Rookies at the 2008 Colts Minicamp. Photos from Colts.com , and by Chris Hall.

WR Rudy Burgess

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The Colts 2008 minicamp for veterans and rookies wrapped up yesterday, and all signs point to a very productive three-day event. Lots of info was revealed on why the Colts drafted the way they did, how the injury progress is going with players (like Dwight Freeney), and how certain players have grown and impressed coaches.

One thing I think we all fell pretty good about: This is a stacked team with a ton of depth at key positions, with the exception of the QB position. I still hold out hope that if a veteran like Chris Simms gets cut during training camp, the Colts will make a move to get a good back-up QB. Sorgi just can't do it, but we've been over that. Back-up QB aside, the Colts addressed almost all their off-season needs and look primed to make another run.

Dungy singled out Reggie Wayne, Dante Hughes, Ramon Guzman, Clint Session, Roy Hall, and Tony Ugoh as players who looked impressive during camp. Dungy typically does not evaluate players during minicamp, but these guys showed up ready to work and showcased some things. Roy Hall is the most interesting prospect. At 6'3, 240 pounds, he could add a very potent weapon to this offense if indeed he has taken that next step. The one thing Roy seems to have worked on is his hands. He went to a hands clinic over the summer, and seems dedicated to becoming a real, big time WR.

CB Dante Hughes, #20

Photo: Chris Hall

Dante Hughes seems ready to win the nickel corner spot from Tim Jennings. Jennings doesn't suck as badly as some suggest or say, but Hughes really excelled in the nickel as a rookie, and if he has made progress he should outright win the spot. Jennings still has value as a dime corner and a special teams player. I still shake my head when i think of how deep this secondary is.

On offense, I'll second mgrex30's post. Mike Hart might have been a major steal in the 2008 NFL Draft. And as much of a steal as Hart was, Dom Rhodes might be as big a steal in free agency. Teams needing a RB will regret not taking a shot at Dom after he was cut by Oakland. Since the beginning of the 2006 playoffs, Dom has turned it on. When given chances, he ran very well behind a bad Oakland offensive line. Here, comfortable in his back-up role and hungry to prove to people that he is a good back, he will help this team. Hart is shaping up to spell Addai on the goal line seeing as he never fumbles and is a battering ram in traffic.

Finally, there's Marvin Harrison. To quote Reggie Wayne:

"I can tell you it’s definitely hurting him not being able to be out there," Wayne said.

Rhodes also echoed Wayne's remarks on Harrison, and took them a step further. Dom said teams better "look out" because Marvin Harrison is very determined to prove he can still dominate. Marvin has never been one who has had to use his play to shut up critics. When someone has been dumb enough to criticize his (Keyshawn Johnson in Tampa Bay back in 2003), Marvin has a habit of exploding his production and making said idiots (Keyshawn Johnson) look even dumber than they normally do. Doctors also expect Marvin to be 100% ready for Chicago in Week One. For Harrison, it is important for him to come out of the gates fast. He needs to re-establish himself and prove he is healthy.

Other players that Indy coaches seemed to giggle with glee over are rookie free agent DT Eric Foster and rookie OG Mike Pollak. Foster is a high motor guy known for getting to the QB from the DT position. Pollak, learning a new position after playing OC in college, is challenging one-time OT Charlie Johnson for the starting OG spot. Johnson was magnificent in 2006, filling in numerous times at RT for Ryan Diem. In 2007, he took a step back and did not produce. Now, it looks like the Colts are trying him at OG. I like Charlie, and I think a virsital player like him is valuable for this team, but Pollak better beat him for the starting OG position. If Pollak doesn't, he's a wasted pick IMHO. Second round OGs better beat converted tackles for starting positions on the o-line.

DT Eric Foster, #68

Photo: Chris Hall

So, there you have it: the 2008 minicamp in review. Absent from practices were rookie Marcus Howard (rib), Dwight Freeney (foot), Bob Sanders (shoulder), Marvin Harrison (knee), and Gary Brackett (knee). It will be interesting to see how Howard looks at Training Camp, which is only two months away! Though it is only May, we Colts fans have to feel very good about this football team. Anything can, and likely will, happen in 2008, but Bill Polian has done his job creating a potent roster able to win another Super Bowl.

Minicamp concludes today, and I have to give Colts.com some credit. They did a fine job reporting what's been going on. I wasn't happy with their nearly invisible coverage of their rookie minicamp, especially no pictures. But with this minicamp, they've done a good job; lots of articles and videos. Here's what we've learned:

• Peyton Manning spelled it out in no uncertain terms: The reason the Colts did not draft a wide receiver in the early rounds of the draft is because they expect Marvin Harrison back 100%. Peyton says Harrison looks fine, and can still get it done. We'll see.
• When interviewed regarding Marvin Harrison's ability to still play football, Dominic Rhodes said people better "look out" because Harrison is out to prove people wrong. He also says most NFL DBs are "scared" of Harrison.
  
• Reggie Wayne has looked very impressive at camp. Dungy heaped a ton of praise on him.
• In the future (long term), Reggie Wayne would like to be a football coach.
  
• Interesting tidbit from Pro Football Weekly:

  It seems almost humorous that a team as stacked as the Colts would heap such praise on an undrafted rookie, but team sources tell us the Colts are genuinely excited about what DT Eric Foster brings to the table. A third-team Associated Press All-American in 2006, the Rutgers product had a stellar collegiate career, but his small size (6-1, 273 pounds) scared off teams from drafting him. Quick, undersized tackles have a long history of thriving in coach Tony Dungy’s defense, which is predicated upon getting a strong pass rush from the front four, and Foster has a chance to be the next in line.

