The Indianapolis Colts began mandatory veteran minicamp on Tuesday, which marks the final week they will be together on the field until the team returns for training camp.
The practices at minicamp are simply an extension of OTAs. There is no contact or full pads being worn over the three days.
Here are four notes from the first minicamp practice for the Colts on Tuesday:
Andrew Luck will miss minicamp
The Colts have been extremely cautious about Luck’s calf strain. That will continue through minicamp as the 29-year-old won’t participate in the final week of spring workouts.
Luck has been throwing significantly, though, despite the calf strain keeping him from participating in team activities. The Colts fully expect Luck to be ready for the start of training camp, barring a change.
Though it has been frustrating for Luck to sit out his third consecutive spring, there doesn’t seem to be much concern that he will miss training camp.
Eric Ebron is running full speed
The Colts tight end room is extremely thin due to injuries right now, but they got some encouraging news with Ebron, who had a procedure to correct a groin issue this offseason.
Ebron was seen running routes at full speed on Tuesday. The former first-round pick was a huge part of the offense in 2018, and is expected to be a big red-zone target for Andrew Luck again.
The fact that he’s running full speed is a good sign that he should be ready for training camp.
Pierre Desir showing why he got an extension
The Colts signed Desir to a three-year extension this offseason after he had a strong 2018 campaign that saw him take a hold of a starting role on the outside.
Though his spring has been relatively quiet, he made plenty of noise Tuesday at minicamp, especially when it came to working in one-on-one drills.
It remains to be seen who will emerge as the starters in the cornerback room for the majority of the upcoming season, but one of the boundary spots is certainly Desir’s to lose, barring any changes.
Pair of rookies see first-team reps
For the most part, the rookie class for the Colts hasn’t seen a ton of work with the first team on either side of the ball. That changed a bit on Tuesday as cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and linebacker Bobby Okereke saw some action on the first-team defense.
The fact that the rookie class hasn’t seen much action on the first team squads isn’t concerning. The Colts have added considerable depth to both sides of the ball over the past two offseasons.
How much run these rookies get with the first teams will certainly be something to watch throughout minicamp and eventually into training camp.
