The Indianapolis Colts have six wide receivers on their active roster, and all of them had at least pretty good training camps. But the national media still considers the Colts a place where a veteran receiver may land this fall.
NFL writer Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report called Indianapolis one of the best three fits for former first-round pick Will Fuller. The Colts know Fuller well, as he spent five seasons in the AFC South with the Houston Texans.
Fuller was with the Miami Dolphins last year, but he only played 3 games before the Dolphins placed him on injured reserve.
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Fuller Second-Best Receiver Available?
Ballentine ranked the 10 best players available in free agency following the August 30 roster cuts and mentioned the three best fits for each player. Ballentine rated Fuller at No. 5 on the list and second among wide receivers.
“The last time he was healthy for more than two games in a season he was averaging a career-high 11.7 yards per target and finished 13th in yards before catch per reception. In other words, he was one of the top pure deep threats in the league,” wrote Ballentine.
Fuller’s speed and ability to take the top of the defense are elements he could add to the Colts receiving core.
The 28-year-old receiver posted at least 15.0 yards per catch in three of four seasons from 2017-20. During that stretch, he averaged 15.3 yards per reception overall and scored 22 touchdowns. In two of those four seasons, Fuller scored at least seven times.
Signing Fuller, though, doesn’t come without risk. The veteran receiver has never played a full season and hasn’t dressed for at least 12 games since 2016. Last year, Fuller missed 14 games with a broken thumb.
“His ability to get over top on defenses is a game-changer,” Ballentine wrote. “Unfortunately, his health has always been an issue. He only played in 11 games in 2020 and played in just two after signing with the Miami Dolphins in 2021.
“Availability is a crucial aspect of playing in the league, and Fuller has to prove that he can do it.”
In addition to the Colts, Ballentine identified the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys as teams where Fuller would fit best.
Veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was the top wideout and No. 1 player on Ballentine’s list.
Colts’ Wide Receiver Depth Chart
Even if the Colts are willing to accept Fuller’s injury risk, they will probably shy away from adding Fuller simply because they are confident in their receiver depth chart going into the season.
Indianapolis may even have receivers who can play the deep-threat role Fuller would with the Colts.
Michael Pittman Jr. enters this season as Indianapolis’ top receiver weapon. He posted 88 receptions and 1,082 receiving yards in 2021, which was his second NFL season. Pittman appears ready to take the NFL by storm this fall with Matt Ryan behind center.
Maybe the one negative about Pittman is he’s more of a possession receiver. He averaged 12.3 yards per catch and was ranked 49th in the league with 8.3 yards before catch per reception last year.
But while the rest of the Colts receiver core is young, there’s deep-ball potential.
Parris Campbell, who is a former second-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, averaged 16.2 yards per catch last season in a small sample. He posted 162 yards on 10 catches in 6 games before going on injured reserve.
Rookie Alec Pierce, who was a second-round choice this year, performed well in training camp, especially in the final few weeks of August. He averaged 17.5 yards per catch in his college career at Cincinnati.
Depth receivers Dezmon Patmon and Mike Strachan took the top off defenses during the preseason. Patmon averaged 19 yards per catch while Strachan recorded 14.3 yards per reception in the three preseason games. Against the Detroit Lions, Patmon caught a 50-yard touchdown.
The Colts also have wideout Ashton Dulin on the 53-man roster and veteran Keke Coutee on the practice squad. That gives Indianapolis seven receivers they like going into the season, and longtime Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton is still available if they get into a bind.
Adding Fuller to Indianapolis’ young receiver core is intriguing but not likely to happen — at least not before the season begins.
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Colts Named Among Best Fits for Former Texans 1st-Round Pick