Camps all throughout the NFL are opening, and the Colts will get their own started this Sunday at the University of Anderson. As camp approaches, we shall use today's slight lull in news to review the key positional battles that will shape and define our favorite team not just for the pre-season, but for the entire regular season.

Camp battles last year produced quality starters like Daniel Muir, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Jerraud Powers. In years past, positional battles helped forge players like Antoine Bethea, Gary Brackett, and Robert Mathis. This year, we have several camp competitions that are sure to spark tremendous interest in the team's practices and activities in Anderson. Many of these battles have been hotly debated on this blog since late-April. Others have been brought into the team fold because they fit the new shifts in the team's offensive philosophy, especially along the offensive line.

After the jump, we break down the camp competitions, discuss the key players involved, and make our predictions on who is going to win what job.

Starting guards

As of right now, we have absolutely no idea who will start at left or right guard for the Colts in 2010. Ryan Lilja is gone; cut seemingly because his 290 pound playing weight was too small for new offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars' vision moving forward. Logically, it stands to reason that the Colts are looking to have two 300-plus pound guys man the guards spots. If not, then cutting Lilja in March makes absolutely no sense, especially if his replacement is either Kyle DeVan (6'2, 306) or Mike Pollak (6'3, 301). Both offer marginal size over Lilja, and both are inferior players.

If size at the guard spots is the goal, then new additions like Jacques McClendon (6'3, 324) and Andy Alleman (6'4, 310) offer significant size and height over Lilja, DeVan, and Pollak. With the team tossing in former-starting left tackle Tony Ugoh (6'5, 301) and reserve tackle Adam Terry (68, 335) into the mix, the "beef" increases substantially. It seems obvious that the Colts will go with whichever two guards work the best within the Colts system. However, if both of those guards do not offer additional size or weight over Ryan Lilja, the question will linger as to why the excellent veteran guard was cut. 

Stampede Blue prediction: McClendon and Terry win the jobs.

Slot receiver

Once again, we enter a Colts training camp with Austin Collie having to fend off someone to win the slot receiver position. Last year, Collie beat out Pierre Garcon. This year, he is battling Anthony Gonzalez, the man who has seemingly lost his starting job to the before-mentioned Pierre Garcon. Gonzalez entered last season as the replacement starter for the departed Marvin Harrison. However, Gonzo's season was cut short by a frustrating knee injury in Week One. Replacing him in the starting line-up was Garcon, who wisely took advantage of the opportunity and had a breakout season.

Also thrown into the slot receiver mix is Samuel Giguere, but at best Giguere is a good special teams player. The real competition is between Collie and Gonzo. In 2009, Austin Collie had a Rookie of the Year-type season (despite not getting a single vote from the seemingly brain dead voting panel). He caught 77 passes for 917 yards and 10 TDs with his best game being a 7 catch, 123 yard, 1 TD performance in the AFC Championship Game against the NY Jets. Collie's 2009 season crushes anything Gonzalez ever did in his two seasons prior.

However, this does not mean Gonzo is a chump.

According to Football Outsiders, the third best receiver in all of football in 2008, on a per-throw basis, was Gonzo. Without getting into a bunch of brain-smashing numbers, it basically means that anything thrown at Gonzo was caught by Gonzo. Along with his reliable receiving skills, Gonzalez has exceptional quickness, speed, and is a sharp route-runner. On most NFL teams, Gonzo is a starter. On the Colts, he's fighting for the third WR spot.

Stampede Blue prediction: Collie

Dime defensive back

You know you are rooting for a stacked team when a key camp battle is who will play in the Dime Package on defense. However, as talented as starting corners Kelvin Hayden and Jerraud Powers are, and as reliable as nickel back Jacob Lacey seems, history tells us all three of these guys will likely get injured during the regular season. These injuries will result in missed games, meaning the fourth or fifth corner on the roster will either need to start a game or play as the nickel back. Ideally, we'd love it if Powers and Hayden started every game, but since 2007, Kelvin Hayden has only started 18 of 32 regular season games. Last year, Jerraud Powers missed 4 regular season games and was hurt all throughout the playoffs.

Again, history tells us these guys will. get. hurt. in. 2010.

Working behind nickel back Jacob Lacey on the depth chart are an assortment of rookies and second-year, practice squad-level guys looking to make the team. Of the bunch, seventh round pick Ray Fisher, rookie free agent Brandon King, and second-year player Terrail Lambert offer the most potential. All three have the skills sets necessary for them to stay on the active 53-man roster. Key to this secondary performing well in 2010 is for the coaches to produce another surprise player similar to Jacob Lacey. Last year, Lacey entered camp as an no-name, undrafted rookie. By the time Super Bowl 44 rolled around, Lacey had started 9 regular season games, intercepted three passes, and returned one for a touchdown. The Colts will likely need a similar level of production from players like Fisher, Lambert, or King.

Stampede Blue prediction: Fisher

Special teams returner

The Colts have been awful at punt and kick returns since T.J. Rushing injured his knee in a 2008 pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills. Since then, the Colts have brought in a carnival of players, hoping one of them could spark the return game. None did.

This year, the team seems quite serious about addressing their woeful return game. They drafted Ray Fisher from Indiana, whose 36.1 yard kick return average lead the nation in 2009 and set a Big Ten record. They also signed the most feared kick returner in college football last season: Florida's Brandon James. James returned five kicks (four punts, one kick-off) for TDs during his college career. He also averaged 26.1 yards per kick return and 7.4 yards per punt return.

Fisher ran a low 4.3 40 at his Pro Day while James ran a 4.32. Both have tremendous speed and are electric with the football in their hands.

Also in the mix are rookie receiver Blair White and third-year receiver Samuel Giguere.

Adding a potent return game for Peyton Manning and the offense should send chills down the spines of opponents all throughout the NFL.

Stampede Blue prediction: Fisher (kick returner) and James (punt returner)