Preseason opener: Lions at Colts, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, WXIN-59

INDIANAPOLIS – Releasing Kendall Langford on Wednesday was not exactly the highlight of Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano’s day.

“They’re all tough,” Pagano said Thursday. “But when you have to … move on from a football player and a pro and a teammate like Kendall, it stings. It’s the worst part of the job.”

That said, it’s worth mentioning that there was something that made the decision just a tad easier.

It is the emergence of the Colts’ young defensive linemen, a group that has the coaching staff brimming with excitement, that gave the Colts the option to release the 31-year-old veteran lineman to begin with.

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It’s not a finished product yet, but the pieces are starting to come together. Pieces like Johnathan Hankins, Henry Anderson and Al Woods. Pieces like T.Y. McGill, Hassan Ridgeway and Grover Stewart.

The decision to release Langford, according to a league source, was not made in a vacuum. It was certainly related to the lingering knee injury that has sidelined him since last season. The Colts apparently were a bit weary of how long the healing process was going to take.

But the move was, just as much, a product of the promising play the coaches and front-office staff has seen from the remaining defensive linemen.

“We have as good a (group) now as we ever have,” said Pagano, entering his sixth season at the helm. “A lot of good football players in there. Great competition.”

This was evidenced by the intensity seen in the one-on-one pass rush drills between the Colts’ defenders and Detroit Lions’ offensive linemen in the first day of the teams’ dual practices at Colts headquarters. On a day when the Colts were mostly outclassed by the Lions, the defensive line of scrimmage was at least one area the Colts held their own.

Langford told IndyStar he was “completely blindsided” by his release, saying he expected the team would have been more amenable to giving him time to heal. The reality is, the team likely would have been more than willing to wait were it not for the defensive line depth behind him.

Injuries mounting

Starting center Ryan Kelly left practice Thursday with an unspecified injury and did not return. He could miss multiple weeks.

Inside linebacker Jon Bostic, who has been a mainstay with the starting defense through camp, suffered a finger fracture and underwent surgery to put a small plate in the digit, Pagano said. Bostic is scheduled to return to the lineup next week. Antonio Morrison, who has been lining up next to Bostic in the starting unit, is dealing with a groin injury and likely won’t practice until next week either, Pagano said.

Others missing practice include guard Joe Haeg (shoulder) and running back Marlon Mack (shoulder).

And then there’s receiver Phillip Dorsett, who has missed the past four practices with a hamstring injury, the latest in what feels like an endless string of muscle-related issues with the 2015 first-round pick. After getting off to a solid first week of training camp, Dorsett has done himself no favors by missing key snaps in the midst of a battle for the No. 3 wide receiver, while Chester Rogers and Kamar Aiken have been consistently in the lineup.

Clean practice

The Colts and Lions had a physical but controlled practice Thursday, with no apparent extracurricular activities between the teams.

Among the highlights: A goal-line period between the Colts offense and Lions defense, with running back Robert Turbin scoring with a strong push behind right guard Jack Mewhort.

“It gave us a different look than what our defense gives us,” Turbin said. “We had some good plays offensively than we had to check into, depending on the look, man or zone. It was good to be able to check and get into a better play. I thought both times I had the rock I was in the end zone. They called me short on one of them, but I thought the ball crossed the plane.”

Another Colts offensive play proved a mixed bag for Indianapolis, with receiver T.Y. Hilton beating two Detroit defenders down the seam and quarterback Scott Tolzien delivering an accurate, over-the-shoulder throw. But give cornerback Teez Tabor credit for sticking with the play and swiping the ball loose from Hilton after the catch.

Cornerback Darius Slay had a pair of interceptions for the Lions, one off a tipped ball and another off an underthrown pass by Tolzien that allowed Slay to jump the route.

Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder onTwitter andFacebook.