Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are the happenings for this month from around the Corral, as the Colts kicked of training camp this week:

ROSTER: CB Chris Lammons got some game play in a decimated secondary last season, but was only going to make the team as a deep sub or special teamer; his chances got hurt when he was placed on PUP this week. A few players were signed this month, but no one seems to be of huge significance at this point. The only name of note was veteran WR Laquon Treadwell , but he might have a tough time breaking into a more talented and generally younger receiving corps. Basically, the only news is that they got all their rookies under contract in time for training camp.

INJURIES:On defense, the big news is that DE Samson Ekubam was lost for the season to a torn Achilles today at practice. This is a big blow to an already mediocre pass rush, but will open up a chance for the first rounder DE Laiatu Latu to get on the field more often and more quickly. DE Genard Avery also tore up a knee during camp last year, and is slowly working his way back. He might have a better shot towards making the roster now with Ekuban lost. Starting CB JuJu Brents had an ankle cleaned up during the late offseason and will be limited throughout the early parts of camp, possibly even missing most of the exhibition games. Free agent acquisition DT Raekwon Davis was placed on the NFI list for an undisclosed reason, so hopefully they can get him back on the field ASAP. On offense, starting veteran RT Braden Smith is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, giving youngster OT Blake Freeland some more reps to show he belongs (more on him later). WR Ashton Dulin still has not yet returned to practice from his training camp ACL tear last year, but all reports have his rehab and recovery in a great place. While his role as a receiver might be in jeopardy of sliding deep down the pecking order, his special teams coverage prowess means he surely will make the team and be of overall NFL value - especially with the new kickoff rules coming into play.

OBSERVATIONS: WR Josh Downs has been electric through the first few practices of camp, lining up everywhere and being used in all corners of the field. While he won’t post Pittman-esque PPR numbers, he surely will provide some real depth and flex value later in your fantasy drafts. While not as prolific in his consistency yet, rookie WR Adonai Mitchell has made a series of "wow" plays each practice and looks like he is the real deal. These two guys instantly make this a deep and dangerous receiving crew, and a healthy young passer could really take this offense to the next level !

Speaking of that guy, QB Anthony Richardson is of course the talk of camp. There were no limitations on him right from the first practice, and he has looked the part with some big throws and some maturation as a passer. He has looked solid and has given me no reason to fear his readiness to be a solid fantasy #1 this season because of his dual-threat capabilities. He also have been meshing well with star RB Jonathan Taylor, as they never really got the to share the backfield together in 2023. The Colts last year could only imagine the sweet symphony of terror those two could provide for opposing defenses, especially in the near red zone. Coach Steichen has to be salivating at the opportunity to design nightmares for the other team’s defensive coordinator. Especially with one of the best O-lines in the league still, this offense looks to have some real upside in 2024.

Second year swing OT Blake Freeland has looked to be one of the more improved guys and could make this line very solid if he can adequately step in on either end of the line. He is a little bigger and playing more instinctively as well, so this could have him take a big step forward in securing a future starting role as a bookender as well.

On the other side of the ball, rookie LB Jaylon Carlies from Missouri has been making some big plays. A college safety, his size and athleticism has the team using him at linebacker instead and he has seemed to fit in at either of the outside positions to provide some much needed depth and speed. The bonus baby first rounder Latu has bene relatively quiet early in camp, but that is typical due to minimal chances to be overly aggressive as a pass rusher. We may need to wait until game action to really see where he is in his readiness.

OVERALL: The team has focused on the red zone in the early practices, looking to mesh Taylor and Richardson as I mentioned above. The Colts had a ton of red zone snaps last year, but were below average in effectiveness, especially in the air where they were in the bottom five. Fixing this will be the key to team success and offensive firepower. From a fantasy perspective, the downside for an offensive surge is that highly-paid PK Matt Gay might get far fewer FGAs in 2024, reducing his consistently high fantasy value.

I will be back in August after a game or two to review the progress of the team and critique their exhibition performances. Until then, we should all be gearing up for those early fantasy drafts and starting to get excited about the return of the NFL!

End.