WESTFIELD - The Colts are through the second week of training camp. And yet somehow, it's still only Aug. 7.
It was 94 degrees on Monday, and then it was drizzling rain on Wednesday.
They call these the dog days of camp.
This team has a number of evolving conversations, of intriguing upside and concerning spots on the roster. The mailbag is about diving into them. Last week, I decided to start it early when trapped on a bus for nearly two hours while waiting to get into Dwight Freeney's Hall of Fame speech:
So, I'm going to expand on the questions in here. (For future mailbags, either follow me on X @NateAtkins_, where I put out the call; or email longer questions to natkins@indystar.com.)
Let's get to it:
Doyel:Colts' WR room isn't good enough. Nick Cross injuring Josh Downs didn't help.
Question: "How has Josh Downs looked so far in camp? What’s your feeling on where he currently sits in the offense’s pecking order?" -- @EvanMadden7 via X
Answer: For my money, Josh Downs has been the best Colts offensive player this training camp.
That's surprising to say for a player in his second season, and it hasn't been the crispest camp for everyone else. But he's been superb as a route runner, from his pre-snap motion to reveal the defense to his ability to settle quickly into zones or to beat man coverage with sharp cuts that lose almost no speed in his change of direction.
Downs is still just 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, but the physical definition of his lower half, spatial awareness and consistent hands look like those of a seventh-year pro. I'm not sure I've seen a young player this ready across the three teams I've covered.
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And after watching Golden Tate's championship-winning, veteran-savvy routes live at the heart of a Jim Bob Cooter passing game in Detroit, I started to see some of the same potential in Downs.
So, it was a scary situation when Nick Cross rolled onto his ankles during a 7-on-7 drill in Wednesday's practice and Downs immediately grabbed for his lower leg. He hobbled off with what is now a high ankle sprain, a source told IndyStar. That means he'll be out four to six weeks, putting the start of his season in jeopardy.
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For any games he were to miss, some spotlight in the passing game would fall more on Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce and whoever can finally emerge at tight end. I'd expect Michael Pittman Jr. to see some moments in the slot. But I think the most likely shift is that that Colts would sub out the slot role more in order to play with two tight ends, which would lean into the Anthony Richardson-Jonathan Taylor backfield combination even more.
This offense is versatile in its personnel, which helps with situations like this. But Downs is valuable in the long-term to give Richardson some easy wins in the passing game and to keep the backfield from getting overworked. He can be like an extension of the run game with his consistent volume, which is key to sustaining the upside of this system across 17 games.
Question: "When will Laiatu Latu get the starting job? He’s talked about like a rotational edge rusher. With the Samson Ebukam's injury, it seems like this should be an easy decision." -- @JohnPaulJ11 via X
Answer: I think this answer comes down to how you want to define a starter. If it's the player who literally starts each series, I think it could be Dayo Odeyingbo opposite Kwity Paye, given his much greater build to handle the run.
If you're asking who are the primary pass rushers, I think Latu is a lock to play opposite Paye.
If Downs has been the Colts' best player on offense this camp, Latu is in a competition with Julian Blackmon for the defensive version of the award. Latu has flashed just about every day with his speed, body control and relentless pursuit around the edge against two good tackles in Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann.
On Wednesday, he learned to rush against a double team and to work a stunt inside on Quenton Nelson, and he still didn't look like a rookie.
It's early, and he has to prove he can stay healthy after the neck surgery. But Latu looks like the player who had 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles-for-loss over the past two seasons at UCLA.
"He's exactly the athlete we thought," assistant general manager Ed Dodds said. "A lot of football players, defensive linemen are blunt-force, where they spend so much time fighting the man in front of them. He's always on someone's edge. I think the good rushers just have a good ability to where if you're the tackle, they're not focused on you. They're seeing the target. That's an instinct that he has that shows up."
We still need to see Latu in a full tackling situation and against a team that will game plan against him. Like most rookies, he needs to add strength for the run game. But the hope is that he's insulated on a line with Paye, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart with Zaire Franklin behind him.
The Colts badly need him to become the rusher who can dominate on an obvious passing down against maximum protection.
Question: "Are you buying the AD Mitchell hype? I want to believe." -- @Cassieper via X
Answer: I think this all depends on which hype you want to read into. Some corners of the Internet have already placed Adonai Mitchell in the Hall of Fame, which makes it a little harder to buy into.
