to host their first padded practice. Themed "Kids Day Antonio Morrison Jersey ," young people from all over were yelling out for their favorite players and lining up at the..." Training CampColts AnalysisColts Training Camp Practice: Day 3 NotebookNew,4commentsEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Colts Training Camp Practice: Day 3 NotebookTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailThe Indianapolis Colts had a beautiful day to host their first padded practice. Themed “Kids Day,” young people from all over were yelling out for their favorite players and lining up at the railing to get as close to the action as possible. When Andrew Luck made his way out to the sideline, kids nearby were desperately yelling his name to get some kind of acknowledgment. Other popular players were Eric Ebron, T.Y. Hilton and Quenton Nelson. Each player took the time to acknowledge the kids, waving and interacting with the fans in their own ways.This is perhaps the coolest thing about training camp. It doesn’t take a season-long investment in tickets to gain access and there is likely not a better opportunity Colts fans can get for face-to-face interactions and autographs. It makes the whole atmosphere a lot of fun.Saturday, the entire team made their way over to the stands following practice to sign autographs. A nice way to give back to fans that led to smiling faces as the crowd walked back to their cars to head home.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="RcRTM6">ERIC EBRONI’ve attended Colts training camp off and on since I was a about 10 years old. During that time, I’ve seen practice run in a variety of ways and the fan access has changed dramatically. I’ve watched players who are all business, those who like to get a little chippy, and those who clearly take time out of their work to have some fun.Over the last two decades, no player has stood out as having more fun or loving the game of football more than Eric Ebron. On the sidelines, Ebron is laughing and having a good time with his teammates. He is clearly close to T.Y. Hilton and has a fun relationship with Darius Leonard. In an earlier training camp practice, Ebron made a catch over the middle of the field and Leonard punched the ball free for a fumble late in the play. At that point, Ebron had essentially eased up and considered the play over. Leonard had a little fun.On Saturday, Ebron made another catch over the middle and Leonard came up to punch the ball out late in the play. Ebron was ready and secured the ball all the way back to the offensive huddle. On his way back, Ebron gave Leonard a “Mutombo finger wave” and let him know that wouldn’t happen again.Even after practice was over, Ebron made himself available for an interview. He approached the media with a big smile and joked that many media members had already left the area. He yelled out in the general direction of the media, jokingly making it clear that he was ready to answer questions and if they didn’t make it over soon they were going to miss their chance.In his interview Kenny Moore Color Rush Jersey , Ebron candidly discussed what is so special about the team. He was asked about personal accolades and how focusing on those can sometimes take away from the team, clearly a reference to his goal to break the single-season touchdown record. He responded: Feel free to watch the rest of the interviewhere:When Colts fans try to figure out what makes this team special, when the chemistry in the locker room and with the front office and coaching staff starts to dominate the discussion, think about Eric Ebron. There is little doubt that Ebron’s chances to break the single-season touchdown record will be much harder in 2019 than it would have been a year ago. However, there is no doubt that he loves his team and his teammates love him back. If there is a beacon in the locker room of the kind of love a professional football player should have for the game, the fans, and his peers, Ebron shines the brightest.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="W6PEvL">RYAN KELLYRyan Kelly is another player who clearly likes to have some fun during practice and is one of the leaders on a pretty young group of offensive lineman. He discussed what it was like taking the field for the first padded day of practice, likening himself and the players to baby deer. He then went on to discuss the emphasis on the run game this year and how the offensive line approaches it.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9G5iCK">BOBBY OKEREKEAnother player who took the time to meet with media. He discussed some of the things he has had to adjust to in a new defense and new role, that he has primarily been lining up at the Mike (middle linebacker) position. He also responded calmly and professionally to a question about the Stanford allegations that made their way back into the spotlight earlier in the off-season. BTW - Sorry for the sound quality here. He is speaking away early in the video and the wind and rattling of the flags on the field goal posts make it difficult to hear.