some notes from camp

[CR91]

• I feel much better about the wide receivers. They are, by no means, a complete group. However, they do show a lot of promise, and I've heard good things regarding with Donnie Avery. This good news should be tempered by Avery's brittle M.O. He is not a durable player, and him getting injured a few days ago caused more than a few people to wonder if he will last the entire season. If he does, he offers something: Speed. Avery, LaVon Brazill, and T.Y. Hilton have showcased some serious speed. Also, all three have displayed good hands. A lack of speed at WR the last two seasons really limited the Colts offense. With some of these new players, I think speed at wideout will not be an issue.
  
• The Colts will be able to rush the passer. Early reports are Dwight Freeney is working mostly with the defensive line, and he is listed on the depth chart as a "Rush" backer. With Freeney playing 75% of the time with his hand on the ground, and with Chuck Pagano looking to get creative in where they rush him from, I'm not worried about the pass rush. Over the next week, I'll be wathcing game tape of Baltimore's defense last year to get a sense of how the Colts will use Freeney in 2012.
  
• The offensive line is woefully thin. The front office effectively giving up on Ben Ijalana was a major blow. I don't disagree with them placing Ijalana on waived-injured (which is a polite way of saying "seeya" to a player), but the franchise busting on a second rounder like Ijalana hurts. Again, that's not Ryan Grigson's fault, but it does damage the franchise's talent pool. Jeff Linkenbach and Joe Reitz are battling for the LG spot, and neither one are especially good. If anything happens to Anthony Castonzo, who is developing into a stud LT, the Colts are in serious trouble.
  
• Even though they talent isn't great, it's nice to see the competition at corner bringing out the best in certain players. I'm rooting for Justin King, Cassius Vaughn, and Korey Lindsey. All three have shown flashes at camp, but haven't shown consistent playmaking ability. I still think the Colts will make a few more moves at this position before preseason ends.
  
• I think Mewelde Moore will beat out everyone and start for the Colts at RB. Donald Brown is being given his last shot, but I haven't read anything (or been told anything) suggesting he's taken a leap. Arians loves Moore because he is so versatile.
  
• Impressed that Antonio Johnson managed to bulk up to 330 lbs (or so he says). He's either made great strides as a NT, or Brandon McKinney is so bad he can't beat out a guy who has never played nose in a 3-4 his entire professional career. It's very important that 'Mookie' Johnson stop the run from the NT spot. If he struggles, the whole defense falls apart.
  
• It's difficult to temper the expectations I have for Andrew Luck. I've heard seasoned reporters who have covered this team for decades tell me that they have never seen a rookie look this good. "Better than Peyton in 1998?" I've asked. "Yes, better," they've answered.
  

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2012/8/7/3225501/2012-colts-training-camp-report-assessing-the-team-after-one-week#storyjump

[krunk]

Good Report! Arians was on the front of Colts.com saying that Donald Brown is doing good according to the article where arians was discussing the quarterbacks and running backs. He also mentions Mewelde having a good camp additionaly.

“Six good backs, that’s part of the reason I’m anxious to see them and we don’t want our ones going the whole time either. We’ve got to get all those guys in and see what they do and what role they can find. Delone (Carter) did a nice job in his short yardage and goal line period the other day. Donald (Brown)’s had a good camp, (Mewelde Moore)’s had a good camp. Vick (Ballard), I really want to see him in action, see what he’s doing against live bullets. All of the guys have looked pretty solid in the backfield.”

http://blogs.colts.com/2012/08/06/arians-talks-quarterbacks-and-running-backs/?utm_source=colts.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=latestblogs

Now the funny thing about this article is Arians talking about Deji Karim like he is just flat out a speed burner. I don't ever recall Karim being very fast when he was playing for Jacksonville. I never noticed anything significant about his speed.

[Smonroe]

Coltsrule91 - you may want to say up front that this was a post from StampedeBlue, not your personal assessment. Unless you're the guy who wrote it for them.

[Nobody]

Good Report! Arians was on the front of Colts.com saying that Donald Brown is doing good according to the article where arians was discussing the quarterbacks and running backs. He also mentions Mewelde having a good camp additionaly.

