8/10 Indystar

[JAFF]

Colts mailbag: Who makes it out of the TE room?

WESTFIELD − We're officially nine practices into Colts training camp, which means we've pushed past the midway point. But it feels like it's gone on far longer than that.

Two competing storylines have dominated this camp, with Jonathan Taylor's contract standoff and injury status and Anthony Richardson's progress.

It's made up most of my writing so far, and I encourage you to check out this deep dive into the Taylor situation and whether a perfect marriage can avoid a messy divorce.

But the Colts have a new coach and almost a hundred other players trying to make progress this summer, and you have questions on some of them. So let's get to them:

Indianapolis Colts tight end Drew Ogletree (85) runs a drill during day #9 practice of Colts Camp, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 at Grand Park in Westfield.
Question: "Who looks like they will make it out of the tight end group?" -- Jared G. via Twitter

Answer: This has been the most interesting position group to track because of how many similar options they have -- and we know they'll factor into the pass and run games, though how exactly is the mystery.


I see two roster locks at the position at this moment: Jelani Woods and Drew Ogletree. Woods is the one real investment here as a second-round pick, and he really flashed last season with 12.5 yards per catch and 16 first downs. Ogletree is a player the Colts front office has loved since they found him in the sixth round last year, and the player we've seen in practice looks like perhaps the best option to be a two-way tight end this year.

RELATED:'I feel like I'm a better player': Colts TE Drew Ogletree on return from ACL tear


I think the Colts will keep one of Mo Alie-Cox or Pharaoh Brown as the blocking-specific option. Alie-Cox has the edge due to his leadership in the room, but we need the physicality of joint practices and preseason games to bring real separation.

If the Colts carry four tight ends like they did last year, that likely means one of Kylen Granson or fifth-round Miami product Will Mallory will earn the final spot. Mallory is the newer investment, but he's missed most of training camp with various injuries. Granson is more trustworthy as a "move" tight end option for this season. I think if they like both, they'll keep both since this year is becoming all about giving tryout opportunities to earn roles for 2024 and beyond.

Kareem Hunt won the NFL's rushing title in 2018 but is now a free agent looking for his third team.
Question: "Thoughts on (Kareem) Hunt coming to Indy?" -- Charles Henline via Twitter

Answer: So, Kareem Hunt is set to visit with the Colts on Wednesday, as a source confirmed to my IndyStar colleague, Joel Erickson. It's just an idea at this point, as Hunt also just visited the Saints. It's possible he has a deal with one of them by the time you're reading this.


The Colts have to keep kicking the tires on running backs right now given that, as of Tuesday's practice, they were without their top three options. Jonathan Taylor's future status is hard to read, and that's true for us as well as the Colts. Zack Moss will be out for at least the rest of the preseason with a broken arm. We still need an update on Deon Jackson, who was seeing steady work before missing Tuesday.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Jonathan Taylor and the Colts were a perfect marriage. Can they avoid a messy divorce?


There's a reason the Colts signed Kenyan Drake and are now looking at Hunt. These are two experienced options who have proven abilities on third downs. Indianapolis was counting on Moss to be its top pass protector, which obviously matters plenty with a rookie quarterback. Expecting a rookie like Evan Hull to do it could be dangerous, and Jackson is best used on third downs as a receiver.

Hunt is 28 and coming off his least efficient season with 3.8 yards per carry in a Browns offense where Nick Chubb averaged 5.0 yards. Hunt did play 17 games last season, but he also averaged a career-worst 4.8 yards per target last season, playing mostly with Jacoby Brissett.

The Colts would love to lead the league in rushing attempts this season in order to put Richardson and their offensive line in the best positions to succeed. They simply need bodies to be able to do it, and it helps to have ones with a track record of some degree. But I wouldn't look at Hunt or Drake as high-upside, long-term answers. At best, if Taylor isn't here, they could split carries with Moss in a committee backfield.

Indianapolis Colts safeties Rodney Thomas II and Nick Cross (20) talk between plays during day #9 practice of Colts Camp, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 at Grand Park in Westfield.
Question: "How has the safety group looked? Extremely young but we need them to be ready now." -- Tyler Johnson via Twitter

Answer: They are very young. That's true when Julian Blackmon is healthy and starting at strong safety, and it's been especially true as he's missed all of training camp with a lingering hamstring injury.

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It's hard to speak on the potential of the group until Blackmon is out there, because Rodney McLeod filled that strong safety position so well last year and his voice was key to making the coverage cohesive once he took the job. That will be Blackmon's strength, but he needs practice time in that role and with these younger players around him in order to reach the same bar.

But his absence has given Nick Cross a chance to shine. Cross has been fast and physical, just like his scouting report suggested as a third-round pick out of Maryland last year. He's broken up passes and laid the wood on run stops. He's also cross-training at free safety and seeing some nickel reps with Kenny Moore II hurt. Cross needs to prove he can carry this into the games this year, but he's been one of the bright spots so far.

