The Colts have taken it easy this week, with only a light 30 minute workout on Tuesday morning and special teams practice in the afternoon. Yesterday, they got back to their normal camp routine, but are still running around in shorts. While at camp last week, I asked a few people "in the know" as to why the Colts were not practicing in pads. On person responded with this interesting nugget (paraphrased): Look what happened to Washington. They started their camp in full pads and lost 4 guys for the season. Both Washington and Indy play 5 pre-season games. At this point, you are just trying to keep people healthy, not get them killed in meaningless games.

Looking at it that way, Indy's approach makes sense. I say this knocking on just about anything made of wood, but Indy has not really had any major injuries in camp. Now, morons like Chris Mortenson will still go on ESPN and spew that he's spoken with "people" who think the Colts will not be as good this year. Per usual, Mortenson is clueless when it comes to analyzing rosters, and since he hasn't actually been to camp (or spoken to his colleagues like Cris Carter, you raved about the Colts), it's fair to say Mort is not clued in.

One person who is clued in is Phil B, who has slowly but surely brought the Indy Star's sports coverage back to relevance. His camp blogging is a welcome treat from the Indy Star. You'd think Mike Chappell might get the hint and start realizing the beat writer is pretty much irrelevant now. Chappell is a fine writer and knows football, but why read his stuff a day late when I can read Phil's blog (or this blog) same day? Anyway, some observations from camp via Phil B:

* Defensive end/tackle Raheem Brock was in the backfield so fast on one play, he leaped and came within finger tips of an interception on a screen pass to Joseph Addai. And, yes, for anyone wondering about Addai after Sunday's smack in the head, the running back looks just fine.

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* Rookie Eric Foster practically swallowed Dominic Rhodes on another screen that didn't materialize too effectively.

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* Colts coach Tony Dungy didn't like what he saw and blew his whistle four times before snaps. That's obviously sloppy. I don't remember hearing him blow the whistle that many times in any of his previous camp practices.

Practices have been a but sloppy of late, but that's a result of Manning not being there and several young (or new) players getting used to things. Despite some sloppiness, Phil is starting to see (and recognize) what many of us have talked about since camp opened.

This team is good. Maybe scary good.

I know it's early yet. I know some of these guys may not make the team. But one game in, if I'm the Colts, I like what I see. Each year, teams change. And with the Colts, typically one of the younger teams, the question is always the same: Can any of the new guys make a difference or contribute? I get the sense this time, more than in past years, the Colts will get more production from this rookie class. I'm taking an early guess that this class could be special. I'm not predicting Hall of Fame inductions and Pro Bowls because that doesn't make sense at such an early juncture, but the Colts, president Bill Polian and his staff, have added some interesting pieces to the mix.

For the last few months, we all have made lists of questions we hoped would get answered by the time Kickoff Weekend rolls around. We looked for answers to these questions in the draft, mini-camps, free agency, and now training camp. After attending camp and getting "insider" info from people in the know within the team and fans still attending camp, I've got a pretty good idea of how this roster is shaping up. Mind you, I'm providing these insights with big, blue-tinted glasses. I could be dead wrong about everything, but in years past I've been pretty much on the money when it comes to evaluating talent. Just ask Bears fans. Also keep in mind that much of my opinion is formulated from information I trust, and I very much trust my own two eyes.

So, all that crap said, here's a few answers to some of your burning questions (this is a monster post, which I needed to place on the flip):

Continue reading this post »

You'll find that much of this recap borrows from bamock's excellent recap diary. Despite losing the game because the 3rd and 4th string defense made Colt Brennan look like Joe Montana, I actually turned off the tube feeling very, very good about the roster so far. Many things MasterRWayne and I saw at camp were implemented in this game, such as the onside kick to start. Like all pre-season games, you must take things with a grain of salt because, in the end, the games don't mean anything. What you can learn is how much do certain players want to succeed, and how deep is the talent pool. For the Colts, it seems this is a much deeper team than last year's squad, and there are some solid rookies who might unseat some established vets on this team. Here's what we saw:

• Let's get this out of the way: Jared Lorenzen sucked at camp and he sucked in the game. His "shot put" throwing motion causes the ball to come out late. He also seemed to deliberately trying to showcase himself rather than manage the game. Tom Moore was all over him after several throws. However, on the flipside...
  
