With rookie minicamp in the books, Colts’ players get one last short vacation before officially returning to work and beginning OTAs – Organized Team Activities – on May 15th. With the 2012 regular season now less than 5 months away, the Colts are working hard to ready themselves for play after enduring some of the most radical offseason changes in recent memory. The team’s attitude is one of determination; these Colts are willing to do whatever it takes. But this week, #ColtsNation learned that sometimes “whatever it takes” can overstep some boundaries.

Rookie Camp Review

The Colts ended rookie minicamp last Sunday, and most walked away from the orientation impressed. According to ESPN’s AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, the rookies handled Coach Pagano’s “overload” of playbook information pretty well. Recently-drafted Colts TE Coby Fleener told the Indy Star’s Phil Wilson that Andrew Luck had already mastered several 30-word play calls. It’s all systems go in Naptown, but the team isn’t taking any chances on their new prized quarterback. Luck was required to wear a red jersey - an indication the player is not to be touched – during all workouts. This was a practice Peyton Manning refused to follow, saying he didn’t like to be separated from the other members of the team. However, Luck will have to reach more of a veteran status before he can be awarded this privilege.

Grounded…literally

With camp over, Luck will not be able to return to Indianapolis until mid-June, after he finishes his final undergraduate exams at Stanford. To help with the missed practice time, Jim Irsay offered his private jet to the soon-to-be-graduate to help him organize workout sessions with out-of-town players. However, the offer was made prematurely and without much thought. According to league rules, the move is prohibited. The offer of Irsay’s jet would be viewed as an impermissible bonus – a way of “skirting the salary cap.” That means Luck will have to fly commercial – meaning the seat next to him will be up for grabs. Let the bidding war begin.

Back to Anderson

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For a while, there was speculation that the Colts would not return to Anderson University for their 2012 training camp. However, the team will in fact return to the facility for the third straight year, and the camp will be open to the public. Players will report on July 28th, and the first practice will take place on July 29th. Andrew Luck will be back by then.

You May Not Have Known…

Twitter is the place to go for little-known facts and obscure statistics, and these two tweets were the most eye-opening for me this week. I’m sure you’re all aware of the excessive amount of wheelin’ and dealin’ that took place during the first round of the NFL Draft. In a very bold move, the Cleveland Browns traded up to draft the dynamic running back from Alabama, Trent Richardson. However, did you know that the Browns inquired about Luck? Apparently the Browns contacted the Colts about possibly trading for the first pick so that they could acquire the Stanford prodigy. Thankfully, the Colts said no.

Another fun fact involves the Colts second-round draftee – Coby Fleener. Fleener majored in Communications at Stanford, and he wrote a feature on SI writer Peter King for a school assignment. The story was posted on Twitter, and it’s incredibly well written. I see a second career for Fleener – as a fellow Communications student, I can appreciate good writing, and I was impressed.

Goodbye to Addai

In the final news story of the week, Colts running back Joseph Addai signed with the New England Patriots this week – in other words, he went to the dark side. Addai was the Colts’ first round selection in 2006, and he played six years with the team. He became a fan favorite and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2007. He didn’t go to the most desirable location – at least, in the eyes of many fans – but he is certainly going to a team with talent and should fit in well with the Pats’ offensive scheme. Remember, #ColtsNation, the NFL is a business, and these kinds of things happen all the time. Be happy for Addai and remember all the great moments he gave us. Listen to Robert Mathis!

That’s all #HorseBytes has for you this week. Check back in next Friday for updates on the first OTAs of the year!

Due largely to the general ugliness on the field, Addai has somewhat quietly missed four of the Colts’ ten games so far this season, and he may be out tomorrow against the Carolina Panthers.    Thanks to a nagging hamstring injury, Addai has managed a smidge less than 10 carries per game when he has played, down from more than 14 the last two years.  Of course, last year, he played only half a season, and the only year he played all 16 games was his rookie campaign, when he wasn’t technically the starter.

Addai has relatively few rushing attempts in his career, but he has taken a ton of abuse in his role as lead blocker, thanks in large part to the Colts’ poor offensive line play during his tenure.  He’s 28 now, and guys don’t usually get a lot healthier after that age.  In other words, as he approaches the dreaded 3-0, his market value is not likely to get higher than it is right now.

So, my modest proposal is that Addai is a viable candidate to be swept out the door in the coming housecleaning, in whatever form that takes.  Big changes are needed for this team, and there is no reason to hang onto an injured and aging back.  It’s not like his production from this season will be missed.  There has been almost none, anyway.

Joseph Addai should be kicking up his heels in Indy again this season.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen Tweeted tonight that the Colts have used some of the money freed up by Peyton Manning’s new contract to re-sign running back Joseph Addai.  To me, Addai is the most important of all of Indy’s free agents this year, particularly if they want to keep Manning upright in the pocket and have a chance to make some serious post-season noise.  Manning’s rough stretch last year came when Addai was injured, but it appears that the RB has recovered from his neck problem.  Addai may not be the most exciting runner we’ve ever seen in this town, but he’s part of what makes this special offense run.