INDIANAPOLIS – After July-like heat for the first two weeks of OTAs, Mother Nature pushed the Colts into their indoor facility on Wednesday afternoon.
OTA No. 6 was a spirited one with plenty of team periods that brought out the competitive nature on both units.
Great work today. We got better. The Monster we building is full of GRIT. We got you Colt Nation. — TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) June 4, 2014
Here are a few takeaways from Wednesday's OTA practice that was open to the media:
T.Y. Hilton Hasn't Missed A Beat
Offseason practices tend to drag the deeper you get into the spring and summer but watching T.Y. Hilton on the practice field can make the time fly by.
That hasn't changed with OTAs reaching the close of Week Two.
Hilton returned to the practice field this week and recorded several "chunk" plays in both seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods on Wednesday afternoon.
Whether he was under the radar in 2012 (50 receptions for 861 yards), or the lead guy for half of 2013 (82 receptions for 1,083 yards), Hilton has flourished in his two NFL seasons.
"I thought (Hilton) came into his own day one when we walked into this facility," fellow 2012 draftee Coby Fleener said after Wednesday's OTA.
"He's been impressive from the get-go. The sky's the limit for T.Y. It's going to be hard to beat his statistics from the last two years because they are outstanding, but he's one of the leaders on this team, both on the field, and in the locker room."
Ahmad Bradshaw The Lead Back
Just like last week, there was a pair of red jerseys in the Colts backfield during OTAs.
This time it was Ahmad Bradshaw donning the red at the running back position after he was cleared to take part in OTAs last Friday.
Bradshaw was the lead back on Wednesday with Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard on the sideline, observing.
"I feel like a kid in a candy store," Bradshaw said following Wednesday's OTA, the sixth of 2014.
"Just to be out there and gain that camaraderie with the team and try to gain that trust, get that relationship with Andrew (Luck), and the line, it feels great."
One of the few blessings for Bradshaw missing the final 13 games of 2013 is it allowed him to rest a nagging foot injury.
Whether it was catching the ball out of the backfield or accelerating through holes, Bradshaw took the bulk of the first team reps and looked like a guy anxious to get back on the field.**
Completing The Secondary**
With Vontae Davis sidelined on Wednesday, there were some reps available for guys fighting to complete the cornerback group.
Greg Toler, Darius Butler and Josh Gordy all saw the majority of first team action but there's a battle brewing behind those guys.
Taking a look down at the roster and another corner looks a bit different then he did last year.
Sheldon Price, who spent virtually the entire 2013 season on the Colts practice squad, is up to 200 pounds to go along with his 6-2 height.
"I feel like it's going to make a great impression on me, coming off blocks and when we are up in bump-and-run," Price, a 2013 undrafted free agent, said of his bulkier frame.
"As a corner, you are going to have to get off blocks, shed blocks and I feel like having the added strength is going to help in that aspect tremendously."
A pair of corners who made some plays on Wednesday, included undrafted free agent Loucheiz Purifoy and cornerback Marcus Burley, a player who caught Chuck Pagano's eye during rookie minicamp.**
Donte Moncrief Returns From California**
Wednesday was the first extended look the media got of Donte Moncrief going up against veterans.
Last week, Moncrief was out in California for three days at the 20th annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere event.
Moncrief showed no ill effects of missing any OTA time as he made an impressive back shoulder reception, against blanketed coverage, on a fourth-down play near the goal line late in practice.
Veteran cornerback Greg Toler made sure to approach Moncrief on Wednesday and let the 20-year old know how difficult of a cover he was during OTA No. 6.
"He's great showing his hands at the last minute," Toler said of what he told Moncrief. "He's great with his body position like these long passes he caught these last two days. He shows his hands to the DBs late because we are taught to play hands and eyes. He shields them off and just does a great job with his body.
"If he keeps working, I think he'll be great."
