How Andre Johnson Can Help Improve Donte Moncrief’s Development
By Corbin Lewis
Nov 30, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief (10) catches a pass and runs it in a for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeated Washington 49-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
In 2015, the Indianapolis Colts welcomed Andre Johnson to the Horseshoe. Johnson is coming in for a desperate veteran presence left behind Reggie Wayne‘s departure (The Reg-gie chants can still be heard in Lucas Oil Stadium). Also, there may be another job duty for Andre that he may not realize he will be doing and that is helping the second year WR Donte Moncrief.
Moncrief will be entering his second year as a pro for the Colts and has shown flashes of athleticism and talent. In 2014, Moncrief had 32 receptions for 444 yards and 3 touchdowns. Moncrief presents Luck quick and strong receiver to throw to but Moncrief is still pretty raw with talent and has a ton of room to grow.
Enter Andre Johnson.
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After spending 12 years as a Houston Texan, Johnson is now a member of the Colts, bringing with him 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards in his career. Those numbers equal prime experience that can be passed down to Moncrief. Just like Reggie Wayne helped T.Y. Hilton‘s development, Johnson can do the same.
Johnson, like Wayne, is a consummate pro, a team leader and a hard worker. Johnson knows he has a few years in the tank and will help his teammates no matter what. He just wants to help the Colts win a ring, not to be the big dog on campus. That’s why this is a perfect opportunity for Moncrief. He can watch and play alongside Johnson. Johnson and Moncrief have similar size (Johnson is 6’3″, 230 lbs while Moncrief is 6’2″, 221 lbs) which helps the learning process for route running and creating separation, something Moncrief is still raw at.
There was the Hilton/Wayne connection that helped create T.Y. to become “The Ghost” and a top WR in the league. If the pattern hold true, Johnson will help by giving fork and knives to “Feed Moncrief”
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