Each week during the regular season on Examiner.com, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers seven thoughts on all things Indianapolis Colts. Without further delay, here's the pre-minicamp version of the Magnificent Seven for the 2010 offseason, with training camp suddenly less than two months out.
7. No Reggie. On Thursday, Colts WR Reggie Wayne made the rather unusual announcement that he will not be attending the Colts' mandatory minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center this weekend. This is unusual on a couple of fronts. One, is that while Wayne rarely has attended the Colts' off-season conditioning and organized team activities sessions, he never before has missed mandatory off-season work. Two, is that while the Colts certainly have had players not thrilled with their contracts in recent seasons, few situations come to mind where any players -- particularly one as high-profile as Wayne. Either way, Wayne's unlikely to get much traction this off-season. He has two years remaining on his contract, and as is the case with DE Robert Mathis -- also unhappy with his contract -- there are a couple of factors working against a new deal. One is that the Colts rarely negotiate with players two years from end of their deals. Regular readers will know how much value Indy Football Report believes Wayne has to the offense. He isn't as far from being as important as Marvin Harrison was in his prime as people might believe. But with the Colts rarely re-negotiating this early – in addition to the first factor, their desire to get a new deal done with QB Peyton Manning – it's just hard to believe much will get done on Wayne's contract before next season.
6. No worries. Let's just stop gnashing teeth about the absences from Colts organized team activities, shall we? The three players not attending are Wayne, Mathis and S Antoine Bethea. Wayne almost never attends OTAS, and when he does, it's not for very long. He prefers to train for OTAs in Miami, and considering his four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, whatever he does there works. Mathis reportedly is out because he wants a new contract and Bethea has yet to sign the one-year tender the Colts offered when he became a restricted free agent this off-season. Yes, the three are Pro Bowl selections and key to the Colts offensively and defensively, but they are also all veterans and won't be hurt much by missing OTAs. If they were absent from training camp, it would be a different issue, but the contractual goings on in early June isn't likely to hurt the Colts come September.
5. A positive sight. Remember last season? When WR Pierre Garcon had the look and feel of a big-time contributor during OTAs and mini-camp? There hasn't been an eye-catcher on that level this off-season, but the Colts likely are legitimately pleased with seeing two veterans – WR Anthony Gonzalez and S Bob Sanders – participating in OTAs. The practices are only in pads, but each player appears to be running well, and Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell has said multiple times he likes what he has seen from each player. Don't underestimate the importance of each addition. While the Colts got to the Super Bowl without significant contributions from either last season, Sanders was the 2007 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and Gonzalez was a first-round selection in that year's draft who has shown signs of being a play-maker in two seasons playing extensively. The more each player plays, the better the Colts can be.
Comments