• Quinn Gray looked impressive; more so than Jim Sorgi who went 7-10 on the opening drive. The difference between Sorgi and Gray is Gray can get the ball down the field and buy time with his feet. Sorgi's arm strength just isn't there, and while he was more accurate than I saw him in camp, he's not trying to drive the ball downfield. Most of his throws were dump offs or sideline throws. He did have one impressive 15-yarder to TE Gijon Robinson, who impressed.
• Most of you saw what I saw regarding the o-line. Remember year's past when back-up QBs would get hammered because the reserve o-linemen sucked hard. Last night, reserve linemen like Mike Pollak, Jamey Richard, Steve Justice, Michael Toudouze, and Dan Federkeil proved the Colts have a lot of excellent depth along the o-line. Polian wanted to boost up this area in the draft, and boy did he ever! Colts QBs had all day to throw, and the RBs can multiple holes to pick their way through.
• Mike Hart impressed me the most of any player. The kid ran like a man on fire. He lived up to his billing fighting for extra yardage AFTER someone ripped his helmet off. He displayed skill picking up the blitz, but what impressed the most was his burst. Hart took the hand-off, found his lane, and shot through like a bullet. He doesn't have breakaway speed, but he has a good burst through the line. He reminded me of Edgerrin James, especially since he is wearing #32. Hart is living up to his Michigan billing, and I can see why Dungy loves him.

It's still cool to watch Dom Rhodes run, even in pre-season

Photo: AP Photo, Mark Duncan

• Depth at WR is sick! Samuel Giguere didn't even play, yet I found myself worrying over who they will keep. Roy Hall, Devin Aromashodu, Onrea Jones, and Pierre Garcon all impressed. Garcon and Hall in particular made some excellent grabs.
  
• Though Washington QBs threw all over them, the defense in general played solid. Guys like starting MLB Victor Worsley won't make the practice squad. So, don't freak out by the gawdy Redskins QB numbers.
  
• Marcus Howard is a keeper. Dude is scary quick off the line with Freeney-like spin moves and a nose for the QB. He has 1.5 sacks in limited play. Same holds true for Curtis Johnson. Both are fast, fast, FAST speed rushers, and they are making me feel better about Indy's pass rushing depth.
• Special teams coverages looked solid all night. Other than the botched onside kick, I was pleased. Garcon's return looked good, especially since he looked so bad in camp this week.
• It was so cool to see Dom Rhodes out there. He spin move for extra yardage is still fun to watch.
• Jacob Tamme did some nice things, especially considering The Pillsbury Throwboy was launching the ball at him. Gijon Robinson has good hands, but is struggling to block. Dallas Clark is Dallas Clark: Arguably the best TE in football, along with Jason Witten.

I got the sense, reading comments from the open thread, that many of you had similar feelings about the game. This game, and much of what I've seen at camp, has helped me formulate answers to many of the questions you have about certain players (Is Roy Hall improved? Is Eric Foster legit? Do the Colts have depth at DE? Can they rush the passer? Etc.). I'm thinking that the answers to these and other questions are rounding out into good answers. This team seems very talented, and very deep. Offensively, it might get scary when Peyton gets back with the weapons they have. They might have given the best QB in football the best (and deepest) WR corps in football. Add to this the o-line depth and the emerging play of the RBs, and this offense looks primed to do some special things. With the injuries to the LBers on defense, it's hard to tell how that unit is rounding out. They key for them is still the health of Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney. But, all in all, the defense looks deeper and faster than last year.

