Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson Completes Full Camp as QB1, Laiatu Latu Emerges as Star

Episode Date: August 21, 2024

Indianapolis Colts training camp is complete. Anthony Richardson got through his first full camp as QB1, Laiatu Latu emerged as a star, and some position battles got even more complicated. Become a L...ocked On Colts insider! Ask your burning questions and get prompt answers from someone who's around the team every day! Get special access from the locker room, practice field, and press box! JOIN HERE! Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/ Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram! Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. For your next listen, check out the Locked On Fantasy Football podcast. Get daily insight to the best Fantasy draft strategies so you can win your league this season. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotors.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply.FanDuelNow through September 22nd, ALL FanDuel customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get a THREE-WEEK free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Visit FANDUEL.COM/LOCKEDON to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Starting point is 00:00:00 After 13 practices, including three joint practices against two different teams and two preseason games, training camp is done for the Colts, and boy, have we learned a lot. Let's get to it. You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right. Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.
Starting point is 00:00:41 And today's show is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off of your first purchase. Terms apply. What up, y'all? This is Jake Arthur and Zach Hicks of HorseshoeHuddle.com. I am your boots on the ground, your resident credentialed media member for the site. And Zach is just the darndest film guy in the whole universe, I tell you what. And today we are here to wrap up training camp. That's right.
Starting point is 00:01:10 After about a month and, you know, a couple of dalliances with other teams, we now find ourselves just one preseason game away, pretty much until week one of the season. So we're going to go over pretty much everything we've learned. The main storylines that have been broken down, revisiting a lot of the position battles, and then seeing what some of these rookies have been up to as well. So Zach, let's go ahead and start with A1, the most important thing that really matters with the Colts right now. Anthony Richardson and his first full training camp officially as QB1 and how the offense has kind of evolved with him being there, not having a split
Starting point is 00:01:55 reps with Gardner Menchu, having his receivers, having Jonathan Taylor. Just how big is that for this team and what they can do this season? I think it's been one of the more important things this offseason was just Anthony Richardson finishing a training camp. I know he finished it last year, but getting all those first team reps like this training camp, like you mentioned, seeing him back on the football field. I know we've only seen four passes in the preseason so far, and that's going to change here on Thursday night when he gets out there for a quarter and a half. But simply seeing him back in action, I think is the best thing for not only this team, but also for this fan base right now. And then from all your reporting this entire training camp, it seems like it's been a fairly positive training camp. You know, it's not been this perfect stretch of play where he's been just immaculate every single day. But even on some of the bad days that he has had, like you've mentioned, like yesterday's practice, for instance, some of the bad days that he's had early on, he's finished those practices strong,
Starting point is 00:02:54 or he's had some really good stretches in a lot of those practices as well. So I think overall, just having him out there with all these guys with downs for, you know, a good chunk of training camp, obviously Michael Pittman Jr. for all of it, Alec Pierce, A.D. Mitchell, this crazy tight end group, and Jonathan Taylor back out there. Having all those guys out there with Anthony Richardson throughout the bulk of training camp and all the training camp basically here, I think it's just been a fantastic development. He didn't miss any days due to injury. He's had a lot of good, strong practices,
Starting point is 00:03:24 had a really, really strong two-day joint practice session stretch against the Arizona Cardinals. And then also, I mean, I know the Bengals one wasn't perfect to start yesterday, but to finish it strong and to outperform the Bengals offense in those final 11 on 11s, I think it's been an overwhelmingly positive training camp for Anthony Richardson. Again, simply getting him back was the biggest win that you could really ask for this offseason. But overall, it just seems like it's been a really positive development just to have him back on the football field with the starting offense and completing a whole training camp. Yeah, I think we've learned a lot about him because, again, we got a bit of training camp last year where he got, you know, 70% of the first
