018 and 2019 while playing for the Denver Broncos.
In addition to Lindsay, the Colts have Deon Jackson, D’Vonte Price and C.J. Verdell on the roster. Williams will compete with those four backs. In all likelihood, only two of them will make the final roster going into the regular season.
Price and Verdell were two of the three undrafted rookie running backs the Colts signed after this year’s draft. The other was Max Borghi, but Indianapolis waived him to create a roster spot for Lindsay.
Jackson was an undrafted rookie last season. He rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown with 13 carries while appearing in nine games during 2021.
How Ty’Son Williams Fits With Indianapolis Colts
Like Jackson, Price and Verdell, Williams was an undrafted rookie, but entering his third NFL season, he has more experience.
Playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Williams received a considerable amount of playing time last year because the Ravens had several injuries at running back in 2021. In fact, the Ravens lacked so much depth at running back, Williams received the opportunity to start three games.
He rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries in 13 games overall. Williams also caught nine passes for 84 yards.
It was a small sample, but Williams averaged 5.3 yards per carry. His touchdown was a 35-yard run against the Las Vegas Raiders in his first NFL game.
Over the course of the entire season, Williams recorded five other runs of more than 10 yards as well.
Williams spent the 2020 season going back and forth between Baltimore’s active roster and the practice squad. But he did not play a single snap during the 2020 regular season.
To sign Williams, the Colts waived Mollette, who Indianapolis signed as an undrafted free agent on May 13. He started 46 games at the interior offensive line positions in college at Marshall.
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