Oehser breaks down the receiving corp
What they almost certainly will be is better than they were this past season. The Colts, like many teams, believe an NFL player makes his greatest jump from the first year playing to the second year, and with Manning and the Colts’ emphasis on the offseason, it’s hard to believe many of the rookie/young player drops and communication issues won’t be less of a factor.
Which is why there’s a very real chance the Colts will have perhaps the best wide receiver corps they have had in Manning’s era – and certainly the deepest. The 2004 team had eight-time Pro Bowl WR Marvin Harrison, Wayne and Brandon Stokley, and each player that season had more than 1,000 yards receiving and at least 10 touchdowns.
What that trio didn’t have was a big-time fourth receiver, and with Gonzalez’s return next season, the Colts not only have that, but an enviable problem of just who to play where and in what roles.
Wayne certainly will start on one side, and it’s hard to imagine the Colts will want Garcon’s play-making, big-play ability off the field much on the other side. Gonzalez can play inside or outside, and with Collie showing his reliability as a rookie, there’s more depth and more options at receiver than in any of Manning’s first 12 seasons.
Who will play where and how much certainly will be an offseason issue, but it’s an issue that could mean more threats offensively for Manning than at any time in his career.
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