Starting point is 00:04:07 team reps. Uh, and then, you know, just the, the four games, but I feel like I personally learned a lot about him as a player. Um, this is someone who you're never going to be able to count out. Like if he's having just a terrible game early on, it truly feels like he is a guy who is just going to flush all that away and is looking forward to what's next. Shane Steichen knows how to accentuate his strengths in a way that can get him back on track. Like yesterday, I'm serious. Like it was an awful practice. Like it was terrible up until about the midway point, they started going up-tempo, and it's like, boom, you're forcing him to get rid of the ball quick,
Starting point is 00:04:49 make quick decisions, use his feet a little bit, but not near as much as he was early on, and leaning on the guys that he trusts most. And, man, if that didn't turn everything around, it was incredible just the shift and how bad it looked and then how quickly they just started getting downfield and doing whatever they wanted. Like that, that first drive that they really turned it around, they went down and scored a touchdown to AD Mitchell down in the low red zone. Like it's like they began to do whatever they wanted in the whole
Starting point is 00:05:20 dumpster fire. That was the beginning of practice never really happened. So I feel like I learned a lot about this offense and what it can be. And that's without even really factoring in what the Jonathan Taylor situation can be with them as well. So I really like seeing that. Another thing that was kind of a big thing during camp, there were some injuries. Josh Downs, you know, he had the high ankle sprain, which is going to keep him out to about the beginning of the year. We'll see if he has to miss a couple games or so there at the beginning. Samson Ebicom had an Achilles injury. That is probably going to keep him out for the year.
Starting point is 00:05:57 They haven't put him on IR yet, so we'll see when they do that. It sounds like it's going to be something they do after, you know, after the week one begins. And then Raekwon Davis missed all of training camp essentially until the final practice and came back yesterday. Those big injuries all created big opportunities elsewhere. Like with Josh Downs going out, we saw a little more of Anthony Gould with the first team, but we really saw a lot more of A.D. Mitchell. There was really no more splitting reps with Alec Pierce. We saw essentially A.D. Mitchell. There was really no more splitting reps with Alec Pierce.
Starting point is 00:06:25 We saw essentially A.D. Mitchell, Alec Pierce, and Michael Pittman Jr. on the field together all at the same time. With Ebucom, it meant more Taekwon Lewis and more Laatu Laatu. And those guys just absolutely made the most of those reps. And then with Davis, you got Seymour Taven Bryan. Isn't that what everybody wants? Yes, that was actually the most exciting one was seeing more Taven Bryan. Isn't that what everybody wants? Yes, that was actually the most exciting one was seeing more Taven Bryan at one tech. I'm glad you got to that there.
Starting point is 00:06:51 We can also add Jelani Woods injury into the equation now. I know it didn't factor much into training camp, but now it's going to factor into the regular season and this last preseason game as well. So yeah, injuries played a big part of the Colts offseason. They always do. The Ebucon one in particular is tough. It's a tough one because you're probably looking at the deepest edge group in football or one of the deeper edge groups in football becoming,
Starting point is 00:07:16 you know, still a pretty deep one, but you're losing your top sack producer from last year. It is pretty tough to deal with there. So yeah, you know, it's the Colts. We know injuries happen in the off season. We know injuries happen in the regular season, but for to at least open up some positive developments with Taequann Lewis, Leatu Latu, and A.D. Mitchell with the first team too, I think those are at least positives you can look at in kind of dire situations with those injuries. Yeah, absolutely. And then, so probably the next biggest thing going into training camp that everyone was talking about was the lack of depth in the secondary,
Starting point is 00:07:51 particularly at safety. Now we are gonna revisit all the camp battles and everything, but this almost, I don't even wanna call it a battle as much as it is a situation at safety. Like we're kind of at a place where we know julian blackman is going to be out there and it's likely going to be nick cross as the other one maybe rodney thomas
Starting point is 00:08:13 we'll see um who's going to play free who's going to play strong we don't know but especially with shane steichen yesterday after practice he made it seem like you know we don't care about those predefined roles like they're just going to do their thing throughout the season. I kind of got the vibe that Shane thinks the whole free strong thing is being a bit overblown and there's just going to be two guys out there that they use however they deem necessary in the moment. I'm guessing it's going to be Julian Blackman and Nick Cross. But I mean, this thing ain't dead. It's the vast majority of the other safety reps have been for Nick Cross. But lately, Rodney Thomas has snuck in there a little bit more often.
