With so much focus throughout the week on QB Peyton Manning’s thoughts on the Colts’ communication regarding their offensive assistant coaches, a lot of what he said in his first press availability of the offseason this past Tuesday was overlooked by a lot of people. Indy Football Report, included.

Some of Manning’s most interesting thoughts came on the importance of the organized team activities.

Those who follow the Colts won’t be surprised that Manning considers OTAs critically important, but he provided some good detail on how he approaches OTAs, and what he wants to gain, mentioning on Tuesday that that morning he worked out with rookie RB Donald Brown and rookie WR Austin Collie:

This morning at 8 o’clock I threw with Donald Brown and Austin Collie. I try to take two guys a day and have an individual session with them — just take three or four routes and try to master those routes. Instead of throwing one repetition of each route, we try to master three or four of the most basic routes. That’s what Marvin and Reggie and I did for so many years and trying to do that with these young guys. . . .

These individual sessions that we have with these young receivers really pay off. I remember last year having about two private, 45-minute sessions with (TE) Gijon Robinson, just working on some things. You don’t know when it’s going to come to fruition. I remember the Cincinnati game last year, boom, all of a sudden he catches eight catches and Dallas is wondering what’s going on. All of these balls that used to come to me and going to him. But I tell you, I feel it was that work in that third week in May, just some of those things he and I talked about that all of a sudden gave me the confidence to go to him. I’m sort of hoping those pay off with these young guys somewhere during the season.

Among the most insightful comment was what he said about Clyde Christensen, who has assumed offensive coordinator duties in the absence of Tom Moore, the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 1998 until early this month. Moore, like offensive line coach Howard Mudd, could return as a consultant, but neither are currently with the team. Manning on Christensen:

I’m not 100 percent ready to go into that ‘What if?’ scenario because I just don’t know. But Clyde and I spent a lot of time together talking during the week. He gives me great insight on what the receivers like: ‘Hey, Reggie thinks he can get deep on an out-and-up. Marvin knows he can get beat on a post-corner.  Gonzalez feels better about this route.’ And Clyde also for the most part for the last three years has basically been implementing our third-down package and our red-zone package and last year we were No. 1 in both categories. Tom has given him great flexibility and input.
    

He also discussed the absence of eight-time Pro Bowl WR Marvin Harrison, released in February:

What really hit me hard, two weeks ago we had our big fund-raiser for St. Vincent’s Children Hospital and we had kind of a VIP reception in the locker room. We had the locker room dressed up like it would be on game day. Everybody’s nameplates, everybody’s uniform and jerseys in there. It was really a neat thing for fans that don’t get to see that. What hit me hard is I got there first and saw the
lockers and saw Reggie Wayne’s locker and saw that blank locker right there next to it, which of course No. 88 Marvin Harrison. That kind of hit me and those things will happen along the way that will remind you of the way things used to be. I don’t know if you ever get over it or ever get used to it, but you do have to adjust. Coach Dungy always taught us that and coach Caldwell is preaching
that, especially during this time with some of the things that are going on.

 

He also was asked about having a “normal” offseason after undergoing knee surgery shortly before training camp last offseason:

I didn’t face some of the things I faced last year. I felt pretty good around this time last year. I was dealing with some things, but envisioned a normal and healthy training camp. But I will say anything I have had from last year . . . I have some reminders  that it’s there just because of my scar here, but I do feel good. It all feels good at this point. Monitoring the throws yet still getting the work in that I need to get done with our receivers. I feel good physically and hopefully that’ll maintain certainly into training camp but hopefully throughout the rest of the season.