He missed a good amount of OTAs. He’s been busy studying for final exams at Stanford University in order to graduate with a degree in architecture. He’s had no contact with coaches and has been practicing by guessing on formations from his playbook.

But Andrew Luck appeared far from rusty on his first day of Colts minicamp this week.

The mandatory, three-day camp – which included an open house and public scrimmage on Wednesday – showcased Luck’s immense raw talent to thousands of local fans. Most came away impressed with what they saw. The over all impression? Luck is the real deal.

This week #HorseBytes brings to you the reactions from the first work of the 2012 Colts as a team in whole:

The Colts opened Wednesday’s minicamp practice to the public, offering an open house and select-a-seat event in an effort to generate excitement about the upcoming season and sell off their remaining season tickets. Almost 8,000 attended the free event, which also offered free parking (wow!) and half-price concessions, along with the opportunity for fans to walk the field before the practice and meet the players for autographs at the event’s conclusion. The players clearly appreciated the overwhelming support from the community.

But fans wouldn’t have had this unique opportunity if it weren’t for the 3,000 remaining season tickets in the team’s possession. After the team cut Peyton Manning, many upset fans did not renew their tickets for the upcoming season. The team will need to sell these tickets to avoid blackouts of the team’s televised games. A good variety of tickets available at all prices and on all levels of the stadium were on display at the open house. Anyone in attendance who liked what they saw could literally sit down and claim their spot for the entire season.

So what can we take away from the Colts’ minicamp? It’s hard to make any concrete judgments since most of the practices were either walk throughs or drills. But the overwhelming consensus following the conclusion of camp is that Andrew Luck is hardly rookie-like. The former Stanford QB was calling plays at the line of scrimmage, reading defensive schemes, and throwing footballs in the chests of his receivers like they already had years of established chemistry. Dan Hanzus of the NFL had good things to say, detailing the positives of Luck’s accuracy. Albert Breer had a great take on the value of the rookie’s intangibles – his leadership and knowledge. Paul Kuharsky, who covers the AFC South, shared his ten observations from the public practice in his blog. Not one of these writers has anything negative to say about Luck – and these guys aren’t Colts PR staff, either.

As Andrew Luck says, he’s still learning, and from the looks of it, he may have an unlimited capacity for knowledge. Those non-renewing former season ticket holders may have to be put on a waiting list next season, because they’re definitely going to want back in when they see what their new QB – and his surrounding cast – can accomplish in the games ahead.

The Colts will now have 6 weeks off before the real work – training camp – begins in July. But don’t worry – #HorseBytes will be back next Friday with more Colts updates for you!

Jan. 1, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne (87) against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE

The Colts offense for next year is shaping up to be an interesting one. Although many Colts fans more than likely expect that the team will be weak offensively, we can still project what the potential starting lineup could be by week 1 of the 2012 season.

QB- This is pretty much a no-brainer: it’s going to be Andrew Luck, and if the Colts decide otherwise they are making a big mistake. I’m not saying that Robert Griffin won’t be a great QB, but I really think Luck is the better player.
LT-  There is little doubt that Anthony Castonzo will only improve in his second year, at least if he can stay healthy and protect the blindside of the Colts future.
LG- This is a tough one. It’s possible new addition Mike Mcglynn or someone like Joe Reitz could fill in here again. Whatever the case, this is the weakest spot along the line. Drafting here with the 64^th pick or bringing in a solid veteran might be a good decision.
C- Samson Satele is a good solid replacement for Jeff Saturday.
RG- Second year player Ben Ijalana is the favorite here, as he showed some spark in 2011 and has the potential to develop into a starting NFL guard this year.
RT- Winston Justice from the Eagles is a player with a low cost who could bring high reward. He can certainly contribute, albeit not at the highest level.

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Peyton Manning has made his decision, and the recently-released former quarterback of #ColtsNation is now a Denver Bronco. After 12 teams put in waivers for No. 18, Peyton ultimately whittled his choices down to Denver, San Francisco, and Tennessee, and it was the Mile High State that emerged victorious in the race for his services. While it will be hard to see Manning in any colors other than blue and white, at least the waiting, wondering, and questioning are over. Twitter went wild over the decision, and this week #HorseBytes will share with you what other deals took place in the wake of Peyton’s Denver signing.

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