Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Yankees Deny Rumors That Team Is For Sale

2009 Colts Training Camp: First practice done

John Oehser provides us with our first report from the first practice [emphasis mine]:

* OG Ryan Lilja worked with the starters after missing last season with a knee injury. The first-team offensive line was RT Ryan Diem, RG  Mike Pollak, C Jeff Saturday, LG Ryan Lilja and LT Tony Ugoh.

* RB Donald Brown caught several passes out of the backfield and had several long runs.

* RB Joseph Addai also looked good, cutting sharply in the interior and breaking a few long runs.

* WR Reggie Wayne joked after practice that he felt like a decoy in the first practice without eight-time Pro Bowl WR Marvin Harrison. QB Peyton Manning joked that wanting the ball "makes Reggie Reggie." Manning said he feels confident that Wayne will get plenty of passes when it matters.

* WR Pierre Garcon continued to look fluid and seems to glide when he’s running routes and running after the catch.

For more, check out Indy Football Report.

Donald Brown spoke with reports after practice, talking about how Joseph Addai (who seems to be sporting Edgerrin James-like dreads) has been a big help to him thus far.

We also know that Coach Caldwell was pleased that everyone showed up on time, and there were zero distractions.

First practice quotes, and more camp updates, after the jump.

Star-divide

Other notes from camp:

  • Fili Moala did not practice because of a cold
  • Mike Hart is on a one practice a day schedule as he works back from a knee injury
  • Ed Johnson is no longer #66. He's wearing #91 now. #66 is now being worn by OG Kyle DeVan

Quotes:

Jim Caldwell on certain players practicing and not practicing:

Mike Hart is (day-to-day), he’ll be out there this afternoon. The doctors kind of take a look. Fili (Moala) was doing some work out there for us but he’s getting over a little bit of a cold. Raheem (Brock) is also just kind of not rushing it. There are a few guys we’re jostling back and forth pending on how they are coming along, but some cases we’re not going to force it. You saw a majority of the guys were out there working.

Peyton Manning on not having Tony Dungy or Marvin Harrison:

It’s certainly different. It’s an adjustment when you lose two guys that had that big of an impact on our team and certainly on me. It will take a lot of getting used to, to line up under center and not see No. 88 (Marvin Harrison) out to the right, and I think everybody’s adjusting, even the coaches, to not having Coach Dungy around. But that is part of what training camp is for, and I think that the more practices we have the more everybody will settle in. Like Coach Caldwell said last night, we have no time to look back. We have to act in the now and go with whose here. Everybody is getting use to Coach Caldwell and there certainly is a receiver spot open now that Marvin is not here. Reggie (Wayne) and Anthony Gonzalez will definitely be there, but that third spot is good healthy competition, and I think that is a healthy thing.

Donald Brown discussing Joseph Addai:

Joe has been very helpful. He’s obviously a veteran, and somebody in your position that’s a veteran is helpful. It really is. Joe helped me out a lot this practice. I’m grateful to have somebody like him in my corner.

Donald Brown on his first practice:

It went well. I made a couple of mistakes but as long as I don’t make the same mistake twice, I’ll be alright and take it one practice at a time.

[UPDATE] We have more updates on the first practice, this time from PhilB at the Indianapolis Star:

* Coaching comment -- New head coach Jim Caldwell may actually be more vocal than Tony Dungy, at least judging my decibels. Not that either is loud, but I noticed Caldwell's voice early on. After a long Chad Simpson rush, Caldwell barked, "Jog it back, jog it back. Up tempo, up tempo." Maybe Dungy said the same thing, but I don't recall hearing it. On a deep pass that was just a bit long, Caldwell looked over from his mid-field position and told Roy Hall, "Keep running, keep running." Rookie receiver Austin Collie got his coach's attention on a punt return drill. Caldwell commented, "Put that ball away." It's not to say Dungy didn't coach, we know he did, but hearing Caldwell was definitely a deviation.

...

* New back -- Don't have a football feel for rookie RB Donald Brown, the first-round pick, because it's just pads and shorts and no tackling, but the newcomer runs hard, has some muscle to him and presented himself in a one-on-one interview as one of the more polished individuals I've met in these first-time chats at camp.

...

* LBs for now -- The starting trio, as of the first day of camp, are Gary Brackett, Clint Session and Philip Wheeler. Don't know what that means for Tyjuan Hagler and Freddy Keiaho, who both re-signed with the team as free agents. The fourth-year pros have started in the past, Keiaho was calling defensive signals after Brackett was lost for the season late last year, but the insertion of Wheeler suggests the Colts would like to see him get that job.

Comment 16 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

I thought Bobzilla was on the PUP list

Is he supposed to be out there practicing?

/waits in nervous anticipation for someone to say he was removed from it and is fully healthy already

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 3, 2009 2:02 PM EDT reply actions  

He's just on the sidelines

catching passes and stuff. He’s not wearing a helmet and running drills.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by Brad Wells on Aug 3, 2009 2:14 PM EDT reply actions  

Thanks for the clarification

/sigh

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 3, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

Awesome.

btw – is it just me or do Peyton’s calves look bigger than normal this year? Perhaps he’s really been working those legs. Could we be in for a scrambling QB this year?

