Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my musings from the first few weeks of camp in the Circle City:

INJURIES: The only injury anyone is interested in is the ankle rehab and alleged back pain reported for star RB Jonathan Taylor. It has been widely documented that he left camp after the reports of his trade request were made public, and the reason given is to continue his ankle rehab offsite while he is on PUP. Rumors were also reported that he has been missing practice due to back pain, but this was never reported officially by the team and unambiguously denied by Taylor himself. So what the heck is going on? Is he still hurt? Is he holding out? Is he just pouting and relaxing through the dog days of camp? There is not honestly a lot of clarity going on, so anything I would say is just speculation. Supposedly the team is expecting him back in camp when they return from Buffalo after the first preseason game, but whether or not he is on the practice field has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the rest of the running back room has been decimated as primary backup RB Zack Moss has a broken arm and will be out until around the time of the opening game, and even third stringer RB Deon Jackson has missed most of the last week of practice (he did play in the preseason game though). Starting RT Braden Smioth has also been out for a while with a knee injury, and recently HC Shane Steichen has said the timetable for his return is unclear but "should be soon." Veteran and locker room leader DE Tyquan Lewis has been activated from the PUP after his second consecutive season-ending patellar tendon ruptures, and he returned to practice late this past week. And perhaps some interesting news…LB Shaq Leonard has actually been practicing and played a handful of snaps in the preseason game without incident – as a local reporter said today, "now the focus will be on quality of plays and not quantity," as we see if he can return to full Maniac form.

ROSTER: The Colts were involved in one of the weirder training camp stories of the season as veteran free agent RB Kareem Hunt basically walked out of the Saints camp after seemingly being set to sign and practice….and then showed up in Indy working out for the team. Despite being offered a better financial deal, Hunt left unsigned – presumably due to a less clear path towards playing time or any guarantees of a roster spot once Taylor and Moss got back. The team did sign capably veteran RB Kenyan Drake early in camp to fill out the roster and have some actual able bodies at running back. They have signed a few veteran guys with some name recognition, although I am not seeing a clear path towards a roster spot for most of them. Just this week they signed RB Jason Huntley and TE Ricky Seals-Jones, and they added former Packer WR Amari Rodgers earlier in August. Rodgers as a return man and bench receiver is about the only one I can see sticking around, after offseason signee WR Isaiah McKenzie had a rough week at camp and in the first preseason game.

QUARTERBACK BATTLE: Every day at practice you see exactly what you would expect to see from rookie QB Anthony Richardson and veteran QB Gardner Minshew. Minshew has been highly efficient and accurate in the short passing game, and is clearly a motivational and vocal leader on the field and on the sideline with his exuberant personality. But he simply won’t or can’t consistently push the ball down the field with any oomph, and that is a big limitation, despite his efficiency. Richardson, on the other hand, will make the occasional rookie mistake in reads or fail to show touch on the short passes….but his ridiculous deep-throwing cannon and elusiveness in the pocket and on the perimeter is electric. He consistently makes several plays in every practice that make your jaw drop, and show why the team is so invested in him and enamored with him – and why he likely will be under center when they take the field in week 1. Minshew actually is the perfect backup quarterback – capable on the field, and supportive and instructive on the sidelines and in the locker room.

FIRST PRESEASON GAME: There was not a lot to gather from this one, and the main observation was watching Richardson in his first game action…and you saw the good and not-so-good all on display. The first possession ended with an interception on which Richardson should have tucked the ball and ran or thrown it away. Instead he tried a touch pass that lacked any touch (and an apparent miscommunication with McKenzie) and he tossed it very long and into a defenders gut for an interception deep in Colts territory, leading to an easy TD. This could have been another demonstration of nuances yet to be learned, or he may have been a little amped up for his first action. On the remaining two drives he looked better, finishing 7-12 for 67 yards and rushing 2-7. Overall, he played 22 snaps and the team accounted for 9 first downs, so they moved the ball well on his watch. Minshew, incidentally, was 6-6 for 72 yards and led them on a 12-play TD drive right before halftime. Also on the plus side, the much-maligned offensive line looked good in their limited action, again without right tackle Braden Smith. The starting defense (minus a few key veteran folks like DT DeForest Buckner) played two series and looked pretty solid as well, aside from one broken tackle. On the down side, the special teams made some big mistakes. High-priced free agent PK Matt Gay inexplicably missed a 28-yard FG which would have been a great scoring drive led by Richardson. Also, McKenzie had some highly questionable decisions as a punt returner; with Rodgers and especially rookie WR Josh Downs ready and able to step in, any continued struggles might put the veteran on the outside looking in after camp. And Shaq Leonard played and did not get hurt!

That is all for now from the Crossroads of America. I will be back after the next two preseason games to summarize team health… and maybe of most interest, the likelihood of Richardson and Taylor being together on the field come September 10. Enjoy the start of fantasy drafting season!

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