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="5ZNYOL">CAMP NOTES AND OBSERVATIONSFor those who have never attended a training camp practice, it is difficult to fully explain the ballet that occurs spanning two different full size fields. Practices are timed and each segment has a purpose. There are warm-ups that occur with the whole team on the same field, defense on one side and offense on the others. There are positional and one-on-one drills that breakout with the offense on one field and the defense on the other. Then, there are team drills that occur such as 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 reps where each unit matches up with its counterpart, first team versus first, second team versus second, and so on.In short, this ballet makes covering the whole team or seeing all of the action impossible. It is was makes it necessary for a small army of media members to be in attendance because they will each have their own perspective and they will split apart to witness different activities around the field.With that said, here are some of the things that stood out to me.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9Vlaju">Numerous players received rest or maintenance days. Those included Andrew Luck https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Jeremiah-George-Jersey , T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle, Jabaal Sheard (more on him in a minute), Margus Hunt, and Kemoko Turay. They were the most visible.Following practice, Zak Keefer reported that Sheard’s injury is potentially more serious than we might have originally thought. Imaginations will run wild with that kind of description. The only thing we know is that it has to do with one of his knees and that we should expect that he will miss some time. Whether that time spills over into the regular season or lands him on Injured Reserve is yet to be seen.Spencer Ware was also on the sideline in a boot, still recovering from his “muscle injury.”I noted that Quincy Wilson had a cast on his left hand, which is made to protect his thumb.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3D49wp">With numerous defensive players taking the day off, here is the list of starters on the defensive line, along with the second team.The players who were most active in the one-on-one drills with the offensive line were Denico Autry and Jihad Ward. Both ended up into the backfield on numerous occasions to disrupt mock run plays.Autry looked very sharp and gave the starting unit fits at numerous times during team drills, including some nice reps against Quenton Nelson.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ELgTWs">During team drills, Mo Alie-Cox made a nice contested catch over the middle and controlled the ball through hard contact. George Odum laid a hard hit on a receiver over the middle to break up a pass. One of the most entertaining players to watch in team drills was Rock Ya-Sin, who did not shy away from playing physical at the line of scrimmage and who broke up a pass intended for Devin Funches by getting his hands inside and stripping the ball out before Funchess could secure it.Deon Cain made his presence felt numerous times during team drills, including two difficult catches that were low and required him to go to the ground. One was an out near the sideline and the other was over the middle of the field. At one point he took a pretty big hit on a blown screen play but shook it off.Le’Raven Clark lined up with the second team offensive line at left tackle.E.J. Speed made one of the highlight plays on defense during team drills. The offense was running a designed run outside left but Speed read it the whole way and blew it up well in the backfield.Chester Rogers was featured with his patented wide receiver screen. He did a nice job making a move to get some extra yards.Nate Hairston made his presence felt more than once in run defense. On one play in particular, Hairston laid a hard hit on Nyheim Hines as he attempted to run the ball to the right inside the right tackle.Second-year receiver Steve Ishmael made a number of plays during practice. He had a nice jump-ball, leaping reception over multiple defenders. He later worked very hard to hold his block on a designed outside run to the right. There were some bad exchanges between center Jake Eldrenkamp and Phillip Walker that resulted in the ball hitting the ground or throwing off the timing of plays. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="G0fNkU">In all, it was a great day for football and a fun first day in full pads. The defense often got the best of the offense with Andrew Luck sitting out but there is no doubt the depth on this team will create some very difficult decisions for the front office and coaching staff as the season approaches. The Indianapolis Colts completed their fifth padded practice session out of 9 on Sunday afternoon. It was a maintenance day for numerous players who have been nursing some injuries. I..." Training CampColts AnalysisColts Training Camp Practice: Day 9 NotebookNew,1commentEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Colts Training Camp Practice: Day 9 NotebookTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Indianapolis Colts completed their fifth padded practice session out of 9 on Sunday afternoon. It was a maintenance day for numerous players who have been nursing some injuries. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Gu78Ib">INJURIES/MAINTENANCEAfter experiencing back spasms during Saturday’s practice Denico Autry Jersey , linebacker Darius Leonard watched from the sidelines. Kenny Moore sat out for the first time this training camp. Others who have been sitting quite a bit recently include Andrew Luck, Jack Doyle, Denico Autry, Jabaal Sheard and Parris Campbell. Justin Houston, Ryan Kelly and Ross Travis all joined them on the sidelines on Sunday.Two players had to leave the field on Sunday. Running back Jonathan Williams was shaken up during team drills and walked off of the field with trainers under his own power. Initial reports indicate that he will be okay. Wide receiver Devin Funchess also gave fans a scare when he came up limping badly after running a route in team drills. He was suffering from a calf cramp and spent the rest of the day watching from the sidelines.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="TVXNqT">DEFENSIVE ROTATIONKeeping in mind that several key defensive players were not on the field, including Justin Houston, Denico Autry and Kenny Moore, we got a look at couple of different groupings during team drills. Al-Quadin Muhammed, Tyquan Lewis, Margus Hunt and Kemoko Turay took snaps with the first team defensive line. Anthony Walker, Bobby Okereke and E.J. Speed were on the field with the base defense at linebacker. Khari Willis and Malik Hooker were the safeties. Pierre Desir was on the field with the starting corners but I couldn’t locate the corner on the far side of the field before first team reps ended.Gerri Green took snaps with the second team at left end. Matthias Farley and George Odum took the field as the second team safeties. Marvell Tell and Jalen Collins were the second team corners.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="65bLht">TEAM DRILL HIGHLIGHTSPerennial Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton put his mark all over Sunday’s practice. He made two nice touchdown grabs on passes from Jacoby Brissett. One took him down the middle of the field against Quincy Wilson who could not make up ground after Hilton got a first step. The second was a deep corner route for a touchdown against Pierre Desir, who also couldn’t keep up down the field. It should be noted that Hilton is a true professional. When the rest of the team is working on special teams drills and some of the veteran players are essentially set free to watch or do whatever it is they do at these times, Hilton is working on his release from the line of scrimmage and on his footwork.Daurice Fountain also made a number of nice plays in team drills. He caught a ball thrown deep middle against Rock Ya-Sin, an impressive contested catch. He also made a nice grab on the left sideline with Marvell Tell in coverage.Deon Cain continues to make nice plays as well. He caught a ball on a short out to the left sideline and made a nice move to pick up extra yards. He later made an impressive catch deep to the left on the sideline but was ruled out of bounds. Either way, he has shown flashes of excellent hands and concentration.Defensively, cornerback Jalen Collins knocked down a pass intended for Marcus Johnson. Kemoko Turay batted down Jacoby Brissett’s first pass attempt. Defensive tackle Caraun Reid and end Carroll Phillips collapsed the pocket for a would-be sack with the second team.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="rcIgHb">SPECIAL TEAMSChester Rogers, Nyheim Hines and Zach Pascal were all back to return punts during special teams drills. It is quite clear that the player who is the most comfortable returning punts is Rogers. He fields the ball cleanly and is the most comfortable finding room to run. This skill set could very easily separate him from other receivers who are hoping to win a spot on the roster.Another way players make the roster is to show their value on punt coverage units. The starting gunners were George Odum and Chris Milton, two of the best special teams players on the team in 2018. Next up was Nate Hairston and Marcus Johnson. One has to wonder if this isn’t accidental. Both of these players will need to show value outside of what they can do on offense or defense to stick with the team. The last group was Mathias Farley and Rock Ya-Sin. Farley could be in a similar boat as a player who has been one of the best special teams contributors and might need that edge to stay in Indianapolis.