The Indianapolis Colts have struggled in the running game for quite some time. Then in 2015, they signed free agent RB Frank Gore from the San Francisco 49ers. Gore went over 1,000 yards in 2016. He was the first Colts to do it since Joseph Addai did it in 2007. Now the Colts look to spell the elder Gore with a set of young legs. Those young legs belong to Marlon Mack.
Mack is a 5’11” 213lb back out of South Florida. He is a big-play type of back. Mack has the potential to take it to the house on any touch. Mack averaged over 100 yards rushing per game while at South Florida. He also led the conference in rushing as a freshman and sophomore.
He is also a TD machine. As a freshman, he finished with nine TDs. After his sophomore season, he finished with nine TDs. He had a significant rise in TDs during his junior season. He finished with 15 TDs. He finished his college career with 32 TDs.
Marlon can be a star for the Indianapolis Colts. Though Mack is young he has the type of moves that will allow him to escape would be tacklers. He is extremely shifty. This helps the Colts running game due to the young offensive line. If they happen to miss a block, Mack has the abilities to make the shooting defender miss and still pick up positive yardage.
The only issue that I see with Marlon Mack is that he does not have a lot of patience. If there is not a hole early in the design he will tend to bounce it. He is more willing to take the wide route rather than look to cut and become a downhill runner. It is almost as if he is looking to avoid contact.
Yes, the Indianapolis Colts have Frank Gore. However, Gore is 34 years old and a veteran of 13 seasons. He cannot take the every down beatings that he was once used to. That is where Mack comes in. In addition to spelling Gore early, Mack just may become the starter by midseason. If I was a Colts fan I would get used to hearing the name, Marlon Mack.
Editor’s Note: This article can also be seen in our upcoming NFL Preview Edition.