Colts 2016 player preview: Wide receiver Josh Boyce

The Indianapolis Colts will report to training camp on July 26 with their 90-man roster, which will be cut down to 53 players by the end of the preseason.  To pass the time until camp, we're taking a look at every player on the Colts' 90-man roster.  Today, we're looking at wide receiver Josh Boyce.

Who is he?

Josh Boyce (5-11, 205 pounds) has caught just nine career passes, but remarkably that number places him fourth in career receptions among active Colts wideouts.  The ‘veteran' came to the Colts earlier this offseason as a free agent signing after he spent two years with the New England Patriots.  The Patriots originally drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of TCU, where he finished his career with the most touchdown receptions, second-most receiving yards, and third-most receptions in school history.  His time with the Patriots didn't exactly go as planned, however, as after playing in nine games and starting three as a rookie he was cut after training camp in 2014.  The Patriots signed him to their practice squad that year and then promoted him to the active roster for the regular season finale.  The following year, he was once again released after training camp, though this time he didn't find a job anywhere for the 2015 season.  He has played in ten games and started three of them, catching nine passes for 121 yards, averaging 13.4 yards per catch.

What is his role?

Boyce is in the same situation as every wide receiver on the Colts roster not named T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, or Phillip Dorsett -€” he's competing for a roster spot.  The Colts have their fourth and fifth receiver positions open and it's anybody's guess as to who will win them, but Josh Boyce would appear to have as good of a shot as anyone.  He at least has some NFL experience, is young, and has talent to work with.  Though things didn't turn out well with the Patriots, the Colts likely want to see whether they can help him turn it around.  During the offseason program he saw plenty of opportunities, and that will likely continue in training camp.  There's no guarantee whatsoever that he'll end up making the roster, but he'll certainly have enough reps to factor into the competition.

What are his chances?

Like most receivers on the roster, Boyce is competing for the fourth and fifth receiver spots -€” and from there, it's wide open.