Starting point is 00:08:56 Yeah. And you know, it's funny. One thing I will say about that is it's fascinating for this defensive scheme, for the coaching staff to kind of, you you know hand wave away the free safety versus strong safety because this is one of the few schemes in in the league if you're going off of what the Colts were last year where there is kind of that distinction between strong safety right it's not like it's too high and it doesn't matter so that leads to my next thing are we going more too high this year we've seen it a little bit in the preseason we saw it at times last year against
Starting point is 00:09:24 Carolina and against New England maybe they go more too high more quarters this season and Gus Bradley becomes this completely different coordinator who knows but I do find it fascinating that they are kind of hand waving that away when this scheme unlike some of the other schemes in football is is not you know just two interchangeable safeties it's two strong safety and free safeties but if they want to have interchangeable guys, go more too high. Let's have some fun with it. But yeah, I think when it comes to the safety broom battle, and I know we're going to talk about it here in a second,
Starting point is 00:09:54 I do think it kind of exposed that they just need another player in there that knows what they're doing. Another guy who can maybe be interchangeable and play both. Because if you're looking at Ronnie Harrison, you're looking at Rodney Thomas, those guys aren't interchangeable and play both. Because if you're looking at Ronnie Harrison, you're looking at Rodney Thomas, those guys aren't interchangeable players. You know, Rodney Thomas is a free safety. Ronnie Harrison is a strong safety slash a linebacker.
Starting point is 00:10:14 At least Cross and Blackman, yes, they can kind of play both, but you don't have anyone else on the roster who can play both. So maybe on cut down day, that's where the Colts really need to address and try to find someone who can play both to back those guys up. Yeah, I'm totally with you. They seem to think it's not necessary or at least to make a splash move because the splash guys are all gone at this point. Right.
Starting point is 00:10:35 That's definitely something that could be a waiver wire pickup when cut downs come. But coming up, we're going to talk about more of these position battles and how they've kind of developed throughout the summer. You guys have heard us talk a lot about FanDuel lately, and for good reason. It's America's number one sports book. Well, we've got something a little different for you. Now through September 22nd, all FanDuel customers can bet $5 and get a three-week free trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Then with a YouTube TV base plan, you'll be able to watch every regular season Sunday afternoon out of market game.
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Starting point is 00:12:19 your team every day. All right, Jake, so we're going to talk about these position battles. And funny enough, the big position, to talk about these position battles and funny enough the big position I don't even want to say funny enough that that kind of makes it insensitive here but the big position battle that we've had no clue what was happening with it all summer outside of the top three guys kind of being locks kind of got solved the other day in practice Jelani Woods was announced to be out for a while is what Shane Steichen said
Starting point is 00:12:47 with a toe injury he and then Ian Rappaport I believe clarified that it was surgery for turf toe injury uh with a follow-up tweet Joel was on it first yeah Joel was on it first okay Joel was on it first give Joel Erickson obviously his credit then for that I didn't see Joel's but Joel Erickson was first on it then. But yeah, so Jelani Woods is going to be out for a while with turf toe injury. And that kind of clears up all the issues we had with the tight end position battle because it appeared Kylan Granson, Molly Cox, and Drew Ogletree had solidified their spots. Drew Ogletree barely played in preseason game two. Moe and Granson did not play at all.
