Predicting the Winner of the Indianapolis Colts' Biggest Training Camp Battles

As the Indianapolis Colts' training camp approaches, it's time to start with our predictions, both for the season and for training camp.

The Colts' training camp runs from August 1 to August 15 at Anderson University. The Colts' first preseason game will occur on August 16 in Philadelphia. The team will cut its roster down to 75 players on September 1, play it's final preseason game on September 3 and then make its final roster cuts on September 5.

Who will we see emerge with the biggest roles and responsibilities out of training camp? We'll continue to look at potential roster cuts and bubble players, but today we look at players that are almost certainly on the roster.

These players are virtual locks to make the final roster, but the starters and key rotational players are not necessarily set in stone. These battles likely will provide much more of an impact than the bottom-of-the-roster battles.

So before we get a look in training camp, who looks to be the best bet to come out of August on top?

Center: Jonotthan Harrison vs. Khaled Holmes

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

This battle has been raging since last season, and really it's a battle that has been ongoing since Jeff Saturday was allowed to walk away from Indianapolis.

Samson Satele wasn't the answer. The Colts decided A.Q. Shipley wasn't the answer.

The next two candidates are a fourth-round draft pick from the notoriously weak 2013 draft and a second-year priority undrafted free agent.

Strangely enough, the undrafted free agent, Jonotthan Harrison, is probably the one with more raw athletic talent. He's incredibly strong and moves well in run blocking, being one of the Colts' brightest spots in the run game. Unfortunately, Harrison's awareness is sub-par in pass protection, and his mental faculties failed him with a few mistimed snaps as well.

Khaled Holmes doesn't have the same push in the run game, but he's a bit more stable in pass protection. Holmes finished with a score of 96.7 percent in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency metric last year, compared to 95.6 for Harrison. Neither measure is particularly good, but Harrison's was one of the worst in the league.

Holmes also has a bit more of a knack for manning the middle of the line from a team standpoint. He seems to understand protections a bit better, at least from an outsider's point of view, as the offensive line was more in-synch with Holmes.

From Weeks 5 to 15, with Harrison in the middle, the Colts line as a whole had a pass-blocking efficiency of 75.3, the third-worst in the league. With Holmes in the middle from Week 16 on (playoffs included), the Colts finished at 76.2, ranking 21st in the league.

There is something to be said about small sample sizes here, certainly, but it matches the eye test as well. As long as the Colts are a passing team and Harrison remains unrefined, Holmes' edge in consistency will overshadow Harrison's promise.

Winner: Khaled Holmes

Left Guard: Lance Louis vs. Hugh Thornton

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With Gosder Cherilus' knee injury continuing to heal, 2014 starting left guard Jack Mewhort has been moved to right tackle for the foreseeable future. With left guard turning into an empty spot on the starting lineup, there is a chance for either Lance Louis or Hugh Thornton to redeem themselves.

If there is one that I'd be betting on for 2014, it's Thornton, though the decision to pick either is not one that I would relish.

Unfortunately for Louis, he just doesn't seem like he has the NFL body to keep up any longer. He was forced into seven starts at right guard last season after Thornton suffered late-season knee and shoulder injuries, but he looked slow and downtrodden for most of those games.

Bleacher Report 1,000 recently ranked Louis 67th among guards last season:

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Lance Louis started at different times for the Indianapolis Colts in 2014, but there are very few teams he would have seen the field with. Louis is very slow off the snap and lacks the athleticism and consistency in his technique to battle opposing offensive linemen, be it in the running game or passing game.

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Of course, Thornton was cringe-worthy when on the field at times as well, finishing with a negative 6.7 grade from Pro Football Focus (although that was less than half of Louis' negative 15.1 grade). But at least with Thornton, there are some positives. It's just the consistency, and health, that he must improve on.

According to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, the Colts like Thornton's potential, but his inability to maximize it due to injuries and inconsistencies has frustrated them. Thornton's role as a starter isn't guaranteed, certainly (especially if Mewhort moves back to guard), but if he's healthy, he's a better player with a higher ceiling than Louis.

Winner: Hugh Thornton

Backup Running Back: Dan Herron vs. Josh Robinson

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The backup running back isn't the most sexy of training camp battles, but it's been a key one for Indianapolis over the last few years.

In 2012, Vick Ballard became the lead back for the year after Donald Brown went down with injuries early in the season. In 2013, Brown returned the favor after season-ending injuries to Ballard and Ahmad Bradshaw and a disastrous performance from Trent Richardson. In 2014, it was Dan Herron taking over down the stretch after another season-ending injury to Bradshaw and struggles by Richardson.

