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3 things to watch heading into the Colts’ joint training camp practices with
3 things to watch heading into the Colts’ joint training camp practices with
in Fragen 16.11.2018 02:44von panxing18 • 144 Beiträge
the Ravens Colts training camp is in its final week Clayton Geathers Jersey , with tomorrow at 7pm being the start of the last night practice. Perhaps more interesting will be the Friday practice, which is the first of two joint practices with the Ravens. Those practices create a unique opportunity for the team to go up against players with different technique, skill sets, and strengths than what they’ve faced so far in camp. Here are 3 things to watch for if you get to make it to one of those joint practices.Wide receivers vs Ravens secondaryThose opportunities presented by joint practices are especially valuable for the many young players on the Colts’ roster. The Ravens had the 3rd ranked passing defense in the NFL in 2017, and seeing the young wide receivers going up against their talented defensive backs will be an excellent way to continue separating out the starters from the players who likely won’t make the roster come final cuts.Reece Fountain was back at practice today, and the Colts need him to step up in a big way, because the loss of Deon Cain puts him solidly in the spotlight as a player they need to grow up fast. Ryan Grant has begun showing up more in practice lately, but hasn’t been a major factor most of the offseason, being reliable but not flashy.However, the greatest pressure is on guys like K.J. Brent and Zach Pascal, who are fighting it out to be on the roster at all. The reality is that Chris Ballard will be watching carefully during cutdowns Cheap Ryan Kelly Jersey , looking to add talent and depth at any and all positions. With a thin and unexperienced receiver corps, these guys need to shine, and this is a chance to do that.Quenton Nelson vs Ravens defensive lineTell me you don’t want to see Quenton Nelson in one-on-ones with defenders from different teams. The guy has been involved in some dust-ups with his own teammates throughout camp because he is the kind of guy who just can’t help but manhandle defenders until the absolute echo of the whistle. He is a beast, as Brett has pointed out, both in run blocking and pass blocking.No one likes getting embarrassed by another team in front of your teammates, especially by a rookie. However, that’s exactly the kind of thing Nelson has the ability, and inclination to do. It would actually be shocking to me if there wasn’t a scuffle between these two teams, and if Quenton Nelson wasn’t the catalyst.Colts defensive line vs the Ravens offensive lineWe don’t know how involved players will be in practice by the time these joint practices begin. What will be interesting is seeing the Colts’ smaller pass rushers pitted up against the larger linemen of a 3-4 scheme. One of the concerns about reliance on speed is that you sacrifice power, so it will be interesting to see how our pass rushers stack up.John Simon has done better than almost anyone but him expected that he would in his transition to this new role. How he does against the Ravens will be telling, because his size disadvantage will be on full display. Jabaal Sheard has continued to look good Cheap Quenton Nelson Jersey , but we need to see something from guys like Basham and McCain, as well as getting Kemoko Turay healthy and competing. It would also be wonderful if we got the version of Hassan Ridgeway that showed up in the first preseason game to show up to practice.These practices are carefully controlled. The goal is for everyone to get better and to get out of it healthy and whole as a team. However, with such a raw roster for the Colts, this will prove an invaluable opportunity for teaching and growth by this coaching staff, which has proven they care about such things.The opportunistic, turnover-seeking mentality of the Ravens’ defense is one that I’m sure Chris Ballard and Frank Reich would love to see the Colts co-opt. Additionally, working with a team like the Ravens gives first hand access to Chris Ballard to get eyes on possible players who could be picked up once cuts are made.Injury Report: Colts getting healthier ahead of road game against the Jets The Colts’ injury report is pretty ugly. The list of valuable players on it has seemed to balloon out of control as the season has progressed. There is some good news this week though. It seems as though some players will be headed back to the field and will be set to make an impact on Sunday.Darius Leonard is a major part of the Colts new-look defense, and he was nowhere to be seen yesterday. Today however, he was practicing in a limited capacity and said he expects to be out there on Sunday. That would be a huge lift for the Colts’ defense. Also getting back to full practice after being held out or limited were Nate Hairston, Anthony Walker, and Malik Hooker. Getting those guys back in action is a big deal for the defense and will bode well for the unit as a whole. Anthony Castonzo Nate Hairston Jersey , Marlon Mack, Kenny Moore, Hassan Ridgeway, and Quincy Wilson have now put together back-to-back practices where they fully participated. That means this list is likely to be cut nearly in half by game day. In particular, getting Castonzo and Mack back and healthy will be hugely impactful for an offense that has struggled to get any kind of running game started. We haven’t gotten to see Castonzo paired with Quenton Nelson, and it looks like this is the week where that happens. In a bit of a surprise, we saw the Clayton Geathers return to limited practice today as well, which is great news. A concussion and neck injury caused him to leave the game last Thursday and called into question whether he would be able to return or if he was destined to hit IR. While his participation in a limited capacity doesn’t mean he is likely to play, it is definitely a more positive sign than had he continued to be out entirely. Speaking of guys who are out entirely, there are still some pretty important ones. T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle are both likely to miss Sunday and are considered week to week. Additionally, Eric Ebron’s leg has apparently gone on strike and left him in the lurch Cheap Joe Haeg Jersey , based on the Colts’ description of his “shin/quad/ankle/knee” injury. He has not practiced this week and that certainly isn’t good. It appears that this season Andrew Luck will not be allowed to have nice things. Ryan Kelly has also missed all this week with a calf injury, and that is trouble. His likely replacement would be Evan Boem, who the Colts signed off the Rams’ practice squad this week after sending Matt Slauson to IR. Matthias Farley, Denico Autry, and Margus Hunt are also on the list of guys who didn’t practice either yesterday or today. I guess if we’re trying to be positive, this is not nearly as bad a list as we were dealing with on Thursday night against the Patriots. What remains to be seen is how the Colts offense will perform without its top three weapons and with an offensive line that has gotten back its starting tackles but looks as though it will be down 2 of its interior linemen.
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