The addition of Jonathan Taylor to the Colts backfield in the second round of the draft has led to questions about how the team will balance the workload in their backfield.
They have Marlon Mack back after running for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons and Nyheim Hines remains on hand after catching 107 passes over the same period of time. Head coach Frank Reich discussed how the pieces go together on Monday and said that Mack’s past work as the starter will factor into the pecking order, although he went on to downplay the significance of that spot.
“There’s definitely inherent respect for the starter returning,” Reich said, via Kevin Bowen of 1075TheFan.com. “And that’s the way I see this. . . . I see it as a 1-1 [punch]. The way the league has gone and the way role playing has been elevated in our league, it’s made it prominent. . . . You look at a guy like Nyehim Hines. We talk about Marlon and Jonathan, but what about Nyheim? He’s such a good third-down back that he’ll play a prominent [role]. In some ways, [Hines] is a starter. He’s a role-playing starter.”
Training camp and the preseason will likely bring a better idea of how all of the pieces fit together in Indianapolis this season.