Insider: Why Reggie Wayne thinks Mike Strachan can be a 'baby Megatron'

INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Wayne knows what he’s saying.

Probably knows better than almost anybody else in the world, to be honest.

He’s not saying Indianapolis receiver Mike Strachan has gotten anywhere near this level yet.

But when Wayne watches the 6-5, 225-pounder moving confidently, with all of that strength and speed at his disposal, the Colts legend can’t help but see what Strachan might be someday.

“If he continues to work hard like he’s been doing, I see a baby Megatron,” Wayne said. “And I’ve watched a lot of Megatron film. He’s one of my favorites. I see what he could be. He may not be Megatron himself, but he could be the sequel.”

Strachan is off to a better start in his second season in the NFL than almost anybody expected, considering the circumstances.

The big receiver tore his meniscus during organized team activities, underwent surgery and missed the first three weeks of training camp, precious time for a young player who spent most of his rookie season on the inactive list. When Strachan’s injury was revealed in late July, general manager Chris Ballard said the team hoped Strachan would be back by the end of training camp, a timetable that seemed detrimental to building enough chemistry with starting quarterback Matt Ryan to be on the field for the season opener.

Strachan beat those odds.

The Colts trusted him enough to give him 11 snaps in the opener against the Texans, and Strachan made the most of it by catching two passes for 36 yards, the first coming on a 20-yard strike to give Indianapolis its first explosive play of the season, the second a 16-yard cut over the middle to jump-start the game-tying touchdown drive.

“I think that's a big step for his maturation, making those kind of plays,” Ryan said.

Strachan has been in this position before. Fresh off of a highlight-filled training camp as a rookie, Strachan caught two passes for 26 yards in 18 snaps in his NFL debut, raising hopes his role could increase as the season progressed.

The opposite happened.

Strachan played 34 snaps in Week Two, then played just 10 snaps the rest of the way. The details of the offense, the reads he had to make in the NFL, it was all a little too much for a raw Division II product who had lost his final collegiate season to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He believes this season will be different.

“I feel like I’m a much better player,” Strachan said. “First of all, the game has slowed down. I’m able to read defenses real well. We have Matt, he’s a great leader, he sets the standard pretty high. All of us know, in the back of our mind, that we have to be locked in.”

Strachan says he’s watching more film this year, working harder, making a lot more catches on the practice field.

Ryan’s presence has helped considerably.

Especially with the stuff that ended up making Strachan a fixture on the inactive list as a rookie.

“Matt, he’s the type of QB, he helps us with those types of things,” Strachan said. “He tells us what he’s seeing, and he likes to hear our feedback on what we’re seeing. … I’m able to be on my keys, able to make the right reads, be on the right conversions. It’s just the chemistry building.”

Strachan did not have to make any adjustments on the two catches he made against Houston.

On both plays, the Colts had adjustments available if the Texans didn’t give Indianapolis the look it wanted, but Ryan never had to use them. Indianapolis got the coverage it wanted, and Strachan took advantage.

A huge step for Strachan after the way his rookie season ended, after the way his summer was cut short.

“It meant the world to me,” Strachan said.

If Strachan keeps developing, his playing time could rise. Indianapolis gave Strachan five snaps in a three-receiver set designed to throw the ball, four snaps in two-tight end sets and a couple of snaps in a heavier three-receiver set with Michael Pittman Jr. and Ashton Dulin.

Because of Strachan’s size, he can be an asset in the run game as a perimeter blocker, and a wide receiver who blocks in the Colts offense is on the fast track to more playing time.

“He’s got to be able to do that, especially with his size,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said. “He’s got to use his size to his advantage.”

As both a blocker and a wide receiver.

The way his wide receivers coach sees it, Strachan needs to start seeing himself through Wayne’s eyes, needs to embrace the vast potential his skill set offers.

“He needs to realize who he is,” Wayne said. “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he just needs to trust that. A guy his size and speed, he has to understand, dudes don’t want to tackle him, they don’t want to go up against him. … He’s raw, but he’s a freak of nature.”

Wayne can’t help himself.

When he sees a player like Strachan, Wayne can’t help but set his sights on turning Strachan into the monster he knows he can be.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Why Reggie Wayne thinks Mike Strachan can be a 'baby Megatron'