ANDERSON, Ind. – We are one step closer to real football.
The Colts put on pads Friday afternoon for the first time this Training Camp, ahead of an off day on Saturday.
The on-the-field work will come this afternoon but around lunchtime each day, Colts.com will take a look at three interesting quotes from that morning's media sessions.
In today's media scrums, Chuck Pagano spoke on full pads being worn and the fundamental reset for Andrew Luck. The quarterback himself also met the media on Friday and he touched on Frank Gore's remarkable productivity.
Chuck Pagano on putting the full pads on Friday:
"We will find out a lot about our football team."
Bowen's Analysis:* *Better evaluations are coming for the guys in the trenches. With the pads coming Friday, and a preseason game less than 10 days away, the Colts should start to settle any lingering questions on both sides of the line.
Pagano says observing guys in pads allows coaches to see if offensive linemen can climb to the second level and maintain their athleticism. For the defense, can guys in the front seven shed blocks? Those are some of the questions that should begin to see answers, especially in the right guard competition and the overall depth of the defensive line group.
Chuck Pagano on Andrew Luck re-fining his fundamentals this offseason:
"When you tell (Luck), you do A, B, and C, and you're going to take your game to the next level, he's going to give everything he has to listen and submit to that coaching."
Bowen's Analysis: When Andrew Luck first met the media this offseason he talked about wanting to fine-tune his fundaments, from the base/up. With the help of new quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer, quarterback and position coach specified a few areas for improvement.
Luck pointed out an example of that on Friday. A new playbook means Luck has to "marry" his feet with certain drop backs and plays, leading through his progressions. Watching Luck in practice, you wouldn't notice anything too different mechanically, but there are some subtleties he's incorporated this offseason.
Andrew Luck on the way Frank Gore is still running at the age of 33:
"I think Frank defies all those stereotypes of an aging running back. He must have the fountain of youth down in south Florida when he visits.
"One, he works his butt off. It's not surprising that he's always in shape and ready to go and runs as hard as he does. The thing I admire so much about him is his consistency, knowledge of the game, and his pass protection skills. He's one of those guys that in 30 or 40 years I'll be able to tell kids and grandkids I got to play with Frank Gore."
Bowen's Analysis: Robert Mathis on defense. Frank Gore on offense. Those guys are defying logic into their 30s. Gore is 33 years old and as he put it Friday, 'If I felt different, I would quit the game.'
Gore has a Canton-like resume. He could really add to it in 2016, with a healthy skill group, plus an improved offensive line, offering more consistency in the run game. We've talked so much about the line protecting Andrew Luck this season, but let's not forget about their impact in opening up lanes for Gore.