I'll blog more about this game later today and this week. As always, for fun Redskins banter, check out Hogs Haven for their recap. Colts still have a ton of work to do, but they seem to be on their way to forming a very formidable roster.

This morning, the Colts are walking through their game plan for the Redskins, the team they will face in Sunday's Hall of Fame game.  It's funny, but whenever I see "walk through" related to an NFL team, I still think of that bogus Patriots allegation. I know they didn't do it, but it is still something I associate with them based on other blatant rules violations. But enough on them. If you want to read how their camp is going, check out MaPatsFan at Pats Pulpit. Unlike previous seasons, we have some very fun ideas getting tossed around between Pats Pulpit and Stampede Blue for the 2008 season. Ironically, I think I get along better with Pats fans there than I do Bears fans.

Today's walk through will focus on specific things the coaches will look for in the game. What we do know is Jim Sorgi will see more time than if Peyton Manning were playing, and that's a good thing. After watching Sorgi look mediocre (and sometimes downright bad) in practice, he needs to prove he is a legit NFL QB.

We are going to start with our first groups. I think our first offense may play a little bit more than our first defense," Dungy said. "Then midway through the first quarter, we’re going to start to get a look at some of our younger guys and guys we want to see. I would say it’s probably likely that the offense will play a bit more than the defense."

Dungy added that total number of plays, rather than clock time, will most likely dictate how much work everybody gets.

"It probably will be plays. I haven’t really decided [how many] yet, but it will definitely be by plays and we will discuss that [prior to today’s practice]," he said. "Jim [Sorgi] will play a little bit more than Peyton [Manning] normally would have played. We won’t necessarily have all the first [offensive] group in with him all the time. He will get his share of work."

The Colts also made a somewhat significant roster move, dumping WR Charles Dillon and bringing back LB Brandon Archer. Archer was signed by Denver in the offseason, and then released in this past June. With the Colts losing LBers left and right, signing Archer was a big deal. Archer is also a good special teamer.

I'm going back over my notes and collecting thoughts in order to piece together my overall opinions of camp thus far. I also got some good info from folks who work for the Colts and from fans who have been watching camp from Day 1. Some of the info is stuff we already knew (Eric Foster is the guy who the Colts are big on to replace Quinn Pitcock). Other info, like Mike Hart maybe making THE PRACTICE SQUAD was certainly news to me.

I will relay the general feeling I have, which was confirmed by many people in the know and those who have watched from Camp Day 1: This team is very, very, VERY deep. There will be some tough decisions when they need to cut down to 53, and some good players might get shown the door because there isn't enough room on this talented roster.

So, the rumors were true. Quinn Pitcock retired. Thanks to JakeTheSnake for the Fan Shot on the subject. It's a bit sad because Pitcock was known as a fierce competitor at Ohio State. He played in National Championship games, and came on strong last year as a good rookie DT. Now, he doesn't want to play football anymore. As annoying and disappointing as it is, look at it this way. Quinn had the bullocks to retire early in camp rather than pull a Corey Simon. He didn't cheat or steal money from the Colts, and he was honest in his decision. The Colts likely respected that, and both parties have moved on. I wish Quinn good luck, and hope nothing awful has happened.

We can sit hear and joke that the Curse of the Third Round Pick has popped up again, but guys like Freddie Keiaho (3rd round, 2006), Dante Hughes (3rd round, 2007), and Philip Wheeler (3rd round, 2008) are proving to be good young players. The loss of Pitcock (sigh, I'll really miss making fun of that name) is also at a position (snicker) the Colts are full at (snicker, snicker). Raheem Brock, Ed Johnson, Keyunta Dawson, and the new kid Eric Foster are all good DTs. Big Ed has a chance to become something special, and Brock has always been a consistent player.

Still, even with solid depth after Pitcock's retirement, why not bring back Booger McFarland for a physical? You know he wants to play. You know he'd love to come back to Indy. He'd take a role as a rotating overtackle (I think that's the right position, shake n bake) on the Colts line. He loves Dungy, and mentored Ed Johnson last year. The key is his health, but even that is negotiable. If he's rehabbing now, but will be ready by, say, Week 3, why not sign him?