Starting point is 00:13:23 And Mallory and Woods were the only guys out there. And then Woods left early with an injury. Mallory played a majority of the game. So it became like, okay, between Mallory and Woods, who are the Colts going to keep? And you can make a case for either guy, like for and against either guy here. But the Colts, it seems like they're going to get the benefit, you know, if you could, for lack of a better term of an injury, kind of solving that for them, because it looks like they're going to be able to put Jelani Woods on IR on final cutdowns. And you have two of those moves available now, now in the off season to where on final cutdowns,
Starting point is 00:13:54 you can put guys on IR and still designate them to return during the season. So I'm assuming that's, what's going to happen at tight end. They're going to keep four, put Woods on IR, and then I don't know what they're going to do if or when Woods comes back. So we'll reopen this discussion when that happens. But for now, it seems like they have their four tight ends purely because Woods got injured in the last preseason game. Totally with you.
Starting point is 00:14:17 That's exactly how I see it going. With Jelani being out for a while, like a turf toaster, I don't think that's a season long thing, but if you wait and then you put them on IR after the season, you can obviously bring them back with that, you know, at whatever point. But yeah, it felt like it was going to be such a luxury to keep five tight ends, especially when we're confident in there being six receivers.
Starting point is 00:14:40 But yeah, you hate to see it settled this way, but you now know you've got three tight ends who they're going to, those guys are going to play 80% of the snaps for you essentially. And the other 20% can, can essentially go to Will Mallory. However, those figures work out. Um, but you don't have to rely on Will Mallory and his health, which is good because again, we've talked about him a lot,
Starting point is 00:15:05 really good player catches everything and can make plays and stretch the field a bit, but just, he seems to get banged up every couple of weeks. But you don't have to worry about that now. And so you've got your four tight ends. You can feel good about, you don't have to agonize over which one you're going to get rid of. So that's, that's good. Now we just have to figure out what the roles are going to be because I essentially think they're going to have three starting tight ends. It just
Starting point is 00:15:29 depends on what their plane of attack is that game. So moving behind the tight ends, Evan Hull versus Tyler Goodson, I think has picked up a lot of steam lately, and that's turned out to be one of the more entertaining battles over the last couple couple weeks. I don't really have many negatives to say about either of them. I think both have gone in and done their jobs. Trey Sermon, having his hamstring injury, has opened up a huge opportunity for both of them to get work with the first and second team. And I think they've both done a great job. Now it's just kind of pick your poison. Evan Hull, let's just say their receiving abilities are awash.
Starting point is 00:16:06 Evan Hull is going to be a little more of your between-the-tackles guy. I think he's a little more comparable to Trey Sermon as a runner. But if you're truly looking for a change of pace back, then Tyler Goodson. I mean, look no further than his touchdown run the other night. Everything was clogged up in the middle. And not every running back is going to have the burst to get out of that situation and get to the pylon for the touchdown like he did. So at this point, it's just what is the preference for the Colts?