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="JvpgWW">ONE-ON-ONE HIGHLIGHTSOne of the more entertaining periods during each training camp practice is the one-on-one receiver versus secondary drills. Fans get a wide open view at how each player approaches the play and don’t miss the details of a crisp route or the athleticism it takes to stick in coverage and make a play on the ball. Here are some of the highlights from Sunday.Tight End Hale Hentges v Safety Mathias FarleyThis was likely the play of the day during one-on-one periods. Hentges shows some impressive speed to beat Farley and excellent concentration to pull in a contested catch on his way to the ground. He wasn’t done doing work on Farley.No tight end is taking greater advantage of Jack Doyle sitting on the sidelines than Hale Hentges. He has flashed ability throughout training camp and will be an interesting player to watch in preseason. For a team that is already sporting two Pro Bowl tight ends in Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle Nyheim Hines Color Rush Jersey , along with one of the league’s top breakout candidates at the position in Mo Alie-Cox, Hentges could represent an embarrassment of riches. He could have placed himself squarely in a battle with Ross Travis for the fourth tight end spot on the roster, if Frank Reich and Chris Ballard think that keeping four is the best choice.Tight End Mo Alie-Cox v Safety Malik HookerWhile Mo Alie-Cox has had some up and down moments during training camp, one thing stands out. There is no one on the defense who has been able to handle him on short, contested routes. He has shown the ability to use his athleticism to gain position and the strength and concentration to regularly bring down these tough catches.The buzz in camp about Mo Alie-Cox is that he may very well be the best blocking tight end on the team. Absent injury or a major setback, expect to see more of him in 2019.Wide Receiver Chester Rogers v Cornerback Jalen CollinsAs mentioned earlier, Rogers is clearly the most comfortable player fielding punts on the team. His biggest competition may be Penny Hart and he has been unable to practice. Don’t sleep on his ability to make plays as a receiver either. He shows excellent footwork and burst to gain separation on his routes and once the ball is in his hand he can make some things happen. It is no mystery why Frank Reich likes to use him on wide receiver screens as often as he does.Wide Receiver Daurice Fountain v Cornerback Jalen Collins As noted above, Fountain had a strong performance on Sunday. He made nice plays in team drills and looked good in one-on-ones. He makes a nice move to get a clean break against Jalen Collin on this in-route.Cornerback Quincy Wilson v Wide Receiver Jordan VeasyNot every play went in favor of the offense. There were overthrown passes, dropped balls and plays where the defender knocked the ball away. In this play, Quincy Wilson recovers after a double-move by Jordan Veasy and knocks the ball away.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="6q2VXT">COACH INTERVIEWSI had the opportunity to sit in on two coach interviews at the end of practice. The first, shorter interview was with RB Coach Tom Rathman who discussed Marlon Mack’s development in training camp this season and responded to my question about how the team will approach losing Spencer Ware to injury.He noted that Marlon missed much of training camp last year and didn’t get a chance to complete one-on-one work. He saw this training camp as an opportunity for him to make up for what he missed.The second interview was with legendary OL Coach Howard Mudd. He handled a variety of questions and offered some insight into what brought him back to the game, what he sees in Quenton Nelson, and how he judges the performance of his offensive line that doesn’t necessarily show up on a stat sheet.He made it quite clear that Chris Strausser is a friend and that his decision to return was tied to his being hired by the Colts. He also discussed that a lot goes into a successful block. He mentioned that getting the ball out on time, route running and blocking go into a successful play. Regarding Nelson, Mudd said that he has a live spirit that he shares with those around him. He expects him to get better and Mudd said the Nelson wants to focus on his technique. Mudd noted that no one during his previous tenure in Indianapolis really reminds him of Nelson. The best physical comparison he could give was Tarik Glenn.Watch the video for details about what Mudd focuses on and wants from the offensive line. He discusses how different his aggressive jump-set pass blocking philosophy is from the vertical set. A lot of offensive line coaches ask offensive linemen to step back and Mudd notes that leads to the pocket collapsing. He remembered that Dwight Freeney ran over Joe Thomas for a sack that led to a win against the Browns while he was in Indianapolis and used it as an example of the weaknesses of vertical sets in pass blocking.