Booger even has a website up. Notice the team uniform he's wearing.

Phil B. Wilson at the Indy Star does a fine job impersonating a blogger. He's also got a good eye for spotting things we fans are interested in knowing in regards to training camp. A few nuggets from his most recent update:

* The buzz about second-year DT Quinn Pitcock can't be ignored anymore, especially after bloggers e-mail me and ask what's up. Fact is, Pitcock isn't in camp. He did not report. Colts coach Tony Dungy didn't tell us anything new today. He just said it was a personal situation. I HATE (notice the capital letters) to get into rumors and mentioning unsubstantiated stuff off the Internet, but I'm the messenger on this and it could be true. There's a report out there that Pitcock has lost his desire to play. This would be a blow to the Colts, who appeared set with a strong four-man rotation at defensive tackle.

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* Kenton Keith dropped a couple balls today.

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* Gotta love the preparation in these practices. Receivers coach Clyde Christensen chewed up Canadian receiver Sam Giguere when the rookie from Quebec juggled a pass twice before pulling it in during a drill. "Catch the ball clean!" the coach shouted.

The longer this Quinn Pitcock thing goes unanswered, the worse I feel. I know the Colts have several quality DTs, and maybe this Eric Foster kid is the real deal, but Pitcock developed into a solid DT last season. It's such an odd rumor because Pitcock was known as a relentless player at OSU. Check out Phil's blog for the rest of his updates.

More rumors and observations continue to beam their way from Terre Haute to my desktop. Ah, the Internet! How I love you so. I'm still working on my depth chart. I wanted to get it done this weekend, but between organizing all the info I got from camp over the weekend, and dealing with the snappy little "bloggers" over at Fanhouse, I just didn't have time. I hope to have it done today. Thanks for your patience.

• We still have no word on Quinn Pitcock. Dungy said there would be explanation today.
• Adam Vinatieri was consistently making FGs of 50+ yards at camp. He looks healthy, his leg is strong, and (according to conditioning folks) he is in the best physical shape of his life. Adam might have finally shaken off the injuries.
• Many said Dungy was not happy with Keiaho leveling Hart on Saturday. Keiaho was taken out of practice and told to cool it.
• Clifton Dawson has looked better than Mike Hart.
• With Brock moving back to DE, the Colts will likely employ a 3-4 player d-line rotation. This means Mathis or Brock start, with Brock moving inside on passing downs. Ed Johnson is the undertackle while Keyunta Dawson or (if he ever shows up) Quinn Pitcock are overtackles. Also thrown into the mix is speed rushing DE Marcus Howard. The Colts are also high on DT Eric Foster. Left out of the mix, it seems, are DEs Josh Thomas and Jeff Charleston.

Based on camp reporters from TheMatic and Aerostar193; articles posted on the Tribune Star and Indy Star websites, ESPN's own "blog"; and camp reports posted on ColtFreaks.com, I'll do my best to piece together early observations of players many of you have questions about. I'll cite the sources at the end of article:

• Philip Wheeler hurt is knee yesterday. After practice he was seen on the sideline with an ice wrap around his knee. This is a somewhat positive  sign that the injury is not too bad because if it was a pulled or torn tendon or ligament, he likely would not have been on the practice field sideline with ice on the knee. Apparently, the knee is "sore." Dungy elaborated on the injury (somewhat):

  "Wheeler has just irritation in the knee and [it’s] a condition he’s had that flared up. We’re hoping that it’s not too serious. Melvin Bullitt did have a little sprained thumb that they’re going to have to work on. He’s probably going to miss a few days, but nothing that should hold him out more than a week," the Colts coach said, adding that he doesn’t know how long Wheeler may be sidelined.

