More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

28 days ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is surrounded by fans as he signes autographs before NFL football minicamp at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., Saturday, June 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Click the picture on the left to view the gallery of images from the Colts OTAs and mini-camp at Franklin College (Franklin, IN).

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, right, talks with team owner Jimmy Irsay during the NFL football team's minicamp in Indianapolis, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Very rarely does Colts owner Jim Irsay comment negatively about a player. If you have get the chance to meet Jim (I've met him several times and many different functions), you will find him to be one of the more positive minded people you'll ever meet. He always talks about possibility, not negativity. And he is also very mindful of how his presence affects the authority of the people who work for him. Even recently, with the Howard Mudd and Tom Moore status, Jim Irsay left the decision to bring back Moore and Mudd to Jim Caldwell, the head coach.

Irsay said Moore, 70, and Mudd, 67, told him they still have the desire to coach at least one more year. Caldwell has wanted them to return.

"This was Jim Caldwell's call ultimately,'' Irsay said. "Bill (Polian, team president) and I are there to support the head coach, and we do. I asked Jim what he wanted, and he wanted to see these guys come back and be part of things. Everything is good.''

This is how real owners run their team. They allow football people to make football decisions. This is why the Colts are relevant while the Cowboys and their moron owner aren't (zero playoff wins in 15 years). 

So, when the always positive, always upbeat Jim Irsay makes a comment about a player's desire and his ability to focus on the task at hand, people perk up and take notice. Irsay did just that the other day, commenting on third year OT Tony Ugoh. From John Oehser:

Irsay also said specified the need for LT Tony Ugoh to be "more consistent:"

We gave up a lot for him to play left tackle. He’s got to be focused. He’s got to be ready to go.’

The Colts traded a first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft for the right to select Ugoh in the second round in 2007.

On the surface, that does not look like that big of a statement. But, if you know Jim Irsay, when he starts to publicly question your focus, your consistency, and your ability to be ready to play football games, that is a not-to-thinly-veiled suggestion that this is a make or break year for Tony Ugoh.

Ugoh must start and play all 16 games this season, and play them well, or he will not be on this team next year. It is literally that simple.

And before the excuse brigade starts commenting: Yes, the comments are indeed calling out Tony Ugoh. Just as Peyton Manning called out Bill Polian a few weeks ago (yes, he did; stop using the stupid excuse that the press overblew the story; Peyton knew exactly what he was doing), Jim Irsay is using the press to call out Tony Ugoh so that a point can be enforced. People like Irsay have worked with the press for a long time, and they know exactly what to say and how to say it in order to create a desired affect. 

I personally don't think Irsay is insinuating Ugoh is a bad football player, far from it. My interp reads that Irsay sees what many of us see: A talented player who could be a top 5 LT but for some reason, has not been able to jump to the next level. 2009 is his last season to do so, or he will be kicked to the curb.

Oh boy. Adam Vinatieri's status for training camp just got a whole lot more uncertain:

The move comes less than a week after veteran place-kicker Adam Vinatieri underwent surgery on his right hip. Although Vinatieri’s availability for training camp is uncertain, the team expects him to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Shane Andrus is a solid kicker who was in camp with the team in 2006 and 2007. So, it is not unusual to have him around in August. Still, signing him now while Vinatieri recovers from hip surgery suggests to me that we shall see very little of Adam V in training camp and pre-season.

Tip to colt44.

Since we had so much coverage over the weekend for mini-camp, I thought a little afternoon Luke Links update was in order. The Colts concluded mini-camp yesterday. Most of the players will stick around as OTAs continue, but others (like Reggie Wayne) will likely fly back to where ever they go to condition during the off-season. In Reggie's case, he works out at the University of Miami.

Oh, and in case you start wondering how that is working for Reggie, just know that he is currently in the best shape of his life. He also has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, saying we fans should expect big things from this WR Corps.

• One of the good guys on the net is Eric Hartz at ColtPower.com, and he covered mini-camp from Franklin College like gangbusters.
  
• Also, Eric's Twitter page is a fountain of camp info.
• Speaking of Twitter, Peyton Manning doesn't do that.
• Jim Caldwell chats about the rookies, Ryan Lilja, and other things as the Colts wrap up mini-camp.
• John Oehser gives us five players to watch.
• 18to88 continues to beat the corpse that was Bob Kravitz's credibility.
• Dwight Freeney talks about some of the new philosophy on defense that Larry Coyer brings to the table.
• Samuel Giguere and Stave Justice are going to be out for a while. Giguere factured his fibula and Justice just had his back operated on. Both are expected back in time for training camp.

