INDIANAPOLIS – Work is mandatory for the Indianapolis Colts this week.
That's about the only major difference from the final week of the offseason program, versus the recently completed first seven weeks.
Players will still be in shorts and helmets when the team hits the practice field on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The Wednesday session will be down at Lucas Oil Stadium and details for that open practice can be found here.
Here's a look at the schedule and what to watch for during the 2016 Colts Minicamp:
Minicamp Practice Schedule
- Tuesday:The Colts will begin their three-day minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center with a closed practice to the public.
- Wednesday:Gates will open up at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday for the open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium. After around two hours of on-the-field activities for fans, players will begin signing autographs around 5:00. A two-hour practice will follow. New this year is a movie night with fans being able to take in "The Lego Movie" on the Lucas Oil jumbotrons. More minicamp information is here.
- Thursday:The Colts will return to their facility to close out the eight-week offseason program. This practice typically showcases more young players participating. Like Tuesday, this session is closed to the public.
Storylines
- Luck Back At Lucas: It's been a while since the fans at Lucas Oil have seen Andrew Luck sling it around. Luck has been a full participant during OTAs and will give Colts fans an early look at Rob Chudzinski's new offense.
- O-Line Shuffling: The full pads won't come on until late July, but fans will see some new faces up front on Wednesday. Ryan Kelly is the headliner, but a Denzelle Good sighting at guard is expected. Rookies Joe Haeg/Le'Raven Clark are also pushing for playing time. We will see if the Colts shuffle things any more in the trenches during the final work before Training Camp.
- Defensive Line Rotation: Without Anderson and Jones, the Colts have rotated more and more young bodies along the defensive line this offseason. Zach Kerr returns after starting the final four games last season. However, T.Y. McGill and Hassan Ridgeway give the Colts two interior pass rushing options.
- Inside Linebacker Battle: In terms of a head-to-head position battle, the spot next to D'Qwell Jackson is the most up in the air on defense. Nate Irving and Sio Moore both have starting experience in this league and will continue to compete for the job next to Jackson.
- Injury Updates: We won't see Arthur Jones or Henry Anderson this week. Will guard Hugh Thornton join his line mates as he tries to keep his starting right guard spot? Second-year cornerbacks D'Joun Smith (knee) and Tevin Mitchel (shoulder) are also looking to return to full health behind the veteran trio of Vontae Davis, Patrick Robinson and Darius Butler.
