Colts’ Carson Wentz has ‘great grasp of the offense’

Colts OC Marcus Brady said Carson Wentz has a great grasp of the offense.

The Indianapolis Colts have had to deal with integrating a new starting quarterback into their offensive system every year since Frank Reich took over as head coach, but Carson Wentz seems to be in full command of the playbook.

One of the points of emphasis for the Colts entering training camp was for Wentz to have that comfort level in the offense that would help him transition smoothly into the playbook.

First-year offensive coordinator Marcus Brady told the media Wednesday that Wentz is completely in command of the offense from a mental standpoint.

“Mentally, he has it down. There’s probably some kinks that we’re going to work out, maybe some adjustments that we’re going to see out here during training camp,” Brady said Wednesday. “Overall, he has a great grasp of the offense with what he wants to do and now it’s just getting the timing down with the receivers and tight ends so he can come out crisp and clean.”

Wednesday was Wentz’s debut at training camp as the new quarterback. Though he had a shaky start to the day, it seems as though he found a groove and felt more comfortable as the practice session went along.

Brady was impressed with Wentz during his debut and how he was able to bounce back from that shaky start with it being the first time he’s seen defenders in practice.

“I thought overall he did well, made some great checks in the run game and the passes. We put a lot on his plate mentally and he handled that very well,” Brady said. “He threw the ball well today, had a few missed throws but it was his first time getting out here with the defenders in our receiver’s face. It’s all new for them. So, we’re going to continue to get better every day.”

There is a long way to go before we truly know what kind of quarterback the Colts are getting in Wentz, but it seems he has a strong grasp of the offense schematically and mentally.

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7 takeaways from Colts training camp practice No. 1

Notes and observations from Colts training camp practice No. 1 on Wednesday.

The Indianapolis Colts are officially back in action as the team held its first training camp practice on Wednesday at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.

Though the Colts weren’t in pads, there was plenty of action. The team went through some individual drills with 1v1 matchups while also spending quite a bit of time in 11v11 drills as well.

Here are seven notes and observations from the first training camp practice of the 2021 season:

Kenny Moore channels Reggie Wayne with training camp entrance

Colts CB Kenny Moore channeled his inner Reggie Wayne with his training camp entrance.

It’s been a while since the Indianapolis Colts have had a grand entrance from a player at training camp, but it seems Kenny Moore is trying to follow in the footsteps of legend Reggie Wayne.

As Colts veterans arrived at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield on Tuesday, Moore stole the show by showing up being escorted by 2018 IndyLights champion and 2020 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Pato O’Ward.

Take a look at the entrance from Moore on Tuesday as he channeled his inner Reggie:

Moore has a history with the Indy 500. In May, the 25-year-old rode with Mario Andretti for a few hours at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of Fast Friday

It’s starting to finally feel like football season again as the Colts arrived for training camp. Hopefully, this becomes a tradition for Moore, who has firmly established himself as a leader in the locker room and one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL.

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6 takeaways from Chris Ballard’s first press conference of training camp

Notes and takeaways from Chris Ballard’s first press conference of training camp.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard held his first press conference of training camp on Monday and gave us some insight on the team heading into the 2021 season.

Most of the discourse between the media, who was there in person for the first time since 2019, and Ballard revolved around vaccinations and the implications of those choices for the season.

Ballard also touched on some injuries and competitions to keep an eye out for during training camp. Here are six takeaways from Ballard’s first press conference of training camp:

Predicting the winners of Colts’ position battles at training camp

Who will win the position battles at Colts training camp? Our predictions here:

The Indianapolis Colts officially arrive for training camp on Tuesday, which means we will finally get a look at some crucial position battles across the roster over the next month or so.

While we got an idea during the spring workouts as to what these battles might look like, training camp and the preseason is where the real evaluation begins. With just under 20 training camp practices and three preseason games, there should be some intense battles going on.

Earlier in the offseason, we highlighted seven-position battles that are likely to capture everyone’s attention. If you want a bit of background on those, click the link. Now, we will be predicting the winner of each one as we enter training camp:

Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Safety

Previewing the safety position ahead of Colts training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts will officially begin training camp next week as they prepare for the arrival of the 2021 regular season.

As the defense looks to make a leap into one of the premier units across the league, the safety room will be led by a duo of young playmakers who could be manning their positions for years to come.

There have been some slight additions to the room during the offseason, including a signing of a veteran and the selection of a rookie in the draft.

Here’s our preview for the safety position entering training camp:

Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Cornerbacks

Previewing the CB position ahead of training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are just days away from the start of training camp after the rookies officially reported on Saturday.

The cornerback position will be an interesting one to watch on the defensive side of the ball. Not much has changed after the Colts re-signed both Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie, but they will see the return of 2020 opt-out Marvell Tell.

Here’s our preview of the cornerback position entering training camp:

Colts rookies report to training camp

Colts rookies officially report for training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of eight teams across the NFL to have their rookies report for training camp on Saturday, July 24. The rest of the veterans are expected to report on Tuesday, July 27.

Though the rookies are reporting a bit early, veterans are free to do so as well at their own discretion. It wouldn’t be a surprise if there were a number of veterans who show up just a few days earlier than the mandated report date.

The rookie class for the Colts has plenty of intriguing players. First-rounder Kwity Paye has the chance to see earn a starting role early at defensive end while fourth-round tight end Kylen Granson is likely to be the TE3 in the offense behind Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox.

Second-round pick Dayo Odeyingbo is one of the highest upside players in the class but is currently rehabbing from a torn Achilles he suffered in January so there is a chance he doesn’t see much—if any—work during his first training camp.

Day 3 picks Shawn Davis, Will Fries, Sam Ehlinger and Mike Strachan are all competing for roster spots and depth roles at their respective positions.

After two long months, the rookies are reporting and we finally get the feeling that football is back.

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Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Defensive end

Previewing the DE group ahead of Colts training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts report for training camp in less than a week with rookies reporting on Saturday, and one of the rookies will be looking to make a major impact in 2021.

The Colts let both of their defensive end starters walk in free agency. Justin Houston is still on the market while Denico Autry signed with the Tennessee Titans. With the additions of some depth free agents and a couple of draft picks, the Colts are banking on their young edge rushers to make an impact.

As training camp approaches, here’s our preview for the defensive end position:

Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Defensive tackle

Previewing the Colts defensive line entering training camp

The Indianapolis Colts will be reporting for training camp in exactly one week’s time, which will finally put an end to a long summer break without any type of football.

As training camp draws near, the defensive line will be one of the units to keep an eye on closely, especially when it comes to the position battles that will be taking place at Grand Park.

Here’s a look at the defensive tackle position entering training camp: