As a group, the trio caught caught 207 passes for 2,705 yards and 21 touchdowns, an increase in each category from 2008, when Wayne, Gonzalez and eight-time Pro Bowl selection Marvin Harrison combined to catch 199 passes for 2,445 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“I think all of us can produce and make plays,” Collie said.
The group could get deeper next season with the return of Gonzalez, who missed the last 15 games of last season with a knee injury. He caught 37 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2007, then caught 57 passes for 664 yards and four touchdowns in 2008.
“The thing is everybody had such great years last year, so it will be interesting to see,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t know what is going to happen. I’ve been told that I’m going to have the opportunity to compete for my job again, and that’s all that I really want is an opportunity. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.
“I think every one of the receivers is going to prepare like crazy and 'earn that spot,' whatever it is. That’s kind of my approach.”
Manning recently compared the group to the 2003-2004 receiver corps of Harrison, Wayne, Brandon Stokley and Troy Walters. In 2004, Harrison, Wayne and Stokley each had more than 1,000 yards receiving with double-digit touchdowns.
“We have a chance to be as deep as we ever have been with receivers,” Manning said. “I’d say close to Marvin, Stokley, Reggie, Troy Walters, (that) was a very deep group and I think even Aaron Moorehead was number five that year and made some deep plays for us.
"Certainly it’s got a chance to be a deep group, all guys that bring something a little different to the table. I think there will be some good, healthy competition and we will find ways to get all those guys on the field and working and keeping pressure on the defense.
“You look at other teams in the league adding corners trying to stop passing attacks, and at wide receiver you want to be more efficient, more accurate in the passing game to try and counter that. That will be our goal this year. ”
Said Garcon, “We’re real deep, real deep. We’ve got play makers from top to bottom. We know any guy can make a play at any time.”
Will that depth translate into the Colts' wide receiver corps being the best of the Manning era? That would take a major effort, particularly considering several of the seasons Harrison, Wayne and Stokley put together as a trio. Still, when you factor in TE Dallas Clark and include not only the reliable Wayne, but Garcon and Collie, you have a group that proved last season it was capable of making plays and helping a team to a Super Bowl.
If Gonzalez is healthy, it could become a group not only capable of getting to a Super Bowl, but winning one, too. And if he's healthy, too, the Colts are not only deep at the wide receiver position, but they indeed have a real chance to be the best group in Manning's 13 seasons.
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