INDIANAPOLIS – Day Two of the Colts rookie minicamp took players into the team's indoor facility for their two-hour practice.
With rain showers in the area, Saturday afternoon's practice gave the coaching staff another look at the 55 players attending this weekend's minicamp.
About 20 of those players are here on a tryout basis.
Chuck Pagano said after practice that it wouldn't surprise him if at least one of the tryout guys stuck around on the 90-man roster.
Here are some thoughts from Pagano and third-round pick Le'Raven Clark meeting the media on Saturday:Chuck Pagano on the pass rushers in the undrafted class:
"High motor guys. They have a skillset rushing the passer.
"These guys are long, athletic. They close. They are rugged. They play with toughness. They've got some tools in their box which enable them to get after the passer."
Bowen's Analysis: Curt Maggitt (Tennessee) and Ron Thompson (Syracuse) are two names to watch off the edge. Those two undrafted free agents were names Pagano mentioned on Saturday as pass rushing options for the Colts.
Pagano was particularly high on Maggitt (see below) who had 11.0 sacks as a junior before a hip injury sidelined him for nearly all of 2015. The Colts would love to see an undrafted pass rusher emerge onto the 53-man roster and learn behind Robert Mathis/Trent Cole and their 200-plus career sacks.Chuck Pagano on offensive line coach Joe Philbin:
"We talked about what a great resource he'd be, not only for me but everybody in this building. We can all learn from a Joe Philbin-type guy, a guy that's been around, been a head coach, spent a lot of time coaching and working at his craft."
Bowen's Analysis: It doesn't take long to watch the teacher inside of Joe Philbin come out at practice. Philbin is extremely hands-on with his offensive line group, drilling fundamentals throughout the unit.
No NFL offensive line coach in the NFL has the amount of 2016 draft picks inside their position room like Philbin does with the Colts. Of course, while such youthful talent brings great hope for the future, the Colts know they must have several of the rookie linemen ready to go come September.
Le'Raven Clark on his position flexibility:
"I definitely think I can go inside and outside."
Bowen's Analysis: The Colts have initially placed Clark at tackle during rookie minicamp. That's where he played his final three seasons at Texas Tech. Clark did start at right guard during his redshirt freshman campaign.
Clark's locker mate is Ryan Kelly, just two down from the franchise quarterback. Taking a look at Clark and you notice the wingspan that allows him to create space and keep separation from rushers. Clark is in the process of making the adjustment from a spread offense in college to the NFL, where he's putting his hand in the ground much more frequently.
Getting To Know Some Undrafted Free AgentsTE-Darion Griswold (Arkansas State)
-Griswold is quite the Colts fan, dating back to the early days of Peyton Manning. The 6-5, 264-pound tight end could be in line to make the team in 2016. With Coby Fleener gone, the Colts chose not to bring in a veteran free agent at the tight end position, or draft one. Depending on how many tight ends Rob Chudzinski wants/needs, a player like Griswold will have a chance to be one of the three/four tight ends on the active roster.OLB-Curt Maggitt (Tennessee)
-An 11-sack season in the SEC stands out quite impressively on Maggitt's resume. He did that in 2014, before a hip injury halted his senior season after just two games. Maggitt hasn't taken part in the team portion of the Colts' rookie minicamp. He's an enticing option to watch though once he becomes full-go later this offseason.S-Stefan McClure (California)
-McClure is the only three-time captain in Cal's history. After entertaining multiple teams during the rapid undrafted free agency process, McClure said he wanted to join a perennial winner. For a safety to make this roster, a presence on special teams is a must.