  
  
• Day 2 saw the running backs stand out as the players put the pads on for the first time in weeks. The backs working with the starting unit are Addai, Rhodes, and Mike Hart. Noticeably absent from working with the starting unit: Kenton Keith. They are using Hart the way the used James Mungro from 2002-2005. Hart is small, but hits the gaps in the line hard and with explosion. He is essentially a hybrid short yardage back, fullback.
  


• Mike Hart got his bell rung by Freddie Keiaho on one play. Fans in the stands cheered "Welcome to the NFL, rookie!"
  


• Most have said Roy Hall has looked impressive. The only person I've read who was not impressed with Hall is Aerostar193, which is not to say Aerostar193 is wrong in his assessment. Everyone else though has raved about Hall.
  


• Equally impressive has been Pierre Garcon. His routes are very crisp and his movement fluid. He is drawing comparisons to a young Marvin Harrison in terms of body type and route running.
  


• Speaking of Marvin Harrison, the early assessment of his work at camp is that the old Marvin is back and the league better "watch out." Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon, two young players, were amazed at how fast and well conditioned Harrison has looked:
  

  "Marvin looked excellent," Hall said. "He didn’t miss a beat. He looked extremely healthy. His knees looked fine. He’s running faster than ever. He looks good. I was excited to see him back out there and happy to see him out there. Marv was just out there being Marv, catching the ball and making big plays. He’ll continue to do that throughout the season."

  "I don’t see anything wrong with him," Garcon noted. "He’s quick and fast, extremely fast."

  Both Dominic Rhodes and Jeff Saturday, who have played with Marvin Harrison for over 7 years, say Harrison has a big chip on his shoulder because people have written him off because of his age.


• Eric Foster has drawn a ton of praise from both offensive and defensive coaches. He is especially stout against the run. More and more, Foster looks like a keeper and another undrafted rookie gem for Polian.
  


• Rookie DE Marcus Howard and second year LT Tony Ugoh have gone at it the last two days. During drills, the two are battling against each other extremely hard. Ugoh has had trouble dealing with Howard's great speed and Howard has had problems getting past Ugoh's arms. Howard's speed has been the eye-popping "wow" many at camp have noticed. He seems unblockable unless you have someone fast enough to match him.
  


• Clint Session was not at Day 2 practice because of a personal issue. Because Tyjuan Hagler, Philip Wheeler, and now Session were unavailable, the Colts used Ramon Guzman at SAM. Guzman played special teams and DE last season. No details on how he looked.
  


• Jacob Tamme has been practicing his long-snapping for special teams. Tamme has also looked good blocking. Some have even questioned why blocking was a knock on him in college. He has looked solid blocking in drills and scrimmages. Seems the #2 spot is now Tamme's to lose.


• Mike Pollak worked at OG for the starting unit on Friday, but so did Charlie Johnson. PhilB at the Indy Star still think Pollak will win the job. Pollak did not practice Saturday, and Johnson took most of the snaps at OG.
  


• Most media have praised Jim Sorgi and how well he's looked in camp. PhilB still thinks Sorgi holds onto the ball to long, which has always been Sorgi's problem. Still, most have said Sorgi is leaps and bounds better than Gray and Lorenzen, but much of that has to do with Sorgi having known the offense for 4 years.
  


• Tim Jennings has looked good. Damn good, in fact. He appears more comfortable as a Cover 2 corner, making quick reads and reacting fast. The entire Colts secondary has impressed, with Dante Hughes, Michael Coe, Brandon Condren, and TJ Rushing also standing out. The Colts seem to have an excellent secondary this season. Condren had an INT in morning practice on Saturday.
  


• Raheem Brock will move back to DE, and only play DT on passing situations. The Colts are worried that starting Brock at DT every down will indeed wear him down. Expect to see more of Brock starting at DE against teams that like to establish the run first. Robert Mathis will start at DE if teams like to throw early. Keyunta Dawson is now starting at DT along with Big Ed Johnson.


