8/3 indy star

[JAFF]

Insider: How the Colts are addressing rookie QB Anthony Richardson biggest weakness
Joel A. Erickson
Indianapolis Star

WESTFIELD — The late coach Greg Knapp had a simple reminder for his coaches, three key pieces of quarterback play that Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has always remembered to emphasize.

Decision-making, timing, accuracy. Above all.

Cooter’s never lost sight of the fact that one of those tenets often seems to fall to the backburner in the conversations surrounding quarterback play in the NFL.

“We all talk about decision-making, we all talk about accuracy,” Cooter said. “But I think what you said is a great point: Timing is so important.”

And timing is the hardest of the three tenets to develop outside the lines of an NFL field.


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Film, the playbook and the meeting room develop decision-making. A quarterbacks coach can work on the fundamentals of accuracy on a practice field.

Timing has to be picked up on the field, against opponents, and changes the moment a quarterback is drafted into the NFL. Five practices into his first NFL training camp, rookie Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has struggled with his timing in certain spots — holding onto the ball too long on some plays, firing off-balance and early when there’s room to set his feet on others.

The Colts knew plays like those were coming when they drafted Richardson.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) wasn't in pads Monday, July 31, 2023, during training camp at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana. According to the team, Richardson underwent a nasal septum procedure Sunday.
They come for almost any rookie quarterback.

“When you come from college football to the NFL, you hear guys talk about, sometimes, ‘Gosh, the game is a little faster.’ ... That all has to do with timing,” Cooter said. “Timing is a real big part of how you become an NFL quarterback and get a feel for how the game works.”


Wide receivers get into and out of their breaks faster. Defensive backs close harder on the ball. Throwing windows slam shut, particularly in the red zone.

The pocket also collapses much quicker than it did in college. Even in the talent-rich SEC, Richardson’s incredible athleticism often overwhelmed pass rushers trying to chase him down, and the good news for the Colts is that his pocket presence has carried over to the NFL so far.

Buying time hasn’t been a problem, and unlike a lot of young quarterbacks with incredible running ability, Richardson often uses his feet to get a throw out of his hands, rather than pulling the ball down at the first sign of trouble and trusting his legs to make something happen.

“He’s had some really good plays so far in camp from within the pocket,” Cooter said. “Moving when needed. Not moving too far, where you really get out of control, but just sort of having that natural slide in the pocket to find that soft spot and deliver the ball.”

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Timing the delivery has been harder for Richardson.

A development the Colts expected.

Richardson is not only a rookie, but he only spent one season as a starter, meaning he entered the NFL with fewer plays logged into his mental database than most rookie quarterbacks, one of the reasons every Indianapolis decision-maker keeps suggesting that the No. 4 pick would learn best by playing as early as possible, rather than sitting and developing behind Gardner Minshew.

Every time the rookie’s timing is a little bit off, it’s an opportunity to fix the clock in his head a little bit.

“Nothing is ever going to go perfect,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “This is a tough league, and you’re going to go through growing pains. That’s part of the process, and we’ll get through those and go from there.”

The experience helps.

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From Richardson’s perspective, the preparation he’s done as a decision-maker will also pay dividends. Five practices into his first NFL training camp, Richardson’s decision-making seems solid — his only 11-on-11 interception came from a failed attempt to pull a throw back that sent the ball off a defensive lineman’s helmet — and he’s realized that the details of each play help a quarterback filter out the noise of the pass rush and hit the receiver at the right time.

“The details make up for all the timing,” Richardson said. “Guys needing eight steps, instead of 10 steps, on a route, and (the quarterback’s) footwork being in place, being in line. The details really matter, and that will mix with the timing.”

Richardson’s timing will also likely improve once the Colts are finished installing the entire offense.

Indianapolis has installed more than half the offense already, according to Cooter, and once that task is complete, the team’s offensive staff will begin fine-tuning the plays they’ve put in place. When that happens, Richardson will have more opportunities to show he’s learned from mistakes, as the Colts run the same plays over and over.

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“You’re going to make mistakes at quarterback. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of things to do. It’s not a position you usually play perfectly, so you get to the end of a practice, you have a few plays that you want to get back,” Cooter said. “The good thing about Anthony, he’s been really, really good about genuinely being open-minded about receiving coaching, receiving feedback, and it’s been impressive to watch him turn that into improvement the next day or the next week on the practice field.”

Knapp’s three tenets impact each other.

Knowing the right decision to make leads to the correct timing, and timing the play correctly often leads to an accurate throw. A handful of Richardson’s misses so far have been plays where it looked like his timing was a bit off, leading to an errant throw. As he continues to build experience in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if his accuracy improves with his timing.

“You can have ups and downs, but it’s just a matter of keeping your head cool, calm and collected,” Richardson said. “And just making plays.”

Good morning

[JAFF]

Dungy story

'Tough deal': Tony Dungy discusses why Colts let Edgerrin James enter free agency in 2006
Scott Horner
Indianapolis Star







One of the prevailing themes of this NFL offseason and training camp has been running back value. The Indianapolis Colts know that all too well as they deal with a contentious situation involving Jonathan Taylor.

