Luke Links: 2009 OTAs conclude

Off-season Training Activities (aka OTAs) for the Colts end today. Between now and August 1st, players have a chance to get away from football before the grind starts. The conclusion of mini-camp this past weekend, and OTAs today, provides us with some solid information on how the Colts view their roster and their coaches going into July and August. Put simply, they are very pleased:

• Jim Caldwell is very pleased at the progress the team has made throughout the off-season, in particular players like Pierre Garcon, Roy Hall, Austin Collie, Fili Moala, Adrian Grady, and Terrance Taylor. Those players were singled out by name as ones who made steady and impressive improvement.
• John Oehser focuses on Caldwell's praise for Garcon. It seems that, like many young players, Garcon has made a big leap from year one to year two. From Jim Caldwell:

  One thing you know is [Pierre Garcon] was blessed with speed and power and he has quickness. But the level of competition he played, even though they’ve had great record and real fine teams, he was just kind of getting a sense of the speed and differences in coverages, how quickly they adjust – all the little nuances. He seems to have picked that up quite well. You can see him really starting to run and not just simply react. He’s become somewhat of a force.

• Jamey Richard, Fili Moala, and Bob Sanders all married their sweethearts recently. I can only imagine what Bob's ceremony was like. 
• Our old friend bamrock (aka Brett Mock) churns out another solid article via Bleacher Report.
• Ryan Lilja talks about OTAs, mini-camp, and feeling healthier. His surgically repaired knee (which keep him out of the entire 2008 season) feels stronger and healthier, according to Lilja. 
• Ryan Diem lets it be known that the offense will be humming by August.
• Seriously, what is with the gun violence in downtown Indy?
• Peyton Manning is going to act as a pitchman for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. And he will do it for free.
  

  Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, long one of the highest-paid pitchmen in pro football, is lending his adman skills to Indianapolis -- for free.

  On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association said Manning's voice and likeness soon will greet visitors to its Web site, www.visitindy.com.

  Just another way Peyton gives back to the community that helped make him a superstar. A Peyton Manning endorsement normally runs tens of thousands of dollars. Companies like Gatorade, Nerf, and MasterCard pay big money to have Peyton say (essentially) "Buy this sh*t." But, for the state of Indiana, Peyton lends his enormously lucrative presence and voice for free. That's why we love the dude.
• In other news, Tom Brady fell off a boat, and has no plans to model for the state of Massachusetts' swimsuit section of their website for free.
• Paul Kuharsky talks more about Howard Mudd and Tom Moore returning in time for training camp.
• And finally, a hilariously fake Vince Young Facebook page, via our friends at Music City Miracles.