WESTFIELD — The Colts wrapped up training camp at Grand Park on Wednesday, putting to rest the franchise’s quietest camp in at least half a decade.
For the first time in a long time, Indianapolis did not have to worry about the starting quarterback’s health, injuries up and down the rest of the starting lineup or the potential impacts of playing through a pandemic.
For the most part, the Colts could focus on the football.
“We’ve still got to finish up with this test against Tampa Bay,” Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich said, referring to Saturday’s preseason finale, a dress rehearsal for the starting lineup. “That’s a big deal, right? Then we’ve got some tough decisions to make, as far as the roster is concerned.”
Indianapolis, like all NFL teams, must reduce its roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. Tuesday, setting the Colts up for the regular season.
With that in mind, here is a look at 53 takeaways from the 16 practice sessions at Grand Park.
1. From a leadership standpoint, Matt Ryan has been everything the Colts could have wanted and more, pushing tempo, coaching young receivers and setting a professional tone. On the field, Ryan has been rock solid, completing 70.1% of his 184 passes in camp and throwing just three interceptions in 11-on-11, according to IndyStar notes. With Ryan at the helm, the Colts will likely work the middle of the field a lot more, and running backs and tight ends should benefit. If there is one knock on Ryan’s training camp performance, it has been a lack of traditional deep balls.
2. Nick Foles pushed the ball down the field a bit more than Ryan in training camp, building instant connections with Ashton Dulin and later with Mike Strachan. Forced to work behind the No. 2 offensive line, Foles was often under pressure and is not the most mobile quarterback, but he was accurate and steady running the offense.
3. Sam Ehlinger’s impressive preseason comes on the heels of a relatively quiet camp. Ryan and Foles took the lion’s share of the snaps, leaving Ehlinger to develop in small doses, a role he’s embraced as he undertakes a dramatic overhaul of his mechanics.
4. Jonathan Taylor looks every bit like the running back who took over games last season.
5. Nyheim Hines might be the most intriguing, versatile chess piece on the Colts offense this season. Indianapolis asked Hines to do a little bit of everything in training camp, including challenging secondaries deep down the sideline, and there were a handful of long completions from Ryan to Hines.
6. Veteran running back Phillip Lindsay has good vision, attacks holes quickly and has some burst through the line.
7. Finding carries might be hard for a fourth running back, but undrafted free agent D’Vonte Price and returning back Deon Jackson both can play key roles on special teams.
8. Michael Pittman Jr. might have been the star of training camp. Working against a big, long-limbed secondary, Pittman Jr. caught roughly a third of Ryan’s passes in 11-on-11, winning most of his matchups over the middle.
9. Rookie Alec Pierce was relatively quiet in 11-on-11 work, but his confidence grew through the month at Grand Park. By the end of camp, Pierce was often making contested catches in 1-on-1 drills.
10. Parris Campbell had a few big days working over the middle. Campbell also had a few days punctuated by drops, and the Colts are going to need consistency out of the slot.
11. Dulin was one of the highlights of camp early on, although most of his big plays came while working with Foles and the No. 2 offense. At minimum, Dulin should be able to provide a physical component with big-play capability on offense.
12. If Dulin continues to play a key role on special teams, the Colts likely will be able to keep either Strachan or Dezmon Patmon, or both. Injured for the first three weeks, Strachan was immediately productive after he returned, and he might offer more upside than Patmon.
13. Mo Alie-Cox was quietly one of Ryan’s favorite targets in training camp. Alie-Cox remains inconsistent on jump balls, but he is capable of working the middle and will play a lot of snaps as the team’s best blocker.
14. Expect the Colts to use Kylen Granson’s speed to stretch teams in the middle of the field and on intermediary routes, both places Ryan likes to attack defenses. Granson had some trouble with drops in camp, but he’s the clear front-runner at the “F” tight end.
15. Jelani Woods had some rookie moments in camp, but with Drew Ogletree sidelined, Woods will likely play a significant amount of snaps. When Woods is at his best, he’s using his combination of speed and power to stretch defenses at the seams, but he had his own intermittent problems with drops.
16. Matt Pryor has made only one NFL start at left tackle, but the Colts liked what they saw enough that Reich said last week the veteran is on track to start on the blind side. Big and powerful, Pryor lost some battles to Yannick Ngakoue’s quickness, but when he gets his hands in the right place, he’s hard to beat.
17. Quenton Nelson is fully healthy. Enough said.
18. Ryan Kelly struggled some with the power of nose tackle Grover Stewart, but Stewart gave Lions center Frank Ragnow trouble in joint practices.
19. Danny Pinter is still making the transition to right guard. Pinter struggled some with the length and power of DeForest Buckner, but he also had some issues with quickness. In addition, Indianapolis tried out several players at backup center, but it looks like Pinter will man that role again, shifting over if something happens to Kelly.
20. Braden Smith remains rock solid at right tackle, although the Colts tinkered with playing him at right guard a little bit near the end of camp.
21. Third-round pick Bernhard Raimann has all the physical tools, but he’s clearly still raw. For every good rep against Ngakoue, there was a hiccup that led to pressure on Foles. Offensive line coach Chris Strausser is clearly working Raimann hard, talking to the rookie with technical advice after almost every snap.
22. Indianapolis likes second-year interior lineman Will Fries, who has played better in 11-on-11 than he often looks in 1-on-1 drills. Fries was not able to take over the backup center job, but he has some experience there, and some of his issues with speed in space are less prominent when the trenches are full.