• Dungy is concerned that players are not used to practicing in pads:

  "I told the team afterwards [that] we have to learn how to practice in pads," the Colts coach said. "What we’re trying to do, you know, we’ve gone three months now and then the first two [training camp] practices [in jerseys and shorts]. So we’ve got to learn how to hit, deal with the contact and get done what we need to do without blowing each other up. So that’s something you always have to learn."



• RB Clifton Dawson made several excellent plays during Day 2 practice.  He had two 15 yard sweeps for TDs, and broke several long runs in the morning practice. Joseph Addai and Dom Rhodes also had some excellent long runs in afternoon practice.


• Not a peep about Kenton Keith. Not one single, solitary bit of news about how well (or poorly) he practiced. That's not good for Kenton, especially with the other RBs looking so good.


• Samuel Giguere caught a 45 yard TD from Jared Lorenzen. Giguere has noticeably been working hard.


• Freeney and Sanders have rehabbed while the rest of the team has done drills. Both are running fast. Freeney has been spinning and making moves. Between the two, Sanders looks the most ready to return.


• Rookie TE Tom Santi had the exact same operation on his knee Peyton Manning did, only two weeks earlier. Santi has been seen at camp walking with a limp and a back of some kind on his knee. If Santi is the measuring point, we will likely not see Peyton Manning practice until the week of August 18th. Manning is still not at camp.


• People have raved over Indy's receiving corps. Hall and Garcon were mentioned above, but Devin Aromashodu has also impressed. With so many receivers looking good, the Colts might carry 5 or 6 WRs into the regular season, with two of them (Hall and Giguere, perhaps) possibly playing special teams as gunners.


• No information as yet as to who is returning punts and kicks.

Whew! Folks, this is the most information I've ever received about any stretch of training camp. Now, more than ever, people have a vested interest in what is going on at Terre Haute, and their desire to report that info back to fans is unrelenting. Special thanks to people like Aerostar193 and TheMatic for giving us first hand accounts just for Stampede Blue readers. Sources for all information bulleted are below. Click the links and read more:

ColtFreaks.com

IndyStar Blog

Tribune Star Article #1

Tribune Star Article #2

Colts.com

Areostar193's Fan Post

TheMatic's Twitter Fan Post

We've got 11 more days until players under contract are to report to training camp. The national media buzz will likely center on idiots like Chad Johnson, Pacman Jones, and the dysfunctional mess that is the Dallas Cowboys. For us, we have different interests. For me, I always get a little nervous because of the rookie signing situation, as you can see. As of today, no rookies for the Colts are signed. Hopefully, we will see some guys get inked this week.

In a post some time ago, you expressed the following interests in TC:

• Roy Hall's development
• Who is Eric Foster, and is he good?
• Who starts: Pollak or Charlie?
• Is Dwight healthy? Is Bob healthy?
• Is Marvin Harrison done?
• Tony Ugoh's development
• More blitzing from the defense?
• The running backs, in particular Dominic Rhodes and Mike Hart
• Why was Pierre Garcon drafted, and who is Samuel Giguere?
• Can the special teams FINALLY be good?

Now, after we've leanred more about guys like Pollak and have had to deal with typical off-season annoyances (like Tyjuan Hagler's injury), do other things perk your interest? Like, say, Philip Wheeler starting at SAM?

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom who both host The Audible: A great podcast for FootballGuys.com. For some reason, Cecil and Sigmund actually care what I think about the Colts, and were kind enough to have me on their show. Below is a link to the interview, and below that is a link for you iTunes lovers out there who want to hear my beautiful, crystal clear voice on your iPod or iPhone.

Thanks again to Cecil and Sigmund for having me on.

http://podcast.footballguys.com/2008/Footballguys-Audible-2008-Vol131a.mp3

http://subscribers.footballguys.com/podcast/audible.php

Also, Cecil and Sigmund are HUGE NFL Draft nut cases. They love the draft. They did a TV show that was a lead-up to the draft, and one of the players they covered was DT Eric foster. Here's the link to that show.