Hughes and Brown showing off
Nate Dunlevy takes a look back at training camp, notes marked improvements including from both Donald Brown and the formerly invisible Jerry Hughes:
Hughes is a completely different story. To say he's been terrible since joining the Colts would be inaccurate only because he's been too invisible to be terrible. He's done next to nothing for Indianapolis since being taken in the first round of the 2010 draft.
Now, with his career hanging in the balance, Hughes came up large, at least for a week. It will take more than a couple of preseason sacks to redeem himself, but the Colts had to like what they saw last week.
With a $14 million salary due to Dwight Freeney about to become guaranteed, a strong preseason from Hughes could convince the Colts to move their All-Pro end.
While it's possible Hughes was just miscast as an NFL end and will find new life as a linebacker, the entire situation is difficult to believe. Brown's issues were obvious. He was hurt. Players often struggle when injured. Hughes had no such excuse. He was just bad.
Does anyone really think there's a chance Freeney is cut any more? From what I've read, he's been a more or less exemplary leader and teammate so far in training camp, and he's a fan favorite, and he's performed quite well in the transition, and (as far as I know) he doesn't even want to leave.
