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Colts Camp Notebook Day 1: Red Zone The Focus

By Kevin Bowen,

2024-07-25

Source: Justin Casterline / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS – It was a picture-perfect day in Westfield as the Colts hit the field for their first training camp practice.

The first session lasted for an hour, with an off day coming Friday before a pair of weekend practices on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

Here are some takeaways from Day 1 of Colts training camp:

You wouldn’t know Anthony Richardson had a rocky individual period to start Thursday’s practice if you saw him operate the first 11-on-11 session of camp. Shane Steichen accurately called the opening team period “crisp” from Richardson, as he went 4-of-4 across a 5-play red-zone session. The Richardson throwing attempts quieted down big time after that, with the Colts opting to run it on 9 of the next 10 plays with No. 5 under center. Richardson finished Day 1 going 4-of-5 in team periods, completing balls to Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr. and Kylen Granson. Perhaps Richardson was a little eager for Day 1 with a few overthrows in the initial individual period. He was much more accurate in the 11-on-11 reps though, with the Colts focusing in the red zone on Day 1.

Full pads aren’t coming until next week, but Laiatu Latu made quite the impression on one of his first 11-on-11 reps. During a second-team red-zone drill, Latu roasted second-year left tackle Jake Witt, getting to Joe Flacco extremely quick off the snap. Flacco had to alter his footwork and eventually fell down in the pocket for the “sack.” Of course, Witt isn’t starter Bernhard Raimann, but Latu continues to light up the (lower on the depth chart) tackles.

Chris Ballard mentioned a handful of position battles he’s watching in this 2024 Camp. We will keep an eye on them throughout the dozen practices: outside cornerback, free safety, backup swing offensive tackle, backup middle linebacker, backup running back. How did they look on Day 1? Outside cornerback: JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, with Dallis Flowers rotating behind them; free safety: Nick Cross; backup swing offensive tackle: Blake Freeland, and then Matt Goncalves; backup middle linebacker: Sgeun Olubi; backup running back: Trey Sermon.

You’ll see a daily list of the starting units below, which I’ll toss in every notebook, but it’s worth noting how much interchanging you see at certain positions. For example, at tight end, with the first unit, you had Kylen Granson on the first play of camp as the lone tight end, Drew Ogletree and Kylen Granson on the second play, and then Drew Ogletree and Mo Alie-Cox on the third play. Welcome to the Colts tight end group in 2024. Speaking of tight ends, Jelani Woods did drop a perfectly thrown TD pass from Joe Flacco.

Let’s go back to Richardson and his leg element. Wanting the opening day focus to be in shorter parts of the field (i.e. the red zone), you saw flashes of what Richardson’s legs and improvising can bring to the table. Both Richardson and Shane Steichen made it clear on Thursday that the QB’s run threat is an element this offense won’t be hesitant in using at all. Steichen made the analogy “would you limit Steph Curry from shooting 3s?” Of course, it can’t be ignored that Curry shooting 3s is far less risky physically than Richardson routinely taking hits on such plays. The phrase I’ve used often with Richardson and his running is “limit, not eliminate” when it comes to those plays. If you trim out a running play a quarter throughout a 17-week season that could be 30-40 some hits that Richardson doesn’t have to absorb, and that’s key in surviving the gauntlet of an NFL season. Now, Richardson’s dual-threat ability opens the playbook majorly, something Steichen acknowledged on Thursday. And Steichen made sure to mention on Thursday that Richardson is going to make plays we haven’t seen before thanks to his unique talent.

Kick return drills now looks like an assembly line of guys special teams coordinator Brian Mason is experimenting with. Welcome to a new kickoff rule in 2024, so you are going to see plenty of mixing and matching with guys. Among the names being tried at those return spots on Thursday, included: Ashton Dulin, Dallis Flowers, Tyler Goodson, Kenny Moore, Trey Sermon, Anthony Gould, Evan Hull, Josh Downs, D.J. Montgomery and Alec Pierce.

Here is how the starting offense looked on Thursday: QB-Anthony Richardson, RB-Jonathan Taylor, WR-Michael Pittman Jr., WR-Alec Pierce, WR-Josh Downs, TE-Kylen Granson, LT-Bernhard Raimann, LG-Quenton Nelson, C-Ryan Kelly, RG-Will Fries, RT-Blake Freeland

Here is how the starting defense looked on Thursday: DE-Samson Ebukam, DT-Grover Stewart, DT-DeForest Buckner, DE-Kwity Paye, LB-Zaire Franklin, LB-E.J. Speed, CB-Kenny Moore, CB-JuJu Brents, CB-Jaylon Jones, S-Julian Blackmon, S-Nick Cross.

Guys that stood out at Thursday’s practice: DE-Laiatu Latu, WR-Josh Downs, CB-Dallis Flowers.

Injury Report : The following players did not appear to be participating at Thursday’s practice: RT-Braden Smith (knee, working off to the side)). The following players remain on the PUP or non-football injury list: CB-Chris Lammons (ankle), DT-Raekown Davis (illness, high blood pressure, should return soon).

2024 Colts Training Camp Schedule

-7/27 (Saturday): 10:00-11:15 AM practice

-7/28 (Sunday): 4:00-5:30 PM practice

-7/30 (Tuesday): 10:00-11:15 AM practice

-7/31 (Wednesday): 10:00-11:30 AM practice

-8/2 (Friday): 9:00-10:45 AM practice

-8/4 (Sunday): 4:00-5:30 PM practice

-8/5 (Monday): 2:00-3:30 PM practice

-8/7 (Wednesday): 9:00-10:30 AM practice

-8/9 (Friday): 10:00-11:00 AM practice

-8/11 (Sunday): 1 ^st preseason game vs. Broncos (1:00)

-8/14 (Wednesday joint practices with Cardinals): 6:00-8:00 PM practice, SOLD OUT