Colts feeling good vibes at start of mandatory minicamp
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Mandatory minicamp began Tuesday at the Colts Complex, bringing together the whole team for a few days before the summer break.
“We’re just having a lot of fun,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “Just the energy in the building, energy at practice. I think we just got a great group.”
The Colts are keeping the fun going their minicamp taking over the Colts Complex on West 56th Street this week. Safe to say, there’s been a major morale shift since the end of last season.
“I’m just determined to get back to the work, honestly,” cornerback Kenny Moore II said. “I’m excited for this season, and you know I have a lot to prove to myself as far as making a lot of plays for this team. I’m looking forward to winning some ball games and having some fun with the guys in the room and the guys with the team so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
“It’s been everything I’ve dreamed of,” rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson said. “It’s a lot of work, and when I say a lot of work, I mean a lot of work. Just being with the vets, watching them work, and trying to find my own routine within everything – just grind day in and day out.”
Richardson says he has a home here in Indianapolis, but hasn’t seen much more than his neighborhood Walgreens. He’s spending all his time studying the playbook. There’s still a lot to learn but he’s loving what he’s seeing.
“I just get excited when I’m looking at it, in general, because it’s all new to me,” Richardson said. “I’m like, ‘Okay, what’s this? What’s this? Got to ask questions.’ I want to learn everything. I want to know everything right now.”
Richardson also added that though he wants to know everything, he has to remind himself he hasn’t played his first game yet.
“I tell them I want to know everything, but I can’t because I haven’t seen everything. It’s just a matter of remembering that I’m a rookie, but also making sure that I can be the best rookie there is,” Richardson said.
“He’s sharp. Seeing him early in the morning when he’s studying his notes, he wants it. He wants to work hard and be consistent. He wants to be, and he does it each day,” Moore said.
Richardson might be a rookie, but he’s catching up quickly.
“It’s funny because I remember the first day, he told me, ‘Man, that’s fast.’ You’re like, ‘Yeah it’s only going to get slower though,’” veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew said. “So, it’s been cool to see him. He studies hard. He picks it up. He wants to learn. He’s been doing a great job there. He has been improving stoutly, and I think he’ll continue to.”
Minshew and Richardson plan to keep improving chemistry with the receivers even during the summer in Florida.