After holding three practices between Tuesday and Thursday of this week, mandatory minicamp has now wrapped up for the Indianapolis Colts. The team will now break until training camp, which begins for the Colts on July 22nd.
Of course, during this time of the year, everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The pads aren’t on, and teams are more focused on their installs and implementing the right fundamentals and technique, along with using proper communication.
So what can we glean from what took place over these last few days? Probably not a lot, at least when it comes to what it might mean for the regular season.
But just because what took place might not be the be-all-end-all, doesn’t mean that there aren’t some noteworthy items either. Here are some things to know from the Colts’ mandatory minicamp.
Colts “very pleased” with Daniel Jones
By all accounts, it was a very solid and steady week of practices for Daniel Jones. Not to say that there weren’t some hiccups, but for the most part, that consistency that Shane Steichen was looking for was on display.
“Very pleased with what we got right now,” Steichen said of Jones’ play after Thursday’s practice, via Locked on Colts. “He’s been doing a hell of a job. Really smart football player. Learned the offense very quickly. Making really good decisions out there through OTAs. Obviously want to carry that over to training camp, but he’s done a really good job. Great command of the huddle, ultimate pro.”
Jones’ performance and Anthony Richardson’s absence during OTAs and minicamp aren’t going to determine the quarterback competition. In terms of getting a true evaluation during this time of the year, when there is no pass rush and receivers can run freely, well, that’s difficult.
But as a newcomer in the offense, Jones seems to have provided the Colts with what they wanted to see in late-May and early-June. Shortening his learning curve in a new scheme is his NFL experience, having made 69 career starts, and the added workload he saw while Richardson was out.
Tyler Warren impresses
In the passing game, Tyler Warren has been as advertised, providing the Colts with a reliable presence over the middle and on short to intermediate throws, as the Indy Star’s Joel Erickson wrote in his recent observations article.
Warren’s presence in the passing game will be what garners most of the attention, given the glaring need that the Colts had there at the tight end position. But his all-encompassing impact will be felt more so when the pads come on and the Colts get deeper into the playbook, which will allow him to showcase his run-blocking abilities and versatility.
“I think he’s had a great spring,” Jones said of Warren after Thursday’s practice. “He’s made a lot of plays for us out here, and you can see his feel, his instincts, his strength, just his ability to go up and catch the ball. I’ve really enjoyed working with him. He has a really mature approach to his work and preparation, and that’s shown up on the field.”
Mixing and matching on defense
Throughout the practices, as Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle noted, there was a lot of mixing and matching on defense under new coordinator Lou Anarumo. The reasons for this frequent movement and variety of personnel grouping were likely twofold.
For one, it’s not only the players who are in the learning phase with this new defensive scheme, but Anarumo is learning as well, specifically, where each of the Colts’ defenders fits best. The best way to gather that information is to put players in different roles to see how they perform and respond.
But in addition to that, this is going to be a much more malleable defense under Anarumo and one that is quick to adjust, meaning that the game plans put together on a weekly basis can vary based on who the opponent is. Anarumo will also tailor the scheme to mesh with the skill sets he has on the roster and he will throw different looks at opponents as well.
Accomplishing all of this starts with knowing how to maximize the skill sets that Anarumo has on the roster, and versatility is an important component as well–hence the cross-training that is taking place.
Linebacker depth tested right away
Coming into OTAs and minicamp, the Colts’ linebacker depth was one of the bigger question marks on this team, and it’s been put to the test right away.
The Colts have been without Zaire Franklin, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and Jaylon Carlies, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. So the Colts have had to rely heavily on Segun Olubi, Cameron McGrone, Joe Bachie, and others in recent weeks.
Outside of Franklin, this is a very inexperienced group, with Carlies’ 242 career defensive snaps being the most out of the remaining linebackers on the depth chart. However, throughout the offseason, GM Chris Ballard has remained bullish about this group.
Ultimatley, questions will linger until we get to the regular season and see how this unit performs in Anarumo’s defense, which should help take some of the workload off the linebacker position.
CB Justin Walley gets high praise
Regardless of who you talk to, Lou Anarumo, Shane Steichen, Charvarius Ward, and others, everyone has been impressed with the play of rookie cornerback Justin Walley.
As Anarumo highlighted, there is still plenty of room for growth, but all of the attributes that the Colts saw in Walley when they drafted him, including his competitiveness, ball skills, speed, and abilities in man coverage, have all been on display.
“Walley’s been doing a hell of a job,” Steichen said. “That’s a good get by Chris in the draft. He’s making a lot of plays out there.”
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 5 Things to know from Indianapolis Colts minicamp: Daniel Jones, Tyler Warren and more
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
