SB Nation - Dante Hughes

Golden Bears in the Pros: DeCoud Shines, More Forsett, Natalie Eliminated

Avinash — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:00:33 -0000

Thomas Decoud, Atlanta Falcons

Decoud earns NFC defensive player of the week honors.

First-year starter Thomas DeCoud had the game of his short professional career at safety Sunday night for the Atlanta Falcons.

DeCoud's five tackles were fifth best on the team and he added two passes defensed, but his two interceptions helped change the game for Atlanta and won him the award.

The interceptions were the first two of his career and marked the first time a Falcons player had a multiple-interception game since DeAngelo Hall's two pick game against Tampa Bay on September 17, 2006.

More on the headlines above, plus news on one pro Bear who will be at the Wazzu game, and find out where some of your favorite Golden Bear hoopsters are now playing overseas after the jump. Also, two Golden Bears got signed to two NFL 53 man squads, find out who by checking out the rest of the post!

Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks

ESPN's Mike Sando reports that Forsett could be seeing more action, mainly because his pass blocking abilities might be the best of the three in the corps! Good job Coach Gould and Coach M!

Justin Forsett is earning -- and will get -- more touches in the regular offense. My take three weeks ago was that Forsett, primarily a third-down back to this point, had done enough to start getting touches on earlier downs. Seattle left Forsett alone in the backfield six times in the first quarter against the Jaguars, more than he had in the first quarters of the previous four games. Forsett is challenging to become the best pass-blocking back on the team even though Julius Jones and Edgerrin James are strong in that area. He lacks top-end speed, but he's quick and appears trustworthy in key situations. He did a nice job chipping on his way out of the backfield, helping the left tackle substantially on one play.

Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons

Lots of stuff here about the matchup between Gonzalez and Dallas's returning strong safety , who is returning with a cast on one hand due to a broken thumb. He's also expected to see lots of double coverage.

"My whole career I've always tried to look at when they played against maybe Kellen Winslow, and see what they did to him, because I know he's such a threat in the receiving game," Gonzalez said during a conference call Wednesday. "But even sometimes teams will switch it up. Earlier this year we played against New England and I didn't really anticipate getting bracket coverage as much as I was that game, and because of that I only had one catch."

The Cowboys held Winslow to four catches for 30 yards and one score in the season-opener. Gonzalez has had plenty of practice adapting to varied schemes over the years.

"It's always something," Gonzalez said of the different looks he gets. "That's something I've been used to my whole career and whatever they want to do hopefully we can adjust and move the ball down the field."

Tony G was also on Pardon the Interruption for Five Good Minutes on Wednesday--check out his interview starting at about 9:55.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders

Asomugha was surprised at what happened on Sunday--in terms of Oakland's defense actually following through on what they run in practice.

On Sunday, the Raiders brought a different look to the Eagles game on defense. They blitzed and played zone -- a departure from the defensive scheme Davis prefers. It was something of a revolution, according to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha said he lobbies every week for a more aggressive attack and less predictable coverage, but usually to no avail.

"We were shocked," Asomugha said, "because coaches say we're going to run it in practice, but we come to a game and that never happens."

Asomugha said defensive coordinator John Marshall finally agreed to make changes. "He said that he might get yelled at for it, but he'll keep going," Asomugha said.

When asked about Asomugha's claims, Cable evaded the issue.

"I think we'll do what we can, and what we think it takes to win every Sunday," Cable said.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Football Outsiders thinks they know why Aaron is struggling to develop a good rapport with one of his primary targets (HT Acme Packing Company):

Aaron Rodgers didn't pad his stats; after a third-quarter sack and fumble, he threw only one pass in the fourth quarter, an interception. A more important question: What's up with Greg Jennings? We thought the star wideout would have a big game against the Lions, but Jennings only ended up with 38 yards on six catches in eight attempts. Our theory: Rodgers is struggling to get the protection he needs to allow Jennings to run double moves and get open downfield.

Zack Follett, LB, Detroit Lions

At least one more time, Follett will be patrolling the California sidelines on his bye week.

Rookie linebacker Zack Follett is heading back to California. He grew up in Clovis and played college football at Cal. He said he's planning to go back to Berkeley to see Saturday's game against Washington State.

"We've got three days off. I'm going to fly home and go back to the Bay," Follett said. "Catch a Cal football game and kind of refresh the mind a little bit and get ready to get back to work.

"I've already been here three months. To stay another two, it would be a tough stretch, especially with this cold weather getting up on me. I'm getting my mind ready for these winters."

Other notes

Lorenzo Alexander recorded 3 tackles in a 14-6 loss to Kansas City. You can see him against the Eagles and Desean on Monday night.
Desean Jackson caught 6 passes for 94 yards (as you saw above), as well as having 4 punt returns for 43 yards.
Dante Hughes was signed by the Chargers! Hopefully now that he's right next to the Pacific coast, he'll be able to regain his "intercepting of North Korean nuclear missiles" abilities.
The Seahawks signed Mike Gibson off the Eagles practice squad...lots of Golden Bears piling up there in Seattle!
Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 19 times for 61 yards, and 2 receptions for 11 yards.
Alex Mack was sidelined by flu-like symptoms; it's not yet known if it was H1N1 that was ailing him.
Ryan Longwell kicked four field goals, including the game-winner against Baltimore.
Brandon Mebane recorded three tackles for the Seahawks in their loss to Arizona.
Tully Banta-Cain was let go by New England...and then immediately resigned for a multi-year deal, according to Adam Schefter. He recorded 3 tackles in the 59-0 dressing down of the Titans.
Apparently long snapper David Binn once dated Pamela Anderson. Wait, WHAT?
Desmond Bishop remains on the special teams with AJ Hawk still the starter, although he is in a good spot to replace him in the future if the team chooses. He recorded one tackle in that capacity against Detroit.
Kyle Boller isn't likely to compete for the starting spot with Marc Bulger in the near future; Bulger still is the de facto #1.
The Hogs, an independent Redskins site, did an interview with Andre Carter the week before Kansas City. Carter had 7 tackles and the pass deflection you saw in the video.
Scott Fujita did not practice Wednesday because of a strained right calf he suffered against the Giants. Still not sure if he will play against Miami.
Kansas City head coach Todd Haley has found his starting right tackle in Ryan O'Callaghan.
Nick Harris punted 5 times for a 39.2 yard average for Detroit.

NBA preseason

Jason Kidd is averaging 7 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals through five preseason games. Since the Spurs are the favorites to win the division, here's what Mavs Moneyball thinks Kidd should do to slow down Tony Parker (hint: he won't): "First Jason Kidd must force Parker into becoming a passer more than a scorer. This is not going to be easy for Kidd, in fact it may be impossible! If Kidd cannot at least slow down Parker's ability to get to the basket the Mavericks will be forced to try and win a shootout, and at this point I do not feel confident enough in their rotation defense to say they can win that type of game with these Spurs."
Ryan Anderson is averaging 14 points, 4 rebounds, and over 50 percent from downtown per game for the Magic in the preseason. According to Third Quarter Collapse, his offensive rating is an astounding 118.7 (translation: very very good) with a usage rate of 23.7%. If you haven't seen it, check out danzig's highlight reel of him against the Bulls, where he hit the go-ahead bucket in the fourth quarter. You can see Anderson in action in the final preseason game tonight on ESPN against the Hawks at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST; considering that starters usually are rested a lot in these games, this might be the most Anderson plays all year long.
Sean Marks? 2 points, 5 rebounds, 30% shooting, 4 fouls per game. We should expect a lot of updates like this; pray for a gamewinning dunk here and there.
Leon Powe met with his old Celtic battery mates during the last preseason game between the Cavs and Cs (he is of course still far away from playing). It was, in his own words, 'strange'.
Rod Benson was released by the Pacers. Sigh. He'll probably be back in the D-League soon enough. Interesting stuff about dissent between Benson and his agent from Ridiculous Upside.

Elsewhere

Week 3 - Natalie Coughlin - Dancing With The Stars (via ABCNetwork)

Natalie Coughlin was eliminated prematurely from Dancing with the Stars, because people who watch Dancing with the Stars obviously hate beautiful women and prefer C-list celebrities. For those who wanted to catch her dances (all in HD!): Week 1 with the salsa, Week 2 with the quickstep, Week 3 with the rumba (her best one) is the embedded video above, Week 4 with the bolero. Here's her post-elimination interview from Good Morning America, where they wake her up at 4 to 5 AM local time the night afterwards and drag her back to the studio for an interview to ask her how much it sucks to be eliminated. You stay classy ABC.
At least it led to this gem by one of the judges. You should spot what's wrong pretty quickly.

"Unfortunately for Natalie, I think that people didn’t know who she was," said the cheorographer, actress and dancer [Carrie Ann Inaba]. "Maybe the fan base of her sport isn’t watching our show or maybe it isn’t as big as someone like Michael Irvin’s fanbase, which is basketball."

Toronto FC's Stefan Frei is a dark horse candidate for MLS Rookie of the Year.
Finally, Joseph Cannon of the Daily Cal wrote up about several Golden Bear hoopsters playing overseas. Ayinde Ubaka's starring in Australia for the Gold Coast Blaze, DeVon Hardin's been hopping from Oklahoma to Greece to Turkey and now Greece again for EO Athens, and Eric Vierneisel's been everywhere (New Zealand, Syria, Jordan), before settling on Heidelberg, Germany.

Analysis of the 2009 Colts roster cuts: Part One

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:42:14 -0000

by Michael Conroy - AP

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, right, and team president Bill Polian. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

View full size photo »

We have the final roster cut-down list, written up by shake n bake.

