Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning says this year’s training camp has a lot of value.

And while that’s true of most camps, Manning — entering his 12th season as the Colts’ starter — said the Colts’ defense’s added fronts, coverages and changing looks have made the work the offense is getting in 2009 Colts Training Camp all the more valuable:

I kind of welcome these looks against the starting defense. It’s a little more what you see during the course of a season – multiple fronts, different coverages and what not. I think it’s good learning for us and our young players – kind of what you’re going to see during the course of a season. Every day in practice, there’s something new to learn from. . . . For us on offense, I think it’s good seeing some different looks, because it’s what you’re going to see during the course of a season.

Manning, last season’s Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player, said whatever the details of the defense’s approach, training camp is valuable because of the quality of practice:

You really form the foundation of your offense and your defense. You get a good feel for what plays work. Training camp is when the starters go against the starters and you just don’t do that as much during the season. We do it in certain situations, but in training camp, every day it’s starters versus starters. That’s good competition for linemen to be blocking (defensive ends) Dwight (Freeney) and Robert (Mathis) and the receivers trying to get open on (cornerback) Kelvin (Hayden) or (tight end) Dallas (Clark) trying to get open on our linebackers and safeties

Manning, who missed training camp and preseason after offseason knee surgery a year ago, said he already has seen the benefit of being in camp:

There are some advantages to taking advantage of this situation if you will. I didn’t do that last year and I felt like it did take its toll a little bit early in the season. Now, just because I’m in training camp this year, does that mean we’ll come out and everything will be great this season? Not necessarily. You still have to do it and earn it, but I definitely like being out there, and I feel like we’re certainly further along as an offense at this point than we were at this point last year. . . . I just think every day we just have to bring the intensity. We have to keep working to get better every day.