Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: Pressure is On for These Players Entering Camp

Episode Date: July 22, 2022

The pressure is on for these Indianapolis Colts players to perform during training camp beginning next week, especially in a contract year. Hear why this is a big summer for Parris Campell, Matt Pryor, Ben Banogu, and more. Also, get the latest on injured Colts players coming into camp.Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQ🎧 Apple https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1151621306🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6meP450baAtjX4rTENZ5ij🎧 Audacy https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts-daily-podcast-on-the-indianapolis-colts-21701🎧 Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vUFBZODk1ODUyODkyNQ🎧 Megaphone https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/lockedoncoltsFollow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, and @LockedOnColts!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DaveDownload the Dave app from the App store right now for an Extra Cash account and get up to 500 dollars instantly. For terms and conditions go to dave.com/legal. Instant transfer fees apply. Banking provided by Evolve. Member FDIC.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Colts start training camp next week, and the pressure is on for some players, especially those who are set to hit free agency after the season. Who are those players, and how might they perform this summer? 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, Colts fans. Thanks so much for tuning in and making us your number one listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Jake Arthur, joined as always by my partner, Zach Hicks.

Today, Zach and I are going to break down players on both sides of the ball who have some pressure on them heading into camp. First practice is next Wednesday, guys. We're less than a week away. It's time to really get some substance to this. And these players also happen to be ready to hit free agency next spring. So, like, they really got – the rubber's really got to hit the road for these guys. Yes. Yeah, we'll start offensively, of course.

First up is Paris Campbell. And, unfortunately for this guy, you know, every summer has become important for him, the injuries and everything. But he's starting camp healthy. He was a full go throughout spring. Of course, he looked really good in the spring. He's one of those guys that pops out when he's healthy. He looks great. And that's always been the case throughout his career. So he is the first guy we got to circle because, man, if he could stay healthy in his first contract year, that could be pretty big for him. But it also creates kind of a weird situation for the Colts, especially if some of the other younger guys are developing. Zach, what do you think about Campbell going into this? You know, first off, before we start start I'm so excited about us being talking about training camp that I have my t-shirt here it's all killer no filler because we're officially out of

the filler and we're into we're into the killer season now so uh if you guys are on youtube you can see this on 41 all killer no filler shirt but uh Paris Campbell man I mean he is a spring superstar we just are waiting for it to actually happen in the regular season. The thing is, like, it's not like he's ever been bad when he's been on the field. Like, maybe 2019, his rookie season, which you could reset, but honestly, the whole offense was pretty bad that year. So it's hard to say, like, oh, Paris Campbell was bad or something. But, I mean, we saw 2020, the one game he played with Phillip Rivers,

we were all like, holy crap, it's finally Paris Campbell. Like, it's finally going to be a season. And then early in week two, it was done. And then last year, we saw so many glimpses. I mean, the first week against the Seahawks, I think he had like 50 or 60 yards, including like a 30-yard catch over the middle of the field. And then on his huge play against the Texans, he gets that heartbreaking injury and he's out for the year again. And it's crazy because when you look at these injuries,

you always want to say, like, these are not injuries that just, like, happen to an injury-prone guy. You know, it's not like he's pulling his hamstring or it's a calf strain or it's like, you know, it's something, it's not like a muscle injury. It's major injuries that just come from dumb, bad luck. But you eventually get to the point, you know, it's something it's not like a muscle injury. It's it's major injuries that just come from dumb, bad luck. But you eventually get to the point, you know, we always say this all the time with the NFL is the best ability is availability. And that definitely applies, especially at receiver here.