23. The Colts badly need Dennis Kelly healthy after a minor knee procedure to shore up depth.
24. If there’s a spot for an outside addition at the deadline, it might be the interior offensive line. No one has emerged the way Chris Reed did last August, although undrafted rookie Wesley French can play center and strung together some good days.
25. Kwity Paye has clearly grown, most notably developing an inside move that gave Smith trouble at times. Paye seems to be a combination rusher, blending speed and power, and new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley thinks Paye’s second effort might be his best attribute.
26. Using one lineman to block DeForest Buckner is asking for trouble.
27. Grover Stewart’s power can be breathtaking at times.
28. Ngakoue, the speed rusher Indianapolis has long coveted, has endeared himself to Colts fans through charitable giving, surprise appearances and social media, and on the practice field, his speed and relentless pursuit off the edge will force quarterbacks up into the rest of the defensive line.
29. Quick and explosive after rehabilitating his torn patellar tendon, Tyquan Lewis looks like the front-runner to replace Stewart inside on passing downs.
30. Dayo Odeyingbo, the 2021 second-round pick, is still developing as a pass rusher, but he makes a lot of plays in the pocket by disengaging from the blocker, then crashing down on the quarterback.
31. Veteran defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo made plays throughout training camp, winning with a combination of speed and power, and he can play every line spot other than nose tackle.
32. A journeyman who spent last season on practice squads, R.J. McIntosh looks reborn in an attack-oriented scheme. Quick and long, McIntosh made the most of an early chance to play with the first team.
33. Fifth-round pick Eric Johnson is still learning how to play the point of attack in the running game, but it is clear why the Colts targeted the Missouri State product in the draft. When he has some space, Johnson can be explosive off the ball.
34. Indianapolis might keep as many as 10 defensive linemen. Former second-round pick Ben Banogu spent most of camp as Ngakoue’s primary backup, although he flashed less this season than he did last year. Kameron Cline flashed as an edge rusher before a concussion knocked him out of the lineup. Sixth-round pick Curtis Brooks and Byron Cowart also factor into the tackle mix.
35. All eyes will be on Leonard’s health in the final two weeks before the regular season. Heading into the last week of camp, the Colts hadn’t talked about putting the All-Pro on reserve/PUP, but Reich also didn’t rule it out, given that Leonard hasn’t practiced yet.
36. Bobby Okereke’s move to the weak side puts the rangy linebacker in coverage, and he made plays, including an interception of Ryan and several passes defended.
37. Working at the Mike in Leonard’s absence, Zaire Franklin brings a physical presence to the middle of the field, both in the running game and the short passing game.
38. E.J. Speed got most of his work with the No. 1 defense on the strong side, the spot he’d likely play on defense if Leonard has to miss time early in the season.
39. The Colts brought in a remarkable group of undrafted linebackers. Rangy, relentless Nebraska product JoJo Domann made plays all over the field and looks like a contributor on special teams, but Indianapolis also saw Forrest Rhyne’s nose for the ball, Sterling Weatherford’s range and James Skalski’s physicality flash in camp.
40. Veteran Brandon King was brought in because of his special teams ability, and if his hamstring injury is relatively minor, he may have a spot in a kicking game that lost a lot of experience this offseason.
41. Stephon Gilmore’s savvy route recognition remains a weapon, and he looked healthy throughout training camp. Gilmore had a little trouble with Detroit’s D.J. Chark in joint practices, but he also showed he still has a nose for the ball.
42. Kenny Moore II’s physicality near the line of scrimmage is something the new Colts defensive staff hasn’t often had in its nickel backs.
43. Brandon Facyson has been the Colts’ No. 3 cornerback throughout camp. A long, physical cornerback who fits the defensive prototype, Facyson can sometimes get in trouble with his hands when receivers go vertical, but Indianapolis liked what it saw out of Facyson.
44. Isaiah Rodgers might not fit the defense’s prototype perfectly, and he lost a few battles with Dulin downfield, but his speed and ball skills can cover up a lot of mistakes.
45. Versatility will be key in the battle for the No. 5 cornerback job. Veteran Tony Brown, who can serve as Moore II’s primary backup in the slot, has asserted himself on special teams. Of the others, Anthony Chesley can also play inside, and Marvell Tell III’s length fits the system well.
46. If Julian Blackmon can stay healthy, his range and instincts appear to fit this defense perfectly.
47. Bradley broke down the keys for rookie safety Nick Cross this week. When Cross is focused, a lot of good things happen, both in the running game and in coverage, and he has a ton of upside in a key position for the defense.
48. At 32, Rodney McLeod looks better playing in a zone than man-to-man, and he’s admittedly not a perfect fit at strong safety. But McLeod’s football smarts and ball skills mean the veteran will play a role even if Blackmon and Cross start.
49. Rookie Rodney Thomas has the range to play the free safety spot, and his speed plays well on special teams.
50. An injury to veteran safety Will Redmond knocked him out of the lineup for two weeks, but if the Colts keep five safeties, the decision will likely come down to special teams. Veteran Armani Watts is an experienced hand, and undrafted free agent Trevor Denbow made five tackles in the kicking game through the first two weeks of the preseason.
51. Rodrigo Blankenship held off Jake Verity by making all but four of his field goals in practice, and he was better from beyond 50 yards. Now, Blankenship must prove he can make long kicks, and clutch kicks, in the regular season.
52. The loss of Rigoberto Sanchez looms large. New punter Matt Haack struggled in Buffalo last season; Indianapolis needs consistency in its directional-punt scheme to avoid giving up big returns.
53. All is well with Luke Rhodes, and the team’s most dynamic return men are probably still Rodgers on kicks and Hines on punts.