WESTFIELD, Ind. - Daniel Jones got his payback on Day 2 of Colts training camp, and he did it by taking a few more swings at the secondary.
After Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr. had the upper hand at times on Wednesday, Jones came back Thursday at Grand Park Sports Campus and delivered a sharper, cleaner showing in another hour-long, unpadded practice. The Colts are still easing into camp, but the tempo is starting to climb.
Jones finished 7-of-9, a big jump from his 50.0% day on Wednesday, and spread the ball around to Jonathan Taylor, Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin, Tyler Warren, Seth McGowan and Mo Alie-Cox. He looked more decisive overall, but the day wasn’t spotless. He also threw an interception after a poor read and a throw into muddy coverage to Austin Ajiake, who took it back the other way for what looked like a likely touchdown.
Still, Jones answered the challenge. On Thursday, he attacked both Gardner and Ward with successful 10-plus-yard dig routes.
He connected with Dulin against Ward in 11-on-11 work, then found Treadwell over the middle with Gardner in coverage during 7-on-7s. He also showed strong anticipation on a corner route to Warren on the right side for about 15 yards.
The rest of the quarterback work was uneven. Anthony Richardson went 4-of-5, with completions to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine twice, Deion Burks and Anthony Gould, but the timing and anticipation still weren’t clean.
One throw to Burks on the left side was a little high, though catchable, and Cameron Mitchell snatched the deflection and took it the other way. Richardson bounced back a few plays later with a back-shoulder jump ball to Ben Nikkel, the former safety who has converted to receiver this summer.
Riley Leonard also went 3-of-4, hitting Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory and Burks, but his work looked just as scattered. The bigger issue for Leonard and Richardson was the same one that keeps showing up: both are holding the ball too long and don’t seem to trust their first reads.
The Colts opened with Jones at quarterback, Taylor at running back, Ashton Dulin, Josh Downs and Treadwell at receiver, Tyler Warren at tight end, and an offensive line of Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves and Jalen Travis.
On the second unit, the line was Blake Freeland, Dalton Tucker, Jimmy Morrissey, Jalen Farmer and Luke Tenuta. The third group featured Nolan Rucci, Josh Sills, Josh Kreutz, Geno VanDeMark and Bayron Matos.
There was one new absence from Wednesday to Thursday: linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, who was replaced by Austin Ajiake. The only other players missing were Alec Pierce, who has an ankle issue, and CJ Allen, who is dealing with a calf injury. Both remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.
Defensively, the first group lined up with Laiatu Latu, Colby Wooden, Grover Stewart and Arden Key up front, Ajiake and Bryce Boettcher at linebacker, and Sauce Gardner, Ward, Justin Walley, Cam Bynum and Hunter Wohler in the back end.
Gardner and Ward will draw the headlines, but Walley keeps making his case for attention. The second-year corner, who was one of the talk-of-the-team names last summer before an ACL injury, is stepping into Kenny Moore II’s old slot role and has been sticky through two days. He gave Downs a tough rep Thursday, staying with him stride for stride deep down the left sideline to break up the throw.
Rob Carter Jr. also flashed. The former CFL standout blanketed Raylen Sharpe on a short corner route for a breakup.
Special teams work was limited to installing the punt team, so the Colts still haven’t revealed who will handle the gunner, personal protector or returner jobs once live reps begin. That part of camp should get a lot more interesting when those roles are actually up for grabs.
In Other News...
Colts Camp Has An Undrafted Lineman Forcing A Real Roster Battle
A strong training camp has put Nolan Rucci into the conversation for one of the Colts final roster spots, an outcome that looked far less likely when the undrafted Penn State offensive lineman arrived in Indianapolis. The Colts already have a sturdy line in place, which is part of what makes Ruccis push noteworthy: he is not trying to win a job on a rebuilding unit, but rather to force his way into a group that does not have many obvious openings.
Ruccis appeal starts with the kind of college rsum teams notice even when a player goes unselected. At Penn State, he showed enough consistency in pass protection and kept the mistakes down, then carried that into camp with the sort of steady showing that can make coaches pause before trimming the roster. If he keeps flashing, the Colts may have a real decision to make on whether to stash him as a developmental piece or risk letting a promising lineman slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Lou Anarumo Has A Tough Colts Safety Decision Coming
Training camp has a way of turning depth into a daily test, and the Colts are feeling that at safety as Lou Anarumo sorts through a group built on versatility. The defensive coordinator has made it clear he wants interchangeable pieces back there, which is why the competition has stretched beyond the obvious names and into the kind of roster math that can define the final weeks of August.
Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas are right in the middle of it, and their battle sits on top of a deeper logjam that also includes rookies and veterans trying to carve out roles. With the Colts already sorting through crowded cornerback and safety rooms, every rep matters, and the decision on how many safeties to carry could make this one of the more consequential calls on the defensive side of camp. [Read more 🡒]