Colts Wednesday Injury Report: Twelve Players Miss Practice, but Dwayne Allen Returns

The Colts returned to the practice field today after their customary off-day on Tuesday to begin preparations for their game against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.  Of course, there were several players who didn't practice today, and in fact twelve players didn't participate in practice at all today (that's a lot).  Let's take a look at those players and the full injury report, with analysis to follow:

DID NOT PRACTICE:

Mike Adams, S (back)

Josh Cribbs, WR/KR (knee)

Vontae Davis, CB (concussion)

Arthur Jones, DL (illness)

Zach Kerr, DL (illness)

Xavier Nixon, OL (foot)

Cory Redding, DL (knee)

Andy Studebaker, LB (hamstring)

Hugh Thornton, OL (knee)

Erik Walden, OLB (knee)

D'Qwell Jackson, LB (rest)

Reggie Wayne, WR (rest)

LIMITED PRACTICE:

T.Y. Hilton, WR (hamstring)

FULL PRACTICE:

Dwayne Allen, TE (ankle)

A few notes on the injury report...

• First things first, it's great to see Dwayne Allen back at practice.  Chuck Pagano said on Monday that he expected Allen back at practice today, and indeed that was the case.  With the Colts releasing Weslye Saunders yesterday it gave a great indication that Allen was close to returning after missing two games, and that seems to be true.  Whether or not Allen plays this weekend will likely be officially determined by how he responds to the work in practice this week, but it's a great sign and a great chance that one of the key players in the Colts' offense will return to the field this weekend.
• There's really not much update on Vontae Davis and his concussion.  He's going through the protocol.  If he's cleared then he'll play on Sunday, and if not then he'll miss the game.  There's not much discussion there, it's just a matter of how he does this week going through the protocol.
• Xavier Nixon, Andy Studebaker, and Hugh Thornton all missed last week's game due to their injuries, and their not being back at practice today suggests they're not yet healthy.  They will be three players to keep an eye on this week.  On Monday, Pagano did say that Thornton was still week-to-week, which would seem to indicate that he'll miss some more time.
• A few notable additions to today's injury report was starting safety Mike Adams, starting defensive lineman Cory Redding, and starting outside linebacker Erik Walden, among others.  While this is certainly something to keep an eye on, my caution is to not overreact to a Wednesday injury report with a couple more days of practice still to come.  It's not time for concern yet, but definitely something to watch.