5 Biggest Takeaways from the Indianapolis Colts' OTAs

With the offseason fully underway, we are already deeply embedded in the season of speculation.

Though how a player does on a particular practice day in May likely doesn't mean much for what happens in the regular season, we'll take any news we can at this point. This, of course, is still much more preferred to the actual breaking news that does happen during the offseason, which usually consists of season-ending injuries and contract disputes.

With the Indianapolis Colts, fortunately, the news has mostly been limited to positive soundbites. As we go through the long wait for the real season to begin, what kind of tidbits can we glean from the team's brief media availability?

From rookies to incoming veterans, rotations to starting lineups, here are the five biggest takeaways from the Colts' organized team activities (OTAs).

Phillip Dorsett Is Going to Fit in Well

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The biggest and most important part of OTAs so far for Indianapolis has been a quick immersion for rookie wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. The rookie was a shocking first-round pick during the 2015 NFL draft, with many questioning how much of an impact he'd be able to have during his first NFL season.

But Dorsett certainly seems to be on the track toward silencing those critics, showing up with highlight plays every time media members attend a practice.

This past week, it was beating Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis in camp, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. He's drawn the praise of numerous players and coaches, including Andrew Luck, Chuck Pagano and Jonathan Newsome, who named him one of three newcomers to stand out so far at OTAs.

The speedster out of Miami presents great opportunities for the Colts offense this season, and the quicker he is acclimated, the better. Lining up at every wide receiver position and learning a fairly complicated system, he has much to learn.

The Offensive Line Is Still a Mess

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It comes as no surprise to anybody, but the Colts offensive line is still a complete unknown.

It starts at right tackle, where Gosder Cherilus is still out as he recovers from offseason surgery. It would be one thing if the Colts knew he'd be healthy by the beginning of the season, needing bodies just to get them through camp. But Cherilus' diagnosis is cloudy, and it's forcing the Colts to try a number of bodies at right tackle.

Both second-year player Jack Mewhort and veteran utility lineman Joe Reitz have played right tackle at times during OTAs, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Veteran free-agent signing Todd Herremans can swing outside as well, and Chuck Pagano also mentioned Denzelle Good and Ulrick John to the media on Wednesday, per Colts.com.

But that shuffling leaves holes at other positions. Some combination of Reitz and Mewhort at left guard and right tackle seems to make the most sense, as they are the two linemen who have the best chemistry with left tackle Anthony Castonzo, as well as being the top two in line for the right tackle spot. But finding the group that has the best communication all the way across will be the key.

That communication starts at center, where the competition between Khaled Holmes and Jonotthan Harrison is in full bloom. Holmes got most of the snaps with the first team this week after Harrison was there last week, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The rotation will likely continue all offseason, and the anchor of the line must be made clear by the start of the season.

Pass-Catchers Are Even Deeper Than Expected

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

With Dorsett making waves, Andre Johnson seamlessly making the transition to Indianapolis and T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief returning, most people already knew the Colts had one of the deepest wide receiver groups in the NFL. With Dwayne Allen getting healthy to pair with Coby Fleener, most people already knew the team had one of the strongest tight end duos in the league.

But both of those positions may be even deeper than most realize if the most recent OTAs are any indication.

At the receiver spot, rookie Duron Carter caught a few eyes on Wednesday, going up and using his big body to secure a touchdown catch, according to George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin. If Carter is a legitimate threat, especially in the red zone, he could complete the Colts' All-Height lineup in the red zone with Johnson, Moncrief, Allen and Fleener, not to mention giving the Colts another long-term option.

The tight end position also showed a bit more potential Wednesday, with second-year tight end Erik Swoope making a few diving catches, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Chuck Pagano would tell reporters later that Swoope is "becoming a football player before our eyes."

Swoope is a former basketball player for Miami, but he made the switch to football last season. If he could actually become a receiving threat, it would give the Colts a lot of options when it comes to the contracts of their tight ends next offseason.

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

While the Colts haven't seen the rash of season-ending injuries that have hit some other teams, with names like Ryan Clady and Dante Fowler tearing ACLs during OTAs, the injury bug has still made an impact.

Veterans like Robert Mathis, Gosder Cherilus and Bjoern Werner are still recovering from injuries, for example.

With some of the veterans out, key younger players are getting more repetitions, which is never a bad thing. Of course, not having veterans in places like the offensive line doesn't help the overall chemistry of the group, either.

One player in particular who continues to suffer through injuries is outside linebacker Bjoern Werner, who told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star that he's never been healthy yet in his NFL career, which undoubtedly has contributed to his underwhelming performance.

But staying healthy, or being effective through pains and ailments, is a skill in itself, and it's one Werner will need to master if he wants to have a chance on the field.

The Colts have a deep group of potential outside linebackers this season, with a mix of young players (Jonathan Newsome, Zack Hodges) and veteran pass-rushers (Trent Cole, Robert Mathis). If Werner can't get on the field, he could quickly be passed up, as he was by Newsome late last year.

Depth Players Impressing

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

These OTA periods and minicamps, while voluntary for stars, are where the depth players earn their roster spots, and that's been the case for Indianapolis so far. 

While there have been a few reports of stars having their battles, like T.Y. Hilton and Vontae Davis jockeying back and forth on Wednesday, the real stars have been the newcomers. Not only have we seen guys like Dorsett, Carter and Swoope stand out, but defensive players as well. 

While it'll be difficult to earn a starting role early on for rookie Clayton Geathers, he's already shown enough to carve out a role in sub-packages, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

Outside linebacker has had a couple of depth players catch the eye of second-year linebacker Jonathan Newsome:

"

OLB Jonathan Newsome told me fellow @Colts OLB Cam Johnson is "showing out" during OTAs.

— Steve Andress (@ColtsReporter) May 28, 2015"

"

More JNew: "I can just tell when guys are ballin'. He's got a good motor, good technique. I think Zack Hodges is going to be pretty good."

— Steve Andress (@ColtsReporter) May 28, 2015"

Depth is key for any NFL team, and if the Colts can have young players ready to step onto the field and perform when the time comes, embodying the "next man up" philosophy, the team will be in good shape for a deep postseason run.