We’re deep into training camp, which means the countdown to Week 1 can officially begin. Last night’s preseason game was a very nice opportunity to see players in live action, though it’s important not to overreact to a singular preseason game.
This is always one of the more fascinating times on the NFL calendar. Every team around the league is working to build chemistry, establish an identity, and evaluate their roster. At the same time, there also is very little “real football” being played, up until last night of course.
After years of going through the same song and dance, buying into the hype surrounding certain players while expecting the downfall of others before they’ve even taken a real snap, I’ve became more interested in figuring out what we can actually glean from training camp and, more importantly, how predictive these storylines really are.
In my opinion, joint practices are the most predictive reps that a team can get prior to Week 1. It sounded like the New England practice was a good back-and-forth. That’s exactly what you like to hear. It’s the ultimate measuring stick, because it’s true competition, where real evaluation can take place. There are outliers of course, but most of the time reports from standard practices in the summer don’t give you a good idea of how good your roster stacks up vs. the rest of the league.
It really is the age-old question: is the offense good or the defense just really bad? And vise-versa.
However, as I mentioned, there are some outliers. It’s not like every training camp storyline has zero merit to it, I just think a lot of them are over reactionary when sometimes it’s just too early to tell either way.
I’m going to attempt to look at the big picture here and do my best to figure out what Colts storylines actually matter so far. It should be an interesting exercise to revisit later
THE WIDE RECEIVER DEPTH: It Matters But Only A Little
Every year Chris Ballard seems to stubbornly neglect one position in training camp (in an attempt to trust his gut by betting on unproven players) when it’s obvious to everyone that there’s a gaping hole on the roster.
Some years it’s been a DB, other years it’s been a tight end. Last year, it was a linebacker. This year, it seems to be a few different positions, but in the eyes of the football world it’s WR.
The Colts absolutely need to add depth at the position. With Alec Pierce out of practice, it’s one of the worst WR rooms in football.
But here’s why I am not as worried about the group as others. Football gives you 5 eligible receivers on any play, but they don’t tell you who they have to be. I expect the Colts to live in a lot more heavier groupings with less WRs on the field, now that they have Tyler Warren.
I also think that a lot of unsexy options can replace the role that Pittman had in the offense and give the Colts the same setup they had last year. Pittman didn’t have a diverse route tree, wasn’t asked to win vs man coverage, and wasn’t the guy you needed to scheme open on “got-to-have-it” downs. He was asked to make consted catches in the short to intermediate part of the field and block his butt off in the run game. He was the ultimate competitor and I have a lot of respect for that, but I think the film has proven that over time.
So overall, I think it’s imperative that the Colts add more depth at the position, but it’s not an unmitigated disaster by any means.
THE BACKUP QB COMPETITION: Absolutely Matters Even If You Hope None Of Them Actually Play A Game
In my opinion, this is the most important storyline in camp so far (which I guess is a decent problem to have, all things considered).
To state the obvious, if Daniel Jones goes down at any point in the season, it’s fair to say the season is almost certainly a lost cause. But I also think it be silly for the Colts to view it this way. Statistically the odds are not in Jones’ favor to be on the field for a full season.
I think the Colts are missing out by having a backup QB competition with two guys they aren’t particularly thrilled about. The opportunity to add a veteran QB that could help your 2nd team players get valuable reps was inexpensive and obvious.
The Anthony Richardson experiment was over last offseason and his trade value is still next to nothing. He did have a very solid showcase last night, but is that really enough to move the needle? It still feels like you’re staring down the barrel of trading your former 4th overall pick for a conditional late day 3 pick, or even releasing him on cutdown day, when you could have made the move a long time ago.
Riley Leonard seems like a developmental practice squad player, but his camp has been equally as uninspiring.
I think the Colts would be very wise to add a veteran to that room that you can trust in a pinch.
LAIATU LATU WRECKING PRACTICE: We’ll see
Is Laiatu Latu wrecking practice because he’s ready to take the leap? Or is he wrecking practice because he’s facing a quasi rookie RT in practice? We’ll see I suppose. Latu is a guy who has feasted on unproven tackles or TEs, but when matched up against quality starters, seems to fade.
If anything those reports slightly worry me regarding Jalen Travis. For a front office that preached competition last offseason, they sure feel comfortable handing out jobs on the offensive line in the offseason. Tony Sparano Jr. has definitely earned the right to run the room how he sees fit, but I wonder there could be an opportunity to invest more in competition? Last year Matt Goncalves transitioned to guard and there was nobody competing with him last year. A year later, the Colts felt like they need to push him more and drafted Farmer. I hope something similar doesn’t happen with Jalen Travis at RT.
SETH MCGOWAN EMERGING AS THE BACKUP RB: Nope
For the Colts sake, I hope the flashes Seth McGowan has reportedly shown in camp actually translate to the field. However, I’m skeptical that we’ve seen enough to feel confident that’s the case. Live tackling is really where you can see a RB’s value. You want to see the movement patterns and speed on display, but 90% of runs in the NFL are not going untouched at the line of scrimmage. You’re going to have to push the pile or break a tackle.