The Magnificent Seven: Weekly comments and observations on the Indianapolis Colts

Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell (AP Photo)

We're three days and three real practices into 2009 Indianapolis Colts training camp, so while it may be early, it's not too early to offer some comments and observations.

Let's call it the Magificent Seven, because seven's as good a number as any, because it has obvious football meaning and because . . . well, because we still have a long way to go . . .

1) WR Reggie Wayne is still very, very good. He joked about being a decoy in practice on Monday, and whether that was the reason or not, QB Peyton Manning threw his way several times the following day. To watch Wayne run routes and snatch balls with his hands away from his body is to watch a professional near the peak of his ability. It would be surpising if he doesn't have a huge year.

2) LB Clint Session is a key player to the Colts' defense. He moved from strong-side to weak-side linebacker this season, and in the Colts' defense, that's the player expected to be the team's leading tackler. Session is in his second season as a starter and needs to be more consistent in that spot. He's capable of doing so and that will be a key area to watch in the coming days and weeks.

3) QB Peyton Manning is the heart of the team. Well, duh, you say. No, it doesn't take a football genius to know Manning's key, but there is a decidedly different feel to this year's camp than last year when Manning was out following offsseason knee surgery. His accuracy and leadership in practice gives the Colts' offense an efficiency in practice that makes them look well ahead offensively of where they were last year.

4) TE Dallas Clark has a real chance at the Pro Bowl. He barely missed it last year, and he reported to camp fully healthy and very much in his prime. He's running crisp routes and in his seventh season, has the look and feel of a veteran ready for another huge year.

5) RB Donald Brown is very, very good. The Colts' rookie first-round selection has been hyped heavily by fans in recent months, but college football's lone 2,000-yard rusher last season has looked fast, strong and able in practices. He's had several long runs and appears to see the field well.

6) RB Joseph Addai is very, very good, too. It became vogue to bash Addai in the offseason, but Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell kept saying he expected Addai to have a big season this year. He's leaner -- OK, he's down two pounds to 208 -- but he said this week he feels leaner and he's been running with fresh, potent legs in practice. Addai always has been able to see the holes well, and you get the idea watching him in practice that what the Colts' offensive linemen have been saying all offseason is true -- that it wasn't Addai's fault that the Colts' running game struggled last season.

7) OG Ryan Lilja may be back. It's too early to guarantee that Lilja will be in the starting lineup when the season begins, but there's more cause for optimism by the day. After missing last season with a knee injury, he worked in OTAs and opened training camp working with the first-team offensive line. He has worked in all three practices so far, which may not sound like much, but for a guy who had three knee surgeries in a year and a half, it's a lot better than the recent past.

TRAINING CAMP NEWS

K Adam Vinatieri says he'll be ready for regular season

Colts becoming Head Coach Jim Caldwell's team

WR Reggie Wayne continues to be team leader

EXAMINER SERIES: TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH THE COLTS . . .

1) Will Jim Sorgi be the backup quarterback?

2) Will Special Teams be Special?

3) Who will be the Colts' breakout player in 2009?

4) Will loss of former Head Coach Tony Dungy hurt in 2009?

5) What will defense look like in 2009?

6) Will DT Ed Johnson impact the defense in 2009?

7) How important is the return of OG Ryan Lilja in 2009?