INDIANAPOLIS – It's time to meet the veterans for the 2017 rookie class of the Indianapolis Colts.
For the rookies that survived the Colts' three-day rookie minicamp, they will now team up with the veterans on Monday for the final five weeks of the team's offseason program.
Sunday was a pretty quiet end to the rookie minicamp.
Here's the final notebook of the coaching-rookie session from the weekend.
Fourth-round pick RB-Marlon Mack on playing with Frank Gore:
"Running backs don't last 13 years in the league no more. So I'm trying to do whatever Frank did."
Bowen's Analysis: The rookie running back is off to a good start in referencing some respect for his elder inside the ball carrier room. Mack's own durability in college was impressive. He started all 36 games he played in and didn't miss a contest due to injury.
During the rookie minicamp, Mack described the "Florida speed" that he plans to bring to the running back room in Indianapolis. The Colts would love some of that breakaway ability. In small doses, we saw the Colts use Mack in a few different ways at the rookie minicamp, included in a split out wide role.Chuck Pagano on watching offensive tackle Zach Banner during practice:
"It's like an eclipse. He's a giant.
"He's got some work to do physically. He's a big, big man and we're going to go to work on reshaping that big body. I mean, just looking out there it's scary how big this guy is. He can barely fit in the locker room, but he moved around okay."
Bowen's Analysis: At 6-9 and around 340 pounds, Banner truly dwarfs everyone in his position group. Assigning the term "project" to Banner probably isn't fair, but it's clear the Colts believe it's going to take some time before he's truly ready.
The weight staff and nutrition program are going to play a huge role (no pun intended) in helping Banner get to the point where the Colts want him to be a starting caliber lineman at this level. Banner is lining up at right tackle, the same spot he played during his collegiate days at USC. Just how big is Banner? Look at this picture of him and Paul George working out in California.
New long snapper Thomas Hennessy on being in the NFL:
"I just saw Adam Vinatieri in the hallway. He's been playing football longer than I've been alive, so it's really cool.
"I'm just taking it all in and just trying to go to work and learn."
Bowen's Analysis: There's an obvious awe-factor for Vinatieri's new long snapper. With Hennessy, the starting snapper for 2017, the Colts will stretch their streak to 19 years of having an undrafted free agent on the Week One roster.
Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon had a private workout with Hennessy during the draft process as the Colts looked for competition with Matt Overton reaching the age of 32. The Colts liked the velocity and accuracy from Hennessy's snaps, to go along with an athletic player at 6-2 and 246 pounds. Long snapping for Hennessy began at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, where he realized a Division I scholarship was possible via that route. After walking-on at Duke, Hennessy eventually became the Blue Devils long snapper for four seasons. According to Hennessy, he did not have an errant ("disastrous") snap in more than 500 collegiate snaps.
The analysis from those producing content on Colts.com does not necessarily represent the thoughts of the Indianapolis Colts organization. Any conjecture, analysis or opinions formed by Colts.com content creators is not based on inside knowledge gained from team officials, players or staff.
