Gary Brackett Says Private Workouts Going Well, Suggests Rookies Involved

Editor's Note: Stampede Blue reader beerbrunch also has a good FanPost up on Brackett's comments. -bbs

While the completely reasonable question of 'Why are these Colts players workouts so secretive?' is being asked, Colts linebacker and team captain Gary Brackett was on 1070 The Fan yesterday on JMV's show talking about the workouts and how they are going.

Just know that we will be ready next season, whenever that season is, your Indianapolis Colts, your favorite team, will be ready.

Again, despite the silliness of making the locations for these workouts so 'hush-hush,' it is a testament to the leadership and character of players like Brackett to, at least, organize these practices. The owners may want them locked out, but the players still want to work and get better. As a fan, I respect that.

When JMV asked a few more questions about how the sessions were going, Brackett dropped this little line [emphasis mine]:

Obviously, the leadership decided that, because this [lockout] has been lasting so long, that we need to at least get together and brush some guys up on what we've been doing, what our system is, acclimating some of these guys to our system, and just some overview for some of the older guys.

That's interesting because, for me, the people I immediately think of who need to get 'acclimated' to the Colts systems on offense and defense are the rookies drafted back in late-April. And as of right now, none of those rookies are signed to the team.

Now, it is possible Brackett is referring to other players who did not play for the Colts in 2010 (or, had limited play in 2010), but are under contract. These players include DeMario Pressley, Terrence Johnson (CB), Kole Heckendorf (WR), and Kevin Thomas (CB) just to name a few. But, the people who REALLY need to get accustomed to the playbooks are rookies like Drake Nevis, Anthony Castonzo, and Ben Ijalana. All those guys are projected as starters next season, with special emphasis on Ijalana and Castonzo.

It would be very interesting indeed if one or all of those drafted players are attended these workouts. Perhaps that's why the Colts players are making these things so secretive.

Brackett also stated that, because the systems have been in place for so long, leaders like him, Peyton, Antoine Bethea, and Dwight Freeney are able to teach players how the team works. That's a credit to all those guys.

Oh, and to those of you screaming 'WHO CARES WHERE THEY PRACTICE!', come on. Everyone cares and wants to see the Colts. JMV told Brackett yesterday that people had been calling in all day yesterday, wanting to know where the team is practicing. People are roaming around town, right now, scoping out practice fields and hoping to see Colts players practicing.

Fans care, and they want to see their favorite players working and getting better. The day they stop caring about that is the day the NFL becomes irrelevant (like professional baseball).