Colts camp observations: Donte Moncrief looks great early

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was T.Y. Hilton who so bluntly advised his friend and teammate this spring. Go get it, he ordered Donte Moncrief.

So far Moncrief’s gettin’ it.

Still – it’s early. So early. The Indianapolis Colts are two days into training camp; they’ve yet to even strap the pads on. But if there’s been one constant, one carryover from spring to early summer to now, it’s been the dependability of wideout Donte Moncrief, who’s entering the all-important fourth season of his young career.

More:

Why Colts camp isn't in Anderson anymore, and why some fans are upset

Colts Camp Live with Jack Doyle

Insider: Colts finally see first-round pick on the field

Download the IndyStar Sports app to access all of our content in one place

The it Hilton was referring to: that coveted second-contract. Moncrief wants it. 

It’s easy to tell. Two days into camp he’s caught everything thrown at him.

The No. 2 receiver behind the Pro Bowler Hilton, Moncrief seeks to become a more complete target in 2017. He was a touchdown machine last season but little else, hindered largely by a midseason injury. If he wants to get paid next spring, he needs a career year this season. He knows it.

“My main thing is showing them I’m worthy,” he has said.

Thirty catches – Moncrief’s injury-plagued total from last fall – won’t do it. His career-high is 64, from 2015, and no Colt has grabbed as many touchdowns over the last two seasons as Moncrief’s 13. Early on, he seems to have improved his range, catching the high ones, the low ones and everything in between. That'll pay off come September, when it really counts.

Remember: Last year, it was T.Y. Hilton who dominated training camp on his way to a career year. Going all the way back to his impressive minicamp, Moncrief is offering early glimpses of the same thing.

But again: Time will tell.

Also on the receivers front: Chester Rogers, through two days of camp, clearly holds the Colts’ No. 3 receiving spot, with former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett and free-agent pickup Kamar Aiken behind him. Dorsett made a couple of deep catches during Monday’s workout and has looked smooth early.

The pads go on Tuesday, and the preseason games will be a major factor in how this receiving group shakes out behind Hilton and Moncrief moving forward.

Mewhort: Zero pushback from me

The last time Jack Mewhort lined up at right guard, he was a sophomore in college. It was 2011. His coach was Luke Fickell. Ohio State went 6-7 that year. (Worth noting: Urban Meyer has lost fewer games in the five seasons since.)

Six years later, Mewhort is reacquainting himself with the right guard spot. It’s the biggest surprise thus far into Colts’ camp, Mewhort sliding two spots down to the right side of the offensive line, switching from left guard – where he’s made 38 of his 40 starts as a pro – to right guard. The shuffling allows second-year lineman Joe Haeg to move to Mewhort’s old spot.

Mewhort joked that it makes sense, at least when it comes to pairing the long-locked Castonzo and Haeg next to each other.

“Get those two long-haired guys on the same side together,” he said.

As for the football thinking behind it, the move makes a lot of sense: Bolster the right side of the line with a steady veteran like Mewhort, who’ll now line up next to second-year tackle Le’Raven Clark. Clark, at this point, remains the unit’s biggest question mark.

Mewhort downplayed the decision Monday, citing the team’s propensity for cross-training – i.e. moving linemen to various spots on the line in an effort to prepare them for the unpredictability of the season. It’s helped in the past, namely with former Colt Joe Reitz, who saw action at four different positions. The team also experimented with Mewhort at the right tackle spot early in the 2015 season, but abandoned that two games in. Simply put: It didn’t work.

They’re hoping for better returns on this move, and weighing Mewhort’s dependability at the left guard spot throughout his career, there’s a good shot this pays off nicely.

“Put me in the direction and I’ll go do it the best I can,” Mewhort said of the move. “(Coaches are going to get) zero pushback from me. I’m gonna do it full speed, as fast as I can go. Moving around is good for everybody.”

In the end, it may be best for Clark, who after three starts last season offered promise but is far from a finished product. The Colts have sought for years the right five for their offensive line; they’re closer, for sure, but the unit isn’t “fixed,” as owner Jim Irsay pledged in June. Far from it.

Other observations:

>> It appears Jon Bostic and Antonio Morrison are the team’s first-string inside linebackers to start camp, though that most certainly can (and probably will) change. Plus, as often as the team will go into its sub-package, Edwin Jackson, Sean Spence and rookie Anthony Walker will get plenty of run in those spots. Putting the pads on will be the truest gauge yet.

>> Josh Ferguson, at this point, is ahead of rookie Marlon Mack on the running back depth chart. Expect to see a lot of Ferguson this preseason.

>> Coach Chuck Pagano singled out safety Lee Hightower as a player to watch in the injury-plagued secondary. “That’s a guy that’s as hungry as you-know-what to make a ball club,” Pagano said. “That’s an exciting group. They don’t like hearing what everybody’s saying.”

What everybody’s saying: There are major questions in the secondary. Clayton Geathers is out the first six games – at least. Malik Hooker missed Monday’s workout due to family reasons, and needs as many reps as possible in camp. As of now, the starters remain Darius Butler and Matthias Farley.

Also worth noting: Rashaan Melvin has been getting the bulk of the first-team reps at the second cornerback spot, ahead of rookie Quincy Wilson. Pagano said Vontae Davis, a former Pro Bowler, arrived in great shape.

>> Frank Gore was limited in practice Monday, and Pagano cited a minor ankle issue the team is monitoring. With 12 years and nearly 3,000 carries under his belt, there’s no reason to put Gore in harm’s way this early.

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.