Tony Dungy is familiar with this issue. The Super Bowl-winning Colts coach joined the "Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday, and discussed how the Colts handled Edgerrin James after the 2005 season.

"That was a tough deal," Dungy said. "Edgerrin was the heart and soul of our team."

Dungy said that personnel boss Bill Polian said that the Colts either had to lock up James at a salary lower than he could get in free agency, or they should let him go.


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The reasons were twofold: The 2006 NFL Draft included running backs Maurice Jones-Drew, Joseph Addai and Laurence Maroney, who − while not matching James' skill − could ably play the spot at a much lower cost. Also, the money not paid to James could be applied to others in free agency down the road. Dungy cited Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne.

"(We) stayed as a Super Bowl contender for a number of years, just because you used your money wisely," Dungy said.


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The Colts selected Addai 30th in 2006, and he rushed for 1,081 yards as a rookie as the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. He played six seasons for the Colts, including another Super Bowl appearance.

James, who played seven years for the Colts, signed with the Arizona Cardinals for four years and $30 million. He played three years in Arizona and one more in Seattle. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Best running back I've been around," Dungy said of James, citing his running, catching and pass protection skills.

Jones-Drew was selected in the second round in 2006 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and played eight years for them and one for the Raiders. Maroney was taken 21st overall by New England, where he played for four years, before one more in Denver.


The specific question to Dungy was in regard to Las Vegas' Josh Jacobs, who is holding out of training camp.

Dungy said Jacobs should return to the Raiders, play, then get as much money as he can as a free agent.

"It's not fair, but that's life," Dungy said.

[JAFF]

Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. on possible extension: 'I wouldn't mind one'

WESTFIELD -- Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. spent a good portion of Tuesday's practice talking with running back Jonathan Taylor on the sideline.

He, too, knows what it's like to be a free agent. But the spots they're in are somewhat reversed.

Pittman Jr. has been all smiles, jokes and warm energy so far in his fourth training camp. His goals are still enormous as they always are, and he likes to remind people that he hasn't accomplished much. But he still doesn't seem remotely threatened by the looming end of his contract.

"If it happens, it happens," Pittman Jr. said. "But if it doesn't happen, yeah, I'll play it out without an extension."

But does he want one?

"I think every player wants to get paid," Pittman said. "I wouldn't mind one."

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) speaks with Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) ahead of practice Monday, July 31, 2023, during training camp at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana.
Taylor, meanwhile, has requested a trade since he realizes a contract isn't coming from the Colts this year. He has yet to practice while on the Physically Unable to Perform List.

This showcases the glaring difference in positions and market value, and the options each man gets to weigh in his life.


Pittman grew up trying to play running back like his father did for 11 years in the NFL. Michael Pittman Sr. noticed how tall his son was getting and knew it would never work. And he also spotted a better lifestyle if he had the drive to get to the league.

“I was a good running back," Pittman Jr. said. "I just looked at him like, ‘This guy doesn’t know anything.' My dad had played running back for 11 years, but he doesn’t know football. I shrugged it off.”


GO DEEPER: The multiple personalities of Michael Pittman Jr.

It turns out the elder Pittman saw plenty in his son and the way the sport they loved would age. Pittman Jr. grew into a five-star recruit and then a Biletnikoff Award finalist and then a second-round draft pick of the Colts. He's been their leading receiver for the past two years, though he has yet to perform quite up to the lofty standards he's set for himself.

But even if he posts another season like the past two, with between 900 and 1,100 yards and four and six touchdowns, he could be one of the top players available in free agency. Christian Kirk topped out at 982 yards and five touchdowns in his contract year with the Cardinals in 2021, and he landed a deal worth four years, $72 million with $37 million guaranteed.

Spotrac.com estimates Pittman Jr.'s market value right now at $18.4 million per season over four years, and that's before he turns in a fourth season.


No running back right now can land a contract that sniffs anything like that. Miles Sanders landed the biggest one this year at four years and $25.4 million with $13 million guaranteed, and that came after 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

The Vikings cut Dalvin Cook after a fourth straight Pro Bowl season and he remains unsigned at age 27. Saquon Barkley had to settle for a one-year, $10.09 million deal that only sneaks above the franchise tag amount with incentives. Josh Jacobs has yet to sign his franchise tag or show up at Raiders training camp.

If Pittman Jr. were to receive the franchise tag next year, it would be for at least $19.74 million. It would only delay his entry into free agency, where the demand for wide receivers is not likely to die down in a passing league. The league features 13 receivers who are making more than $20 million annually, led by Tyreek Hill at $30 million per season.

Pittman Jr. is expected to aim high in free agency. He's looking to provide for a family of four that just added a son, Michael Pittman III, earlier this summer. He doesn't display any nerves about what the contract or situation will look like.

"I feel like I'll flourish in any scheme," Pittman Jr. said. "I feel good about any scheme."

