Indianapolis Colts Training Camp: Week 2 Stock Report

This week marks the second week of the Indianapolis Colts' training camp, and football is drawing ever closer.

With a tease of preseason action in the Hall of Fame game last weekend, the Colts first preseason game now approaches on Sunday, August 16. The Colts will take on Chip Kelly and the Eagles in Philadelphia, which should prove to be an interesting test on a number of levels.

With this final week of training camp wrapping up before then, let's take one more look at how certain Colts players have stood out.

Training camp is a time for veterans to get in sync with one another, young players to earn a place in the rotation and coaches to install packages and principles that will become core pieces throughout the regular season.

This week, it was the young players that stood out in Indianapolis. Some stood out with excellent play, clawing their way into position battles, while others stood out by what they didn't do.

CB Jalil Brown: Up

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Heading into training camp, Jalil Brown looked like he might just be a camp body.

The Colts currently have 12 cornerbacks on the roster, after all, and only five or six will make the final roster. Brown was just one of the crowd, a four-year veteran who has bounced around waivers over the last few seasons.

But over the last week, Brown has emerged as one of the standout depth players, both to the media and to the coaching staff.

"

Jalil Brown with another INT. This one coming off a tip. Nice camp for Brown so far. Definitely an open competition for the 5th corner spot

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowenColts) August 8, 2015"

"

Chuck Pagano on cornerback Jalil Brown: "So far, he's one of the guys that really sticks out."

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowenColts) August 9, 2015"

Veteran linebacker D'Qwell Jackson also told Steve Andress of Colts.com that Brown had stuck out to him.

In fact, Brown has been even more impressive than third-round pick D'Joun Smith, and may be in competition for the fourth cornerback spot.

That's not anything against Smith, mind you. He's a rookie and Brown has four years of NFL experience, including two stints in Indianapolis. Smith will certainly make the roster, but Brown might actually be a better option for this season.

RB Josh Robinson: Down

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

When Josh Robinson was drafted back in May, there was immediate optimism.

Robinson, after all, was dynamic in college, and was touted as one of the most elusive backs in the draft by Pro Football Focus.

"

Josh Robinson: 94.2 Elusive Rating. 3.57 yards after contact per attempt vs Power 5 Opponents. Both second in the class to Gurley

— Matt Claassen (@PFF_Matt) May 2, 2015"

In Indianapolis, Frank Gore was the only sure thing, and his career is certainly on the downswing. There was room in Indianapolis for a rookie back to carve out a significant role, with a starting role potentially available down the line.

But through the offseason and a few weeks of camp, Robinson has failed to make much of a mark. Part of the issue is that Robinson has sat out of several practices with hamstring soreness. But the other issue is that Daniel Herron, who emerged last season, has been very impressive.

With the first edition of the Colts depth chart coming out on Tuesday, Robinson wasn't the backup running back. Herron was, as expected. But Robinson wasn't the third back either. He wasn't even the fourth back.

Robinson's name finally appeared as the fifth halfback, with Zurlon Tipton and Vick Ballard also ahead of him. That doesn't mean that he's in danger of not making the team, it's still early. But ideas about him taking over the No. 2 running back role in 2015 are quickly slipping down the drain.

WR Duron Carter: Up

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

If we're talking about offseason hype, the Colts' first taste in 2015 came when they signed Duron Carter in February.

There was a bit of a race to sign the son of Hall of Famer Cris Carter, and the Colts ended up edging numerous other teams, including the Vikings, Browns, Chiefs and Panthers.

But while Carter had plenty of fans hoping for the best throughout the offseason, the reality is that he was still a CFL prospect with no NFL experience. After the Colts signed Andre Johnson and drafted Phillip Dorsett, Carter was going to have to fight to even make the final roster, much less earn a significant role.

Carter still has an uphill battle to have a consistent role in the Colts offense, but he's shown enough ability to get people excited in Anderson this last week. He's been especially good in the red zone, where his size and excellent ability to adjust in the air have been on display.

"

Colts said Duron Carter's Friday "might be the best day we’ve seen from a Colts player after a week in Anderson." Caught 4 TD passes today.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2015"

Though Donte Moncrief is officially the third wide receiver right now, Dorsett is right on his heels, and there's a sense that Carter should be in the conversation. At the very least, he's going to find a role in red-zone packages.

LB Henoc Muamba: Falling

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Another CFL prospect, Henoc Muamba, was signed by the Colts last season. Muamba made the roster as a depth linebacker, and ended up playing 20 defensive snaps last season (and over 230 special teams snaps), per Football Outsiders.

Even with the addition of free agent Nate Irving in the offseason, Muamba had a good chance of making the final roster once again. He's experienced in the Colts system and has special teams value, after all. Rookie linebacker, Amarlo Herrera, was a sixth-round pick. That's not much of a commitment, and Herrera could be put on the practice squad, unlike Muamba.

But so far in training camp, Muamba has never been mentioned, while the rookie drew some attention with an interception and some notable red-zone work. According to Steve Andress of Colts.com, Herrera was the other player D'Qwell Jackson praised in camp (as well as Jalil Brown).

On the first depth chart, it was Herrera listed in the second string at inside linebacker, along with Irving. Muamba was limited to third string with Carlos Fields.

It's not a good sign when a player yet to play a single camp snap (Irving) and a sixth-round rookie are both listed ahead of you. The Colts will probably be limited to just four inside linebackers on the final roster, with more significant depth at outside linebacker to keep around.

It's possible that Muamba could make the roster as a fifth inside linebacker, but there would be much more confidence attached if he had made more of a splash in training camp.

S Clayton Geathers: Up

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Fortunately for Indianapolis, there is more potential on the defense.

Rookie Clayton Geathers has gotten more and more publicity as camp has gone on. The Colts love him, and it's coming through in the reports from camp.

Geathers has been playing with the first team as a linebacker in passing situations, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com says it adds a different dimension to the Colts defense. Stephen Holder of the Indy Star says Geathers could be the X-factor for the Colts in 2015.

A big part of Geathers' strong impression is how easily he has picked up the different concepts and roles in the Colts defense. For a rookie, it's been exceptional, veteran safety Mike Adams told Steve Andress of Colts.com:

"

I think he’s further ahead of most rookies. Most rookies when they come in you have to put them in one position and one position only, until they get everything else down. Here we threw him in the fire. He was at safety. He was at dime. He was back-and-forth, a lot of special teams. He was doing a lot of different things. For him to pick it up that quick, I was amazed. I can expect a lot of big things from him and for him to help us out tremendously.

"

Last season, D'Qwell Jackson was a huge liability in passing situations, so adding Geathers into those downs should make a big difference right away.

If he can be a long-term starter, of course, the Colts will have gotten more than their money's worth.