Insider: 5 questions facing the Colts in the offseason

If you get the feeling the term "NFL offseason" is a misnomer — there is no offseason — try putting yourself in the shoes of the players.

Here we are, in mid-April, flowers barely blooming, grass just beginning to grow, and it's already time for football.

The Indianapolis Colts reconvene this week for the first time since they parted ways on the heels of January's loss in the AFC Championship Game for voluntary offseason conditioning. The 2015 season, which won't kick off for nearly another five months, technically begins now.

The roster looks a bit different. And there are certainly more changes to come (the draft is less than two weeks away). But let's go ahead and size up some of the biggest questions facing the Colts as they look to contend for a Super Bowl title.

• Which player has the most to prove this offseason?

This offseason is huge for outside linebacker Bjoern Werner. He was unexpectedly inactive for the AFC title game against the New England Patriots, a decision based, in roughly equal parts, on performance and health. But the Colts' willingness to go out and spend an average of $8 million over the next two seasons on Philadelphia Eagles free agent Trent Cole tells you all you need to know about the club's level of confidence in its pass rush and, specifically, Werner, a 2013 first-round pick.

The Colts seem willing to rethink things and try Werner on the strong side (as opposed to playing "rush" linebacker), where his chief responsibility would be stopping the run. That's actually a strength of Werner's game. He does not appear to be a natural pass rusher and keeping him in that role might be a case of coaches banging their heads against the wall.

Wherever he winds up, Werner needs to get healthy and be ready to have an outstanding training camp, something he can, perhaps, build on. It's Year 3 for him. The clock is ticking.

• Where are the potential position battles brewing?

One unit to watch is wide receiver. It's not a matter of who earns the starting jobs — T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson figure to be the starting tandem — but how is the playing time distributed? Donte Moncrief deserves expanded playing time after his emergence as a rookie. But he's got to show growth after shrinking in the postseason as a rookie. Then there's the subplot of Duron Carter, the recently-signed CFL import and son of Hall-of-Fame receiver Cris Carter. Of course, as coach Chuck Pagano warned, "Duron hasn't played a snap for us or anybody in the National Football League."

Things could get interesting at outside linebacker, too. The addition of Cole and the expected return — at some point — of franchise sack leader Robert Mathis, is enough to create intrigue. Throw in young and hungry Jonathan Newsome, who led the Colts with 6.5 sacks last season as a part-time player, and the Colts might have some decisions to make as it relates to playing time. Look for a rotation of pass rushers coming off the edge.

The offensive line could feature some jockeying, too. Center will again be a position to watch, with Pagano already warning that the job is essentially open. Former Eagle Todd Herremans looks like a strong candidate to start at right guard, but we'll have to see whether Hugh Thornton, Ben Heenan or Joe Reitz have anything to say about that. Right tackle belongs to Gosder Cherilus if he's healthy. The question is how big of an "if" are we talking about?

• What should we expect from Mathis?

A torn Achilles is no small hurdle, even for a superior athlete such as Mathis. He's now about seven months removed from surgery after an injury that requires a full year of recovery for some players.

Mathis has maintained that he'll be ready for the season, but the team is playing things safe. Owner Jim Irsay, during last month's owners meetings, said Mathis could return in November under a worst-case scenario.

Expect the Colts to take it slow with Mathis, opting not to push him. He certainly won't take the field this offseason, and even a return for training camp in late July would be shocking.

• How might the draft change the team's outlook?

The Colts' draft can potentially impact the defense in a major way. The defensive line is not an area the Colts addressed in free agency outside of signing Kendall Langford (who is essentially a replacement for the departed Cory Redding). So, there's a lack of depth up front, the same area of the defense that now has failed to corral Patriots running backs in any of the teams' past three meetings. The secondary also bears watching. Safety is razor thin right now, with 34-year Mike Adams and Dwight Lowery the projected starters, but with little else behind them. And the Colts need some cornerback depth because they cannot currently withstand an injury to Vontae Davis, Greg Toler or Darius Butler.

• What are they doing at Colts headquarters this week anyway?

This is not the official start of offseason practices. Not yet. This marks the beginning of Phase 1 of the offseason program, which allows for only strength and conditioning and lasts two weeks. Phase 2, which covers three weeks, allows for on-field work with coaches but no pitting offense versus defense. Phase 3, the final portion, covers four weeks and allows for 10 full-team practices (OTAs) as well as a three-day mandatory veteran minicamp.

There will be a rookie minicamp next month that is limited to rookies and other first-year players.

Follow Star reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.