Almost immediately, there was significant reaction. Granted, every year cuts happen and there is always those one or two cuts where people scream NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! only to get over it once the season starts. But, with players like Dante Hughes, Mike Hart, and (especially) Marcus Howard getting the boot, it should serve as a reminder that the Colts do indeed have a new coach. This new coach has new ideas; ideas that in some cases will differ from his predecessor. And as we have seen, the 2007 and 2008 drafts, which were very heavily influenced by what Tony Dungy likes in players, were not drafts that tickle the fancy of new Colts coach Jim Caldwell.
MasterRWayne discusses whether Bill Polian has lost his touch as a draft guru. Currently, only three players remain from the 2007 draft, and three significant players from the 2008 draft were recently let go.
John Oehser offers his roster analysis at Examiner.com.
18to88 chimes in.
My favorite reader comment on the roster cuts thus far comes from Cassieper:

Lance Ball: He wasn’t that good. We only considered keeping him because Hart was injured.

Guns: Always injured. Never was going to contribute.

John Gill: Who?

Mike Hart: Serious injury. The Colts can’t wait until midseason on him.

Brett McDermott: Once again, who?

Tom Pestock: Only played in garbage time, never showed anything.

Taj Smith: Talented, maybe one year away. Cut him to get him on the practice squad. Should have no trouble getting him through the waivers.

Mike T: Another guy who’s practice squad bound. Wasn’t quite good enough to deal with starting talent.

Terrance Taylor: A huge project. Cross your fingers and hope he makes it to the practice squad.

Jaimie Thomas: A huge disappointment so far. Hasn’t shown anything. Practice squad bound.

Josh Thomas: Only good against the run. Putting him at end would concede the pass. Dawson is as good as him against the run and better as a pass rusher.

Michael Toudouze: I like him, but he is nowhere near Ugoh and CJ in talent.

Key and Petrowski: Bad players and injured. Bad combination.

So there you go.

In just a 24-hour period, this site has over 1,000 comments from numerous readers about the cuts. I did my best to read as many varying opinions as possible. After reading the comments, the articles, and examining how other teams dealt with the roster cut-downs, I have finally posted my analysis after the jump.

First off, I understand that the immediate reaction to the cuts seems like a stinging indictment of Polian's job, particularly when you look at the 2007 and 2008 drafts. Now, important to note that in neither of those drafts did Polian "bust" his first round pick, like Jerry Angelo with the Chicago Bears has done pretty much since 2004 (Rex Grossman, Cedric Benson, Chris Williams, etc.) With 2007 and 2008, it is important to note that those drafts were made with Tony Dungy working with Polian. Dungy had a specific philosophy about players. He valued certain traits over others. Bill respected that philosophy and draft accordingly.

But Dungy's philosophy on players is not necessarily shared by Jim Caldwell.

Dungy valued speed over size. This is why Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson were so valued by Tony D. Clearly, Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell do not value speed over size as much. The Colts asked Cujo to add 15 pounds of muscle this off-season (which he did), but his efforts were not enough to supplant Keyunta Dawson. Dawson made the transition back to DE (his college position) during the off-season, and performed very well in camp and pre-season. Last season, Dawson was the starting defensive tackle, weighing in at 260 pounds. Now, he is more comfortable, and better suited, as a DE.

Thus, the smaller, quicker players like Howard and Cujo are expendable.

And I know some of you are screaming "WHAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007 WHEN FREENEY AND MATHIS GOT HURT!" Folks, if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis get hurt again as they did in 2007, it is the equivalent of losing Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. A player like Marcus Howard is not going to replace Dwight Freeney; not in this new defensive system. Indeed, one of the reasons Freeney and (especially) Mathis got hurt in 2007 was because the Colts relied too much on them for the pass rush. In a Tampa-2, the front four (not the front two) need to apply QB pressure. And now with Larry Coyer dialing up blitzes from Philip Wheeler (an excellent blitzer in college), Melvin Bullitt, and eventually Bob Sanders, the scheme should (in theory) create more rush without solely relying on Freeney and Mathis.

Also, I think Caldwell is just tired of seeing teams run the football at Indy's front, and having DEs weighting 245 pounds is not going to help you stop the run.

For Mike Hart, it is possible that he could be signed to the practice squad, but I think that's remote. Hart's knock coming out of college was he was "beaten up" after all the hits he took rushing for all those yards in the Big Ten. Last year, he blew out his knee and this pre-season he injured both his ankles. This is a bottom line business, folks. If you cannot stay healthy, you're not going to keep your job long.