Starting point is 00:16:34 Yeah, I think if I had to choose between the two, I would say Goodson slightly beat out Evan Hull in terms of preseason play and in just where he's getting the reps in terms of like those preseason games is getting them a little bit earlier than an evan hole but i think the colts are going to do whatever they can to keep both of these guys i think they like both of them a good bit they were even getting goodson and holson special team snaps too to kind of prove their ability to do more than just play running back and who knows i mean we don't know how long trey sermon's going to be out with this hamstring injury. If he's another player,
Starting point is 00:17:06 they want to put on IR on final cutdowns and designate to return. Then both these guys make it easily as RB two and RB three respectively. So I think the Colts are going to try to keep both these guys. They like both of them. They both have had good off seasons and I don't think there's really a wrong decision here. I think they're kind of a wash and it depends if you want the lightning of Goodson or the smooth ability of Evan Holt,
Starting point is 00:17:28 but I'm cool with either. I think both of them, I mean, hats off to both these guys for really proving their worth this offseason. They both have had really good offseasons for the Colts. Yeah, even Xavier Scott, I think, has looked a lot better this summer than he did last summer. Moving on to probably the next highest profile one is at cornerback there's like three
Starting point is 00:17:46 different battles involved in this one uh so jaylen jones versus dallas flowers was squashed pretty much immediately in all actuality it was probably really done during otas but you know the colts made it seem like it was more of an open competition it really never was the only time we've seen dallas flowers out there is filling in for Juju Brents when Brents has been out with the first unit. But then you've got Chris Lamont versus Micah Abraham, Daryl Baker Jr. versus Jalen Simpson and Amir Speed for probably the final spot among cornerbacks. So Micah Abraham was the second team nickel directly behind Kenny Moore for like the first week and a half or two of camp until Chris Lamont's came back off of pup. Uh, he had ankle surgery in the off season and then it's been pretty much all Lamont's. But then of course, Mike Abraham is making these
Starting point is 00:18:35 splash plays throughout the summer. Obviously had the, the forced fumble scoop and score in the first preseason game. Uh, and then Darryl Baker Jr. has been solid and consistent throughout the summer, but did just have his worst practice yesterday against the Bengals. Jalen Simpson and Amir Speed, they've done a couple nice things throughout the summer, but I don't know if it's been enough to get Darryl Baker Jr. off the roster. I don't know. At times it felt like the Colts wanted to do anything except for put Baker on the field, but I don't know how that perception from their end
Starting point is 00:19:12 has changed this year. But yeah, cornerback, there's like a handful of them that are pretty settled, but you don't know who else is going to make the last couple spots. Yeah, I think the top four are going to be safe to make in the team, and the fourth guy being Dallas Flowers. I know he hasn't had the greatest preseason, but Flowers, the Colts like him a lot. I think he's going to be on the team. Now, if they keep a backup nickel,
Starting point is 00:19:34 it really comes down to trust versus upside because there's probably more trust in Chris Lamont right now and more upside in Micah Abraham, and obviously they just invested a draft pick in Micah Abraham. So so really comes down to what the Colts are viewing with that and then with Baker Simpson and speed you know they could keep two I mean go up to seven corners that'd be a little much but uh they probably keep one again it comes down to trust versus upside because I think Simpsons had the best flashes this preseason his ability to turn and run with wide receivers his speed is something that nobody else in the secondary has even like like his speed is on a completely different level from any other corner the Colts have on the roster
Starting point is 00:20:14 and you can see with how he turns and runs with wide receivers in the preseason games that is just a very very different level that he moves at but Baker you, you know, a big lengthy long armed corner who had some good moments last year. I could see an argument for either one there. I mean, at this point for the Colts, just go with the two young kids, you know, and just keep developing the young kids and, you know, stay with this youthful team that you're going with. But I could really see an argument for any of these guys here. I don't think we really learned much about the other the other battles there at corner outside of jones versus
Starting point is 00:20:49 flowers which is easily jalen jones it's going to be a start i think jalen jones is closer to pushing juju brents for quarterback one than he was for quarterback three uh which is funny uh thinking about coming into the coming into camp but yeah's, that kind of seems like where it's all at at corner right now. Yeah. Going off of their history, it feels like they would go with the youth, especially since they were so intentional about going with youth a couple off seasons ago. And that also kind of gives them a pass for why they haven't made other moves. You know, we've got, we've made moves. We drafted guys that we like. And then Abraham and Simpson both have elite traits. They're not elite players, but they have elite traits,
Starting point is 00:21:33 and that's what the Colts go for. For Simpson, it's that speed you mentioned. For Abraham, it's being a ball hawk. That's stuff you can't teach, and the Colts really, really value stuff like that. So if I had to guess, I'd probably go with the young guys as well. We can talk about position battles all day because there's honestly a couple we left off. But here at the end, we're going to go ahead and talk about these rookies and how they've done this summer. All right, guys, it is summer and that means concerts.
