Anthony Gonzalez

Last year was a lost one for Gonzalez as he hurt his knee in Week 1 and could never get back onto the field. Moreover, rookie Austin Collie and second-year man Pierre Garcon established themselves as major parts of the offense, and Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark aren’t going anywhere, either. The 6-0, 195, Gonzalez has good speed and lateral quickness and has performed well when healthy. While he’s expected to be healthy for the start of training camp, his role with the team is unsettled at press time.

With Marvin Harrison out of the picture entirely, the door is finally open for Gonzalez to break out. While Gonzalez didn’t match his incredibly efficient rookie season (11.3 yards per on 51 targets), he did put up a respectable 8.4 mark on his 79 looks last year. While Gonzalez roped in just about every pass thrown his way (72 percent catch rate), Peyton Manning looked to him on shorter routes (just 11.7 yards per catch). As a result, Gonzalez did little damage down the field (just seven catches of 20-plus and one of 40-plus). Expect that to change in 2009. Now that Harrison’s gone, Gonzalez will be the team’s undisputed No. 2 receiver, and he’s got more deep speed and lateral quickness than Reggie Wayne. At 6-0, 195, Gonzalez has only average size, but the Colts typically target their receivers frequently from in close, and between Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, the Colts still don’t have a prototypical short-yardage back. Another factor in Gonzalez’s favor is the team’s lack of a proven third receiver – meaning there should be more targets to go around for Wayne, Gonzalez and tight end Dallas Clark. One knock on Gonzalez is his propensity for nagging injuries. He missed three games during his rookie year with a bruised foot and a broken hand, and though he played all 16 games in 2008, he was nagged by hamstring and shoulder injuries. Still, he’s completely healthy at press time, and as Manning’s No. 2 wideout, is playing in ideal conditions.

Of all the receivers who saw 50 looks last season, Gonzalez averaged the most yards per target with 11.3, narrowly edging Santonio Holmes. Of course, you don't want to make too much of a 51-target sample, and Marvin Harrison was sidelined by a knee injury the entire time. But Peyton Manning will still be throwing Gonzalez the ball, and Harrison, who will turn 36 before the start of the season, is still rehabbing from arthroscopic knee surgery and has legal problems. If Harrison is out for either of those reasons, Gonzalez is primed for a breakout. At 6-0, 195, Gonzalez has just average size but excellent speed and good change-of-direction skills. He runs good routes and isn't afraid to go over the middle. He’s not much of a red-zone target, but the Colts like to use all their receivers from in close, and if Gonzalez were starting, we'd expect him to see some looks there. Assuming Harrison returns to form, Gonzalez will be one of the top slot men in the league – still potentially useful in deeper formats.

Gonzalez, Indy's 2007 first-round pick, could be a faster version of Brandon Stokley as Indy’s slot receiver. He has the speed (4.4 in 40-yard dash) to excel right away down the middle of the field.