Colts’ training camp preview: 1 player to watch from each position
The Indianapolis Colts are just over a week away from the start of training camp at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.
Coming off of the late-season collapse, the Colts made several changes to the roster this offseason. They swapped quarterbacks, likely upgrading from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan. They added defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore to go with a class of eight draft picks.
With training camp just around the corner, here is one player from each position to watch:
QB Matt Ryan
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For the fifth season in a row, the Colts will have a new starting quarterback. Following the failed Carson Wentz experiment in 2021, the Colts found a way to bring Ryan in for a fraction of the price. What will be interesting when it comes to Ryan is how quickly he picks up the offense when the pads come on.
He was already impressing during the spring workouts, connecting with several of his receiving options on a consistent basis. It will be interesting so see if Ryan can get off to a quicker start than his predecessors, and much of that development will take place during training camp.
RB Phillip Lindsay
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While Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are likely to be stars of training camp again, it will be interesting to see how Lindsay does. After two 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, Lindsay wasn’t the same back in 2021. Across two teams in the Texans and Dolphins, Lindsay averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. Maybe it was the environment and a change of scenery with a strong offensive line was needed. But Lindsay is the favorite for the No. 3 role entering camp.
WR Dezmon Patmon
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With the first four spots locked down in the wide receiver room, Patmon will be gunning for that No. 5 spot on the depth chart. He hasn’t done much since being drafted in 2020 but being a sixth-round pick, the expectations weren’t all that high. Now, he enters a crucial Year 3 with a chance to prove his worth as the favorite for that No. 5 role in the wide receiver room.
TE Andrew Ogletree
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Even if Jelani Woods’ role may not be all that big during his rookie season, he’s still a lock to make the roster. Ogletree, on the other hand, doesn’t have that same luxury. However, the Colts have been impressed with the rookie tight end and he could force them to keep four tight ends on the active roster.
G Danny Pinter
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Among the vacant spots on the offensive line that are up for grabs, the right guard position will be one to watch. With Mark Glowinski now in New York, the job is Pinter’s to lose. He’s the favorite entering camp considering the Colts drafted him in 2020 so that he may one day take over this spot. But he still has to earn it, and if rookie Bernhard Raimann doesn’t win the starting left tackle role, he will provide more competition for Pinter.
DL Dayo Odeyingbo
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Finally getting a full offseason to work after missing all of it during his rookie season, Odeyingbo is expected to make a much bigger impact than he did during the second half of his rookie campaign. The versatile second-year pass rusher is going to work both from the edge and the three-technique defensive tackle spot and could be one of the biggest X-factors for the Colts in 2022.
LB Sterling Weatherford
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Weatherford was one of the many undrafted rookie free agents to join the roster this offseason, and he quickly made an impression during the spring. Moving from the safety positon to linebacker, Weatherford has a strong chance to make the roster if he continues to carry that momentum into camp.
CB Brandon Facyson
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One way or another, the battle for the No. 3 cornerback role is going to produce a player with a strong role in the secondary. Facyson will be battling with third-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers for the role, and both of them are coming off of a strong showing in the spring. Facyson has the most experience in Gus Bradley’s scheme so that could give him a leg-up in the competition.
S Nick Cross
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Get used to hearing this name because we are likely going to mention it a few times over the next month. Cross was a third-round pick that the Colts traded up for at the end of Day 2 and is expected to take over for Khari Willis following the latter’s retirement. It’s only a matter of time before Cross is given the starting role. The main question is when that will be.
