Former Syracuse University running Delone Carter is turning heads in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, and pushing incumbents Joseph Addai and Donald Brown for playing time.
Here is some praise for Carter, drafted in the fourth round by the Colts (119th overall) from SI.com:
The Colts re-signed Joseph Addai in the offseason, mainly because of Addai’s versatility and comfort in the Indianapolis offense. Between his ability to block, catch passes out of the backfield and run the football, Addai became irreplaceable for Indianapolis.
But Carter’s emerged as a definite threat to steal some playing time. The Syracuse product is big at 225 pounds and should at least provide the Colts some help in short-yardage and red-zone situations. He’s durable, too — he topped 230 carries each of the past two seasons for the Orange.
In a fantasy football column, SI refers to Carter as "the next great hope" for the Colts at running back.
Carter is the next great hope to replace what Edgerrin James once offered eons ago. Carter is thick (225 pounds), which is to say he can be a great short-yardage and goal-line option, and his success at Syracuse suggests he can carry the full load. Over the past two seasons, Carter averaged 18.6 carries per contest for the Orange -- 4.1 more carries per game than Addai, and 10.0 more than Brown over the same span.
Carter and the Colts are in action Friday night (7 p.m. ET) in a preseason game against the Washington Redskins. Carter carried six times for 29 yards in Indianapolis' preseason opener.