The Indianapolis Colts are officially through the first week of training camp and even though it only consisted of three practices, there were still plenty of takeaways.
The ever-growing saga regarding Jonathan Taylor and the Colts will continue to overshadow whatever takes place at training camp. It seems every day something happens to cause a new storyline.
While we’ll be keeping up with the latest news in that regard, we also will be keeping up with the developments at training camp.
So with the first three practices completed, here’s what we learned about the Colts during the first week of training camp:
1
Jonathan Taylor's situation taking over
This will be my seventh season covering this team for Colts Wire, and I don’t know if I remember a storyline that emerged so quickly while adding new layers seemingly every day. This entire situation has turned the Colts into a circus while bringing extremely negative attention to the team when we’re supposed to be talking about other things at camp.
What the future holds for Taylor and the Colts isn’t clear in the slightest. The relationship seems broken beyond repair, and it doesn’t appear this situation is going to be silenced anytime soon.
2
Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew splitting reps
Through the first three practices, the rookie and the veteran have split reps with the first-team offense. Minshew has a slight lead over Richardson in terms of reps with the starting unit after he finished Saturday’s practice with the first team.
Both quarterbacks have had solid starts to camp with Richardson bringing a bit more flash and Minshew bringing a bit more consistency. According to Kevin Bowen of 1075 The Fan, Minshew is 24-of-31 passing and Richardson is 14-of-22 passing.
Most of the passing work has featured the quick game and RPO concepts, but the third practice emphasized much more of a vertical game. We’ll see how this develops, but we should expect a split for at least another week and likely leading into the first preseason game.
3
Backfield amid Taylor's absence
With Taylor’s absence from practice being the dominating storyline, there has been some glossing over his replacements. Through the first week of practice, Zack Moss has been leading the way with the first-team offense over the other running backs.
There also have been some shining moments from rookie Evan Hull, along with Deon Jackson, Jake Funk and undrafted free-agent rookie Zavier Scott.
It will be difficult to truly see a gap until the pads come on (Monday will be the first padded practice), but it appears the Colts would roll with Moss as the leader followed by a mixture of Hull and Jackson should Taylor continue to miss time.
4
Starting OL seems set
Through the first week of camp, the Colts have not added to the offensive line room, and it appears the starting unit is set. With Bernhard Raimann at left tackle and Will Fries at right guard, it appears this is what the starting offensive line will look like for the Colts to begin the season.
5
Shaquille Leonard working his way back
If you want a positive storyline, look no further than The Maniac. The star linebacker had major question marks throughout the offseason while he recovered from a second surgery on his back to correct a nerve issue. However, he’s been far more active than expected through the first three practices.
Leonard has taken part in practice for all three sessions, even seeing a surprising amount of work with the starting offense during team drills. How much work they will give Leonard when the pads come on remains to be seen, but his situation has become very encouraging.
6
Injury updates
- RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle), DE Tyquan Lewis (knee) and TE Will Mallory (foot) started camp on the active/PUP list and have not practiced yet.
- S Julian Blackmon (hamstring) and CB Julius Brents (hamstring) have not practiced since camp started, but they could return soon.
- DE Samson Ebukam (hamstring) practiced during the first session but was not seen during the second and third practices.
- CB Darius Rush (shoulder) and OT Jake Witt (undisclosed) both missed practice Saturday.
7
Kenny Moore II enjoying a strong start
After a disappointing season that included a decline in production and an injury at the end of the campaign, Moore has returned rejuvenated. He looks like the player of old to begin camp, making some sort of splash play each practice. It seems he’s recording a pass breakup or big play in each practice, and he added a would-be sack as a nickel blitzer on Saturday.
8
Cornerback competition going strong
One of the positions with the biggest question marks has been the cornerback group, and the competition is raging through the first week of camp. Right now, it appears Dallis Flowers and Darrell Baker Jr. have the upper hand on the boundary spots with Kenny Moore II working in the slot.
Rookie Julius Brents missed the spring workout program due to wrist surgery and now missed the first week of training camp due to a hamstring injury. He should be thrown right into the mix for a starting boundary role when he returns.
9
Quiet standouts
There have quietly been some strong performances from players who may not have big followings entering camp. Wide receivers Vyncint Smith and Ethan Fernea have made some splash plays while rookie cornerback Jaylon Jones made his voice heard with a diving PBU during Saturday’s practice.
Undrafted free-agent rookie Zavier Scott appears to be a potential Swiss-army knife player while seventh-round pick Jake Witt has surprisingly seen a lot of work with the second-team offense despite his inexperience.
10
Padded practice coming
The Colts will hold their first padded practice Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. ET. This will be the chance to see who separates themselves in the positional battles while also giving us a look at the players who may be dealing with more injuries than we saw in the first week.
The Colts will have four practices during Week 2 of training camp: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