“Six good backs, that’s part of the reason I’m anxious to see them and we don’t want our ones going the whole time either. We’ve got to get all those guys in and see what they do and what role they can find. Delone (Carter) did a nice job in his short yardage and goal line period the other day. Donald (Brown)’s had a good camp, (Mewelde Moore)’s had a good camp. Vick (Ballard), I really want to see him in action, see what he’s doing against live bullets. All of the guys have looked pretty solid in the backfield.”

http://blogs.colts.com/2012/08/06/arians-talks-quarterbacks-and-running-backs/?utm_source=colts.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=latestblogs

Now the funny thing about this article is Arians talking about Deji Karim like he is just flat out a speed burner. I don't ever recall Karim being very fast when he was playing for Jacksonville. I never noticed anything significant about his speed.

He's a speed back... 4.37 40. He's definitely a speedster.

[TKnight24]

Man, it's gonna SUCK come Cut Days. Those 6 RB's are ALL Good. But we can't keep them All

[CR91]

Coltsrule91 - you may want to say up front that this was a post from StampedeBlue, not your personal assessment. Unless you're the guy who wrote it for them.

i put the link

[Rifford]

Coltsrule91 - you may want to say up front that this was a post from StampedeBlue, not your personal assessment. Unless you're the guy who wrote it for them.

Yeah, make sure to give credit where credit is due. If its someone else's work, that should be acknowledged. My impression was that, while reading, it was you that wrote the article.

[Andy]

I'd give Carter and Ballard the nod over Moore, however, I didn't see them today or yesterday, so stuff could have changed.

[CR91]

Yeah, make sure to give credit where credit is due. If its someone else's work, that should be acknowledged. My impression was that, while reading, it was you that wrote the article.

i put the link and i never said this was my work.

[Superman]

i put the link and i never said this was my work.

I thought the same until I came to the end of the post and saw the link. You didn't do anything wrong, but maybe putting the link at the top of the post from now on would clear up any confusion.

[NewColtsFan]

I confess if Moore is our starting running back, I will be very disappointed. Very. I understand that some of the most important aspect to the position is pass blocking (especially on blitzes) and picking up the audibles correctly and such.... but if no other back can beat out Moore.... then something seems wrong to me.

I think the whole section on Ijalana is badly, BADLY written. Look at the second sentence. "The front office effectively giving up on Ben Ijalana is a major blow."

What giving up? They didn't cut a healthy guy. That would be giving up. The waived and reclaimed a guy who is badly injured and needing surgery. A badly written sentence.

And, a complete misread of the situation. I think if the team had given up on Ben then they would have cut him completely, and not kept him on IR. And the way it's written makes it seem like the front office had options, to keep him on the active roster, or to cut him and reclaim him. There was no choice to make. The guy was hurt. Either we cut him outright and do not re-claim, or we do what we did, and put him on waivers and then re-claim him. I think that Ijalana section was badly written -- very wrong headed.

:???: :slaphead:

As to the rest..... interesting stuff...

[Superman]

• The offensive line is woefully thin. The front office effectively giving up on Ben Ijalana was a major blow. I don't disagree with them placing Ijalana on waived-injured (which is a polite way of saying "seeya" to a player), but the franchise busting on a second rounder like Ijalana hurts. Again, that's not Ryan Grigson's fault, but it does damage the franchise's talent pool. Jeff Linkenbach and Joe Reitz are battling for the LG spot, and neither one are especially good. If anything happens to Anthony Castonzo, who is developing into a stud LT, the Colts are in serious trouble.
  

:: sighs prayerfully ::

This is not true.

The team had to waive Ijalana to get him to IR without taking up a roster spot. If they felt there was a significant chance that he'd be claimed by another team (unlikely during camp when every team has a 90 man active roster, and would have to release a player who can participate in camp in order to make room for a player who is injured)), they wouldn't have waived him.

If they were giving up on him, they could have simply released him, giving up all rights to him, and moved on. The waive-injured process is only used when you actually want to keep the player. This comment by the writer would suggest that the Giants gave up on Jake Ballard, which isn't true. If Ijalana can get healthy, he'll be a part of the picture next season. Doesn't mean he'll make the team or be a difference maker, but the team hasn't given up on him.

[Smonroe]

:: sighs prayerfully ::

This is not true.

The team had to waive Ijalana to get him to IR without taking up a roster spot. If they felt there was a significant chance that he'd be claimed by another team (unlikely during camp when every team has a 90 man active roster, and would have to release a player who can participate in camp in order to make room for a player who is injured)), they wouldn't have waived him.

