WESTFIELD, Ind. (WTHR) - So it's over. Camp, that is, at least the portion of it here in Grand Park. Guys get to go home, see their significant others. Andrew Luck? He likely goes home and shaves that 'stache, seeing as how his girlfriend isn't crazy about it.
If you're asking me what I thought of camp – and you ARE asking me that, right? – I would say that Luck looks great, the interior of the O-line and the entire defensive line look like strengths, Westfield has been a terrific host, replete with the nearby white barn and crowing roosters providing a perfect Hoosier tableau, and while the Colts have answered the Luck question, they haven't answered many more beyond that.
Some thoughts as Westfield vanishes in my rear-view mirror:
Frank Reich, who is not a football meathead, does not like fighting when it comes to competing in joint practices. He made that loud and clear Saturday afternoon after the Colts-Ravens practice turned into a 1970's-era hockey game with skirmish after skirmish, including one that threatened to get completely out of hand.
"I'm not happy about that, very disappointed about that,'' he said. "That's not what Colts fans can expect from this team. We're football players, professional football players, not fighters, not MMA; we're not in a cage, so that's unacceptable. We've got little kids in the stands. That's not what we're looking for (from role models). We want to find ways to execute football plays and win games. So it's very disappointing and it led to a sloppy practice, at least on offense, from what I saw…We have to learn to translate that aggression into good competitive play.''
Asked how he'd want the team to respond to a fight, Reich said, "To be a tough team, when a teammate gets in harm's way, you protect him, and the way you protect him is you get him out of (the fight). There's no place for that. It's bush league. Undisciplined teams and player that do that, lose in the long run – they lose. And that's not the kind of team we want to be.''
As I mentioned, Luck looks terrific (with or without facial hair) and we'll see him play into the second quarter Monday at home against the Baltimore Ravens. During practice this week, we saw more long throws. My sense is, the Colts would like to get the ball downfield, especially to T.Y. Hilton, but with issues at left and right tackle, the Colts are disinclined to take any chances. Luck was the biggest question heading into camp and he's answered them perfectly, but there are so many questions in so many other places. Like…
Who's the right tackle? The Colts signed Austin Howard as a free agent this summer, but the last week of camp, we've seen rookie Braden Smith, who was selected as a guard, get ample time in that spot with the first-team unit. Denzelle Good was also be in the mix, but he's hurt.
Who's going to protect T.Y. Hilton? For Hilton to be at his best, he needs a bookend receiver or two who will command some of the opposition's attention. Otherwise, Hilton will have two guys in his shorts every time he steps onto the field. Ryan Grant has had a solid camp, but he's not a major play-maker. Chester Rogers makes a nice play, then he disappears, then he makes a nice player, then he disappears… The loss of rookie Deon Cain is undeniably tough. Then you've got a bunch of rookies fighting for spots, and while they have had their moments, I'd be hard pressed to name the fourth, fifth and sixth receivers on this team.
Is it too soon to take some issue with Chris Ballard's first Colts draft last year? Neither defensive end Tarell Basham nor cornerback Quincy Wilson has made an impact, at least not the kind of impact you'd expect from second-year guys who were drafted in the third and second rounds. Right now, Basham is running with the third team and playing behind John Simon and Margus Hunt, the latter having caught the eye of the defensive coaches. Unless Wilson plays well in preseason games, it looks like Kenny Moore II is the leader in the clubhouse, with Pierre Desir on the other side.
Here was defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus when he was asked to evaluate Basham:
"He's been solid,'' he said. "He knows the things that he has to work on and he's continued to do that. He is working day-to-day to improve. That's where Tarell is right now.''
Let me translate: "He hasn't done squat. We hoped by now he would be ready to do something, but…nope.''
The running back situation is grim, but it could brighten these next few weeks if the Colts see something from Nyheim Hines and a guy who has caught my eye, Jordan Wilkins. For the time being, though, it's kind of ugly. Marlon Mack, who may or may not be worthy of a starting spot, is injured. Robert Turbin is suspended for four games. The Turbin suspension didn't get a lot of local play because he was primarily a short-yardage back until his injury and hardly a household name. Looking at the Colts' running back situation, his suspension has the potential to be a killer. We won't dive too deeply into what happened and why – Turbin addressed the media the first day of camp – but what he did was ultimately a selfish and foolish act by someone who counts as one of the few veterans on the team.
I've learned a lot about music during training camp. Every now and again, they'll play something I know, like Green Day, but mostly, I'm turning toward my younger colleagues and asking who the artist is. I don't mind the music in the least, but why do they play it throughout football practice? I totally understand the necessity of playing loud noise or music to replicate a road stadium like Seattle, but is it necessary the entire practice? Do they play music during Pacers' practices? No.
In other news, I would like you to get off my lawn.
The best part about training camp is standing next to Rick Venturi and seeing the practice through his eyes. As a journalist, I watch the quarterback, the receivers, the basic stuff. He sees it through an entirely different lens. Like I listen to the music, and he reads the sheet music. I firmly believe that unless you play football at a high level – like college – you don't truly understand all its subtleties and intricacies. Like, I couldn't begin to tell you what the SAM linebacker's responsibilities are on a given play. But Rick does – he's been a coach for 50 years – and he's more than happy to share his knowledge in a way that is illuminating without being too inside-baseball.
Iron still sharpens iron. We thought that line might be eradicated from the Colts' lexicon once Chuck Pagano was let go, but Luck dropped the old "iron sharpens iron'' line, at which point we begged him not to saying anything about "chopping wood.''
When a coach says there's lots of competition at a given position, what he's saying really is, "I don't have a stud at that position. I don't even know if we have anybody who can play. At all.''
Four players worth watching, guys who have grabbed the notice of the people who matter: tight ends Ross Travis and Mo Alie-Cox (look out, Eric Swoope), Margus Hunt and Denico Autry.
Quenton Nelson looks like everything he was supposed to be and figures to be a future Pro Bowler. That said, I still would have signed a guard in free agency and either stayed at No. 3 in the draft and taken Bradley Chubb, or traded down to six and tabbed linebacker Roquan Smith. I know guards are going higher and higher in the draft, but game-changing defensive players, especially pass rushers like Chubb, don't come along often.
I'm not sure I buy into the idea that you stay away from impact free agents until you're one, two or three players away from contention. I think you use everything in your toolbox, especially when you have more than $70 million at your disposal.
Farewell, Westfield.
I will miss your plentiful roundabouts.
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