And and it's you know, he it's kind of like a blessing for him that I think in any other situation teams would have replaced him and honestly bringing him Alec Pierce is is like okay look we're trying to move to another young receiver here but I I can't think of many guys going into this situation here it'd be what this is year three for him or no year four for him right yeah he's going into year four now with a chance to still be a top three receiver on the depth chart after barely playing his first three seasons like he is literally getting every single chance that you can get more more than almost any other player would ever get is all these chances to to stay healthy and be that guy uh but we are finally at the time where like this is the last chance this has to be

the absolute last chance because you know he's a free agent after the year and honestly I don't even care if he plays all 17 like just play like 12 13 14 games you know like just just be out there for a good chunk of the season and be really productive and and I'm happy I just want to see him be productive and be you know kind of I don't I don't need him to be a thousand yard receiver, but like just show what you've already shown when you've been healthy, but stay healthy. And I think that's what the Colts are hoping for this year. And it's hard because you want to get excited about his training camp and his off season, but you always have that in the back of your mind, like when's that injury coming?

Yeah. So I expect him to have a dominant training camp, like always. And I have my eyes closed every time he touches the ball come season time. Yeah. They are dying for him to have a dominant training camp like always. And I have my eyes closed every time he touches the ball come season time. Yeah, they are dying for him to be able to stay healthy and contribute. Over this time, injury after injury, year after year, no one I've talked to in the organization has even begun to sound ho-hum about it. They still sound excited every single time you talk about him. Frank Wright, he'll find a way to manufacture touches for Campbell whenever he can.

Chris Ballard glows about him all the time, glows about him as a person. But, God, just the guys with multiple abilities in this offense, if they stay healthy, like being able to have Niheem Hines and Paris Campbell both healthy for a full season, the amount of things you could do with that is just a lot of offenses really would like to be able to utilize that. So we got our fingers crossed for Paris. And in honor of Zach's Sum 41 shirt, Paris is ready to give defenses a fat lip. Someone else.

Someone else who is ready to give defenses a fat lip is colts his new colts left tackle matt prior now this is one of your guys you know you you you always fall in love with these bottom of the roster guys and it turns out prior became a starter i mean he's going in into this thing as the new starter left tackle tackle. What do you think about him? Well, in keeping with the Sum 41 puns here, it's going to be fun. This will be very niche people that are going to understand these references. But last year, when Matt Pryor stepped in at left tackle against Yannick Ngakwe of the Raiders, you know, in that, I think it was, what, week 15?

No, week 16 game. He came in, and he didn't look in over his head at all you know again keep with the some 41 puns he didn't look over his head whatsoever he looked great yeah yeah again very niche so we're going for here but uh we're done after this one guys I promise but Matt Pryor against Yannick Ngakwe yeah we might not be but janet nagakwe late in the season he looked really good and and i'm not saying it was like this superb like oh my gosh this is a top 10 left tackle game but like it was a really solid game and especially from what we had seen all season from from eric fisher i was very very impressed with what i saw

with him at left tackle and then obviously early in the season we with him at left tackle. And then obviously early in the season, we saw him at right tackle, you know, he had a game against Justin Houston with the Ravens and he looked really strong. He had a couple games or a couple of snaps in that game also against Odafe Owe, who was wreaking havoc against the left side earlier in that game against Eric Fisher.

And then on the right side, Matt Pryor was handling him. So I really do like what Matt Pryor showed last year at tackle. Now, again, I'm not saying, Oh, this is OT one or left tackle one. And this guy is going to be our left tackle forever. But I'm saying he's earned the shot that he's going to be the left tackle for a good chunk of the season, but I think this season is really big for him to earn a real left tackle contract. You know, he's got a good contract right now to come back to the team and show that he can be a left tackle. If he puts it together during the season, I mean, he could get a huge extension because left tackles are getting paid a ton

right now. Absolutely. And this isn't necessarily a, this isn't a big summer for him because it's like a last chance thing or like he's in danger of being cut or anything. This is a big audition for him because the Colts were lucky to be able to even bring him back. He was in high demand and free agency. And so if you establish yourself as a brand new starter at the at the most prominent position on the offensive line and you look good you look even average this is a contract year you're about to get paid for that and it also creates a a good problem for the colts because if prior looks good and i think we

both assume danny pinner is going to look pretty good at right guard what do you do with bernard raymond now you've you know you've created a really good problem there. If you want to, if you want to let Raymond still get a chance, then shoot. You now have a guy in prior with trade value. If you sign him to another short deal or whatever. But yeah, prior situation is a lot different, but this is a big, big opportunity for him to prove that he can be at least an average capable starting left tackle in the NFL.

