Hey there Colts’ fans! Here is a quick summary of the NFL’s quietest month EVER from a team that really did next to nothing since I last checked in with you all….There definitely is nothing of fantasy importance, and really not a whole lot to report at all, unfortunately.

The Colts will start their training camp on July 28^th – basically the same time as every other team aside from a few that are getting a couple days of a head start. Yawn. They are returning to Grand Park in Westfield, just north of Indianapolis, where they have been for the last several seasons. Practices start right away on that day for rookies and veterans alike.

The big story in camp will be whether or not HC Frank Reich and OC Marcus Brady can resurrect the career of QB Carson Wentz in a Colts uniform. Honestly, I believe that the bulk of his issues in the last year and a half in Philly were due to the lack of talent around him, so I have no worries that he will be a very good quality NFL starting quarterback. I do question that he will have significant (statistical) fantasy value due to the solid Colts’ defense and the primary commitment to the running game limiting his chances, but he should perform efficiently and produce some big plays when needed. New coordinator Brady was the quarterback coach for three years and helped to get the most out of Luck, then Brissett and then Rivers before getting promoted to the coordinator spot this year. And Reich’s familiarity with how to push Wentz’s buttons should all make for this a relatively seamless transition under center in my opinion, despite Wentz being a very different style of athlete that was last year’s starter.

ROSTER
I did forget to report last month that the team had signed 28-year old DT Antwuan Woods, a solid rotational lineman player for the Cowboys for the last few seasons, and originally an undrafted free agent signing of the Titans in 2016. He probably will make the 2021 roster, but he is primarily there for depth purposes and for some beef up front; I don’t see Woods challenging for a starting position, nor impacting the value of the Colts’ defense for fantasy purposes. And he has had a somewhat spotty injury history in recent years as well, it should be noted.

But recently the Colts have made exactly zero roster additions since last month’s report, aside from finalizing the rookie deals on their two remaining draft choices: likely 3^rd-string QB Sam Ehlinger and 4^th-round pick TE Kylen Granson. It has bene really quiet and dull. There is some excitement brewing about how they will use the young athletic tight end in this offense, but it is just speculative tittering at this point until I see him actually adapting to the pro game on the field. I would not rule out the team going after a competent veteran pass catching tight end --like Wentz’s former favorite target TE Zach Ertz, if he ultimately gets waived by the Eagles as many expect.

But on the plus side….no OTAs or practices mean that no Colt players have been injured in the summer yet. We will see how the players respond to an unprecedented two-month time on their own to maintain and build conditioning.

While it does not necessarily impact the Colts specifically, the NFL announced that it would be taking bids from other cities and franchises to host the annual combine which has been in Indianapolis since 1987. I don’t think this really gives the team an advantage, but it does the Colts’ rookies more comfortable as they have already been here at least once already. I think they will discover quickly that Indy is perfectly set up for this event with their downtown stadium, immediately adjacent hospital and a ton of convention-ready hotel options. And also, they will see that after 35 years of tweaking and learning, other teams cannot do it as smoothly or as well.

As for other announcements that will impact the team….the Colts have announced that they will be at 100% capacity for the fans in 2021, allowing the Colts to have a solid home-field advantage. The Lucas Oil Stadium crowd is always loud and knows how to make it hard on opposing passers in particular. They are not Kansas City or Seattle loud, but I would put them up against most any other home field in the NFL. For reasons yet unclear, the Colts were the last team to approve a return to full capacity in 2021, so they were potentially foing to be at a disadvantage in that regard. With an extra home game in 2021, it is important to maintain a home field advantage…especially since that extra home game is a date with the defending Superbowl champ Buccaneers!

So that is all from the Crossroads of America for this month. Like I said…a truly dull month as we watch the calendar pages flip by and we move towards the start of training camp. I will be back with a few reports last month to tell you about how things are looking for the new players and the rookies, and how the offense is adapting to the switch under center. Until then friend -- stay cool and safe good luck in any early fantasy drafts, and…LET’S GET READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

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