Since drafting Jonathan Taylor in the second round last month, the Colts have talked up the “1-1 punch” he’ll bring to the offense with Marlon Mack.
On a Monday conference call, Colts head coach Frank Reich suggested that a three-headed backfield is in the cards. Nyheim Hines remains on the roster after catching 107 passes over the last two seasons and Reich noted Philip Rivers’ history of throwing to backs while explaining that the team still has plans for Hines despite Taylor’s arrival.
“Philip has an uncanny ability to get the ball to the backs . . . Nyheim will be very much integrated into the game plan, on all three downs. . . . Still enough snaps for him to be very, very productive this year. Very productive,” Reich said, via Andrew Walker of the Colts website.
Mack only has 52 catches over three seasons and Taylor was rarely used as a receiver at Wisconsin, so there’s a clear role for Hines to play in Indy. If he winds up playing it with any regularity, it will be interesting to see how his playing time impacts the amount given to the other two backs.
