The last such opportunity came during the second weekend in May, during rookie minicamp. While the camps are held without pads and their value shouldn't be overstated, there were a few things we learned about the Colts. 

This week, the Colts will be beginning their annual organized team activities (OTAs), annually the main source of information prior to training camps in late July and August. The Colts' OTAs will take place on May 20-22, May 28-30 and June 3-6. 

Although live contact is not permitted, 7-on-7, 11-on-11 and similar drills are. Meanwhile, quotes from coaches and staff can be informative as well. There are plenty of angles to watch for this year, so what should we expect to see as the team meets?

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For the Indianapolis Colts, it's also a time for some veterans to watch their backs.

There are a number of players heading into camp that have real shots to grab starting jobs.  Meanwhile, the guys ahead of them are beginning to feel the heat.

While the players are getting prepared to start a new season over the next couple of months, let's go ahead and take a look at the players that should be looking behind their backs.

Note: Depth chart orders are based off of the listings from Ourlads.com.

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As a football fan, the time between the draft and training camp can be excruciating with most news involving off-the-field trouble, such as Titus Young's three-peat arrest last week. 

As writers, most of the summer will be spent reviewing film, crunching stats and doing more long-form analysis. It's a great time to buckle down and study larger trends without worrying about next week's game. 

However, there are a few opportunities for news and notes, as inconsequential as they may be at this point in the offseason. One of those times comes in rookie minicamps, where rookie draft picks, undrafted free-agent signings and tryout invites gather at team complexes to give coaches their first impression of the rookie talent. 

The Colts' rookie minicamp took place from Friday through Sunday, May 10-12. Although the drills among other rookies without pads aren't the most informative sessions, they still can give us an early glimpse into what is happening in Indianapolis.

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With the signing, the Colts now have 11 undrafted free agents on their roster, and have invited 13 others to tryout at minicamp. 

With the Colts still lacking depth at several positions, you have to assume that these UDFAs have a real chance at making the final 53-man roster. The road will not be easy for these players, but they now have an in. 

So which of these players have the best chance of making the final roster? Let's narrow it down as best as we can. 

The Colts have several positions that could use depth, and there are also many areas that have more than enough to deal with.

Interior line (both offensive and defensive) is one place where I don't see any UDFAs making the squad. The Colts have a lot of competition on both sides of the line currently with 10 interior offensive linemen and 12 defensive linemen on the roster. The Colts also have decent depth at outside linebacker, where Robert Mathis, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner, Lawrence Sidbury, Justin Hickman, and Mario Harvey all look to compete for roster spots. 

So, I'll be looking away from those positions, and instead focusing on the UDFAs that actually were signed rather than the tryout invitees.

With that being said, who does have a chance at making the roster?

OT Emmett Cleary, Boston College

While the Colts have a lot of depth at interior line, the offensive tackles have a thin group. With Winston Justice visiting other teams, the Colts have nobody behind Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus. Jeff Linkenbach and Bradley Sowell can play tackle in a pinch, but both played poorly in spot duty last season. 

Cleary was Castonzo's roommate in college, but doesn't have Castonzo's foot quickness or overall athleticism. But Cleary does have the size and length necessary to protect against edge rushers at 6'7", with 34 1/4" arms. He likely will never have the physical tools necessary to be a long-term starter, but Cleary could give the Colts some depth at the position.

CB Scheldon Price, UCLA

Continuing with the theme, Price has all the physical tools to be a solid corner in this league. At 6'2", with long arms, Price uses his height and length well in press coverage, using it to stay with his receiver and distract the WR without committing fouls. 

Price also showed solid foot quickness and has good long speed as a former track star. Unfortunately, Price is a little skinny, weighing just 180 pounds. He needs to show that he can stay physical with NFL-level receivers, but if he can, he could be a playmaker from the nickel/dime corner spot. He has very good ball skills, using his long arms to to extend from his body and reach the ball. 

CB Nigel Malone, Kansas State

The other two corners that have a shot at making the roster are Nigel Malone and Daxton Swanson. Both corners are small in stature, standing at about 5'10" and 185 pounds. Both can struggle with giving up size to wide receivers, and in the film I watched of the two, both can allow big possession receivers to get the advantage over them. 

