INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts have taken their quest to find a backup running back outside the organization. They hosted former 1,000-yard rusher Stevan Ridley on Friday, an NFL source said.

The Colts are in need of a backup behind starter Frank Gore after the 33-year old had 227 more carries than his next-closest teammate last season. The results so far from Josh Ferguson, Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman haven't been promising. Not counting the quarterbacks and Gore's lone run for 5 yards, Colts running backs have rushed for 61 yards on 37 attempts in the preseason.

"[Saturday against Philadelphia] and the next game are going to be very, very important to the rest of those guys behind Frank," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Thursday. "[Turbin], Todman, [Ferguson], Trey [Williams] and Chase [Price], all those guys are going to get some reps and somebody has to start to emerge. We have to figure out who is going to be the two, three, third-down back, all those kinds of things.”

Ridley rushed for 1,263 yards in his second season in New England in 2012. But he's rushed for 1,203 yards total in the past three seasons. He suffered a knee surgery in 2014. Ridley was released by the Detroit Lions on Thursday after barely playing in their first two preseason games.