And for all the Doom and Gloom folks who think that the cuts signal the "downfall" of the Colts, please take a moment to check out KFFL.com, or browse through the numerous SB Nation football sites. You will see all the cuts and roster moves other teams had to wrestle with. Many of these moves involved players many of us wanted the Colts to draft or sign in 2007 and 2008:

Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson was placed on the suspended list. We thought highly of him in 2007.
The Bengals cut safety Corey Lynch. We also thought highly of him in 2008.
The Patriots cut Kevin O'Connell, another player in the 2008 NFL Draft we liked.
Packers first round bust Justin Harrell was placed on IR. For all the screaming about getting a quality DT the last three years, it seems Harrell clearly was not the answer in 2007. I thought he was. Clearly, I was wrong. Green Bay had to suffer through a horrid 6-10 season to draft B.J. Raji, and none of us know if he will be any good. He also signed late.
Packers also cut Brian Brohm, the "insurance QB" in case Aaron Rodgers turned out to suck. Brohm had a prolific career at Louisville, and if he had come out after his junior season, he might have been a first round pick.
John David Booty was cut.
Kory Sheets was cut.
Mitch King was cut.
Dominic Rhodes was cut. Hell, Marshawn Lynch is suspended for three games, and Dom still got cut. The Bills are a complete mess, folks.
DeMario Pressley, a DT from 2008 some wanted the Colts to grab, was cut by the Saints. So was former Colts WR Courtney Roby.
Adam Carriker, who I wanted the Colts trade trade for last season, is now on IR.
Broncos cut Tim Crowder, their second round pick from 2007.
The Jaguars IRed their starting DT from last season, Rob Meier.

So, no offense, but to those who seem to second guess Bill Polian for the 2007 and 2008 drafts (like Paul Kuharsky at ESPN), kindly tell me who he was supposed to take. Many of the players we all wanted Polian to pick up then are now in the same boat as Mike Hart, Marcus Howard, and Dante Hughes. If you want to bash him for trading up to get Tony Ugoh in 2007 and, thus, preventing Indy from getting a player like Matt Forte in 2008, then fine. I think that's fair. But, from where I'm sitting, it looks like the 2007 and 2008 drafts just did not foster the kind of overall NFL talent we are used to seeing from the collegiate ranks.

It's also important to note that from the now dreaded 2007 draft, Polian managed to sign then-free agent rookie Melvin Bullitt. So, it's not like lunch meat came out of 2007. Clearly, taking Anthony Gonzalez worked out better than trading up to get someone like Justin Harrell.

All of us are so used to seeing Polian draft picks work out that, when they don't, we scratch our head and wonder if we haven't been transported into some netherworld, alternate reality. But if you look around the NFL right now, lots of "name" players from the 2007 and 2008 drafts are, indeed, now looking for work.

Part two of my roster evaluation will get posted later today while teams begin putting in waiver claims for many of the recently cut players.

2009 NFL Cutdown Day- Open Thread

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:26:53 -0000

By 6pm today, all NFL teams must trim their rosters down to 53 active players. At noon tomorrow, teams may begin making claims for waived players. Teams can also begin signing players to their practice squads.

For the Colts, they've already begun cutting down the roster, releasing Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Nick Graham. They need to make 19 more cuts to get to 53. This is your open thread for the Colts cuts and other teams roster moves. We could see some very interesting roster changes, like the Titans cutting Mitch King and Mark Jones.

Throughout the day, we'll update this frontpage story with news about Colts players cut.

[UPDATE]: And the first surprise cut today is Adrian Grady.

[UPDATE]: The Bills have cut former-Colts running back Dominic Rhodes. Also, PTF's douchebag-in-chief, via fellow douchebag extraordinaire Tom Curran, is saying the Colts have cut Marcus Howard. No confirmation yet.

[UPDATE]: The Eagles have cut ties with Dan Klecko.

[Shake UPDATE]: Marcus Howard, John Matthews and Walter Mendenhall have been cut.

Colts cut Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Nick Graham

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:32:03 -0000

Dante Hughes, right, never lived up to expectations after a stellar career at Cal. He was cut today as the Colts trim their roster down to 53 active players. Photo: cache.daylife.com

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Special thanks to jumunjis for posting the link to Mike Chappell's Indy Star report. The first cuts towards the 53-man roster have been made, and on the chopping block are 2007 third round pick Dante Hughes, 2008 sixth round pick Steve Justice, and Nick Graham. As jumunjis astutely points out, Hughes is yet another victim of the curse of the third round pick. Former Colts tackle Quinn Pitcock was the other third rounder the Colts took in 2007. Now, both he and Hughes are former-Colts after just two years.

When you look back at the 2007 draft for the Colts, it had so much promise. I even called it "one of the best drafts Bill Polian has ever presided over in Indianapolis." Shows you how much I know.

From that 2007 draft class, only Anthony Gonzalez, Clint Session, and Keyunta Dawson remain (and Dawson is in danger of cutting cut himself). Dante Hughes, Brandon Condren, Michael Coe, and Roy Hall were all drafted by Indy that year, and all of them were cut this off-season. DT Quinn Pitcock quit football last year prior to training camp. That's five picks from just two years ago that are gone. And to top it all off, Indy's second round pick in 2007, Tony Ugoh, was just recently benched. Indy traded a first rounder in 2008 for Ugoh, and now it looks like he is going the way of all the other trash drafted in 2007.

