Everything I’m watching for during training camp practices and what you should be too.
Football is finally back and so are the same training camp cliches we hear every year. Everyone will be focused on who’s playing with the starters and who’s “poised to have a big year”. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s not the only thing I’m looking for.
Training camp practice performance cannot be ignored, but it’s not always indicative of who’s going to have a good year. Some guys look great in shorts, while others rise to the occasion in pads. Some players take time to find their rhythm, while others fade as the season wears on.
What I always found valuable as a fan in the stands in Grand Park or a consumer of every practice clip I can find, is to look for the things that aren’t as obvious— because that’s usually where you can find trends that continue into the regular season.
Where is Warren?
I am looking for big #84 on every snap I can find— not just because I love the TE position— but because he will be a likely be a big key to how the Colts structure their offense.
The Colts are unlikely to break out their Tyler Warren trick plays in a setting where media can capture it, but I do want to see where he’s lined up. Is he on the ball or off the ball? What do the 12P packages look like? Is he in a wing formation with Mo or Ogletree? What routes is he running?
All these things are important because it helps you see into the play sheet. The Colts haven’t had a TE who is going to take up the majority of snaps under Steichen. I want to get a sense of how that will come together strategically.
I also want to play close attention to where he is in the Red Zone. The Colts surprisingly were not as good of a Red Zone unit as you might think given the size they have at the skill positions. Tyler Warren is here to change that. I’m excited to see the designs that Steichen uses with Warren and Richardson in the backfield this year.
How will the Colts play Base Defense?
Lou Anarumo runs a nickel-centric defense. That means he will match multiple TE sets with nickel defense often. That means the Colts will play with less linebackers and with more corners since Kenny Moore will be on the field in nickel defense.
That being said, Base defense will be played every Sunday in some capacity. In year’s past Kenny Moore would stay on the field and play the second outside corner spot, will that continue this year?
I also want to see what the DL looks like in these Base fronts. Will Latu come off the field to prioritize run defense and play with JTT and Kwity? Where will Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis slot in?
Lou has probably never coordinated a pass rush rotation with these many guys, so it will be interesting to see how he adapts.
Who will step up as the 3rd Down Back?
Jonathan Taylor heading into Year 6 has proven he’s one of the elite backs in football. What he isn’t proven is that he can be a receiving threat out of the backfield— and more importantly pass protect. We’ve seen the Colts fall behind in games and then opt to keep Jonathan Taylor on the sidelines. In a vacuum, that’s fine. The Colts are paying Jonathan Taylor to win on first and second down, as well as the third and manageables.
But the Colts need something out of DJ Giddens, Khalil Herbert, or Tyler Goodson.
This is more applicable in the preseason games, but also when the pads come on. The Colts have not traditionally “Scatted the back” (have the RB run a route) often. The RB has usually been a decoy on a play action or RPO, or stayed in to protect. It will be interesting to see how that evolves.
Who separates themselves in the QB competition?
This is a delicate one because training camp is supposed to be a time in the calendar year for coaching. If there’s any time to make an egregious decision or throw a terrible pick, it’s in training camp.
So I don’t particularly pay attention to the drive summaries you see from each QB on the day. The competition will most likely be about who had the better week than the better day.
It’s also important to remember that there’s usually politics in this situation. You have new ownership, a GM, a coaching staff, and a locker room to consider.
What I want to see is how these QBs preform in two settings: The preseason games and joint practices.
