INDIANAPOLIS – Chris Ballard’s offseason objectives included adding two starters in the secondary and injecting competition at several positions. That wasn’t the concern with his running back's room. Jonathan Taylor is and will be the focal point of the Indianapolis Colts’ ground game. Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, his 6,013 rushing yards rank No. 2 in the NFL to Derrick Henry’s 7,590 and his 18.3 attempts per game trails only Henry’s 21.0. The room belongs to Jonathan Taylor. But. “Definitely a position we need to make sure we have enough,’’ Ballard said during last month’s NFL Scouting Combine. “I will say this: Zack Moss, who ends up in Cincinnati, was excellent for us (in 2023). “He was excellent, so we do need to get some more production.’’ Enter Khalil Herbert. His addition wasn’t at the level of cornerback Charvarius Ward, safety Cam Bynum or quarterback Daniel Jones, but his impact could be significant. “Man, they didn’t really have to sell me on much,’’ he said earlier this month after signing a one-year contract worth roughly $1.2 million. “I like what they’re doing here. “I like the opportunity that’s here.’’ The opportunity is to be the legitimate backup to Taylor, who was absent last season after Moss signed a free-agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. With Taylor missing the first four games of ’23 as a result of contract issues and rehab from surgery on his right ankle, Moss led the Colts in rushing with 794 yards. That type of production was nonexistent last season. Anthony Richardson finished with 499 yards – a club record for a quarterback – but when it came to the running back's room, it essentially was Taylor or nobody. He finished fourth in the league in rushing with 1,431 yards on 303 attempts despite missing three games with a sprain to the same ankle. The other backs – Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson – combined for 312 yards on 88 carries (3.5/att.). The Colts’ reliance on Taylor was most pronounced over the final five games when he rushed 142 times for 723 yards (5.1/att.) and six touchdowns on 278 offensive snaps. Sermon and Goodson were on the field for just 75 snaps and contributed 53 yards on 14 attempts. As much as coach Shane Steichen must lean on one of the Colts’ few true difference-makers in 2025, Taylor must be given an occasional breather. His 21.6 attempts last season led the NFL, were a career-high and the most by a Colts since Edgerrin James’ workload in 2005 (24.0). Herbert understands his projected role. “Just come in here, trying to learn, trying to help,’’ he said. “Being available, being a guy that can carry the load if something were to happen.’’ Goodson is part of the running back mix along with Salvon Ahmed, while Sermon remains a free agent. It was mentioned that most teams need a second back at some point during a season. Taylor has missed 16 games over the last three seasons. “That’s kind of how the game’s been evolving,’’ Herbert said. “Again, I just came here ready to play, ready to help.’’ Herbert was a 2021 sixth-round pick of Chicago who was an integral component in the Bears’ run game for three seasons. His 433 yards as a rookie were second to David Montgomery (849), while his 731 yards in ’22 were third behind quarterback Justin Fields (1,143) and Montgomery (801) as the Bears led the league in rushing. In ’23, Herbert’s 611 yards trailed only Fields’s 657. Heading into 2024, the Bears signed free-agent D’Andre Swift, a 1,000-yard rusher the previous season in Philadelphia. That signaled the end for Herbert in Chicago, who was traded to Cincinnati in early November. The Colts represent an opportunity for Herbert to get his career back on track. He’s 5'9", 212 pounds and turns 27 next month. Indy, he insisted, is “a great group of guys and a great offense and a great defense. We had joint practice two years ago when I was in Chicago. “You could just feel the energy here. So, I was just excited to be a part of that and feel like I could come here and help out.’’ The Colts have featured a top-11 run game in four of the five years with Taylor in the backfield. They were No. 8 last season in yards (2,331), attempts (496) and yards per attempt (4.7). “That’s an easy selling point,’’ Herbert said, “but definitely a team that runs the ball well, uses a lot of the guys in the room.” He’s eager to do whatever’s asked. “I feel like I can do everything,’’ Herbert said. “Short yardage. Outside, inside zone, I feel like I’ve been part of offenses that have done it all. Catching the ball out of the backfield, pass pro, I feel like I’ve been asked to do it all and do it well’’ You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51. ...read more read less