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What are the Colts' Plans for Mario Harvey?

Mario Harvey changed his number to 55, which signifies that he might not be playing as much fullback anymore.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This past offseason, the Colts switched Mario Harvey from linebacker to fullback.  Now, they might be switching him back.

Harvey changed his number from 49 (which he wore in training camp and preseason) to 55.  What's significant about that?  It's a linebacker number.  Of the seven players on the 53-man roster and then the one on the practice squad who wear a number in the 50s for the Colts, all but one of them are listed as linebackers on the roster.  The only one who isn't?  Mario Harvey.

So is Mario Harvey still a fullback?  "Probably," Chuck Pagano answered.  "He can still play fullback, he's just got to report now. When he had the 48 number, he didn't have to do anything. At least now if we want to play him on defense, we can play him on defense. If we want to play him on offense, he can go play offense, he just has to report."

The interesting thing is that now Harvey has to report into the game whenever he plays offense - which would suggest that he won't be playing a lot there.  The first regular season game would suggest that too, as in fact Harvey didn't see a single snap with the offensive unit.  Are the Colts really moving away from a fullback?  Is Harvey now a linebacker?

"I'm both," Harvey said.  "I'm here, there, offense, defense. Offensive walkthrough, defensive walkthrough, I'm back-and-forth. I'm getting a lot of exercise running back-and-forth."

Pagano referred to Harvey as "Super Mario," referring to the fact that he can play on offense, defense, or special teams - whatever the team needs.  He's all over.

"I'm whatever you want me to be," Harvey said, "linebacker, fullback, special teams. I'm whatever you want me to be. That's just my contribution to the team."

Many Colts fans will be happy to the approach, as it likely means much less of the fullback position, at least until Stanley Havili returns from the PUP list.