Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Indianapolis Colts brought in a lot of talent at the wide receiver position this past offseason, and one of those talented receivers was Duron Carter. He is the son of former NFL star receiver Cris Carter, and there is no denying the potential that he has for the future. Heading into training camp, there is a lot of work for him to do in order to lock up a roster spot.
Carter is a very intimidating presence at the receiver position, and isn’t going to be very easy for defenders to stick with.
At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he is a very physical receiver and will make a great target for budding superstar quarterback Andrew Luck. Ryan Grigson knows how much talent the youngster has, and the Colts would love to see him break out and have a big training camp and preseason, forcing them to not only keep him on the roster but also give him playing time. It isn’t going to be easy for him to do, and he understands that he has to force his way onto the field if he wants to play.
Needless to say, the talent ahead of him on the depth chart is impressive. Indianapolis has put together a group including T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett and of course Carter. Those five guys are without question one of the deepest wide receiving corps in the NFL, and could very well end up being the best.
Last season, Luck and the Colts’ offense was the top aerial attack in the NFL. Pep Hamilton was able to work with the offense, but mostly just turned it over to Luck in a similar fashion to what the Colts used to do with Peyton Manning.
If there were odds on Carter playing meaningful snaps during the 2015 season, they wouldn’t be very good odds in his favor. More than likely, he will end up learning from the sidelines during his rookie year, although he could see some targets late in blowout games.
Perhaps the most important thing for him to do this year is to absorb anything and everything that he can from Johnson. He was one of the best receivers in the NFL during his years with the Houston Texans, and is a very similarly sized receiver as Carter. Being a sponge throughout the entire year and being mentored by Johnson would be very beneficial for Carter in the future.
No matter what ends up happening in 2015, the Colts believe that they have a diamond in the rough for the future.
Assuming Carter continues to work hard and improve his craft, he will find his way onto the field at some point with the Colts. Patience is definitely a virtue for a young player in the NFL, and that is exactly what he will have to learn this season. Expect to see him flourish throughout the season as he learns the game, and to play very well if the Colts put him on the field.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
