Midway through the first week of 2010 Indianapolis Colts training camp, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers three thoughts from Day 3 . . .
1.Tony Ugoh looks like a different guy. Let's say this up front: the truth is, it's hard to know after three days of training camp practice whether Ugoh moving to guard will be the move that makes him a productive member of the offensive line. Or if it's the move that gives the line the push on the interior it has lacked at times in recent seasons. One thing that's hard to dispute, though: Ugoh's approach is dramatically different this season and the guy seems to be enjoying football more than he has in three previous Colts seasons. Ugoh, the Colts' second-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, started at left tackle his first two seasons, moving into the position shortly before his rookie season after the sudden, pre-training camp retirement of Tarik Glenn. The Colts replaced him in the lineup before last season with Charlie Johnson, who remained there throughout last season. Johnson is again starting at left tackle, but now, Ugoh is working at guard. He said in the off-season his hope was to work and find a role on the line, and he said while he never has played guard at the college or professional level he is liking the move and enjoying camp. “I think coming into it I put a lot of pressure on myself, really,” Ugoh said of his first three seasons. “I think I was really forgetting that this is a game and at the end of the day, you've got to come out here and have fun.” Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said late last season Ugoh began improving, something he reiterated this week. “He's coming along,” Caldwell said. “Obviously if you go back to the end of last year, he was really making strides – then this spring as well. He's a really flexible guy in terms of his ability to play both guard and tackle. We're really trying to find a home for him in terms of where he's going to fit in in the grand scheme of things.” When Ugoh talks about being relaxed, it's easy to believe him. He has a more relaxed feel with the media in interviews, and is candid when he discusses his first three seasons. He said he likes working with new offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars and wants to focus on not putting pressure on himself and being focused. It's striking how at ease Ugoh seems, and it remains to be seen how that will translate in the coming weeks.
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