Insider: What we learned about the Colts this offseason

Stephen Holder | IndyStar

Show Caption Hide Caption Chopping Wood: Colts insiders on Andrew Luck, offseason and more IndyStar Colts insiders Stephen Holder and Zak Keefer discuss the Colts offseason, Andrew Luck's progress and more.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts will remain a 4-12 football team until they prove they’re not one.

The last time we saw this club on a Sunday afternoon, it was bumbling its way through the 2017 season, finding inventive ways to lose games that could have been won. You are what your record is, someone once said, and the Colts’ record tells us they were a wretched football team.

Still, hope springs eternal this time of year, and the Colts have some legitimate reasons upon which to base their optimism. They have a new head coach, Frank Reich, who certainly has captured his players’ attention and whose scheme could have a significant impact on the team’s offensive production. They have 11 new draft picks, including sixth overall choice Quenton Nelson – part of several offensive-line upgrades that were way overdue.

More: Insider: Colts rookies Nyheim Hines, Deon Cain could be the real deal

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Colts coach Frank Reich talks as minicamp ends Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich talks as minicamp ends. He discusses the progression quarterback Andrew Luck will have as training camp nears.

Not to be overlooked is the apparent return of injured quarterback Andrew Luck, who recently threw publicly for the first time since October as the Colts wrapped up their offseason with a mandatory minicamp.

The man who is arguably the Colts’ biggest fan is already overflowing with anticipation.

“We’re just off and running,” owner Jim Irsay said. “We love our rookie class. We really feel like we’ve made significant strides with this draft (and) with some of our players that were young last year. Oftentimes, going Year 1 to Year 2 is a big difference. Of course having Andrew on the field, I mentioned it before. Things change. When you have that guy on the field, everyone knows you’ve got a chance and the sky’s the limit.

“We couldn’t be more excited.”

Even Reich, whose words are always carefully measured, took some liberties after the final practice when asked whether he could see signs of a team that can be competitive.

“I do think you can feel it,” he said. “You can feel as a coach, having been around. Obviously, we’re not in pads… But I really feel good about what we have. The talent level, the character level, everything that we’ve done, the commitment, I feel very confident that we have the pieces here to challenge week in and week out and do a lot of good things.”

A lot has happened this offseason. Here are some notable takeaways as the Colts embark on their pre-training camp vacations:

>> Instant impact

There have been numerous additions to a team that has turned over more than two-thirds of its players since January 2017. But tight end Eric Ebron is one newcomer who looks as though he could be particularly impactful.

As Reich said, they team is not in pads and offseason practices can, at times, be fool’s gold. But Ebron has been among the more impressive Colts this offseason, and Reich seems poised to fully tap into Ebron’s versatile skill set. Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni are going to put lots on Ebron’s plate, and they firmly believe the free-agent pickup can handle it.

“He’s really smart,” Reich said. “I knew that because we did our homework before he got here. We knew he was a smart player. But he’s like really a highly intelligent football player. And that’s really good because you want to use a guy with the versatility that he has and move him around and call all kinds of things with him. That helps. And he’s an explosive athlete.”

Ebron said he’s lined up just about everywhere except tailback during this offseason. He’s still working on persuading Reich to give him a snap or two in the backfield – it’s not happening, by the way – so he might have to settle for the outside receiver, slot receiver, traditional inline tight end and whatever else Reich can cook up.

There’s no question you’ll get a different assessment of Ebron if you speak to Detroit Lions fans, who gladly waved goodbye when he was cut earlier this spring. His dropped passes and sometimes questionable attitude are behind that.

But Ebron has a fresh start in Indy, and it’s up to him to make good on it. The Colts are fully prepared to give him that chance.

Colts tight end Eric Ebron explains the offense Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron discusses the offense at the end of organized team activities practice on Thursday, June 7, 2018.

>> Biggest surprise

We’re not breaking any news here, but this is something we can't say often enough: The Colts’ offensive line might be the team’s deepest unit.

