Bad news for the rest of the AFC South: There’s a new Colts offensive weapon to worry about this year.
Rookie fifth-round tight end Brody Eldridge has opened eyes with his play at training camp and backed it up with nice efforts in the preseason. I watched the Colts’ second preseason game, and was impressed with Eldridge’s hands and ability to stretch the defense. (He started and made a difficult 22-yard grab up the seam.)
The Oklahoma grad’s ability as a pass-catcher is surprising because he was a second-team offensive lineman in the Big 12. His blocking skills and versatility could be difficult to handle in two tight end sets opposite Dallas Clark. Eldridge didn’t get to catch the ball in college because Jermaine Gresham was in front of him. (Gresham was out all of Eldridge’s senior year, but Eldrige mostly played on the offensive line and then also got hurt.)
“I’ve always believed in my pass-catching skills. I just never really did it,” Eldridge told the Indianapolis Star.
John Oesher of the Indy Football Report has been beating the drum of late that Peyton Manning possibly has the best set of weapons of his career in 2010. We’re not ready to go that far yet, but Eldrige could go a long way towards proving Oesher correct.