As a long-term bet, I certainly see it with Mitchell. When he lines up in 1-on-1 drills, he often towers above defensive backs at 6-foot-2, only to burst into the early part of the route and change direction to kill in the later part of the route with consistency. In those moments, he looks like the kind of player who could play at Georgia and Texas and make big plays in College Football Playoff games. Like the player who scored a 9.97 out of 10.00 on the Relative Athletic Score, which compares all draft prospects by position since 1987.
But I also see the pieces of Mitchell that are still a rookie, only 21 years old and fell out of the first round despite those jaw-dropping metrics. Those are clear in team drills, where he's still trying to fit his routes with the overall system and find his spots to become the man open in a progression. He's also dealt with some concentration drops.
I think it's unlikely Mitchell has a big role in the short-term. That's as much about his role as the Colts' X receiver, splitting reps with Alec Pierce as the clear No. 3 option at best in an offense that wants to set an NFL record in rushing if it can. The Colts are going to play Mitchell and Pierce in a partnership this year, because they offer some different immediate skills. Pierce's ability to space with fast routes and block for that run game will get him on the field even absent the downfield plays he can add to his game.
That could shift in the short term, if Josh Downs has to miss a week or two with the high ankle sprain he suffered in Wednesday's practice. But overall, I'd be hopeful for the long-term in an offense with a need for downfield receivers for Anthony Richardson and with Reggie Wayne coaching the details and managing his fire and growth.
This year will be about the flashes on low volume. That's what that X role for him and Pierce will be all about.
Question: "What would be the TE pecking order in your opinion?" -- @sweetlou760 via X
Answer: So far in camp, the two tight ends who have played most with the first team are Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson. Drew Ogletree has checked in with Alie-Cox when they've worked on short-yardage drills for the run game, and Will Mallory and Jelani Woods have worked with the second teams.
It's been hard to find too many highlights.
I think the Colts are waiting for Woods to earn his way to the first team with some consistency. He's flashed at times, such as with two yards-after-catch rumbles in Wednesday's practice, but he's also dropped a couple of touchdowns and is still working on his blocking technique. Because of his upside -- think a Relative Athletic Score of 10.00 out of 10.00 -- I think he's a lock for this team if he's healthy.
But until he shows that consistency, I could see Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson earning the lion's share of reps. They play different roles, with Alie-Cox the blocker and Granson the flex tight end, and Ogletree and Mallory then slot in behind them, respectively.
Mallory is likely a roster lock because he was drafted last season and has shown some promise. And I think Alie-Cox could get there if he continues to receive so many first-team reps. The Colts value experience in the room and in that blocker role, and Alie-Cox has had their trust.
If the Colts keep six wide receivers as I think they will, they might need to stick to four tight ends. That could leave Alie-Cox, Ogletree and Granson battling for two spots.
We need to see more flashes out of these guys in order to see some separation.
Question: "What’s the craziest game you’ve ever covered in your career as a sports reporter?" -- @Andrew_Thomison via X
Answer: I like to think of myself as a young reporter still, definitely not fighting rising metabolism and an aching back. I then realize I'm already in my ninth season covering this league.
The memories are adding up.
In pure craziness, it's hard to top the game where the Colts led 33-0 at halftime and lost under Jeff Saturday. I'll never forget the big plays that built the lead and the collapse, the roar of U.S. Bank Stadium when the comeback came on, the stunned nature of every Colts player and the way it felt like a team collectively died at halftime. I'm not sure I've felt the identity of a team, or a full season, more in a single moment than that one.
The Colts have had some other games that were perhaps less crazy but memorable in their own ways:
Jonathan Taylor scoring five touchdowns in the rain against the Bills in 2021 is the greatest offensive performance I've ever seen on an NFL field.
The Colts' loss in Jacksonville to end that season is the biggest meltdown I've ever watched.
Last season against Tennessee was a wild swing of momentum and gigantic plays -- like two punt blocks -- in a game that fittingly went to overtime.
In other stops, I'll always remember when the Lions were running a play against the Falcons to win the game inside the 5-yard line, but a review was called that didn't overturn the ruling, and a 10-second run-off meant the game was over. I can't possibly forget Kenneth Walker III single-handedly carrying an undefeated Michigan State team over an undefeated Michigan team in my last game before coming here. And I was also there when Missouri basketball lost to No. 15 seed Norfolk State on a shot that rimmed out at the buzzer.
Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