I like Malone a little better in my brief study of the two. Malone is a little quicker and has a slightly faster break on the ball. He's not afraid to mix it up physically with bigger wide receivers, even if he has a disadvantage. I would like to see a better job from him in regards to shedding blocks in the run game, but he could be a special teamer and potentially provide depth at corner. 

WR Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State

The two receivers that have been signed are Rumble and Baylor wide receiver Lanear Sampson. Sampson played against competition at Baylor, but Rumble was the No. 1 guy at Idaho State, something Sapmson never managed. 

Both have some thickness to them that is ideal, but Rumble's extra two inches makes him a perfect red-zone and downfield target. 

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In four short seasons, McAfee has gone from the crazy party guy to the matured, but still very comical, man that he is today.  Whether he's golfing at one of the local courses, stopping through Mike's Car Wash (yes, I worked there) or going to the Pacers games, he's always around in Indianapolis.

I had the opportunity to ask McAfee some questions, and the answers that came were truly great. 

What makes the Colts organization stand out from the rest of the NFL? 

Well, I’ve had the incredible luck to not have to experience any other organizations. I got drafted here and I’ve been here ever since. I don’t know exactly what separates us from other teams but I’d like to think we’re be a pretty good model for how teams are supposed to act towards their fans.          

First and foremost, we have a kickass owner. I’m not just saying that because he pays my check and it’s a contract year. I’m saying that because I truly mean it.

In a world where most billionaires are all about talking about taking care of and helping people, Jim Irsay walks it. He’ll send out a tweet or two that judgmental folks question loudly but in the end, he’s a man who has a substantial amount of cash, is ridiculously successful and Colts fans reap the benefits of it.

The guy gives back to the fans mucho, and us players have followed suit. We give away tickets to games, money, merchandise, so many things via social media—not because we have to, nobody tells us to do it, but because we want to.

From the top, to the bottom, we appreciate the hell out of our fans, and I don’t know if all teams genuinely do.

What is the most memorable moment of your career so far with the Colts?

I don’t think I’m at the point where I can tag one particular moment as the most memorable. I’ve been a part of quite a ride. My rookie year, I was spoiled. Came in, we rattled off 14 straight, only lost because we chose to really, made it all the way to the Super Bowl...and lost, obviously.

But in my head I was thinking “This sh** is easy, we’ll be back next year, and we’ll get a ring then." Fast forward a couple years and I was a part of a team that could’ve went completely defeated. Then a complete rebuild, lose all of my friends basically and somehow a younger, unfamiliar family is built and we find our way into the playoffs.  You add that with while the new family is being built our leader had to fight off a life threatening disease.

I’ve had a pretty crazy four years. Seeing your coach beat leukemia and returning to the sidelines is amazing. Winning an AFC championship and kicking the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl when you’re 22 is pretty awesome. Befriending Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers is pretty cool, but I’m just enjoying the ride, looking at every day in the NFL as a memorable moment. Because who the hell knows what’s in store for any of us tomorrow?

The Colts have now had back-to-back punters in Hunter Smith and yourself that have been widely popular around the city. Why do you think that is?

Hunter is a guy that I knew would be very tough to follow. Everybody is good in the NFL, so if you’re taking somebody’s position, no matter what the position, it’s going to be tough. That’s just the way it works. Replacing someone sucks. You feel bad about it, especially if the person is an incredible human off the field. And that’s what Hunter Smith is. Hunter was a Colt for a long time and helped a lot of folks in Indiana. For that, every Hoosier, including myself, is thankful. Now it’s my turn to help the Indianapolis Colts on fourth down, and use my pedestal to help out. And I think people appreciate that.

With the news about Coach Pagano and the CHUCKSTRONG movement this past season, what was the atmosphere in the locker room like?

Unless you were in the team meeting the Monday we were told about our coach having leukemia, I don’t think you’d ever understand. We walk in there and everybody in the building is in the meeting room. Instantly everybody starts questioning “What’s up?" Usually it’s only the players in there.