Yikes!

The 2008 Draft for Indy isn't shaping up to be much better. Mike Pollak, a center out of Arizona State who Indy has converted into a guard, isn't setting the world on fire, or anything. Jamey Richard, who played center at Buffalo, is a quality back-up, but that's about all we can ever really expect from Richard. And now, Steve Justice, the third center the Colts drafted last year, has been cut.

Now, before people freak out, it's important to know that many of the players we were hoping Indy would draft from previous years have also recently been cut. The Broncos cut Kory Lichtensteiger and Carlton Powell today, two players we thought the Colts should have drafted in 2008. Kevin O'Connell was also cut recently; another player we wanted Indy to take in 2008.

The draft isn't an exact science, folks. And even future Hall of Fame personnel people, like Bill Polian, are not perfect.

Still, Polian was able to find quality starters like Anthony Gonzalez and Clint Session in 2007, and players like Jacob Tamme and Marcus Howard offer a lot of promise from the 2008 draft. Also, in 2007, Polian found and signed Melvin Bullitt as a rookie free agent. So, it's not like 2007 didn't give the team anything. It just didn't give the team the kind of talent we are used to seeing.

The cutting of Steve Justice likely means free agent Kyle DeVan will remain on the active roster, but we'll see.

John Oesher gets some good info from Bill Polian after the Bengals pre-season game

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:54:26 -0000

by Al Behrman - AP

3 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi (12) hands off to Indianapolis Colts running back Chad Simpson (35) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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In his recent Coffee With the Colts article for examiner.com, John Oehser provides us with some very interesting quotes from the big redhead himself, Colts President Bill Polian. Polian's words provide lots of insight and intrigue into how the final roster will shake out on Saturday as the Colts cut down to 53 active players.

First and foremost, if you think the Colts don't care about pre-season overall, then know that they care even less about the final pre-season. Indeed, when you read Polian's quotes about the fourth pre-season game, it's clear that they could care less about the outcome of the fourth game:

"I have never taken any stock in the fourth preseason game other than to try to judge players, and to put players in positions where they absolutely have to perform against a team like the Bengals, who played their people two series and their seconds virtually the whole ballgame. You're looking for standard of performance and if you get it, great. If you don't, then move on."

...

"The fans should not be down about tonight's performance. Frankly, we expected it."

Evaluating players, in particular young players, is essential before finally making the key decisions that eventually shape the final roster. With that final roster, Polian made a strong suggestion that we might see some Colts drafted in past years get cut:

"We're not going to keep anybody because they were a draft choice," he said. "We're going to keep the guys who we think can win in the National Football League. That's the sole criteria. If you can't, then we'll figure out what to do from there. . . .

For me, that's a not-so-subtle suggestion that players like Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Freddy Keiaho might soon be unemployed. When you factor in Polian and Caldwell's recent comments complimenting players like Jacob Lacey and Kyle DeVan, it tends to suggest that players who were drafted in years past might not make the final roster. Also, a player like Jaimie Thomas might get cut as well, but eventually scooped up onto the practice squad.

The main point from Oehser's article and Polian's quotes is that the team president seems happy with the choices he has to make. This is a far cry from the volcanic Bill Polian we saw last year prior to cutdown day. We also know that the Colts will likely keep eight offensive linemen, eight defensive linemen, and five corners. Other highlights:

Polian thinks the team is solid at corner
There are some tough decisions regarding who will play safety
Bob Sanders' health is a big question mark
Polian loves Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter
Funny quote from Polian about John Matthews:
(Rookie WR John Matthews) has not yet learned he's not playing at the Division III level. He's not playing Azula Pacific, so the ball gets knocked out and things like that happen. But there are some positive things, too, there. He gets open and catches the ball. He never has played against anybody ay good as (Bengals CB) Morgan Trent and he got open.That's a plus.
Colts will keep three running backs
Polian gives Lance Ball high praise
The Colts are watching the waiver wire closely Sunday, as all teams will do. Indy is way down on the waiver claim list. So, getting someone they might want to claim will be difficult. We may see a trade.

The cutdown to 75 complete, now on to 53

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:05:42 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

3 months ago: Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers (49) intercepts a pass intended for Detroit Lions wide receiver Bryant Johnson (80) during the second quarter of an exhibition NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The Colts cut Marcus Paschal today to get their roster down to 75. After Thursday's pre-season finale against the Bengals, the Colts will have until Saturday to trim their roster to 53 active players. Without considering who will likely get re-signed to the practice squad, I've compiled a list of who will likely get cut on Saturday. Please note that I will cut more than the Colts need to as it is likely they will cut extra players so they can sign some people cut from other teams.

