The 2012 Indianapolis Colts have a few players you should be watching. These players are QB Drew Stanton and RB Mewelde Moore. WR Dowelde Avery and Punter Adam Vinatieri. Each player has the potential of being an impact player. Which players are the best bets to make an impact for the Colts? This article will discuss these players and how they might perform. And while we may not get to see the full story of every player, we can look at some of their strengths and weaknesses.
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QB Drew Stanton
In addition to the 2012 Colts, Drew Stanton has played for the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and the New England Patriots. He was a Redshirt Freshman and redshirted his first Michigan State year. After that, he became the team’s #2 quarterback. He completed 55.6 percent, totaling 1,158 yard with five touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He was awarded a $500,000 signing bonus and is expected to be Andrew Luck’s backup.
The Arizona Cardinals are looking at Stanton as a possible signing now that there is no free agency. Arians, who served as Stanton’s offensive coordinator with the Colts in 2012, has been impressed with his performance in practice and preseason. And while Arians will no doubt be interested in bringing in Stanton, he is also committed to keeping quarterback Andrew Luck in the Colts’ offense.
After being signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets, Stanton was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Although the terms of the deal are not known, it is the third quarterback trade within a week. Last week, the Jets signed quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who was a third-stringer. Culpepper was injured in his thumb during the Lions’ Week 6 match against the Packers. Stanton replaced him. In that game, Stanton threw a 1-yard touchdown pass, and completed six of his eight pass attempts for 94 yards.
Drew Stanton, QB for the Indianapolis Colts, is the team’s backup quarterback. If Andrew Luck goes undrafted, Stanton is a likely backup. The salary cap for the Colts is $46 million. And if Luck doesn’t make the cut, the Colts should draft another quarterback to replace him. Despite Stanton not being a visible presence on the stage, the team’s prospects do not seem to be limited by the lack in depth in the draft.
RB Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Moore was a Steelers running back from 2008 to 2011, and the Indianapolis Colts have signed him as a free agent. The 30-year-old was a solid third-down back for Steelers and was an unrestricted, free agent in 2008. He rushed for 588 yards with five touchdowns in 2008’s season. Moore began his career with the Minnesota Vikings and was drafted in the fourth round.
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Mewelde in the fourth round, 2004 NFL Draft. Before matriculating at Tulane, he won several math competitions. He is involved with the NFL Foundation, United Way, and the Memorial Blood Center. While attending Belaire High School, Baton Rouge, Moore was also a member the National Honor Society. Moore is active in his community and supports youth education through Mewelde Moore Knowledge First Foundation. He also visits Tulane University on a regular basis. He is married to Tymeka, a high school sweetheart hailing from the Big Easy.
While Moore may not be a starter in the opening game, he’s expected to make the team. Moore has been signed to a one year contract with a cap hit $540,000. It’s unknown how long Moore will stay in Indianapolis and how much he’ll play. A new team is also building its monster, in addition to Moore being healthy.
Moore was a standout at the C-USA Conference while he was playing in the NFL. Moore was named the C-USA Freshman Award winner and was on the Walter Camp and Doak Walker Award Watchlist. He played in 15 games for the Green Wave, starting seven of them, but missed three games due to a broken hand. Despite the injury, he ranked second in the C-USA with a 101.0 rushing average and 147.0 all-purpose yards per game. Moore has also scored three touchdowns and returned four punts for another 34 yards. Moore has proven his worth and earned his money, even though he was only with the Colts for a short time.
WR Dowelde Avery
After the Jets reached out to Dowelde Avery, the Indianapolis Colts signed wide receiver Dowelde avery during the offseason. The WR is a deep threat, and he has been playing in slot during offseason workouts. His emergence could be the missing piece to a successful Indianapolis offense. Hilton will be the Colts’ third receiver in 2013, but Avery’s youthfulness is too impressive to ignore.
Avery was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2008. Avery was a speedy, skilled player who tore his ACL in his rookie season. He was able to recover and was picked up by Tennessee Titans in the final game. He looks good now and the Colts may make him a featured wideout in their offense. Avery is worth a look due to his low cap hit.
While Avery is a big playmaker, the Colts’ passing game is the real key to their success this year. With a record four 100-yard games, T.Y. Hilton is the most prolific rookie in Colts history. But Avery is proving he can contribute to the passing game. His biggest catch came in the third quarter, when he made a spectacular 42-yard over-the-shoulder grab to set up a Vick Ballard TD run. Avery finished the game with five receptions for 91 yards.
The Colts have nine picks left in the draft. Wide receiver is the Colts’ greatest need. This class has the potential to be one of the best wide receiver classes in the league, and it is the deepest in recent memory. The Colts have the luxury to make a big splash at receiver. If they want to improve their passing offense, they will have the pick.
Punter Adam Vinatieri
In the NFL, there are few players with more promise than punter Adam Vinatieri. The South Dakota native is a promising addition for the Colts’ punting team. Vinatieri was able to kick and punt in college and thought about transferring to a Division I school such as Wyoming. Vinatieri’s decision to transfer to a Division I school like Wyoming was thwarted by an offensive lineman who beat him for the starting job. However, the punter was able to regain it and be named the team’s main kicker.
Punter Adam Vinatieri’s kicking career began in New England, where he had the opportunity to become the league’s best clutch kicker. Vinatieri’s two Super Bowl appearances included game-winning field goals against St. Louis, Carolina, and Georgia. Vinatieri was also third in field goal accuracy, but is best remembered for his missed field goals in overtime. His performance with the Colts has helped cement his “clutch” reputation.
In 2009, Vinatieri underwent hip surgery and was expected to be ready for the start of the season. The kicker complained of pain in his knee. A doctor ordered an MRI, which showed loose cartilage. The arthroscopic surgery was scheduled during the Colts’ bye week. After the surgery, Vinatieri missed four to eight weeks. Pat McAfee replaced him. He was still responsible for kickoff duties until the end 2016 season.
The key to a team’s success is Adam Vinatieri’s accuracy at kicking field goals in recent matches. Indy’s defense has stopped the Miami Dolphins from their last two possessions thanks to Vinatieri’s tenacious leg. With five minutes left, Adam Vinatieri made the game-winning 43-yard field-goal. During the game, the Colts’ defense forced Miami to punt, and the Colts came back to win the game.
Reggie Wayne
The legendary Reggie Wayne is retiring from professional football after a career that spanned 13 years. Wayne was a one-time Super Bowl champion, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, and the NFL receiving yards leader in 2007. A native of New Orleans, Wayne played college football at the University of Miami before signing with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts drafted Wayne in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He retired with 3,768 receiving yards and no touchdowns, but is on the cusp of becoming a Hall of Famer.
Although the Colts have struggled to land free-agent wide receivers, they have been building up their position group through the draft and free agency. The team has an outstanding quarterback in Matt Ryan, and talented coaches like Wayne are helping to develop young receivers. Wayne is a living legend, and could help the young receivers in Indianapolis improve. This would be a great opportunity to the young wide receivers.
Wayne was the NFL’s leading receiver in 2011 and was selected to the Pro Bowl. While his numbers dropped in 2011 while Manning was injured, Wayne still led the team in receptions and receiving yards. In 2012, the Colts signed Wayne to a three-year contract. The rookie set a franchise record for consecutive games with three receptions, surpassing Crist Carter’s record and passing Art Monk for 12th on the all-time receiving lists.
Wayne was the hero of the 2012 Colts and gave encouragement to his team when they needed it. The orange gloves were a tribute to injured head coach Chuck Pagano. Wayne had 13 receptions for 212 yards and a late game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. Wayne’s name will be forever etched in Colts’ history after a successful season.