With training camp over, what have we learned about the 2022 Colts?
The Indianapolis Colts are officially finished with training camp and here’s what we learned as the team prepares to start the regular season.
It seems like everyone was just waiting for the day the Indianapolis Colts returned for training camp, and now, camp is over. On Thursday, Indy had its final training camp practice and they will conclude the preseason on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, Indianapolis will transition to its regular-season practice schedule.
With camp now over, it’s a great time to look back at the past month and evaluate the things we’ve learned about the Colts. Should fans still be excited about the season? Are there any major areas of concern? Should Indianapolis start preparing to celebrate a Super Bowl? Let’s take a look at some of the good and bad takeaways from training camp.
Good takeaways from Colts training camp
One of the biggest things everyone learned from training camp is that Indy’s defense will be elite. Since the beginning of camp, the defensive unit dominated, daily. That was their expectation, though, after all of the pieces they added.
Last season, Indy already had a top-10 defense with three Pro Bowlers. This offseason, Indianapolis added Stephon Gilmore, Yannick Ngakoue, and several other veterans. This gave the Colts a nice mixture of young and older playmakers and they all quickly adjusted to Gus Bradley’s defense. The scariest part? Shaquille Leonard hasn’t even taken the field yet. Once he’s back, this defense has the potential to be incredibly dominant.
Lingering concerns following Colts training camp
Speaking of Shaquille Leonard, his status is one of the biggest concerns for fans following training camp. He didn’t practice at all and the team has been very vague about his recovery, refusing to give him a timeline. While Leonard and the team maintain that the injury is addressed and it’s only a matter of getting back to full strength, fans can’t help but be worried until they see Indy’s dynamic leader flying around the field.
The other big concern that fans are left with is the fact that Indy’s offense has many of the same problem areas it did last season. While morale is up about the quarterback position with Matt Ryan, there’s still worry about the left tackle position and the group of receivers.
The Colts had the chance to address both throughout the offseason and they decided to go with retuning unproven veterans and rookies. Throughout camp, there was a theme of inconsistency at both tackle and receiver and the young players in those positions will just be forced to learn on the fly.
Ultimately, the Colts do have some areas of concern but they are in great shape. They’re easily the best team in the AFC South and should win the division. Once they punch their ticket to the playoffs, anything can happen. With a potentially elite defense, a quality run game, and a veteran quarterback, Indy has the structure to contend for a championship.
