Thomas the following week in the Colts' rookie mini-camp sustained what the team announced could be a season-ending knee injury. The team has made no permanent move regarding Thomas' 2010 season, but it appears likely he won't be ready to contribute early this season, if at all.
That left many believing the Colts would pursue a veteran free agent.
Those believing that overlooked one factor:
That's typically not the Colts way.
And thus far, it hasn't been their way with cornerback this off-season, either. The Colts' philosophy is they would far rather play with young players with who can grow within their system than older players who have been discarded by other teams, and when discussing the cornerback situation, Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said during OTAs that's the inclination in this case, too.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Caldwell said. “We just have to get better. That’s kind of what this time of year is for, is to try to mold your team and develop your skill level, and in areas where you may be a little inexperienced, you try to improve on that through film study and work on the field as well, and hope you can get yourself in position to be a little bit better.
“That’s kind of where we are. We have our eyes on that position. We understand that position is one that we’re going to have to work extremely hard and the coaches will do a great job doing just that.”
That's the sort of off-season talk that leaves fans unsatisfied and nervous, but it's the same off-season talk the Colts have been talking for a decade, often to surprising results. The team started fourth-round selection Jason David on the corner as a rookie in 2004, and the team groomed rookie free agent Nick Harper into a solid corner early this decade, too. Last year, undrafted corner Jacob Lacey quickly developed into a solid player after proving quickly in training camp that he belonged in the NFL.
This year, the Colts appear to need a similar story.
Entering training camp, sixth-year veteran Kelvin Hayden and second-year veteran Jerraud Powers gives the Colts potentially their best starting duo at the position in several seasons, perhaps longer. If Hayden can stay healthy, he's a potential Pro Bowl-level corner, and while it's dangerous to project second-year players into the Pro Bowl, Powers developed into one of the strongest position players on the team strikingly quickly last season, giving him the appearance of a future elite-level player.
Lacey, who last season played extensively when injuries sidelined the two starters, perhaps isn't a Pro Bowl-caliber corner on the level of the starters, but teams could do far worse as a third corner.
As for what's next at the position, that will be a major training camp storyline, one that likely will develop throughout the season. Ray Fisher, a rookie seventh-round selection from Indiana, likely will get a major opportunity, and Caldwell during OTAs mentioned 2010 rookie free agent Jordan Hemby and first-year veteran Terrail Lambert as possibilities.
Whether anyone in that group can play at the level at which Lacey played last season remains to be seen, and if the top three remain healthy, it may not be a huge issue. If one of the younger players is indeed thrust into a playing role, whether or not they can develop quickly could be one of the most important Colts stories of 2010.
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