 |  |
 |
| Wednesday, July 16 Updated: August 19, 1:22 PM ET Colts: Training camp report Pro Football Weekly |
||||||||||||||||||
In Pro Football Weekly's third and final installment of training-camp reports, we look at the good (biggest positive), the bad (biggest disappointment) and the ugly (injury update) factors surrounding every team halfway through the 2003 preseason. We also set our sights on a rookie to watch on each team, for whatever the reason. Parts 1 and 2 are below. Aug. 19 Biggest positive: Perhaps the greatest disappointment for the Colts in 2002 was the stunted progress of Edgerrin James' reconstructed knee. James didn't heal as quickly as he thought he would from torn ligaments suffered in October 2001 and was set back further by ankle and rib ailments. Now, James is 100 percent and where he says he needs to be physically to regain the form that made him a perennial threat to wear the rushing crown. Biggest disappointment: Behind James, there was a wealth of depth and experience. James Mungro filled in nicely in 2002, but has rib cartilage damage; 2001 rookie sensation Dominic Rhodes has lingering knee and shoulder problems keeping him on the sideline; No. 3 back Ricky Williams sprained his knee Aug. 9 and may miss the rest of the preseason. That rash of ills sent the Colts after former Titans running back Mike Green and undrafted rookie Montrell Lowe as James' primary stilts for the remainder of the exhibition season. Injury update: No. 3 wide receiver Brandon Stokley began practicing just recently and will debut for the Colts on Monday at Denver. No. 2 quarterback Brock Huard won't play for at least another week with a broken finger on his passing hand. Cornerback Walt Harris has tendinitis in his knee and is practicing only on a limited basis, and fellow starter Rob Morris won't return to middle linebacker until the preseason finale after surgery on his right knee. Morris' backup, Jim Nelson, is out two weeks with a broken hand. Rookie to watch: First-round pick Dallas Clark is as good as advertised at tight end. He stretches the field and has already become a popular target of Peyton Manning. In addition, undrafted free agent linebackerGary Brackett has proven to be a savior for the Colts. With Morris and Nelson sidelined, Brackett, a Sam Mills-like linebacker who overcomes a lack of size with good speed and instincts, started in the last game vs. Seattle.
Part 2, Aug. 12 Veteran to watch: Wide receiver Reggie Wayne has had a good camp and seems to be taking to his new role on the outside after making strides as the slot receiver in 2002. Wayne's level of consistency has risen, but he must improve further for quarterback Peyton Manning to consider him as a trustworthy target. Player on the verge: Right cornerback Nick Harper has edged David Macklin for the starting job thus far in camp and would be running with the No. 1 defense if this were Week 1 of the regular season. Harper has the playmaking skills head coach Tony Dungy is looking for after the team lacked big-play potential in the secondary a year ago. Strongest position: With Edgerrin James back near full strength and reliable backups such as Dominic Rhodes and James Mungro, the Colts are deep and experienced at running back. Mungro may be used as the team's short-yardage back after scoring eight rushing touchdowns in 2002, but Rhodes will challenge if his troublesome shoulder is OK. Weakest position: There is little depth at linebacker, though Marcus Washington and David Thornton have looked magnificent. Middle linebacker Rob Morris is out two weeks after having his right knee scoped, leaving special-teams standout Jim Nelson as the top option in the middle. Part 1, July 18 Most significant change: Adam Meadows admitted he had a subpar year in 2002, and the Colts apparently agree with the right tackle. They tried Ryan Diem, who started all 16 games at right guard last season, at right tackle during spring minicamp and liked what they saw from the 6-6, 331-pounder at the position he played in college. Meadows, who missed time with a foot injury, still believes the job is his to lose. Reason for optimism: A healthy Edgerrin James is enough to make Tony Dungy smile. James admits he came back from the knee injury he suffered in 2001 too soon. He couldn't make the hard cut and rushed for 989 yards while also playing through ankle and rib injuries. This spring, James was cutting and slashing through the team's "voluntary" workouts and believes he is back to the form that helped him gain 1,709 rushing yards in 2000. Cause for concern: Many felt WLB Mike Peterson, who signed with Jacksonville, was the team's top linebacker. The Colts believe David Thornton, who is bigger and has good speed, can replace him, but there is little depth behind starters Thornton, MLB Rob Morris and SLB Marcus Washington, who struggled at times in '02. College S Cato June is moving to strong-side linebacker in his rookie season to help quell those concerns, but he alone is not the answer. Training-camp battle to watch: LCB Walt Harris will be one starter, but incumbent RCB David Macklin has plenty of competition to hurdle in order to return to a starting spot. Macklin is undersized and wasn't consistent last season. He may be better suited for a nickel CB spot, and the Colts like Joseph Jefferson and rookie Donald Strickland. Don't be surprised if: PK Mike Vanderjagt gets more competition than he cares for from Brett Conway. Dungy wants more from Vanderjagt, especially on kickoffs, and if Conway has a great preseason and Vanderjagt struggles, all bets are off.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