[JAFF]

WESTFIELD — The Colts put the offense through arguably the most comprehensive practice of training camp so far Thursday, finishing off the session with a red-zone period for all three quarterbacks and a two-minute drill for Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew.

Richardson took the first-team snaps for the second consecutive practice, a decision Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen attributed to the snaps Richardson lost when he was forced to sit out Monday’s practice due to a nasal procedure.

Ultimately, the offense still has some wrinkles that need to be ironed.

Richardson completed 8 of 13 passes, including a touchdown to running back Evan Hull and an interception to Darrell Baker Jr. Minshew completed 9 of 16 throws.


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But the operation was far from smooth. Backup center Wesley French had two bad snaps to Minshew, including one that flew over the quarterback’s head, and Richardson dropped a snap from Ryan Kelly, although the rookie was able to pick up the ball and get it out of the pocket. At least three flags were thrown by the referees, and three passes were batted at the line — two thrown by Minshew, one by Richardson.

Richardson tossed the touchdown pass in the red zone to Hull, and Deon Jackson burst through the line for the touchdown on the next play. Backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger led the third-team offense to three touchdowns on three plays, but outside of those red-zone successes, the practice was plagued by inconsistent play.

Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen watches the players during Colts Camp practice at Grand Park, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Westfield.
One of Minshew’s batted passes should have been intercepted; veteran cornerback Kevin Toliver failed to secure a floating ball that hit him in the chest, prompting Toliver to get down and do pushups as penance. Minshew’s red-zone period included a fumbled snap and a play where it looked like the quarterback would have been sacked in a live setting.


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In the two-minute drill, Richardson’s first two throws were incomplete, including a pass batted down by defensive end Genard Avery, and when he pulled down to run for the first down on third-and-10, linebackers Grant Stuard and Zaire Franklin would have tackled him short of the first-down marker if he hadn’t been wearing a red jersey. Colts coaches let the drill keep going, and the rookie followed up the decision with three completions in four attempts, hitting Michael Pittman Jr., Kylen Granson and Josh Downs to set up Matt Gay for a 59-yard field goal.

Gay blasted that kick through the uprights, hitting the ball so hard that it looked like it might have been good from another 5 yards or so.

Minshew’s two-minute drill had some of the same inconsistencies, although second-year tight end Drew Ogletree shined, making a short catch on the first play of the drill and a key diving grab on third-and-long to keep the drive alive later. Minshew was 4 of 8 in the series, taking into account a checkdown to Hull that the referees on the field ruled complete, but a pass that would likely have been incomplete with replay available — Hull’s foot came down out of bounds.

A play later, a completion to Hull set Gay up for a 43-yard field goal, but he missed wide right.


Franklin’s fury

Franklin broke out with a record-setting season as a tackler last year, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down in his quest to follow it up.

Franklin has opened almost every practice with a big play, and he made another at the start of 11-on-11 work on Thursday, reading a play correctly and attacking Richardson in the backfield for a play that likely would have been a tackle-for-loss in a real game.

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Sleeper to watch

Baker Jr. is arguably the most unheralded player competing for a starting cornerback job.

But he’s making the most of his opportunity, Baker made a leaping interception in front of Alec Pierce early in the practice, and made another nice play during Richardson’s two-minute drill to break up a short throw over the middle.

Colts Insider:Who will emerge as starting cornerbacks out of young Colts group?

Undrafted out of Georgia Southern, Baker Jr. was cut by the Cardinals in training camp, latched on with the Indianapolis practice squad and made his NFL debut on special teams late in the season.

“He’s made quite a few plays for us in practice now,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “It seems like every day, (when) we’re showing the things that we need to improve and things we’re doing well, he seems to be showing up in the things we’re doing well.”

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Injury report

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner came up limping with a foot injury after a snap early in the 11-on-11 practice.

Buckner initially left the field under his own power with a trainer, was examined in the medical tent just outside the field and returned, although he did not play another snap. Buckner spent the rest of the practice watching.

Linebacker E.J. Speed was forced to miss practice with an ankle injury.

Two rookie cornerbacks who’d been held out of most of the first week of training camp due to injuries seem to be on the way back. Fifth-round pick Darius Rush (shoulder) practiced for the first time since the end of last week; second-round pick JuJu Brents (hamstring) was on the field working with trainers after the practice.

Defensive Samson Ebukam (hamstring), tight end Jelani Woods (hamstring), strong safety Julian Blackmon (hamstring), running back Zack Moss (broken arm), linebacker Liam Anderson (right arm in a sling), tackle Jake Witt (hip) and offensive guard Emil Ekiyor, Jr. did not practice.

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Quick hitters

Second-year defensive tackle Eric Johnson made a nice play, recognizing a screen to Isaiah McKenzie and making the play at the line of scrimmage. … Rookie defensive end Titus Leo, a sixth-round pick from Wagner, crushed McKenzie on back-to-back plays, chasing down short throws from behind the play and swallowing the diminutive player. … Veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown and undrafted wide receiver Kody Case caught touchdown passes from Ehlinger in the red zone. … Cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart broke up a pass during the two-minute drill.