If they were giving up on him, they could have simply released him, giving up all rights to him, and moved on. The waive-injured process is only used when you actually want to keep the player. This comment by the writer would suggest that the Giants gave up on Jake Ballard, which isn't true. If Ijalana can get healthy, he'll be a part of the picture next season. Doesn't mean he'll make the team or be a difference maker, but the team hasn't given up on him.

You have to remember, the article was written by Brad Wells who never lets truth get in the way a his agenda.

[Captain Americolt]

I knew right away it wasn't his work because some of the letters were capitalized

[Superman]

I confess if Moore is our starting running back, I will be very disappointed. Very. I understand that some of the most important aspect to the position is pass blocking (especially on blitzes) and picking up the audibles correctly and such.... but if no other back can beat out Moore.... then something seems wrong to me.

I think the whole section on Ijalana is badly, BADLY written. A complete misread of the situation. I think if the team had given up on Ben then they would have cut him completely, and not kept him on IR. And the way it's written makes it seem like the front office had options, to keep him on the active roster, or to cut him and reclaim him. There was no choice to make. The guy was hurt. Either we cut him outright and do not re-claim, or we do what we did, and put him on waivers and then re-claim him. I think that Ijalana section was badly written -- very wrong headed.

As to the rest..... interesting stuff...

Agreed on Ijalana. Just posted the same thing.

As for Moore, there's no indication that he has a leg up on anyone else on the team. Before seeing the depth chart yesterday, I wondered if he'd even make the final 53. It's another dig at Donald Brown, for obvious reasons. Every time the coaches have mentioned Donald Brown this offseason, it's been complimentary. Arians just said he's having a good camp. This is willfully ignorant to suggest that a) Brown isn't having a good camp because you haven't heard glowing reports, or b) that Moore is going to win the starting job. He's not even working with the #1s at camp.

[Superman]

You have to remember, the article was written by Brad Wells who never lets truth get in the way a his agenda.

Yeah, I've been leading that march for a while now. Was trying not to keep beating the same horse.

[NewColtsFan]

Yeah, I've been leading that march for a while now. Was trying not to keep beating the same horse.

You were the first person I thought of when I saw the whole write-up, especially the Ijalana section. I could see the eyes roll around inside your head.... "wait 'till Superman sees this...." :whiteflag:

INCOMING!!!

p.s. -- I thought you were very restrained! :cool:

[Superman]

You were the first person I thought of when I saw the whole write-up, especially the Ijalana section. I could see the eyes roll around inside your head.... "wait 'till Superman sees this...." :whiteflag:

INCOMING!!!

p.s. -- I thought you were very restrained! :cool:

I went about a year not reading anything from Wells, particularly because of how last year went. Just too much nonsense. But his site is frankly the only one that's putting up any kind of content about the goings-on at camp on a regular basis. Nate Dunlevy went into a shell when Manning went down, but 18to88.com was a good resource. Coltsauthority.com doesn't put anything up on a regular basis. They've put up maybe eight articles since camp started, and SB has put up about a hundred. Plus, outside of Wells, they actually talk some football.

[Smonroe]

I went about a year not reading anything from Wells, particularly because of how last year went. Just too much nonsense. But his site is frankly the only one that's putting up any kind of content about the goings-on at camp on a regular basis. Nate Dunlevy went into a shell when Manning went down, but 18to88.com was a good resource. Coltsauthority.com doesn't put anything up on a regular basis. They've put up maybe eight articles since camp started, and SB has put up about a hundred. Plus, outside of Wells, they actually talk some football.

Same here. You're correct, outside of Wells (who writes like a spoiled 12 year old just trying to get attention) the other writers are decent.

I thought Colts Authority would be the go to site since they took on a lot of writers. Maybe when the season starts they'll put more content up. I think Nate still writes for Bleacher Report.

[Superman]

Same here. You're correct, outside of Wells (who writes like a spoiled 12 year old just trying to get attention) the other writers are decent.

I thought Colts Authority would be the go to site since they took on a lot of writers. Maybe when the season starts they'll put more content up. I think Nate still writes for Bleacher Report.

Most of Nate's stuff is in article form, not the gimmicky BR "pay per click" stuff. So I can deal with it, but he's not Colts exclusive anymore. He's like their version of Paul Kuharsky, covering the whole division.

I hope CA does more once the games start.