\joking.

seriously, he looks like he’s in excellent shape.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Aug 3, 2009 2:15 PM EDT reply actions  

I saw that pic, too

and thought it was just the angle and the fact that he was shuffling to the side. Either way, I don’t care… what stood out the most was the LACK of a knee brace!

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 3, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

No brace

I thought he wore that thing to bed!

I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.

by Bobman on Aug 3, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

Added more

Just updated the post with more news and info

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by Brad Wells on Aug 3, 2009 2:32 PM EDT reply actions  

Joseph Addai had a long run!?

Oh, man. I guess we didn’t shore up the defensive line after all!

by hoosierdore on Aug 3, 2009 2:57 PM EDT reply actions  

Seriously

I know it was just a joke, but let’s not open the opportunity for that shitstorm to start anew. My brain may in fact explode

I also wish I had time and motivation to blog at Speed Blue Nation

by Bullard47 on Aug 3, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'm optimistic

about Joe. I think being healthy and having Brown take a load of the burden off of him will do wonders for him. I wouldn’t worry too much about the d line (I know it was a joke, but just sayin…) as much as I would be cautiously optimistic about Addai regaining his first half of ’07 form.

by npb1985 on Aug 3, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions  

Oh dang... i just realized

What it must be like for Manning and the rest of the team. I mean, for us it’s going to be unusual not seeing Marvin. But for manning. Damn. Marvin has been on this team for as long as Manning has been here. And Dungy… this must be a very strange and sad time for Manning. I hope it doesn’t hurt the team. Not physically, but emotionally.

by Colts_and_Cavs_in_09! on Aug 3, 2009 4:21 PM EDT reply actions  

on the other hand

It’s FANTASTIC to hear that practice went as perfect as possible. This is why I love the colts. No guys like T.O., Romo, or Moss to ruin the practice. I love how the team gets along, I think when gametime comes this is going to help a LOT.

by Colts_and_Cavs_in_09! on Aug 3, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions  

I've never been to an open camp

But plan on making a trip there this week or the next. If anyone can tell me whether it costs anything and whether cameras are allowed, I’d appreciate it. Also, in two a day practices (the days where they have a 9:30 and 3:30), which is better to go to? Thanks.

by npb1985 on Aug 3, 2009 4:23 PM EDT reply actions  

Camp

Camp is free, though i believe you need to pay to park ($12 I think). Cameras are allowed, but avoid flashes (its daytime, so why would you need them?). If you have a mobile phone, email or twitter us your thoughts on what you see at camp. We’re at @StampedeBlue on Twitter.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by Brad Wells on Aug 3, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Overworked?

We’ve talked about Addai a lot on here and I think he has some negatives and positives. However, I don’t think he has ever been “overworked” even in the modern NFL sense of that term. Here are his carries throughout the years…

2006- 226
2007- 261
2008- 155

As you can see its not a ton of carrier. Just for refrence Dominic Rhodes got 152 carries last year so it was a perfect 50-50 split. I think 180-230 is what you want to hit optimally now days with your running backs. Personally I don’t think Addai is capable of being a full time back and that’s fine. Not everyone can do it and the stats during his career bring that out.

If Addai is most effective with 150 touches then maybe he should be limited like that. Would anyone cry a river if Addai got 150 carries and Brown got 200? That might be what ends up happening.

by MasterRWayne on Aug 3, 2009 4:54 PM EDT reply actions  

Oh god, it's starting again

Let’s shut this down: it’s not fair to bury a guy based on one bad season when the whole unit is falling apart.

by slash196 on Aug 3, 2009 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about the Indianapolis Colts, 2006 NFL Champions!

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Nerds2
Andrew Luck Failing to Meet Expectations and Five Other Predictions
1565007530_small
Devil's Take - Colts Misconceptions and Issues
Small
I Don't Get The Coby Fleener/Dwayne Allen Bashing

Recent FanPosts

Small
Colts.com Reworks Roster
Images_small
Colts Trade Chris Gronkowski for CB Cassius Vaughn
Image_small
Biggest Colts Changes
Houston_texans_v_indianapolis_colts_-o3ldozy6pvl_small
Announcement about research project involving StampedeBlue
Indianapolis-colts_small
New defensive scheme: Will it help or hurt the Colts?
Small
Two Nuggets from the Official Roster
Harbaugh_1_small
Where does "Mr. Irsay" rank?
2012-05-08_16-21-47_177_small
Who's ready for some football?
Small
Brody Eldridge cut/QB Legree signed

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Head Writer, Editor-In-Chief

Stampedeblue_small Brad Wells

Mgrex03_avatar_small mgrex03

Contributing Writers

Colts_small emiller17

Photo_small nopuntintended

Dmb33rrr_small Stew Blake