Yeah, no, I think he can absolutely do it, too. He's got the ability and he showed last year he has the film to back it up. So I'm excited for him again. Doesn't have to be a top 10 guy. If you're just an average level starter, that's enough to get paid some pretty good money at left tackle. So just continue what he did last year in his five starts at tackle. And I think the Colts are going to be super happy with that. Yeah, most definitely. Well, there's pressure on those guys, but there

is no pressure on you to eat healthy when you've got a built bar guys. From the people who invented healthy and tasty comes the latest gift to your taste buds. You've probably tried the amazing Coconut Brownie Chunk Built Bar, but guess what? Your friends at Built have given Coconut Brownie Chunk the puff's treatment. That's right, the Coconut Brownie Chunk Built Bar flavor you love and the deliciously chewy marshmallow covered in 100% real chocolate. It's like a fluffy cloud of coconut brownie goodness, guys. Coconut Brownie Chunk Puffs are only here for a limited time, so go to Built.com now to make sure you don't miss out. They're going fast because they taste amazing.

If coconut's not your thing, guess what? I can speak from experience now. I got some Built bars in the mail just today. It was the s'mores ones, And guys, that was for real. So if coconut is not your thing, I cannot recommend those s'mores ones enough. I'm a big s'mores fan myself, and that checked all the boxes for me. So get to built, get to built.com right now and get whatever suits your fancy. All built bars are made with collagen protein, which your body absorbs more efficiently and provides tons of health benefits. Eat something that tastes good and is

good for you. The best part about Built Puffs is, of course, they taste amazing, but you can enjoy them guilt-free because they're actually good for you. They are the perfect treat, perfect for when you've got a craving, you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, or if you need a quick, healthy snack, they are an excellent source of protein. So once again, go to Built.com and use our promo code LOCKED15 and get 15% off your order. Use promo code LOCKED15. All right, guys, and before we get to the defense, remember that the Locked On NFL YouTube channel, we're going through 1 through 50 of the top MVP candidates in the NFL right now.

That's brought to you by BetOnline. Basically, it's the top 50 players in the NFL that are moving betting lines for MVP odds right now. You now have seen that Zach and I have discussed Jonathan Taylor, who I believe came in at 28, and then Matt Ryan was 13. So I think Friday is, today Friday is the last of the top 10, so you guys are definitely going to want to check that out. All right, so now we talked about the guys on offense with a little bit of pressure on them. Now it's time for the defense. The Colts kind of have a defensive counterpart to Paris Campbell. Just so happens they were teammates at Ohio State, and they're really close. That's Tyquan Lewis. This is another

guy who, when he's on the field and healthy, you want him out there. He's a very good rotational player. He can put pressure on the backfield. He's a decent run defender, but he just can't stay healthy. He gets these big injuries. Again, it's not pulls. It's just these things that kind of require procedures. And unfortunately, Tyquan Lewis is working his way back from the patellar knee injury, which I've seen before. They did a study that's like the most difficult injury for an NFL player to come back from. But the Colts really wanted to give him a shot, keep him around. So they gave him a one-year prove-it deal this spring. So he's kind of got proved that he's back from this injury, can stay healthy, and that he's still productive and has

some explosiveness to him. What do you think, Zach? Yeah, you know, I love that the Colts decided to bring him back and give him another chance because last year was definitely his best season in the NFL. Like up until the point he got hurt. So it was like I think he played week one through eight is when he got hurt was week eight. I think he might have missed the game early. It was it was the Titans game at home because unfortunately the entire game changed when he made that interception and suffered his injury. Right, right. So, yeah, it was week eight that he got injured.

But, like, up to that, he was outstanding. Even that Titans game alone, like, it was his best game of the year. I think he had a sack, a quarterback hit, and a pick before he went down with that injury in the second quarter. Yeah, he was having a great year. And I love the decision of the Colts to bring him back on kind of a prove-it deal to be like, look, we want to reward you for that season you were having.

Like, you had some bad luck and it's awful, but we still want to see what you can do coming back from this injury. But when it comes to this camp, like this is a massive, massive camp for him. Like he's got to show that he can still move the way he was before that injury. He's got to show that he's still that player that he was that we saw early last year. And he's also got to beat out quite a few guys, you know,

Dio Dio Dambo is coming for that, that rotational pass rusher, you know, occasional defensive end job. Curtis Brooks is now in, in the system as well as that. That wasn't even me trying to force it that time. That was actually real.

You know, Curtis was organic. That was organic guys. That's what we have on this podcast. Curtis Brooks though, is going to be coming for three tech snaps, and he's got all the ability to take some snaps there. And then over at defensive end, you have Quidi Pei taking one side up full time. You're going to have – who's the guy that you always get the pronunciation right?

Ifyadi Odenigbo? Yeah, Ifyadi Odenigbo. Yes. Okay, I've been trying to avoid saying his name this whole time because I've been terrified of it, but it's actually not that hard. But you've got all these other guys competing for snaps where Taequann Lewis was getting them last year. Obviously, again, Yannick Ngakwe is here,

so that's another defensive end spot that's taking a lot of snaps. So Taequann has kind of a tough road to get on the field this year, so he has to show that he's capable of getting snaps this season. And he's also got to show that he can come back from that injury. So I mean, if you're talking about guys where this camp matters, you know, more than anybody else, like it's pretty much like he needs to have a great camp. Not just to make not to make the team or anything, but to show that he has a role in this team next year. I'm excited for it. I've always been a big Tyquan Lewis fan,

and I just want to see that he can be what he was early last year because he looked really, really solid to start last season. Yeah, and we're going to get into it here in a bit about guys with injury situations entering camp. I have zero clue what his availability looks like. Again, that's a very serious knee injury. He suffered midway through the year. I've got to imagine he starts camp on Pup because he didn't participate in the spring.

So I don't, I mean, they signed him back for a reason because, I mean, I'm sure his prognosis to come back is sometime this year. So don't know when he's going to be out there, but eventually I'm assuming that's the plan. I'm not trying to act like an injury expert or anything like that, but if you consider he got hurt week eight is what, November, I think, right? No, late October, early November. And we're seeing guys come back from these knee injuries and major injuries in about, what, nine, ten months. So, I mean, he's probably close to i don't know where he's at exactly but he's probably right around like the

early time frame for coming back from that injury so yeah it's gonna be big to see if he even contributes in camp but uh i think i mean with the way that guys are coming back from this stuff i mean the way that dio came back last year uh so early and Eric Fisher coming back so early. I mean, it wouldn't shock me if he if he participates in camp. But, yeah, I didn't realize that he might not even participate with the injury that he has. Yeah, it was just kind of telling that they at least re-signed him because I'm sure I'm sure the prognosis is decent that he's going to come back at some point by midway. I don't know. But another guy that we're going to talk about is another lineman. His last summer's defensive superstar, Ben Banigou. Man, I was at most of the practices last year.

He racked up sacks and tackles for loss every day. I can't even remember how many days he had multiple would-be sacks. And to see that just translate to absolutely nothing of a role on defense during the season was frustrating because you don't know what it is. Like, is it coaching decisions? Is it just consistency in practice and not, you know, what is it? But, you know, you and I have talked about this kind of off script before, but, you know, it's a new coaching staff.

If he shows out again, what will this new coaching staff do for him? You know, I I've got to imagine him lining up in some wide nine sets would look pretty good, but I don't know. What do you think? You know, it's hard. He's kind of like Paris Campbell where it's hard to get super excited about a great camp performance because we just always get burned getting too excited about him in the offseason and it's not because of injuries it's just you know he goes in there every offseason they say hey have a strong camp and show out in the preseason games and uh and you'll get some playing time and then we'll get the praise all offseason that oh ben banigou looks like a different player you know uh we're excited to see what he can do this year and then

when the season comes it's just never played. Like, who knows what it really was. I'm not trying to say too much here, but like. Who knows? Who knows? I'm not trying to say too much here. But, you know, again, we're talking last chances. We're talking Paris Campbell on offense.

This has been Vanagoo's final chance. Even if all the chances before this were not wasted, like at his fault, this is really the last chance to show you got some value, you know, new staff, a new defensive line coach who is probably loving a player with his explosive ability.

And then a scheme that's a lot friendlier to who he is as a player. You know, you can't say the whole run defense thing anymore because you have Yannick Ngakwe on here, you know, Yannick Ngakwe, I think corner pro football focus was the worst run defender in the NFL among defensive ends last year so Yannick coming out of Maryland like kind of paved the way for these guys who were just pass rushers and right right guys who could earn significant snaps as very little

run contributors right right so I think there is a role for Ben Banigal on this defense. It's just I don't know what in camp is going to sell me on that because I'm just – it sucks. It sucks that he never really got his run with the last defensive staff. But this, again, final chance. They've kept him for a reason. I do know, and I think I can say this, the Colts did turn down a couple trade offers for him last season.

Now they were really late picks, but they did turn those offers down because they valued him more than late picks. So they want him around for a reason. So hopefully this new defensive staff sees that and he can get on the field a little bit. But yeah, I mean, last chance, absolute last chance. And knowing Ben and knowing Ben Banigou, he's going to take advantage of it. I just hope it translates to something come, come regular season. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he's got the work ethic, he's got the talent and ability. So, I mean, let's hope it translates to something this summer. Last, last guy here,

little footnote before we, before we move along defensive tackle, Chris Williams really kind of showed up and showed out last summer, especially around the time the Panthers came in for joint practices. He, I mean, if the season started tomorrow, he'd be the third defensive tackle. You know, he's the guy fending off Curtis Brooks and Eric Johnson. So this is a big opportunity for him because the Colts drafted two defensive tackles who could take his spot at any time. But I mean, he's in that Taylor Stallworth role right now. Taylor Stallworth was a good player and they let him walk. They brought Chris Williams back. So it's a big opportunity for him. Right, right. Yeah. Just some quick stuff on him before we jump to our

next segment. But like, I was pretty impressed by his couple snaps last year. You know, I'm not saying that he had a ton of snaps, you know, Johnson and Curtis Brooks to get some snaps there as a third defensive tackle. So I think he does kind of have a leg up so far going into camp, but it all, you know, it's all dependent on what he does here in camp. But I'm excited about his game. And I think if he has even a decent camp and sticks on the roster this year, then he's earned, you know, at least a tender as a free agent, you know, going into next offseason. But yeah, guys, that's what we got here on the defense for the make or break guys. And before we jump to our next segment here on injured players, guys coming back, let's

talk about some bets. I took a second to get that transition there. That's why I had to bring that out. Bet online. This is production value, folks. Production value. BetOnline is what we're talking, guys. BetOnline.net is the fastest and easiest way to check in on your betting needs.

Find all your favorite sports and events at the number one online source for odds, lines, and games. Find reviews and news of every league, including Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA, NHL, combat sports, esports, and even golf. Even golf seems so offensive. What? Bet Online continues to be the top online resource for all your sports wagering information from live in-game betting, scores, and podcasts.

They have you covered. And, guys, if you want to see some great bets you can make this year on some Colts players, go to one of our past videos. We talk about how you should be betting on Matt Ryan, basically all his stats going over, and Michael Pittman Jr., his stats going over as well. We did a whole video on that. Just go to wherever you listen to the podcast or go on the YouTube page, a couple videos down, a couple pods back, and you'll find all of our advice on who you should bet. Head to BetOnline today or use your mobile device to learn more about the action happening.

BetOnline, where the game starts. All right. So last up are guys that are kind of, they've got injury situations coming into camp this next week. A couple smaller footnotes are guys like Stephon Gilmore. He did participate in spring ball, but I don't think he was ever like a full go in the 11s or the 7-on-7s. He did get some action in those live drills, but I don't think they ever put a full workload on him. So when things get going next week, I don't know if they're going to bring him along slowly. Because last year he did have, you know, I think there was the quad.

