The Indianapolis Colts' first week of training camp is in the books, and for the most part, it was fairly quiet. While everyone wanted all the news, a quiet and expected camp is sometimes best. There are no notable injuries as of yet, and the quarterback battle has taken up most of the headlines. The other major headline(s) have been the battle at defensive back, as multiple players are vying for that outside corner position. Let's break it all down for a quick recap.
Quarterback Battle
While unlikely in this era of the NFL, it was brought up on a national show that this is the only true camp competition in the entire league. It looked like the Giants might have one, but Russell Wilson was named Week 1 starter already.
It looked through the current practices that neither of these quarterbacks had separated themselves - that was, until Saturday. The stats showed that Richardson had his best day yet. While Jones had a decent day as well, it seems that many of his were dink and dunk types.
There are lots of videos showing Richardson out doing extra mental reps and doing some extra work. We have spoken about actions will speak louder than words this offseason with this entire team. Early returns seem to be favoring Richardson, but I stress it’s premature to give it to him now. I do think you need to name a starter after the first or second preseason game, but we are still weeks away from that
Cornerback Battles
We mentioned in our preseason content about how pivotal this battle would be. Now, I did say this would be mostly between Jaylon Jones and rookie Justin Walley, meaning JuJu Brents would be the odd man out. It looks like all three of them are going to have the opportunity for that outside #2 corner slot.
Brents is getting his chance to earn some playing time. We know the issue has not been talent, but it has been his health. If he can stay healthy then he might be able to leapfrog this competition. Could either Sam Womack and Corey Ballantine be the odd man now?
Early Tyler Warren Reviews
As expected, the early scuttlebutt on Warren has been dazzling. The team has praised his work ethic and overall demeanor. His on-the-field play has been great, and he has been all over the field. Of course, watching him progress week to week will be fun, but seeing how Steichen and this staff use him will be the real treat. It cannot get worse for this room compared to last season, as they were arguably the worst TE room in the NFL.
Contract Updates
Some of the best news we got was there were no contract issues or holdouts as of now. While the contract issues are past, two could return this offseason. Starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann is in a contract year, and from an interview on local Indy radio, negotiations are not going well. Alec Pierce might be in the same boat as well.
This is not surprising from Ballard from a money standpoint, but he does like to keep his top performers, especially those who are on the roster in a position of importance. A good and consistent left tackle is so hard to find. Yes, Raimann is a bit older, but his performance warrants a healthy extension. It was implied he would be getting a massive extension with the departures of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly this offseason.
The other one to watch is Alec Pierce. It appears the two sides have talked, but without much progress. I think you are seeing two possible scenarios playing out. First, they want to see the maturation and progess of Adonai Mitchell, who has a similar skill set - but Pierce, with his deep ball ability, could be keeping negotiations at bay. Finally, the most important in my opinion, is which quarterback will emerge from this camp competition. If Richardson emerges, then the value of Pierce increases, and if Jones does, then his value decreases. Richardson is a deep ball passer, where Jones is the more accurate chunk yards passer. Pierce's value by season end will be based on who the quarterback will be by season end so don't expect this deal to be done anytime soon.
One last wrinkle for these potential contracts, what does new ownership value on this roster? Do they think highly of Raimann and Pierce? With Ballard and this staff in a potential lame duck situation, does that play into it? They still have time to get these done, but sooner the better if it’s going to happen, so the distraction is gone.