After the jump, you can check out the list. Keep in mind, the Colts have a lot of very good talent on this current 75 man roster. Several good, quality players will get let go. Some may even be high drafts picks from years past.

John Matthews (duh)

Ramon Humbler

The big cuts are Muir, Jennings, Hughes, Foster, and Ball. Based on Muir's poor showing last week against Detroit, and the impressive praise Caldwell has given to Adrian Grady, I think the Colts will want to keep Grady, work Terrance Taylor into the nose tackle rotation, and keep someone like Raheem Brock in reserve at under tackle in case of an injury. Foster falls in the same boat as Muir. Antonio Johnson, Ed Johnson, and Terrance Taylor can all play nose tackle. This makes Muir expendable. Ed Johnson, Adrian Grady, Raheem Brock, and Fili Moala can all play under tackle. This makes Foster expendable. Thus, both Foster and Muir are (sadly) cut.

Jerraud Powers has flat outplayed Tim Jennings and Dante Hughes. Caldwell has also been very pleased by the play of Jacob Lacey. T.J. Rushing is a decent corner who is vital to the return game. Thus, Hughes and Jennings are gone.

Finally, there is Lance Ball, who has (in my humble opinion) outplayed the injury-prone Mike Hart. But, I don't think the Colts are ready to give up on Hart just yet. Since they cannot PUP him, and since the Colts will probably keep three QBs, I think Lance will get cut.

Again, I'm likely wrong with these projected cuts, and we don't know what the injury situation will be until after the Cincy game. But, for right now, this is how I think it will shake out. Thoughts?

2009 NFL Pre-Season: Lions 18-Colts 17

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:58:20 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

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Unlike third pre-season games of the past, this one is much harder to analyze. Even though players like Ed Johnson and Robert Mathis were dressed and could have played, they didn't. Dwight Freeney, Antonio Johnson, and Antoine Bethea played only a few snaps here and there. So, if the game was to judge how starters looked in a "tune-up," then this game didn't provide that.

I mean, do I need to say it? The Colts do not care about pre-season.

What the game did show was a BAD Colts team in the first half. The Lions were consistently placed in 3rd and long situations only to convert the down because of piss poor tackling. Also, the running game and pass protection in the first half was atrocious. The Colts came out in the second half and played much better. Peyton Manning lead them down the field for two TDs today; one was a strike to Dallas Clark, the other a goal-line run by Donald Brown.

The defense in the second half also stiffened with two impressive short yardage stops; one was on the goal line. I'm also very impressed with Curtis Painter. He's looked better this pre-season than Jim Sorgi has ever looked in any pre-season.

Finally, I know this is a shocker, but WR John Matthews is gonna get cut. He dropped two big passes with one deflecting off him and into the hands of a Detroit defender. The Lions took that late turnover and converted it into the (eventual) game-winning TD.

Other quick observations: Not major injuries to either team, so far; Jerraud Powers is better than Tim Jennings; Dante Hughes is in danger of getting cut; Pierre Garcon showed his speed today; Pat McAfee is a damn good punter.

Chit-chat away regarding the game here. We had over 700 comments for this pre-season game. Again, a pre-season game, and over 700 comments! I friggin love you people! Go Colts!

SB Nation Colts v. Lions gamelink

What others be sayin': Vikings 13-Colts 3

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:00:38 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, left, attempts to avoid the sack by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Indianapolis, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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18to88:

1. Addai and Brown looked great (no surprise)
2. I watched the first series on D. I'm pleased with what I saw. They forced two fourth downs without the starting secondary, so that's a plus.

3. Whatever that was starting at RT will not be making the final cut. Yikes. It was hard to get a gauge on Ugoh because the RT was failing so miserably.

4. I hate preseason football.

Indy Football Report:

The Colts’ offensive linemen spent the offseason discussing the need for improvement after finishing 31st in the NFL in rushing offense last year. It was clear speaking to the members of the Colts’ offensive line that what happened at Lucas Oil Stadium Friday night in a 13-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t what they had in mind.
"It was not the way we wanted to start," OG Ryan Lilja said, adding that the first-team line was disappointed to leave after gaining just one first down — and allowing QB Peyton Manning to be sacked three times — on the first series.

"We went back to the sidelines wanting to go back in and obviously score and try not to get sacked. That’s frustrating. Nobody wants to leave the game after that type of performance. We were pretty frustrated we didn’t get to go back in and redeem ourselves a little bit. We have three more games to kind of work out the kinks a little bit before the games start counting. Hopefully, we can come out with a little better performance next week."