We’ll pause here while you read that line again…

It’s sounds crazy, but it’s true. We cannot overstate the importance of adding Nelson, regarded by some as one of the best guard prospects in decades. Factor in the return of center Ryan Kelly from an injury-filled season, the signings of veterans Matt Slauson and Austin Howard and the selection of guard Braden Smith in the second round, and you have a unit where players are having to fight to get on the field. Though Smith was the 37th overall pick, he’s still having to wait behind Slauson at right guard because there’s no urgency to push him ahead of the veteran right now.

But Nelson is really the centerpiece of it all. While offensive linemen can be difficult to assess without pads, the Colts have already seen some of his rare traits. But there also have been reminders that he’s a young player and this is a process.

“When we run some of our gap-scheme runs where he’s pulling, one of the things on tape (that) everybody said – not just us – is, ‘This guy’s the best pulling guard ever.’ You can see that, man,” Reich said. “It just shows up all over the tape. I think it’s been good for him. He’s had a couple vets like Slauson take him under their wing a little bit. Even though he’s a great prospect and we’re really excited about him, he doesn’t have all the answers yet and there is a process of learning. I think he’s had one or two ‘ah-ha’ moments. I remember he was on a double team and I forget if it was Grover (Stewart) or Al Woods they were trying to move, but he wasn’t moving. I said to myself, I bet he’s not used to feeling that. The guys in this league, it’s just a step up.

“I love those moments. That’s what keeps you humble and what keeps you hungry.”

>> Biggest mystery

The Colts are bullish about second-round pick Darius Leonard, who was selected as a potential long-term answer at weak-side linebacker. But this fact remains: Leonard hasn’t yet seen the field this offseason.

He’s been limited by what is believed to be a pre-existing hamstring injury (Reich hasn’t gone into detail on most injuries) and is hoping to get on track for the start of training camp. This injury likely won’t impact the trajectory of his career in the long term, but it’s certainly not a great start for a player with high upside at a position where there’s so much uncertainty. It’s possible Leonard could still find a key role or even land in the starting lineup, but that’s going to be a tall order with all the time he’s missed.

“When you are implementing a new system and a new style, I think that every rep is important,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said. “So, to diminish that would be disrespectful to the game and, I think, to the players that have been in there.”

The fates of Leonard, along with defensive linemen Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis, will go a long way toward determining how successful General Manager Chris Ballard’s second draft will ultimately be. The picks were considered reaches in some corners, but the Colts certainly made them with conviction.

Time will tell.

>> Rookie to watch

This we know: The Colts are going to be a young team. They will be especially young after having a league-high 11 draft picks this year.

So, we should expect some of those rookies to play key roles.

One in particular, Nyheim Hines, could be really fun to watch. Hines, a running back from North Carolina State drafted in the fourth round, is the perfect fit for a coach like Reich. The Colts want to emphasize matchups, and who’s a better matchup than a guy with the ability to play two positions? This former slot receiver/running back/return man could provide some exciting highlights if the Colts can get him the ball when he’s in space.

Put simply, there might not be a draft pick in this year’s class who fits the Colts better than Hines.

>> Reason for hope

Some things never change.

Among them: The fact that the presence of Luck has the greatest potential to change the Colts’ fortunes. You know it. And the Colts know it.

The question is how much should you allow yourself to dream, seeing that Luck is still not yet all the way back? The bottom line is Luck is in a much, much better place than he was this time last year. He’s throwing full-sized footballs, for one. And, more important, he has an established timeline that projects he'll be ready to start training camp in six weeks. Reich even shared the details of that progression, which includes stationary throws, throws on the move and, ultimately, aggressive throws on the move to receivers running at full speed.

Granted, he’ll still need to play in his first game, take that first hit and complete his first pass. There are lots of milestones left. But there is, unquestionably, more justification for optimism about Luck than at any time in the past 18 months.

Just listen to Irsay and you can tell.

“It’ll be really exciting,” Irsay said of Luck’s return. “Of course, you have your memories of the Kansas City (playoff) game at home and the ball fumbling and him picking it up and jumping over the goal line, him hitting T.Y. (Hilton) for 65 yards to win the game. Like I said, it’s worth the price of admission and more when you’ve got a guy like that on the field and healthy.”

Irsay, as usual, is getting a little ahead of himself. But why not? All signs are positive. Go ahead and dream.