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Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Kamar Aiken has found a new home with the Indianapolis Colts, but he made sure to leave a few parting shots to the organization that he first really caught on with back in 2014. Speaking to Sirius XM NFL Radio, Aiken voiced his frustration with offensive coordinator Marty Morninwheg, confirming the fact that he was in fact frustrated with his role on the team:
#Colts WR @KamarAiken88: I've never felt like I was one of the guys for the #Ravens OC. I don't think I was ever a priority.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 22, 2017
These comments come after Aiken saw an extreme regression in his stats from 2015 to ‘16. In 2015, when he took over as the de facto number one receiver, Aiken posted 944 yards and five touchdowns with a revolving door at quarterback for half of the season. In 2016, the signing of Mike Wallace seemed to spell doom for Aiken, and that played out on the field as he only caught 348 yards and one score.
However, Aiken seems to think that despite Wallace’s presence, he still should've been more involved. According to Aiken, he had voiced these frustrations throughout the year:
#Colts WR @KamarAiken88: I got vocal as the season went on in Baltimore. They knew how I felt about stuff. Got irritated with my role.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 22, 2017
While it is unfortunate to see a player leave on such bad terms, it is easy to see where he is coming from. His role was highly reduced from one year to the next, and it was especially telling that Morninwheg didn't seem interested in getting him involved with a 2016 offense that had absolutely nothing going on for most of the season.
He was a great story in 2015, and the fact that he didn't publicly complain to the media this past season should be appreciated; however it is disappointing that Aiken would use a platform like this to lash out at someone after he has left the building.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see how he figures into a Colts offense that has T.Y. Hilton, Donce Moncrief, and would like to get Phillip Dorsett more involved. If he can't get it going there, it may be fair to wonder if his complaints were in fact warranted.