  If Foster pans out, the Colts will have five quality DTs heading into the 2008 season, and most of them young. I'm not even counting Darrell Reid, who is a decent reserve DT and excellent special teams player. DT went from a position of "Oh please oh please don't get hurt, Booger" to arguably the deepest position on the team in the span of one year.
• Roy Hall has taken a big step, and has looked good at camp. He says the game has slowed down for him, and Dungy has been impressed with his work ethic.
• The injury that has held Marcus Howard out of this minicamp is a rib injury. He got it during the rookie camp last week.
• Dom Rhodes is trying to get his old number back from safety Melvin Bullitt. Unless Bullitt is cut, he isn't giving the number up; nor should he:

  The number has sentimental value to Bullitt. That's the number his father, Jerry, wore at Texas A&M. After wearing No. 18 through his junior season at Texas A&M, Bullitt switched to No. 33 as a senior to honor his father. "I kind of feel like when I'm wearing (No. 33), a piece of my dad is with me when I'm on the field,'' Bullitt said.

• Dungy calls Rhodes' number 38 "an ugly number for a running back." Dungy also advised Bullitt not to give his current #33 up to Rhodes unless he is well compensated.
  
• Tony Ugoh looks like he's ready to take the next step and become a premiere LT. Last season, prior to getting hurt, he was the best rookie playing football not named Adrian Peterson.
  
• Because the Colts are the only team holding mandatory Minicamp this weekend, there are a ton of video clips up on NFL.com.
• NFL Network's Marshall Faulk says the Colts might be the team to beat in the AFC. Marshall Faulk is also a big, big, BIG Mike Hart fan.
• From an NFL.com article by Thomas George:

  Dungy expects the battle for right guard to be ''one of the things that heats up all summer.'
  

  Other than rookie Mike Pollak, who else is battling for the starting RG spot now that Dylan Gandy is in Denver?

The more Minicamp info we get, the more we will print. So far, looks like a very productive and positive camp. Guys like Hall, Gonzo, Pitcock, and Ugoh have impressed, showing they can make that all important leap from first to second year. No info on Mike Hart, but we'll probably get a better idea about him once Training Camp starts.

• Marvin Harrison reported to minicamp but did not participate in drills because he is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. He did not make himself available to the media, because the media continue to harp on the Philly shooting incident, an event that has sparked no charges, arrests, or convictions. In others words, it's a DEAD story the media should NOT be harping on.
• Rookie DE Marcus Howard was held out of drills because of an undisclosed injury.
• Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders also did not participate, but that was expected. Freeney is recovering from lis fran surgery, and Bob Sanders hurts people during practice. Therefore, the Colts hold him out. Bob = Scary Dude.
• Peyton Manning is not 100% sure Brett Favre will stay retired:

  When a player he admires retires, Manning will often send him a letter of congratulations for a noteworthy career.

  "I'm always very sensitive to players retiring,'' Manning said. "In the NFL, not many guys get to retire as much as they're sort of retired.''

  Manning has penned such letters to running back Curtis Martin, offensive lineman Will Shields and tight end Frank Wycheck, and recently added another to McNair, who retired last month after 14 seasons. Favre has yet to receive a Manning letter, primarily because Favre has not completely closed the door on returning to the NFL.

  "Like everybody else, I guess we'll see what happens this fall,'' Manning said with a smile. "In a lot of ways I kind of hope (he returns). Brett's a guy that's been such an influence on me and all young quarterbacks.

  " . . . I guess part of it is kind of hope, maybe, that he finds his way back in the NFL this year.''

The universal feeling among players and coaches at minicamp is they are all very happy that Dominic Rhodes is back.

Peyton Manning:

I’m excited to have Dominic back...

He gives us a real boost... He gives us a veteran player there who is familiar with this system. It will take him a little time to catch back up on any changes we’ve made, to get familiar again.

Dallas Clark:

It’s awesome... I just love it. He’s such a great guy – funny, easy-going, relaxing. It just kind of feels right to have him back in the locker room. We missed him a lot. I think just having him really adds a lot more. The running back is a tough position, so the more depth you can have...

Tony Dungy:

I think everybody’s excited to have Dom back... As we said when he left, it was one of those situations where you don’t like to lose people. He’d been a big part of what we’d done on offense for three or four years before that.

His personality is pretty infectious. I think all the guys are pretty happy to have him back.

Colts.com finally put up some images showing the rookies in uniform. These images, and more, are located there. Photos: Chris Hall

Jacob Tamme

Dominic Rhodes is now wearing #38.

Finally! A pic of Mike Hart in his uni, wearing Edge's old number.

Roy Hall

Pierre Garcon

Here's someone I've never heard of: Justise Hairston.

Here's someone I have heard of.

Gonzo, running routes.

Maybe, just maybe, we could get some actual PICTURES of what the Colts rookies look like in their new unis. I mean sheesh! Rookie camp happened two weeks ago, and Colts.com still has not put up any pics. 

For a quick flashback to minicamps of yester-year, check out this little bit from minicamp 2006:

Top draft pick Joseph Addai appears to be making a rapid adjustment to the NFL. The first-year running back from LSU displayed a bit more quickness in Saturday's two practices, which Dungy credited to an improving comfort level in learning the Colts' complicated offense.

"It's just being a little more comfortable with the snap count and what we do. But he was very encouraging [Saturday]," the Indianapolis coach said. "I thought he was a little more sure of himself and a little more sudden in what he did. He was going maybe with a little more, just knowing what he was doing."

Addai has been impressive through the first three practices at catching the football, a trait that should earn him high marks from offensive coordinator Tom Moore and quarterback Peyton Manning.