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Starting point is 00:24:09 and redeem code l-o-c-k-e-d-o-n nfl for 20 off download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed all right so the colts uh it looks like they reeled in a pretty good rookie class here, Zach. So we obviously talked them up throughout the offseason. We wondered how they would look. Now we know. We've got to start with Laatu Laatu, who is the first defensive player off the board. He was not of the mold the Colts normally go for when they pick edge rushers. But God, does this dude look every bit as good as he was labeled coming out of college?
Starting point is 00:24:51 He has terrorized the backfield, whether it's the Colts backfield, the Cardinals backfield, the Bengals backfield, every team he's fed, the Broncos, they didn't do joint practices, but they had a preseason game. He's passed every single test and he's gotten more reps due to the Samson Ebucon injury. I mean, I don't want to speak too soon, man, but I don't see this one failing. Yeah. I mean, again, we're prone to heartbreak here in Colts Nation. We know what it feels like to experience heartbreak when it comes to hyping up young players, but I do feel that it's a little bit different with layout to a lot to where
Starting point is 00:25:26 this is such a polished player who has shown off all that polish this entire off season. And you don't want to make these grandiose statements saying like, Oh, because he in his five pass rushing snaps in the preseason, he's won two of them. Therefore he's a great pass rusher and going to be a dominant player. But from everything we know about this player,
Starting point is 00:25:44 from what he did in college, what he's shown again, fromher and going to be a dominant player. But from everything we know about this player, from what he did in college, what he's shown, again, from start to finish this offseason, I really do think expectations need to be pretty high for this player. And I think he's going to hit them. Laatu Latu is going to be a great pass rusher for the Colts this season. And I think if anything, we say anything about this draft class from the Colts by the end of this year, I think it's going to be, hey, they got their guy in round one. They got a really good pass rusher. And honestly, A.D. Mitchell I think it's going to be hey they got their guy in round one they got a really good pass rusher and honestly A.D. Mitchell seems like he's going to
Starting point is 00:26:09 be a contributor too so we can talk about him too but it seems like Latu and Mitchell are going to be day one contributors for this team in some facet where maybe the other players are more depth players but just getting those two day one contributors and maybe a guy in Latu who's like a legit menace in year one i think that makes this rookie class you know a big win again we can't speak too soon on this but if lots who lives up to these expectations that we're setting this cold pass for us can be pretty good and he's going to be right there at the center point of it yeah this absolutely allows them to absorb the injury like without worry like it sucks that iicom is injured but it's like they
Starting point is 00:26:46 can now afford that because of what they've added uh you mentioned A.D. Mitchell we'll go ahead and lump him in with Anthony Gould um Gould showed more than I expected not to say that he was going to be like a bad player or anything but it was more so like I just kind of envisioned the Isaiah McKenzie role which which was, you know, unspectacular. I at least expected him to be like a gadgety looking rookie, but he's, he's exceeded my expectations. He's cooked guys downfield, whether it's on the Colts or other teams. He's had a really good rapport with Joe Flacco, which being a hundred year NFL vet is not easy. But Joe Flacco is spoke, you know, shiningly about him.
Starting point is 00:27:27 And then obviously A.D. Mitchell. That's a guy who the coaches have really talked him up, not only for his athleticism, but also his football IQ and his ability to adapt basically to each situation he's thrown into. Jim Bob Cooter discussed recently with rookie receivers, a lot of times you want them to just master this one thing. They've allowed him to do so many different things and he's taking it all on all really well.
Starting point is 00:27:55 So the Colts needed more playmaking at receiver and so far so good there. Yeah, I think Mitchell's gonna serve a pretty nice role for this offense this year. Again, I don't know how big his numbers are going to look by the end of the season, but I do think there's going to be several plays this year where it's like, oh, a big third down's coming up. The Colts are going to Mitchell on the backside, isolated by himself.
