ANDERSON, Ind. – Mother Nature and full-padded practices for the Colts don't seem to cooperate.
For the second time this camp, storms interrupted an afternoon practice.
The Colts did get about 90 minutes of work in on Wednesday, pushing several team periods together with inclement weather in the area.
What were the takeaways from the Colts' 10th day on the practice field in Anderson?
PRACTICE TAKEAWAYS
- Wednesday was our first somewhat extended look at what the Colts (healthy) starting offensive line could look like on Saturday night. Ryan Kelly took more team reps on Wednesday. Joe Reitz also returned to practice.
With those two in the lineup and Denzelle Good still at right guard, that's the expected starting lineup as Hugh Thornton remains in a boot. When Kelly and Reitz exited at times on Wednesday, Jonotthan Harrison and rookie Joe Haeg filled in at those respective spots.
- The final full-padded practice in Anderson saw some serious creativity out of the offense. We haven't got a clear picture of what Rob Chudzinski wants to do offensively, but Wednesday showed that the playbook has plenty of variety.
When you have the speed at receiver you do, and the attention that inevitably is drawn towards them, that allows for you to diagram things off that potency.
- One undrafted wide receiver that emerged on Wednesday was Iowa's Tevaun Smith. With the Colts' top three receivers healthy this camp, it hasn't allowed for too many first-team reps for the undrafted guys.
Smith got some of those precious chances on Wednesday. It's a big group of pass catchers fighting to make an impression. Those opportunities will come for three-ish quarters on Saturday night.
OTHER PRACTICE MUSINGS
- It wasn't ideal seeing cornerbacks Tevin Mitchel and D'Joun Smith on the sideline for Wednesday's practice. Those two could really, really use game reps this preseason.
- We start camp and end camp with the same thought: T.Y. Hilton is good at football. Andrew Luck and Hilton's rapport is still alive and well.
- When Jordan Todman touches the ball in the backfield you notice a bit of a burst. Todman should be a key special teamer in 2016. Undrafted running back Josh Ferguson continues to get his bulk of first-team reps.
- Rookie offensive lineman Joe Haeg is going to be a key reserve for the Colts in 2016. Haeg's indoctrination to the NFL included Robert Mathis coming off the edge at him during Wednesday's practice.
- Ted Monachino said on Wednesday the Colts will continue to cross-train Darius Butler at safety and cornerback. Butler was been back at his natural corner spot on Wednesday.
- It's hard for pass rushers to get noticed in Training Camp. No. 95, Earl Okine, has popped up in the backfield several times. It will be fun to see that big guy in a stand-up role, against a different team.
INJURY REPORT
The following players did not participate in Wednesday's practice: DE-Kendall Langford (knee), CB-D'Joun Smith (undisclosed), S-Winston Guy (personal), OG-Hugh Thornton (ankle), RB-Abou Toure (undisclosed), CB-Tevin Mitchel (hamstring) TE-Jack Doyle (personal) and WR-Marcus Leak (quad).
Doyle and his wife welcomed their first child, a boy, on Wednesday morning.
ROSTER MOVEOn Wednesday, the Colts waived inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera and waived-injured running back Abou Toure. Herrera was a 2015 sixth-round pick out of Georgia.
COACH QUOTEWORTHY
Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski on the development of Andrew Luck this camp:
"I see improvement every day with Andrew with the way he works at it and the approach he takes. Again, I see the ball coming out quicker. I think his movement through his progressions is better and he's making his decisions quicker. Some of the technical things with his feet and his base and his balance have been big points of emphasis and he's making strides in those areas. Again, to do it out here, it starts in the meeting room, it carries out onto the practice field, then it has to go to the preseason games and the games down the road. That's the progression, that's the progression we're looking for, and hopefully those things will show up as we get into these preseason games."
COACH QUOTE OF THE DAY
Defensive coordinator Ted Monachino on fourth-round pick Antonio Morrison:
"What we've seen out of him on the field is exactly what we saw on college tape. You see tough, you see rugged. You see a guy that loves the game. The best thing that we've learned about Antonio since the camp, probably the fact that he's such a football smart kid. He gets it; he understands ball and he run fits. He understands, like we were talking about before, where the weaknesses are in certain calls and knows how to play to those things. Antonio is a pleasant surprise. We knew he was going to be tough and he was going to be a downhill run stopper but we're getting more and more familiar with him and what he can handle. We're putting more and more on his plate everyday."TWEET OF THE DAY
YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA QUIZ
Since coming to the Colts in 2014, Mike Adams ranks third in the NFL in interceptions. How many picks does Adams have?
ANSWER: Adams' 10 interceptions since 2014 is tied for third in the NFL.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUIZ
With 1,000 rushing yards in 2016, where would Frank Gore climb on the league's all-time rushing rankings?
PRACTICE ATTENDANCE: 631 TOTAL FOR CAMP: 19,344
WEATHER REPORT
It was a steamy afternoon on the Anderson University practice fields. That steam eventually led to storms, ending practice with a little less than an hour remaining. The Colts will close out their time in Anderson with a cooler morning of practice on Thursday.
CAMP SCHEDULE
Thursday, August 11 – BREAK CAMP
8:05-10:30 a.m. – Practice
Colts City Closed