Rodney Thomas II is dealing with a toe injury at the moment, but I don't worry too much about him. For being a seventh-round pick last year, he just fit like a shoe into the single-high role as a steady tackler and patient defender off the ball. The next steps for him are to add the versatility to rotate spots with Blackmon and Cross at times and to be a little more aggressive as a hitter.

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The injuries have opened the door for Marcel Dabo and Trevor Denbow to see some more action. Dabo looks a little more natural in his second year in the international pathway program, but I think the Colts will be best developing these two players behind the scenes some more. That's where Blackmon's health and Cross' ascension are key. The Colts will be very young at outside cornerback, so they need the back end as diverse and secure as possible.

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will see his first live game action in the NFL on Saturday when the Colts travel to play the Buffalo Bills in the preseason opener.
Question: "How much do you think Anthony Richardson will/should play in the preseason games?" -- Rob Fleming via Twitter

Answer: This is hard to pin down because Shane Steichen has been evasive on the topic, and he's also continued to rotate first-team reps between Richardson and Gardner Minshew. But we know that Richardson needs live reps, and to see it in a game environment against a different opponent is a step in that growth process.

The Colts have joint practices against the Eagles and Bears heading into the other two preseason games, and those practices tend to be physical enough that they limit the starters' availability for the games. So, I think there's a chance that Saturday against Buffalo is the most single-game action we see out of Richardson. Given that the Colts coaching staff knows what Minshew is already, I would think it's enough action to let Richardson build off one drive to the next without playing so much that he risks injury without the stable of running backs to keep his life easy at the moment.

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"You don’t want to take their natural playmaking ability away," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "You don’t want to invite caution into their head but you also want them to have an understating of the situation and the stakes and what we’re all looking at here when we’re talking about a preseason game."

Question: "What's your workout plan?" -- Kyle Neddenriep via Twitter

Answer: So, the mailbag is usually reserved for readers and not coworkers here at the IndyStar. But training camp can get long and dry, and this ongoing joke with colleagues has made this year's feel just a tad lighter.


If you need the context, general manager Chris Ballard took notice of the shape I arrived in at training camp. I told him he there's no chance he'll be saying that about me when we talk in January, after a season of eating lots, sleeping less and road trips, including one to Germany. We will not be taking before and after photos of this season.

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It was a funny moment, and it's one of the examples of what makes Ballard fun to cover. He's not afraid to rib us and break that fourth wall sometimes. And if he's reading this and is looking for another cornerback to sign, I did play a little at Ashland High School back in the day. Just please forget that I'm 5-9 and turning 32.

[JAFF]

'Want to see where he’s at': Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson to start preseason opener

WESTFIELD — Anthony Richardson was given the news right before the start of Thursday’s practice.

The rookie is going to start the first preseason game of his NFL career.

Pleased with the progression he’s seen from Richardson, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen plans to throw the team’s first-round pick into the fire against the Bills defense and play Richardson at least a quarter.

“I want to see where he’s at,” Steichen said. “He’s been doing a nice job. Get him out there with the guys and go from there.”

Colts mailbag:Who makes it out of the TE room? How much will Anthony Richardson play in preseason?




Steichen left open the possibility that Richardson could play more than the rest of the starters. Indianapolis will pull its starters out of the game on a “case-by-case” basis.

Richardson’s earned the opportunity to play right away by taking ownership of the Colts offense.

From start to finish in training camp, the rookie’s energy has been infectious, and it’s clear he’s been trying to establish a rapport with the entire roster. Even when veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew has taken the first-team snaps, Richardson has opened practice periods by going to each player on the first-team offense with a fist-bump.


“The way he’s kind of melded into this offense, started to make it his own,” tight end Kylen Granson said. “We throw a lot at you right off the bat. … I couldn’t even imagine, as a quarterback, having to learn so much more, everything rests on your shoulders, but he’s taken it in stride, shown to be a leader. I’m excited to see how he does.”

Richardson’s excited to see the same.


There’s no way to know exactly how he’ll play. For all of the first-team work he’s done with the Colts this season, he still hasn’t played an NFL snap against another team.

“Honestly, I don’t know (where I’m at) because I haven’t gone up against anybody yet,” Richardson said. “But I feel like I’m in a good spot, and hopefully I can showcase that Saturday.”

Richardson will also be able to take contact for the first time in an NFL uniform, a double-edged sword in a preseason game.

On the one hand, Richardson can finally take the governor off his legs and cut loose.

But he still has to be smart about taking hits. Even at Richardson’s size — the 6-5 quarterback weighs 250 pounds now — there isn’t much reason to take a big hit in a preseason game.

The Colts are confident the rookie’s natural instincts will keep him from taking the kind of hit that could end his season prematurely.

“That’s one of his powers, that’s what makes him a dynamic player,” Steichen said. “Obviously, being safe, but he has natural feel, watching his college tape, for getting down, being smart.”

Indianapolis has telegraphed its desire to get Richardson into the starting lineup as early as possible from the moment Roger Goodell read the quarterback’s name on the podium during the NFL draft.



