INDIANAPOLIS – When you think of this part of the NFL offseason, we see quarterbacks and receivers getting together to get work in away from team facilities.
Such voluntary work this time of year is viewed as necessary.
Training Camp is nearing, so quarterbacks and receivers want to further build their timing and chemistry.
From Stanford to Florida and back to Indianapolis, Andrew Luck has taken part in such gatherings.
Luck is going to have a new face when these sessions come about over the next month and a half.
Ryan Kelly, who lives near Cincinnati, will be meeting up with Luck in the coming weeks.
"We'll absolutely do on and off the field (work)," Luck said of his new center.
"I think a big part of the quarterback-center relationship is knowing each other and just getting reps. The fact of the matter is we haven't been together for that long so reps will be important."
The two just finished up an offseason program of 10 OTAs and a three-day minicamp.
As one would expect, Luck has been impressed by college football's top center.
"He's smart. He's conscientious. He's tough," Luck said earlier this offseason. "I think he's got a little ornery in him. He's a little bit mean, which is great. It's nice to be locker buddies with Ryan. He's gone out there and really been impressive in the on-the-field stuff."
Kelly likes what he has seen from the man with the locker right next door.
"One of the smartest guys I've ever been around, obviously," Kelly said of No. 12. "He can connect with pretty much anybody. A very wide-topic kind of guy.
"It's been good, been really good. I'm just kind of developing and learning how to be a professional and obviously watching (Luck) every day certainly makes it a lot easier."
Ever since Kelly was going through the draft process, he constantly stressed how important he believed the quarterback/center relationship was to a team.
That has held true in Indianapolis, where Luck finally knows the guy who will be snapping for him.
"The quarterback and the center are two of the commanders for the offense," Kelly says. "We're kind of making checks based on what the defense shows. I think we certainly have to be on the same page at all times to put our offense in the best situation to be successful.
"The more we can click on and off the field I think it's certainly going to make life a lot easier and we'll be more successful on the field."
