Daniel Jones will be back on the field for the Indianapolis Colts sooner than expected. The highly anticipated news came down that Jones will be a full participant in training camp. Fans can rejoice. That is a big piece of the puzzle, but the Colts are still risking their entire season. Jones needs someone to throw it to, and currently, the options are sparse.

Alec Pierce is starting camp on the PUP list, which isn’t a surprise. Just because no one was caught off guard, it doesn’t mean it isn’t something to stir slight concern, though. Heck, even if he was full go from the start, are you ranking this receiving corps as one of the tops in the league? I know we all bleed blue here, but if you think that, you might have lost a little too much blue blood because you aren’t thinking straight. I’ll take Pierce on my team for sure, but stacked against Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, he falls short. Worse yet is the drop-off behind him. 

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Josh Downs will still do his thing, but that number two on the outside is missing. Ashton Dulin is slated for that role currently. If the Colts don’t nab a veteran soon, it will be sink or swim, and I am not prepared to see a ton of swimming. There continues to be a lot of smoke around Keenan Allen and even some mentions of Deebo Samuel. Neither of those men will save the day, but that is the current reality. It’s best to pile on as many sandbags as possible, even if it won’t keep all the water out. The Colts must bring in a veteran wideout who can be a threat to soften the opposing defense. There are weapons on offense, but more is needed. 

Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers thrived because they could get the ball out immediately. Their running backs and receivers made quick work of things to give them a target. If Daniel Jones has to sit back in the pocket, waiting for separation, he is exposed to another injury. Alec Pierce should be back for the regular season. Then again, he might not be. Regardless, he can’t do it alone. If the Colts fail to bring in another established receiver, they are facing a gamble they might not recover from.