There was a finger. And I think this last one was a calf. Calfs are very common for the Colts. So, yeah, I know they they have big plans for him, so they don't want to overload him before games even count. They know who he is as a player. Honestly, don't even like I hope he just does walkthroughs all off season like we're talking a 32 oh he's what 31 going on 32 or he's a 32 year old corner former defensive player of the year uh you know one of the best corners in football he really

doesn't need training camp like get him out there doing some light jogs and some walkthroughs but i i really do not care for seeing him do anything here in training camp. He knows what he's doing. Just get him conditioned and ready to go. And that's it. Now the one that Zach of course wants to talk about is Rodrigo Blankenship. Now he's got, he had his injury last, he had it midway last year against the Ravens, had that hip injury, was out for the rest of the season. I believe I saw him out there in the spring, so I think he's back. But he's in a competition with Jake Verity.

Now, none of us know anything about Verity because he's new to the block, and I think he's been one or two places before. But that's legit competition. Blankenship is coming back from an injury. So there's that. I won't put Zach to that anymore. Tell us about Darius Leonard, Zach. Yeah.

Darius Leonard's. I mean, Darius Leonard's always had injuries that he's fighting through. I mean, it feels like he's had just constant injuries and it's not like, I don't, it's not like it's Paris Campbell stuff though, where he's out for the year.

It just always seems to be these minor injuries here and there. You know, I missed a lot of training camp last year i believe right with the was it with the calf injury too last year yeah well so i think he came in late both of the last two summers with ankles yes uh and then as a rookie in 2018 it was he hurt himself working out pre-draft, I think. It was a groin or hamstring or something. Oh, yeah, that's why his combine was terrible. Like, it worked out terrible. Yeah, but he participated in, like, the second or third practice and picked Andrew Luck off right away, like, leaping way up high in the air.

And the rest is history. Defensive player, defensive rookie of the year. So, no, he comes into every camp banged up he's got this calf and and back injuries that are working in concert i guess yeah some surgery to clean that up that that was that announced not too long ago i think they said it should be good for a good chunk of camp you know he might miss some days here and there but for the most part he's going to be there but honestly with Darius Leonard it's like he's a unicorn man I really don't like things that should like there's so many things about him and his game where it's like

it shouldn't be working you know again he could like I feel like he could go all training camp and not step foot on the football field and not condition not do anything and then he would go out there week one and have 20 tackles and two force fumbles like he's yeah he's like you know not to sound like all like a fan here or anything like that but he's like the definition of like just a gamer like that's yeah like like i you could tell me you could tell him he's going into camp with like cast on both his legs and and all these awful things and stuff and and i'd just be like all right, like, he'll be fine. Like, it's Darius Leonard. There's been weeks during the season where he wouldn't practice all week. And then he would come out and be Darius Leonard. Like, I don't know, like,

like for everything Darius Leonard is, like he is one tough dude who's an absolute gamer when he gets out there. So until there's a reason for me to be concerned about the back and the calf and stuff like that, I'm just going to be like, you know what? It's Darius Leonard. He'll be fine. Yeah. I, what else can you say? I mean, we've seen the guy play through injuries every season of his career. I mean, he was, I think he's pretty healthy as a rookie, but like, otherwise, he's always had something going on. Yeah. He's missed a game here or there.

I think he missed game, a game here or there i think he missed game a game with covid yeah he missed the cardinals game and then in 2019 he missed like three or four games with a concussion yeah and then i want to say 2020 he missed like three or four games with another injury too because i know uh yeah bobby okarake was kind of in his role for a couple games there walker and okarake yeah yeah yeah walker okarake in 2019 and 2020 uh leonard missed a couple games i can't remember what that one was for but he's missed a couple games here or there each season but like once he comes back he's still darius leonard it's so weird man he's such a he's just an outlier to everything small school guy guy, a horrible combine because of, obviously because of injury there too,

