2022 Colts OTAs Practice Journal, June 1
The Indianapolis Colts were back on the field Wednesday for their second OTA practice session open to the media.
The team will hold a mandatory minicamp next week before another session of OTAs just for the rookies occurs the following week. That will give the Colts their last action until training camp begins near the end of July.
Wednesday's session saw the return of an important defensive starter while the offensive side of the ball saw some chemistry developing between quarterback and receiver.
Here's what I observed at practice today.
— Quarterback Matt Ryan had another solid day slinging the ball, completing his first 13 throws and showing off his timing, touch, and accuracy. Granted, the soft zone coverage deployed by the defense in these 7-on-7s makes for "easy" completions, but things looked smooth offensively with Ryan. One of his biggest plays of the day was a throw about 25 yards down the middle of the field to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in traffic. Ryan didn't look Pittman's way until just before the throw, and Pittman didn't show his hands until the last second as the ball landed softly at his midsection. Ryan was cooking during the red zone portion of the day particularly, finding wide receivers Parris Campbell and Ashton Dulin, tight end Kylen Granson, and running back Jonathan Taylor each for touchdowns from 10 yards out.
— A few young receivers had nice days playing with Ryan. Campbell in particular was all over the field, catching several passes and showing comfort with his new quarterback. Dezmon Patmon caught three consecutive passes from Ryan in what appeared to be a hurry-up portion of practice. Dulin also made some crafty plays and was commended by head coach Frank Reich after practice, who said he and general manager Chris Ballard have spoken about Dulin's high ceiling as a receiver.
— Backup quarterback Nick Foles threw a pair of interceptions on the day that were both solid plays made by young defenders. The first was a shot deep down the left side of the field intended for receiver Keke Coutee which was picked off by cornerback Alex Myers as he leaped up to grab the ball out of the air. Myers had another impressive play later, breaking up a pass in the back of the end zone intended for tight end Michael Jacobson while the ball appeared to be in Jacobson's grasp. Foles' second interception came in the red zone as he threw a strong pass to running back Nyheim Hines on the goal line. Rookie linebacker Sterling Weatherford jumped the pass and had plenty of grass in front of him to run.
— Speaking of Hines, he continued to do position drills with both the running backs and wide receivers.
— Safety Julian Blackmon returned to practice Wednesday after tearing an Achilles in Week 6 of last year. He participated in defensive back drills as well as 11-on-11s, which were essentially at an accelerated walk-through pace. Reich said he doesn't think it's a stretch to say that Blackmon might be available to start training camp at the end of July.
— Among those not participating in practice Wednesday were linebacker Darius Leonard (ankle), cornerback Kenny Moore II (holdout), edge defender Yannick Ngakoue (training away from facility), wide receiver Mike Strachan (undisclosed), and safety Khari Willis (undisclosed). Reich said the team is being cautious with Leonard's ankle. As for those not in attendance, Reich has reiterated that this period of the calendar is voluntary.
What did you think about Wednesday's OTA practice? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
Follow Jake on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL. Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter.
