The presence of a player like Kelly is critical to the success of the Colts' offensive line moving forward. Not only that, but the Colts had a new offense to install this spring under head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni.

Kelly reflected on the importance of he and his linemates being present.

"I know that the offensive line – that's all I've ever played, so that's all I've ever known – and I think it's always been the most special group on the team because at the end of the day, I think we have four or five new guys in the room. That may not seem like a big deal, but when you lose guys in a room like that, it definitely changes the dynamic of it," Kelly said. "I think you have to have this time right now to assert yourself and identify who you guys are and I think we're just a tough, smart group. I think where we were from day one to where we are now, I think we've come a long way. Coach (Dave) DeGuglielmo has been incredible for us, just helping us get along."

The Colts aren't missing many faces from the line from last year — Mike Person and Kyle Kalis are contributors from 2017 who weren't re-signed for 2018 — but they do have some new players to get acclimated.

The Colts signed guard/center Matt Slauson as well as tackles Austin Howard and undrafted free agent Jared Machorro this offseason. They also drafted guards Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith.

Kelly — being the center — makes the offensive line calls, so him being around during the installation of the new offense is important, but the Colts also needed to get the new guys acclimated.

The offensive line is a group that totally plays as a unit, so the more they gel outside of game action, the more likely they are to perform at a high level when the games do get started.