The No. 4 pick has played a lot less football than other rookie quarterbacks. Richardson spent just one season as the full-time starter at Florida. Because of that, the Colts believe he will develop best by getting on the field, and for that reason, Richardson is still in a battle with Minshew to be the team’s opening-day starter.

Buffalo represents Richardson’s first real chance to put a stamp on that battle.

“I know I’m going to be anxious,” Richardson said. “I get to play football again, so that’s always something big, and then being on the big stage, even going to Buffalo, I’ve never been, so it’s a first for everything. I’m excited.”

The key for Richardson will be to move past the nerves and play football. Unfortunately, his family likely won’t be able to be in Buffalo — Richardson’s little brother has a game Saturday — but the eyes of the Colts fan base will be all over him.

The rookie has been on upward trajectory in practices over the course of the past week, and he has to focus on the task at hand.


“I think you can get caught up in everything else,” Minshew said. “Just try to go score, try to go win each drive, win each play.” Then both Richardson and the Colts will have a better idea of how far he needs to go

[JAFF]

Colts camp observations: Rookie WR Josh Downs keeps getting open

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...n/70527898007/

WESTFIELD — Rookie Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is locked in one of the better battles of training camp.

Downs, a third-round pick out of North Carolina, is competing with veteran Isaiah McKenzie to be the team’s starting slot receiver, and through the first three weeks of training camp, Downs has looked like he’s ready to play a role for the Colts.

Veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew likes Downs a lot.

One simple trait makes Downs a quarterback’s best friend.

“He’s open, mostly,” Minshew said. “That’s a really good quality to have as a receiver. As long as he keeps doing that, we’re going to try to find him.”


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Working with the second team Thursday, Minshew completed 7 of 11 throws, and four of those completions went to Downs, who has displayed a natural ability to get open over the middle of the field and excellent toughness for a player listed at only 5-9, 171 pounds.

“He’s quick, he’s smart, he has a good feel for the game, knows how to create separation, knows how to run routes,” Minshew said. “He’s really advanced for his experience level.”


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Tight end Nick Eubanks, wide receiver Ashton Dulin and running back Jacob Huntley rounded out the completions from Minshew in 11-on-11 work.

'Want to see where he’s at':Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson to start preseason opener

Richardson report

Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson took the first-team snaps Thursday in advance of starting the Colts’ preseason opener against the Bills on Saturday.


And it was an uneven day for a quarterback who’d made strides over the course of the past week.

Richardson completed 5 of 12 passes in 11 on 11, completing two passes to wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, one apiece to running backs Evan Hull and Jake Funk, and one long completion down the left sideline to second-year wide receiver Alec Pierce.


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The completion to Pierce has been a long time coming.

Richardson has hit Pierce on a deep ball before — he found the second-year speedster open behind the secondary for a touchdown last weekend — but they’ve been working on their chemistry in situations where Pierce is battling one-on-one coverage but isn’t wide open.

Pierce has to learn how to judge the way the ball comes out of Richardson’s hands, and the rookie quarterback is still learning how his target likes the ball.

“We finally got one to work,” Richardson said. “We’ve been trying to work that for the past two or three works, and I’m getting used to his speed, the way he likes the ball to come out.”

Richardson did struggle with his accuracy at times during the practice, throwing one ball behind tight end Kylen Granson, then another one over Granson’s head as he ran over the middle. On another play, Richardson couldn’t find a receiver, and rather than using his speed to take off and pick up the first down, he stayed in the pocket and gave up a “sack” to veteran defensive end Samson Ebukam.

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The rookie’s best period might have been in a 7-on-7 period in the red zone when he completed 4 of 5 throws, including a touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. over the middle.

Jonathan Taylor expected to return to Grand Park next week

Jonathan Taylor was not spotted at practice Thursday, the second consecutive practice he’s missed, as the running back continues to rehabilitate his ankle.

Taylor remains on the active/physically unable to perform list.

“He should be back (at Grand Park) next week,” Steichen said,” Steichen said. “I don’t have a timetable (on when Taylor will practice), but really looking forward to getting him back, getting him healthy and getting him out there playing with the guys.”

Injury report

Right tackle Braden Smith missed practice for the first time with a knee injury.

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Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot), cornerback Kenny Moore II (ankle), strong safety Julian Blackmon (hamstring), tight end Jelani Woods (hamstring), tight end Mo Alie-Cox (ankle), running back Deon Jackson (quadriceps), tight end Drew Ogletree, tight end Will Mallory (hamstring), linebacker JoJo Domann, running back Zavier Scott and linebacker Liam Anderson (hand) did not practice.

Safety Rodney Thomas II (toe) did not take snaps in 11-on-11 work.

Quick hitters

Rookie tackle Blake Freeland, a fourth-round pick, stepped into the lineup in place of Smith. … Rookie cornerback Jaylon Jones made a nice tackle on Downs to keep a completion to a short gain. … A fight between an offensive lineman and a pass rusher broke out near the end of practice, and it got serious enough that Steichen waded into the fray to try and break up the blows. From the sideline, it was unclear which players were fighting.