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Indianapolis Colts June Scouting Report
Chris Rito
6/29/2018
Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are some of my thoughts on the Colts’ team activities during June…
OH MY GOD – HE THREW A FOOTBALL!!! I can’t believe how bat-s### crazy everyone was just because an actual NFL quarterback threw an actual NFL football at an actual NFL practice. Yes, it has been a while since QB Andrew Luck threw a ball in earnest, but for Pete’s sake…..take a chill pill people. He had been throwing a little bit in accordance with his rehab protocol for several weeks, but never in front of any cameras or outsiders, so it was like a freaking Bigfoot sighting. The plan is for his throwing to gradually ramp up over the six weeks between the recent OTAs and the start of training camp, such that he is at the point of participating in regular practice at that time. While he might get a little more rest from throwing in camp than a #1 usually would, I still contend that Luck will be fit to play this year and that he will give somebody a real nice bargain as a #2 drafted quarterback; the rest of the offensive personnel and pass catchers actually do have me WAY more concerned than his balky shoulder. On the plus side, last year’s starter QB Jacoby Brissett seems more confident after his season under center, and makes for a very solid backup at the position – something which the Colts have not often had in the last 20 seasons or so
As far as the reports out of the minicamp, there was little else that anyone noticed, reported, or even cared about quite frankly. The only potential injury news was the concussion to putative starting LB Anthony Walker, who was running as the starting "mike" backer in camp and was carted off and placed in the league concussion protocol. New TE Eric Ebron has been turning heads as a receiver, especially down the field and in the red zone; I think that a lot of people will overdraft TE Jack Doyle this year as a result of Ebron’s contributions. The new offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni is looking to create mismatches on offense, so I do expect a lot of the double tight end with Ebron in the slot set to create those mismatches. The offensive line is still tinkering to see what five guys give them the best overall unit, although a healthy OT Castonzo, OG Quentin Nelson and OC Ryan Kelly likely have the left side of the line nailed down without a doubt. The right side and the backup positions are totally up for grabs though and there are a lot of bodies competing to at least give the oft-injured unit some much-needed depth.
The defense stylistically appears to look a little more "swarmy" than in years past, which hopefully can make up for the lack of overall talent on that side of the ball. The basic tenet of the defense is quickness and instinctive attacking, so there will be a premium on better tackling (a perennial weak spot for years here) as well as gang tackling. There also is a lot of competition for snaps as there are very few guaranteed starters or roster spots with a flat level of talent on the roster, a very young group of defenders, and a new defensive scheme that is totally different. The only guy drawing any chatter from coaches and reports is 2nd year DB Kenny Moore (undrafted rookie last year) who has demonstrated hustle and versatility which will likely earn him a roster spot even if he is not a starter. One challenging thing that is still a "work in progress" is that the team is already light on pass rushers, and some of their better rush options from last year are switching from being a 3-4 outside linebacker to a 4-3 defensive end.
The only other happening this month just occurred at the very end, as late on the 29th the NFL announced that RB Robert Turbin has been suspended for the first four games of 2018 for the use of PEDs. To his credit, he completely owned the decision and did not make any excuses or explanations, just admitting that he was wrong. From a football perspective, he had been running with the first unit at OTAs, and not the more explosive RB Marlon Mack. At worst he was projected to be the primary backup to Mack, and perhaps even in a full-fledged RBBC due to his pass protection skills and reliability on short yardage situations. His suspension might give RB Christine Michael a chance to stick around on the roster for a bit, but otherwise the only real impact is the potentially unpredictable nature of the backfield for 4-5 games as two rookie draft picks get a little more run in the offense.
The Colts will reconvene on July 25th to kick off their training camp in Westfield, IN, a suburb just north of Indianapolis. This is the first time that the team has held camp there after years at either Anderson University or in Terre Haute. While it is a little closer to home, the facility is actually a little more isolated from distractions like town and a campus (this is at a monstrous sports complex well outside of town).
That is all for now from the Crossroads of America. I will be back in July to see if anything else has shaken out as camp approaches. Until then…keep watching for guys with neck beards tossing the pigskin! GO COLTS!!
End.
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