Anthony21 at Daily Norseman:

In the quarterback competition, Sage Rosenfels has won the first round decisively. That much was decided tonight, as Rosenfels played two drives and couldn't have performed much better than he did. Tarvaris Jackson, meanwhile, treated Vikings fans to a rough couple of quarters -- which were somewhat salvaged by an impressive performance on the ground from Albert Young but will still be remembered for T-Jack's stumbles.
Of course, the disclaimers: The Colts were playing without a single starter in the secondary, and they've never been a team terribly interested in winning preseason games. As a result, saying that this game somehow ended the quarterback competition would be a mistake. But Rosenfels nevertheless pulled ahead tonight.

After the jump, Coltsfan58 offers a very good recap of the game, which he posted as a comment in Colt Homer's recap.

Coltsfan58 from the game recap last night:

Happy the games have begun, but...

The local television coverage was beyond awful. When they weren’t conducting interviews (i.e., prompting players to spout cliches) and not following the play on the field, the camera position was in, say, Beech Grove. For an organization which usually spends its money wisely, the Colts have paid for laughably bad production values.

On the field, a couple of points not mentioned in the game threads or above.

1. While I agree with others that Jacob Lacey made some good hits, on the long ball Jackson threw into the endzone I thought Lacey was out of position. The receiver did not get behind him (good) but a poorly-thrown ball by Jackson (I know you’re shocked) might have been picked. I see potential in this kid, but with the existing depth he looks like the initials PS will appear next to his name on September 6.

2. Kyle DeVan made a nice sealing block on Brown’s first carry.

3. If these are the new, improved special teams I’m disappointed. Kick coverage was about the same as last year. You can’t really say well, these aren’t the units we’ll see in the regular year, because a lot of the reserves who played most of this game will be reserves who play on regular season special teams. Can anyone explain Powers’ decision to field the punt inside the five? I understand (or at least I’m guessing, due to the poor TV coverage) that he thought he had a clear path to some yardage, because perhaps the Minnesota punter out-kicked his coverage, but still. Perhaps this was nothing more than a young guy pressing to make a play.

4. I thought Dante Hughes looked good. Not used to typing that sentence.

5. Could anyone say Eric Foster did anything? I saw him on the field but I couldn’t tell that he made any contribution.

6. Chad Simpson, Chad Simpson. Paging Chad Simpson. You’re asked to meet with the coaches and bring your playbook…Couldn’t get a good handle on how Rushing is coming back, but my handle on Simpson as a returner (ugh) and as a back (ugh again) was all too painfully clear. Lance Ball has got to be ahead of Simpson.

7. Wil Wofford, not usually a font of insight, made the point on post-game radio that the Vikings dressed 79 players (only Pat Williams—apparently out shopping for supplements—didn’t play) and seemed to come into this game with much more of a regular season intensity. The Colts, of course, didn’t have about 15 people available. That doesn’t account for those that did play being a step slow, but the two teams approaches to the game did appear markedly different.

8. I said in a post yesterday I wanted to see something make Caldwell explode and get his red ass on. The sideline shots of him looked like he was either expecting this ugly performance and was internalizing his frustration to channel it back in practice or that he was stunned that his team could play so poorly that he was unable to express his displeasure. The postgame press conference seemed to confirm the former. But if Corey Hilliard’s decision to let the Vikings have a free run at #18 doesn’t piss you off, either you can overlook a lot or you have great self-composure skills.

9. After seeing the Colts play relatively well against Tavaris Jackson, I wish Michael Vick could play Thursday. Defensive speed seems to negate so much of what mobile quarterbacks bring to the table.

My God, let’s get to the regular season.

More IFR:

The breakdown on the Colts’ three first-possession sacks allowed: DE Ray Edwards blew around Colts OT Corey Hilliard; Fred Evans fought off C Jeff Saturday; and Edward blew around Hilliard again, with Hilliard drawing a holding penalty that was declined.

Here’s why if I’m a Colts fan I don’t sweat the outcome of the preseason opener. On Minnesota RB Chester Taylor’s first-quarter, five-yard touchdown run, four Colts touched him: DT Dan Muir, DE Keyunta Dawson, CB Jerraud Powers and Jamie Silva. None of the four likely will start opening day.

Colts v. Vikings Game Review: Offensive Struggles, Defensive Standouts

Colts Homer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:42:58 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

This man dominated the Vikings defense, getting 58 yards on just 5 carries, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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This was the regular Colts preseason game. In the stat sheet and scoreline, it looked very one-sided and like a game that would be hard to take positives from, but I noticed at the game a lot of positives, but of course a few negatives.

~Curtis Painter played horrible. It was a shame to see him come out and throw 17 passes, almost all of which were bad.

~The stretch play looked great with both Addai and Brown running it, and the running game was good overall.

~Brett McDermott made some nice grabs, and I think Austin Collie should move into the 3rd receiver position after a good game and an embarrassing Garcon drop.

~The "bend but don't break" defense was still in effect even with Coyer, and it worked pretty well after the first drive.

~The fact that no one turned the ball over was good for the offense but not good for the defense.

~It was very funny when the big screen showed the Rosenchoppa highlight. The Vikings QB situation sucks. All 3 of their QBs are pathetic.