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

28 days ago: Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee practices during NFL football minicamp at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., Saturday, June 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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John Oehser, making my life easier with these updates from Colts mini-camp at Franklin College:

Among the practice highlights was punter Pat McAfee. The rookie from West Virginia showed a strong leg and drew cheers from the crowd with several long punts.

4,000 people showed up to watch the practice yesterday. 4,000! We've come a looooooong way from the days in the old Dome where is the game wasn't blacked out locally, we practically threw a parade.

Pat McAfee could become a fan favorite very, very quickly.

While Adam Vinatieri is on the mend from hip surgery, the Colts have quietly brought in former-Cowboys kicker Billy Cundiff for a tryout.

Cundiff, who wasn’t immediately available for comment, is currently an NFL free agent and isn’t quite ready to hang up his helmet. He auditioned for the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago and is trying out today for the Colts with hopes of securing a spot on the roster.

Prior to the tryouts, Billy Cundiff was working for a venture capitalist.

In other news, Joseph Addai and Mike Pollak have been held out of OTAs due to injury. That's not a good start for two guys clearly on the hot seat. (Shake Edit: Oesher reports that Addai had his knee scoped after the season, possibily the reason why he's sitting out of OTAs)

Last year around this time, we were greeted with the news that Peyton Manning needed knee surgery. The surgery, and the recovery time after wards, hurt Indy's chances to win games early in the 2008 season. The Colts started 4-4. When Manning got better, they finished 8-0.

This year, it seems the surprise injury of the off-season award goes to Adam Vinatieri.

Adam had hip surgery today, performed by the same guy who worked on noted baseball cheater Alex Roidriguez. It took A-Fraud two months to recover from his surgery. So, there is hope Vinatieri will be OK in time for training camp.

The Colts released a two paragraph statement on Vinatieir's condition. It's been a nagging problem. Just like past situations with the Colts in regards to injuries, I trust nothing that comes out of West 56th Street. Nothing. If they say he will be available for the start of the season, I will remain skeptical. Rookie Pat McAfee is the only other kicker on the roster, but he was drafted primarily to punt.

Tip to peytonsthebest.

Ryan Lilja, #65. Photo: cache.daylife.com

View full size photo uploaded June 2, 2009

To call OG Ryan Lilja's injury status heading into the 2009 "important" is a bit of an understatement. Quite simply, Lilja's health might be THE key to the Colts having a championship caliber season. Obviously, there are other key people on this team that have more "star appeal," like Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, and others. But as important as those players are to Indy getting to the playoffs, Lilja is as important to the Colts winning another ring.

With a healthy Ryan Lilja and Jeff Saturday, the Colts were one of the best rushing teams in football in 2007. With Saturday missing several games in 2008, and Lilja missing the entire 2008 season, the Colts ranked 31st in rushing the ball. Since January, news about Lilja's health has not seemed encouraging. The Colts drafted another OG (Jaimie Thomas) and signed two more offensive linemen who can play multiple positions: Kyle DeVan and Brandon Jones. Both players were signed to two year deals, indicating these guys might be a bit more than just camp fodder. Indy also has promising second year guards Mike Pollak and Jamey Richard. That's five players, three of them new, in addition to Charlie Johnson, who can play all line spots save center.

Not exactly a glittering endorsement for Lilja's healthy return.

However, despite these dark clouds looming over Ryan Lilja's career, today we got our first real news about how Lilja is progressing. Thankfully, the news is very, VERY good. Here's John Oehser:

A major story of the Indianapolis Colts’ 2009 offseason took a step forward Tuesday morning, with veteran offensive guard Ryan Lilja participating in the no-pads, no-contact practice at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

Lilja, a six-year veteran and a starter from 2004-2008, missed last season with a knee injury for which he has undergone three surgeries, but Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said Tuesday Lilja "appears to be coming along very well:"

He’s making good progress. He feels he is certainly a lot further along than he has been. They’re starting to do things with him little by little. He’s increasing his activity.

Asked if he was optimistic Lilja would be ready for training camp, Caldwell replied "the way things are going right now, it looks pretty good:"

I'm not sure, but I don't think Lilja participated in any OTAs last year. So, since Lilja is indeed participating and looking "pretty good" out there doing so, that is a major step in a positive direction for his career. The health of the offensive line is paramount in 2009. A healthy interior coupled with the addition of Donald Brown makes this Colts offense look very good.