INDIANAPOLIS – There were times in 2016 when Antonio Morrison looked like he didn’t belong on the field. And then there were times the young inside linebacker would flatten a ball carrier and remind everyone of his status as an enforcer.

The trick was trying to ascertain which player was the real Morrison. The Colts’ coaching staff still isn’t completely certain. But coaches appear to have a better handle on the answer these days.

And that’s why Morrison has been a fixture on the first-team defense through the first week of training camp. Morrison, alongside veteran Jon Bostic, has taken the overwhelming majority of snaps with the starting unit in the base defense.

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A 2016 fourth-round pick from the University of Florida, Morrison seems to have solidified the areas where he struggled most in his rookie season. According to defensive coordinator Ted Monachino, Morrison’s ability to diagnose offenses before the snap has grown by leaps and bounds.

“The hardest thing to teach one of those inside linebackers is to have some patience and expand your vision,” Monachino said. “Antonio a year ago, at times, saw the game through a straw. Now he’s seeing it through a bay door. It’s slowing down for him. It allows him to see some formational things. He’s got a great feel for depth and route concepts. He just continues to play beyond what his limitations are to where you almost don’t notice the limitations anymore.”

Yeah, about those limitations …

They’re not something that can be dismissed. Morrison will never be mistaken for a track star. He lacks the kind of sideline-to-sideline speed you need from today’s NFL linebacker. Remember, this is a guy who ran a plodding 5-second 40-yard dash at his predraft pro day. (He ran it over the objections of his doctor as he was coming off a knee injury.)

But at those times last season when Morrison actually figured out where to go, he managed to announce himself in a violent fashion. Frankly, he’s the kind of physical force the Colts don’t have enough of. If he can play the game with more savvy in 2017, the Colts could benefit from that physicality more often.

“It’s great to have a thumper at inside linebacker,” Monachino said. “Not only does he have that innate ability to come downhill and strike people, but he understands the run game, he knows where the fit belongs, knows where to (funnel) the run to. It’s really important.”

None of that was evident in 2016, when Morrison failed to display instincts. But if Monachino is right — and we need to see more in the preseason for confirmation — then the Colts have some real possibilities at a position that has been one of their greatest concerns. His weaknesses will be ever present, and they might even force the Colts to substitute for Morrison in obvious passing situations.

Also, Morrison is no slam dunk. Even Monachino admitted that, “on the depth chart, there’s not a lot of separation.”

But if the learning process has accelerated at the rate the Colts say, you’re going to be seeing a whole lot of Morrison in 2017.

Sights, sounds

>> Parry, Alie-Cox still out: Defensive lineman David Parry and converted basketball player Mo Alie-Cox, a tight end, missed their second straight practices with undisclosed injuries. Alie-Cox has been wearing a walking boot on his left foot during practice.

Parry’s injury is certainly not well-timed. The third-year player from Stanford is in a fight for a roster spot after starting the past two seasons at nose tackle. This season, the additions of veteran Al Woods and rookie Grover Stewart in the fourth round of the NFL draft have put Parry in a precarious spot. Woods has already drawn the praise of coach Chuck Pagano while Stewart intrigues coaches with his combination of size (6-4, 333 pounds) and quickness.

It’s very hard to envision a scenario where the team keeps three true nose tackles on its final roster. So, this is beginning to look like a three-man race for two spots. That’s why the timing on this injury couldn’t be worse for Parry.

>> Denzelle Good update: With the offensive line’s starting five beginning to take shape, the role of third-year player Denzelle Good might also be coming into focus. If practices are any indication, Good looks like the second-team right guard for the moment. But the Colts also have the flexibility of knowing Good can take over at tackle if an injury crops up. If Good is the odd man out of the starting five, look for him to be the first guy off the bench as a swing backup — at guard or tackle.

>> Snap judgments: In what was a strange sight, offensive lineman Joe Haeg has been snapping the ball as a center in practice this week. He hasn’t done it in any full-team periods just yet — he’s only tried it in individual drills — but Haeg said he’s acclimating to the job and is ready to step in if he’s ever needed. Haeg has never played center at any level, so this is more of an exploratory move by the Colts.

If Haeg can prove he’s a competent snapper, he gives the team an emergency option at center. With Brian Schwenke still out with a foot injury, guard Jack Mewhort is currently the Colts’ backup center behind Ryan Kelly.

Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder onTwitter andFacebook.