~Philip Wheeler and a safety were the two positions that blitzed the most.

~Charlie Johnson did not play, so Ugoh played left tackle at the beginning and some right tackle and guard throughout the rest of the game.

~I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that the video board misspelled "Peyton". Embarrassing for whomever was running it.

~Daniel Muir played defensive end. That was pretty weird.

~The Colts have the most dreadlocked players in the league. Marcus Howard, Philip Wheeler, and Rudolph Hardie are sporting some long dreads while players like Addai have the short dreads. I'm looking forward to seeing Peyton Manning, Austin Collie and Justin Snow get their dreads.

~Pat McAfee punted full time for the first time in his career (he punted and kicked in college), and he averaged 50 yards net while punting on seven kicks. That's both outstanding kicking and outstanding coverage. --BBS

After the jump will be my top 5 Colts and an updated roster prediction.

5. Tony Ugoh, OT/OG: I know that we made a big deal about his demotion, and I think he took it personal because he played great. The first drive was pretty bad for everyone on the line, but the rest of the game Ugoh was near perfect. As a guard he opened up huge holes and created the running game. The pass protection from him was beautiful compared to Corey Hilliard's. This only reaffirms me that Ugoh will be a starter by Week One.

4. Adrian Grady, DT: It seemed like for a stretch in the third quarter, Grady was getting every tackle. He smashed running backs who dared to run up the middle. The defensive tackles were really unimpressive in this game, but Grady was the exception. He was a sure tackler which is what the defense needs right now, and he dominated the right guard for the Vikings.

3. Marcus Howard, DE: If you didn't watch the game and just looked at the stats sheet, Howard would seem like a weird pick for the third best Colt, but he was the best pass rusher in the game on both sides. Howard got consistent pressure on Jackson and tortured him. If the Colts were playing the Jaguars with slow David Garrard instead of the mobile Tarvaris Jackson, Howard would have had three sacks at least. I expect Howard to get a lot of playing time this season.

2. Matt Giordano, S: I now have no doubt that the Colts have the best defensive backs in the league. Even without the corners they are the best. A Melvin Bullitt and Matt Giordano starting safety duo would be top 10 in the league. Matt Giordano is the most sure tackler I've seen play for the Colts. While players like Philip Wheeler and Ed Johnson missed some tackles, Giordano shut down anyone who got near him. There are too many good safeties on the team. Silva played well too. I'm hoping all five make the roster.

1. Donald Brown, RB: Wow. That's all I can say. Brown was unbelievable. His long run was a thing of beauty, and he was consistent in his small amount of playing time. If he can be that explosive in the regular season, I have no doubt that he will be a ROY candidate and carry the rushing game to top 16 in the league. Compared to Addai, Brown took off like a rocket when he got the ball. Polian and Co. made a great pick taking Brown. This guy is going to be very special.

So here is my roster prediction. Can they give the Colts a 63 player roster because there are too many good players to cut.

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi

RB
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart

H-B
Gijon Robinson
Tom Santi

WR
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme

LT
Tony Ugoh

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday
Steve Justice

RG
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil

RT
Ryan Diem
Charlie Johnson

LE
Robert Mathis
Marcus Howard
Keyunta Dawson

UT
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster
Adrian Grady

NT
Antonio Johnson
Daniel Muir
Terrance Taylor

RE
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Adam Seward

WILL
Clint Session
Freddy Keiaho

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Dante Hughes
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Jamie Silva

SS
Bob Sanders
Melvin Bullitt

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Pat McAfee

LS
Justin Snow

Practice Squad
QB Curtis Painter
RB Lance Ball
WR John Matthews
WR Taj Smith
OL Jaimie Thomas
DL Rudolph Hardie
LB Ramon Humber
DB Jacob Lacey

2009 Colts Training Camp: Thoughts as we enter the first pre-season game

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:26:51 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts linebacker Freddy Keiaho (54) calls out the defense in front Adam Seward during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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What to look for tonight as the Colts face the Vikings in the first pre-season game for both teams in 2009.

Peyton Manning will play about ten plays, and that's it. Look for him to establish timing with ~~Anthony Gonzalez~~. Check that-- Gonzo's out. Pierre Garcon will likely start for him.
Charlie Johnson will start at LT, and Tony Ugoh will start at RT. Say a small prayer before the game, folks.
This is a game where Lance Ball and Chad Simpson need to showcase some ability at running back.
We should see a lot of Austin Collie in the slot.
The entire starting secondary is out. Starting the game will be Tim Jennings, Dante Hughes, Matt Giordano, and Melvin Bullitt.
Watch the run defense for the first two series, particularly when Adrian Peterson is in there.
Pass rush all night will be something I will watch. How are Marcus Howard and ~~Curtis Johnson~~ Keyunta Dawson looking?

What are your thoughts heading into the game?