you know, undersized guy. And then he's just the most productive linebacker ever through four seasons. Like, you know, I, I'm not concerned. He's Darius Leonard. He's, he's just a freak. Yeah. Not worried. He'll be there when he gets there. Last guy, Julian Blackman, had the Achilles midway through the year. I think Frank Reich said he wouldn't put it past Julian Blackman to be ready when camp starts. So as far as we know, I mean, even if he's not ready right away, it shouldn't take too long. He posted a video of himself dunking the other day which is something that you can't really do if your achilles isn't there for the party so or you can't do it if you're me at all oh yeah two healthy achilles talking to me blackman though like this is a guy with two

major injuries in his legs now you know know, torn ACL in college, torn Achilles now. I'm, I'm concerned. I'm not super concerned because again, guys are coming back. These injuries aren't career enders like they used to be, you know, back in the nineties, uh, like guys were done for their career. If they tore an Achilles or if they tore an ACL, now we're seeing guys come back, you know, after eight months and they're fine somehow. I don't know how it's getting to this point. We might have to have a doctor on here one of these days to talk about it with us. It's fascinating how these guys are getting this way, but I'm also concerned because this year is going to be the year where he's going to be that single high free safety.

He's going to be roaming over the top. There's going to be a lot of movement with what he needs to do this year, you know, all over the field. It's going to have to be that range of guys. So if he's lost, you know, 10% of his athleticism, like that's huge. So I'm really curious to watch him in camp and see like, is he still Julian Blackman after, you know, it's not, again, it's not just one major injury. It's two major injuries now in his legs. Yeah.

I mean, some, some guys are just built different, but I'm thinking back to Malik Hooker when he had his ACL. When he was back on the field, it was Andrew Walker and I, but when we were at Colts.com, we were watching him on the practice field. And once he was back, it's like, dude, he just moves at a different speed than everyone else. And Blackman's not quite like that, but he's got, he's really instinctive and has good closing speed.

So I think we'll know pretty quickly once we see him reacting to the ball. And that's a lot of playing the single high, you know, lots of, lots of range involved in that. So we'll know pretty quick, but that's it guys. Training camp less than a week away. We got all that stuff to look forward to. That's obviously it for today. And this week, we'll be back with you next week. Guys report on Tuesday. Practice starts Wednesday. The rookies actually go in tomorrow, Saturday. So they'll get kind of their feet wet a little bit

before the vets get there. I will be the boots on the ground. I plan on being at every practice this year. So I will be bringing you – I'm going to be busy. I'm going to be busy for you guys. We'll be on here. We'll have our guy, Andrew Moore, from Horseshoe Huddle. He'll be joining us on several of these, I'm sure. We'll have training camp notes every day. Zach and I will give you top to bottom coverage.

We'll try and make it so you don't have to go anywhere else for your training camp coverage. We'll have everything possible for you. Yep. And where can you guys find all this? Well, on Twitter, you can follow us at JakeArthurNFL. You're going to want to put the notifications on for Jake next week at LockedOnColts. And then add Zach Hicks, too, if you just want me to make fun of some things that I see. I'm not going to be there.

So I'll just, I'm across the country. But in terms of following our podcast, obviously wherever you guys listen to your podcast here on YouTube as well, you guys are getting us up to almost 500 subs now on YouTube after two weeks, you guys are killing it. And then also you can find all of our written work over at Horseshoe Huddle. That's where we've been posting everything pre-training camp. And now it's going to get officially into training camp coverage in the week of Curtis Brooks, or the month of Curtis Brooks finally starts.

We are pumped over here. So make sure you guys are. Featuring Kylan Granson. Featuring Kylan Granson. Make sure you're following along. You're hitting that subscribe button. You're hitting notifications. Especially hit the notifications for Jake on Twitter,

at JakeArthurNFL, because he's going to be tweeting a ton. Well, you are a real sweetheart, Zach. Thank you guys for making Locked on Colts your first listen today. Now make your second listen to Locked on NFL podcast. Our national NFL experts and insiders keep fans dialed in with the biggest stories and the latest news from around the league because an off season doesn't equal a break in the action. Kyler Murray just agreed to a big old contract extension.

I know the guys over there at the Cardinals show they've, they've got that covered top to bottom. I have already seen them working feverishly today, but yeah, so be sure to check into that and anything else that comes up, but otherwise we will see you guys next week for training camp.