Early Predictions for Indianapolis Colts' 2015 Training Camp Battles

During the NFL offseason, it's never too early to start projections.

Although there are still several months until the Indianapolis Colts begin training camp, fans are already looking ahead to when actual football will be played.

As the team works toward improving and becoming a true Super Bowl contender, training camp will be a key part of the team's growth. It is in training camp that the current 90-man roster will be trimmed down to 53. It is in training camp where the lineups and rotations that will shape Indianapolis' season will be formed.

We're not yet to that training camp, but we can look ahead to its contents and project who will emerge from camp battles in certain key spots.

Center: Jonotthan Harrison vs. Khaled Holmes

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

One of the most high-profile battles this offseason will be at the center position, where the Colts have had their biggest holes throughout the years (and I'm not talking about rushing holes).

Last season, the Colts had three different centers, with fan-favorite A.Q. Shipley being replaced with undrafted free agent Jonotthan Harrison, who was subsequently replaced by Khaled Holmes. Though Shipley was arguably the most reliable performer, he was not the kind of powerful run-blocker that the team wanted at the position, and he was allowed to join Arizona in free agency.

So Harrison and Holmes remain, and among the two, the Colts hope to have their center of the future. Though the resources spent on the two players (a fourth-round pick and an undrafted free-agent contract) were not exhaustive, the Colts like the two players' potential and have not made any other attempt to solidify the position.

So who will win the battle?

This is a complete unknown, and we'll likely flip-flop on our projections as we go throughout the offseason. The Colts will swap players in and out of the ever-changing offensive line as they try to find the best combination. It's an evenly balanced scale, and it will tip either way the Colts are leaning on any given day.

On Wednesday, the Colts had Harrison taking the majority of first-team snaps, according to the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder, so we'll give him the edge today.

Winner: Harrison

Backup Running Back: Dan Herron vs. Josh Robinson

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Colts have a plethora of interesting elements in the backfield this offseason—from Vick Ballard's attempted comeback to undrafted free agent Tyler Varga's campaign to make the roster—but the battle that will have the most impact on the field is between Dan Herron and Josh Robinson for the backup running back role.

Frank Gore will be the closest thing to a workhorse that the Colts have had in years, but the team will still be looking to curb his minutes throughout the season to keep him healthy going into the postseason. The Colts veterans have been injured going into each of the last three seasons, and it makes a significant impact.

Fortunately, both Herron and Robinson are capable backups, especially if Robinson's college tape translates to NFL success. We know what Herron is, by and large. He's a back who can capably do just about anything that's asked of him, though his ceiling on any given play isn't particularly high and he's had fumbling issues.

Robinson is a bit more of an exciting prospect, with an elusiveness and power that Herron lacks. Still, as a rookie with no experience, it's difficult to label him the favorite for the position. If this was just talking about OTAs, I'd probably have to give the edge to Herron. But Robinson's potential intrigues me, and he's a hard worker that will put the effort in this offseason to make the transition as smooth as possible.

It's an optimistic projection, sure, but what other kind are there in the offseason?

Winner: Robinson

Right Guard: Hugh Thornton vs. The Vets

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Drafted a round ahead of Khaled Holmes in 2013, Hugh Thornton is still trying to figure out his role in Indianapolis.

Is he a backup guard? A starter? He doesn't have the versatility to be a swing tackle, and he's not a center, so it's really limited to those two options. Solid depth or legitimate starting option?

The difficult part about Thornton's projection is that he really didn't take a step forward last year at all. He had some potential to build on after his rookie year, particularly his strength and aggressive nature, but he failed to clean up his mental and technique mistakes.

The Colts brought in veteran Todd Herremans to compete with Hugh Thornton this season, although it depends on how the lineups shake out. The team also re-signed Joe Reitz, who is more dependable than Thornton in pass protection. Unfortunately for Thornton, he's reaching the limit of "How many chances do we give a young, developing player?"

I think Thornton could start for the Colts next September, but only because Gosder Cherilus' injury may force the team to shuffle players across the line.

Winner: The Vets, particularly Herremans

Safety: Dwight Lowery vs. Clayton Geathers

When it comes to the Colts defense, the term "veteran-friendly" comes to mind.

Not only does the team have a wealth of veteran minds in the locker room and a player-friendly defensive coaching staff, but the complicated defense is one that tends to favor veterans over younger, unproven defenders, especially in the secondary.

This is why I've given veteran safety Dwight Lowery the edge over rookie Clayton Geathers for the starting strong safety job. While Lowery is a career journeyman, he has experience in a few different defensive systems that Geathers does not. This is a big key that will allow Lowery to slide into the Colts defense and succeed early on, and it's reminiscent of Mike Adams' signing last year, as head coach Chuck Pagano noted, per The Herald Bulletin's George Bremer:

"

Pagano: Dwight Lowery has picked things up quickly. "It's kind of like when Mike (Adams) came in last year." #Colts

— George Bremer (@gmbremer) May 20, 2015"

Geathers has some traits that could translate to a good starting safety down the road, but for now, Lowery is the guy to help fill the hole in the Colts secondary.

Winner: Lowery

Depth Cornerback: Donald Celiscar vs. The Vets

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

A lot of the Colts' secondary discussion this offseason will, and should, revolve around the drafted rookies: D'Joun Smith and Clayton Geathers.

But when it comes to the cornerback position for Indianapolis, Smith's role is all but set in stone as the fourth cornerback. There is little room for him move up quickly unless Greg Toler or Darius Butler really underperform in training camp.

The fifth cornerback position, however, is still up for grabs. Of the incoming talent that could compete for the spot, which is made up of undrafted free agents, Donald Celiscar out of Western Michigan is my favorite to potentially grab the job. He's familiar with press coverage and isn't afraid of a challenge.

But there are a number of veterans who are looking to stick in Indianapolis, namely Sheldon Price, Jalil Brown and Deveron Carr. Price has been in Indianapolis, bouncing between the practice squad and roster, for the last two years, while Brown has had a couple of different stints on the team over the last two years as well. The Colts thought enough of Carr at the veteran combine to sign him off the street.

The problem for these vets is that I think we've seen enough of them to give another guy a shot. They've been around long enough, perhaps too much for their own good, whereas Celiscar brings the allure of the unknown.

The fifth cornerback position is a developmental spot more than it is a depth position, and none of the veterans have shown that they could be dependable as depth anyway.

Winner: Celiscar