The Colts had their final practice of training camp on Thursday, but not much will be changing for the team other than that they’ll no longer be staying in a hotel.
The team didn’t go away for camp and coach Chuck Pagano said Thursday that they will remain “in camp mode” because they haven’t come together in the way that Pagano would like. Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star reports Pagano’s frustration with his club was “evident” while answering questions from the media and Pagano made it clear that they haven’t progressed as expected.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Pagano said. “We need work, that’s it.”
All the work in the world won’t make up for players missing because of injuries and the Colts have had a long list of them this summer. Quarterback Andrew Luck, center Ryan Kelly, wide receiver Donte Moncrief, safety Malik Hooker and tight end Erik Swoope are among the players who have been out of action and Pagano lamented the lack of continuity caused by the absences.
Without naming names, Pagano also lamented the lack of work some players did to get themselves ready for camp.
“We’ve got nine weeks to try to develop guys,” Pagano said, via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. “The pros figure it out. The young guys, they don’t have a clue. We have them for nine weeks and then we have to cut them loose for five and can’t do anything with them. Can’t talk football with them. Can’t tell them what to put in their bodies. And we have to trust that they are doing the right thing so when they come back in five weeks, if they haven’t done what they’re supposed to do, there’s a good chance you’re going to pull [a muscle]. A really good chance. So, it’s on all of us.”
That’s also true of finding a way to compete despite anything that’s gone wrong to this point and time’s running out for the Colts to do it before the games start to count in the standings.