This day, trainers, equipment managers, front office, interns, everybody was in there. We all knew something big was coming. “Who got arrested?”... “You think Mr. Irsay sold the team?”… ‘How the hell am I going to sell my house if we move to LA?” These are all actual statements that were said. Meeting was supposed to start at 8 a.m. 8:01 comes, 8:02…the tardiness fueled our questioning. If a meeting is at 8 with Chuck, it starts at 8.

About 8:04 rolls around and Mr. Irsay, followed by his entire team walks in. Mr Grigson, his daughtersand a couple folks I did not recognize.. “What the hellllllllllll?” I said. Then we hear the news, and all of our hearts dropped. Chuck’s doctor tells us the gameplan, say’s he’s going to beat it and return to the sideline. Bruce Arians gets announced as interim head coach and BA says, “We’re going to work for Chuck, we’re going to leave the light in his office on until he comes back, we’ll break every huddle with Chuck on 3, let’s fight for the guy who’s fighting for his life."

At that moment the entire season changed.. A group of players who didn’t have the chemistry of teams who have been together for 5-10 years all of a sudden had a common goal. And that common goal was to win for a man who we respected and would be fighting for his life. It brought us together, it made us a family and #Chuckstrong made a crap load of cashola to help the folks who saved our coach’s life. It was pretty badass bro.

This year against the Tennessee Titans you had a perfect punt that put the Titans at the one-yard line.  Was that something you were planning on doing? 

Well, every punt is supposed to turn out that way, haha. Yes.. I planned to do that, it just so happened to work out perfectly. A lot of people think the “Coffin Corner” style of punting is dead. It’s not, it’s just much tougher to do nowadays. It’s easier/safer to just punt the end over end punt straight ahead.

Special teams coaches have gotten smarter since the earlier days of directional punting. When a punter is angling it towards the sideline, he is forced to go a little bit outside of the pocket. So if the other team has a freak athlete who can beat your outside blocker, he has a damn good chance of disrupting the kick.

Directional kicking has a lot to do with the protection these days, a single block has to be able to be made by the “slot” or, to make it easier. The widest guy blocking…we had a great group of dudes that gave me a nice pocket, made my life easy. I just have to punt it where I’m trying to more often. Like that one.

What inspired you to start the Pat McAfee Foundation?

I appreciate our men and women in uniform so much. They are the real heroes. I can’t fathom the selflessness involved in serving our country. The willingness to put their lives on the line to protect our freedom is so admirable to me. Every man or lady I see in their fatigues/uniform, I shake their hand and I thank them for their service. It’s something more Americans should do.

With all that being said, I wanted to come up with a way to thank them, and honor them in a creative manner. So giving scholarships to the children of these heroes is an idea my father, Tim McAfee, and I came up with. We’re still in our first year, we’re giving our first winners their checks here in a couple weeks. But we hope to grow it into a big time operation, because the gift of education is something that can change families lives entirely. Check us out, and feel free to make a donation at www.ThePatMcAfeeFoundation.com

Can you do a better growl than Pat White? 

Hahaha. I can’t do anything better than Pat White.. I love that dude. Was an honor to be on his team in college. He was special, and I hope he can do some more damage in the world of football. Just not against the team I’m playing for.

Do you want to play your entire career with the Colts?  Do you think it's a possibility?

I’m really happy here. I love our team, I love the city, I love everything about being a Hoosier. But business is business. I work my ass off to be a hot commodity in the NFL. I have a one-year contract here, and I hope by this time next year I can say I have a multi-year deal to stay. But I have no idea, that decision is made by someone who is much more important than I to the Indianapolis Colts.

What are your expectations for the 2013 season?

Lombardi.

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The Colts brought in plenty of new faces to compete for these spots on the depth chart. They were able to recognize their weaknesses from 2012 and came out aggressively this offseason in order to try and address them. It will be interesting to see which new players will come in and take starting jobs, and which ones will be sitting on the sidelines.

The biggest roster battles are based off of talent along with a specific player's potential to make an impact during the 2013 season. For players that are not new to the team, projecting the winner is also based off of their previous performances with the team.