Starting point is 00:28:16 Or heck, it might be even in the slot now because he's playing some slot wide receiver. I think they're going to find ways to isolate him. He's going to make several big plays for the Colts this season. And then for Gould, I think he's kind of setting himself up to be the rookie outside the top two picks that is the most productive this year. He's going to be their return guy. He's shown a little bit in the return game in the preseason. And I think that he's shown the ability to get some snaps on offense and create some big plays. So while it might take some time for like a Gonsalves or Bortolini or even a Carlisle because of the injury he's had this offseason to really make their mark on the football field for this team, I think an Anthony Gould is going to get out there from day one
Starting point is 00:28:54 and at least have some positive impact for the Indianapolis Colts. So yeah, Anthony Gould, I think if you're circling a guy outside those top two guys that's going to be productive this year, I do think Gould in some manner is going to have a big impact on this Colts team. Yeah, totally agree. He'll definitely have a role. There's a lot more guys we can get to even Gonsalves and Bordellini that you
Starting point is 00:29:15 mentioned. I think they both make it for my money. I think Gonsalves has won the swing tackle battle against Blake Freeland. Bordellini is rotated center reps with Danny Penner throughout the summer. Jalen Carlisle missed a good chunk, about a half or a third of camp in the preseason. But he's come back recently and has gotten back into the fold. Got the linebacker three reps yesterday. We mentioned Abraham and Simpson,
Starting point is 00:29:47 but how about the quarterbacks that we maybe didn't expect much from? Keaton Slovis and Jason Bean. We obviously talked a bit about them after the game, but that's two guys who I think have a pretty strong possibility for the practice squad. Yeah, I think whether the Colts keep both of them or keep one of them or whatever it's going to be, I think both these guys have made the most out of their opportunity this offseason. Slovis has shown that pocket poise and that ability to sling the ball around a little bit like he did as a freshman at USC a couple years ago. And I think that there's going to be teams around the league that are going to want to develop his combination of arm strength and athleticism. And then Jason Bean, b man get it up for jason being coming into camp being a guy that they were expecting to move to wide receiver they put
Starting point is 00:30:30 the qb slash wide receiver mark on him throughout most of training camp and then they just never moved him to wide receiver because he's been showing out enough at quarterback and it's gotten to the point where like he played two quarters or quarter and a half basically in the preseason game the other day and they're running legit colts offensive staples with him they're running you know read options they're running rpos and rprs with him they are uh doing the quick game they're doing some of the vertical passing game with him like they're running legit colts offensive things with him where i'm thinking like hey man this is your mobile guy that you can put on the practice squad and and Slovis to a degree as well. They haven't really used his legs as much in the preseason, but Slovis to a degree as well.
Starting point is 00:31:11 So I don't think either of these guys came close to pushing Allenger off the roster, just because that's a tough ask for an undrafted rookie quarterback to do. But I do think that at least one of these guys is going to be the practice squad quarterback for the Colts this year. And I think both of them have certainly earned it. Yeah. I definitely think that would be the Colts plan is to hopefully get them both on there, but it's, it's going to be one or the other. There's no way that neither of them are on there unless they get sniped by
Starting point is 00:31:37 other teams. I don't know. But like you mentioned, I don't think anyone's going to be picking up Jason being to be on their active roster. But look, these, these teams are too crazy about former top 10 picks that flamed out 10 years ago. They need to have those guys as their backup quarterbacks. Mitch Trubisky needs to be a backup still instead of a promising undrafted free agent. I think Nathan Peterman is still floating around.
Starting point is 00:31:59 Nathan Peterman is still floating around. Yeah, it's how it is, man. As long as you're drafted in the top 50, you can play for 20 years at quarterback in the NFL. But that's all we have for today, guys. We want to thank you for making Locked On Culture your first listen today and every day. But now go listen to Locked On Fantasy Football Podcast. Get daily insight into the best fantasy draft strategies so you can win your league this season.
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