The Colts signed Frank Gore to stabilize that starting role in 2015, which has both pros and cons. Gore is an ironman, with his 60 consecutive starts ranking first among active running backs, according to the NFL's Game Statistics Information System. Still, Gore is 32, and that makes him an automatic injury and/or workload risk.

If Gore gets hurt midway through the season, or if his body breaks down and he becomes ineffective, the Colts will need a backup running back to step into a larger role once again. Even if Gore stays healthy all year, the second back will be used in numerous situations to keep the veteran somewhat fresh.

Herron is the incumbent, and the favorite to win the role outright in camp. According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, Herron is the clear backup at this point in time, and took No. 1 reps in organized team activities (OTAs) when Gore was absent. While Herron isn't an ideal starter, he's very versatile and knows the Colts offense well.

If we're betting on the long-term play in the Colts' backfield, it has to be Robinson. The sixth-round pick was a bit of an afterthought in a loaded rookie running back class, but he has a slippery, powerful style of running and can catch passes out of the backfield well.

But for 2015, expect Herron's experience to win out, at least to start the season.

Winner: Dan Herron

Defensive End: Kendall Langford vs. Henry Anderson

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

There is another battle brewing with a rookie at the 5-technique defensive end position, but this one is slightly different.

Kendall Langford, unlike Herron at running back, is not an incumbent. He was signed to a four-year, $17 million contract this offseason (and just $2.5 million guaranteed). Rookie Henry Anderson is not a sixth-round pick, but a third-rounder, and one with a large amount of hype.

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Steal of the draft - Henry Anderson to the Colts. We'll be asking how he fell that far for years.

— Neil Hornsby (@PFF_Neil) May 2, 2015"

Still, the veteran is the likely training camp winner in this battle as well, though Anderson's situation should be much different than Robinson's at running back.

Anderson is incredible at getting penetration and making plays in the backfield, which should make him ideal for the Colts in passing-down situations, but the team will likely stick with Langford to start the season.

Not only did they just pay Langford their second-biggest contract of this offseason (only Andre Johnson's $21 million total contract value is higher), but he's a vet with more NFL experience. The Colts tend to trust veterans over rookies, at least over the last three seasons, although it's not uncommon for rookies to earn bigger roles by the end of the season.

Take T.Y. Hilton playing behind Donnie Avery and (for a time) Darrius Heyward-Bey in his first two seasons, or Jonathan Newsome and Donte Moncrief having to earn their well-deserved roles throughout the season last year.

Plus, Anderson is versatile and can play other spots on the line, meaning he'll likely see a more rotational, broader role early on as the team just tries to get him live snaps in a number of situations. If he handles the NFL talent level as well as some analysts think he will, he'll have the starting job by the end of the season. But before then, the veteran has the edge.

Winner: Kendall Langford

Safety: Clayton Geathers vs. Dwight Lowery

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Another veteran versus rookie battle, and it probably isn't too difficult to figure out the favorite based on the pattern.

But it's worth examining, given how much hype Geathers got throughout the Colts' offseason work. According to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, Geathers turned heads during OTAs:

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It might be difficult to keep Geathers off the field if the past couple of weeks are any indication. Geathers, whom the Colts selected in the fourth round, has been getting a lot of snaps in practice, even some with the first unit, during the team's OTAs.

“He’s further ahead,” coach Chuck Pagano said. “He’s kind of exceeded our expectations to this point.”

Pagano pointed out that Geathers has the size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) and athleticism to cover tight ends.

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Other local media members noted Geathers' impact during the offseason as well:

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Not surprised rookie S Clayton Geathers has been having a pretty good OTA the last couple of weeks. Have been impressed by his play.

— Tom James (@TribStarTJames) May 27, 2015"

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Can rookie Clayton Geathers earn a big role in Year 1? "I don't think there's any doubt about it," Pagano says. #Colts

— George Bremer (@gmbremer) May 27, 2015"

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S Clayton Geathers has gotten a lot snaps today and nearly just made a highlight interception. Keeping an eye on this rookie. #Colts

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 27, 2015

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Still, the signs still point to Lowery opening the season as the starter.

Most of Geathers' work in the offseason has been in nickel and dime situations, more as a linebacker than as a traditional safety. It seems that the Colts will find ways to get him on the field, but perhaps not as the base-defense starter.

Lowery also is a proven commodity, starting 38 out of 41 possible games over the last four years when healthy. He started 15 games for Atlanta last season, finishing with a positive 1.1 grade from Pro Football Focus.

As the Colts look for a long-term option, a league-average safety will do just fine. Lowery is dependable, and if he gets hurt, Geathers will have an opportunity to shine.

Winner: Dwight Lowery (for now)