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While both players certainly have a chance at being the starter in Week 1, the Colts would be better off choosing Ballard.

Let's take a look at the two running backs and their numbers on the ground.

Brown was unable to stay on the field consistently last year.  In fact, through his first four years in the NFL, he hasn't played in 14 games in any season.  That kind of durability concern could hurt in the long run, but since he's only 26 years old, his injuries likely won't factor into the decision about whether or not he'll start.

Ignoring the time missed, both running backs' numbers look quite similar.  They have the same yards per carry, and the extra touchdown for Ballard is likely due to the fact that he played more than Brown.

However, the running style of Ballard over Brown is what makes him a better potential starter.

Remember that 2012 was Ballard's rookie season.  Even as a rookie, he showed that he can make smart decisions.

Looking back to Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the very first offensive play, you can see his smart decision-making.

On this run play, the Jaguars get pressure in the backfield.  Ballard sees the defender and simply goes around his offensive lineman to avoid getting tackled in the backfield.

While that is important, what come later shows promising signs of maturity.

You can see in this screenshot that Ballard is cutting in rather than going outside to the sidelines.  As a running back, it is always tempting to break to the outside.  However, Ballard notices that his linemen have created a running lane for him, and there is a defensive back waiting on the outside. 

The run went for 11 yards.  Sure, the run might have only been a few yards shorter by going to the outside, but the play was able to go for a first down.  Coaches constantly preach running north and south rather than always trying to break out to the sidelines.  Ballard's decisiveness in hitting the hole rather than hitting the sidelines shows maturity that rookie running backs don't often have.

On the other hand, Brown was often criticized for running side-to-side.  He was able to break a couple big runs with this running style, but too often it led to short runs or even runs for no gain.

The addition of Pep Hamilton as the offensive coordinator, along with new players on the offensive line, suggest that the Colts could possibly be moving toward a zone-blocking scheme like Hamilton had at Stanford.  If that is the case, Ballard's ability to find a hole rather than always head to the sidelines will make him a great fit as the starter.

Ballard started the season slowly, but found more and more touches and began to rack up yards.  Looking at this graph, you can see that he began to become a highly productive player in the offense.

As the season went on, Ballard continued to become a more reliable option on offense.  He was able to make some big plays, including an exciting play against the Tennessee Titans to win in overtime.

Meanwhile, looking at Brown, his numbers regressed over the season.

The falling numbers could have been because of the injuries, along with the Colts continuing to give Ballard more opportunities.  However, the drop in numbers during games he played, while ignoring the seven yards against the Miami Dolphins, show that his production dropped considerably.

Again, it will be a tough decision to make as to who will start at running back.  Both will likely be on the field enough.  If the Colts are looking for a long-term option as a runner to get the majority of carries, Ballard should be the guy.

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As moves are made throughout the offseason, projections and potential depth charts are constantly changing. It's important not to get your heart set on any particular lineup, because it will probably change sooner rather than later. 

With that being said, the core of the Colts' roster is pretty much set following the draft and the undrafted free-agents signings. 

90 players are currently on the roster, but that number will be trimmed down to 53 after training camp. Who has the best chance of making the final cut? 

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The Colts have been busy since the draft, bringing in 10 undrafted free agents.  There's plenty to like about these additions, and a couple of things to be critical about.

With so many guys coming in, let's go ahead and grade each addition to the team after the draft.

These grades are based off of how they fit with the team, if they fill a need and overall how talented they are compared to other undrafted free agents.

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Yet, every year, people read the grades released by the national and local media. Perhaps it's more of a guilty pleasure, people just like to complain and argue about them. 

Personally, I like draft grades. Are they really all that useful? Probably not. The popular saying is that you can't truly grade a draft for three years. I'd rather wait four or five years. 

But instant draft grades do have value, depending on how you view them. They're a picture in time, a way to look back and remember how prospects and teams were viewed at that moment. It's often more of a critique of the team-building strategy than it is a grade of the specific players drafted. 

So, with that all being said, here is what analysts are saying about this year's draft for Indianapolis. It may not accurately describe what this draft will look like in five years, but it's interesting nevertheless. 

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