With the Indianapolis Colts' 2010 organized team activities sessions ongoing at the team's practice facility, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a daily look at the team's most-pressing issues . . .
One of the fuzzier storylines of the Indianapolis Colts' 2010 off-season may have gotten a little clearer early during organized team activities.
This was Thursday, eight days ago. Most notably, this was the first time Colts K Adam Vinatieri had spoken publicly since the end of what was the longest, most-frustrating season of a career decidedly short on such seasons and decidedly long on history.
Vinatieri knew immediately the topic:
The hip and knee injuries that cost him most of the 2009 regular season and the entire post-season. He addressed it quickly, positively and enthusiastically, and that he did has to make the Colts feel more confident in their place-kicking situation than they have been in more than a year.
“Everything's healed up and looking good,” Vinatieri said at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on the first day of media availability of OTAs. “The entire off-season, we've been working on strengthening everything back and making sure I'll be ready for a long season.
“Things have been moving in exactly the direction we wanted to go.”
That's something Vinatieri has been waiting for since the 2009 off-season.
They're also words that should ease some of the concerns and blogosphere buzz surrounding the Colts' kicking situation.
Shortly after the draft, speculation among observers was that Brett Swenson – a free agent from Michigan State and one of the most productive kickers in college football the past four seasons – could push Vinatieri, but that speculation was largely based on a lack of information over whether Vinatieri was completely healthy.
This is not say Swenson can't push Vinatieri, but the Colts kept Vinatieri on the active roster throughout the playoffs last season even when they had veteran K Matt Stover kicking in his place. He's no ordinary kicker. He's a captain and a team leader and there's little indication the Colts don't very much want him to he their kicker not just this season, but for the next several years.
That's something Vinatieri very much wants, too.
Asked during OTAs how long he planned to kick, he laughed loudly and referred to the legendary Morten Andersen, perhaps the greatest kicker of the last three decades and a player who kicked into his mid-40s.
“Let's see, Morten kicked until he was 45, so . . .” Vinatieri said.
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