SB Nation - Ed Johnson

Colts Fire Defensive Line Coach John Teerlinck

Brad Wells — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:33:49 -0000

Of all the coaching firings in recent days, this one stings the most: The Colts have reportedly terminated the contract of legendary defensive line coach John Teerlinck. Teerlinck's son, Bill, was also fired. Bill worked as the assistant d-line coach.

Teerlinck is as much a part of the success of the 'Old Era' Colts as Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Bill Polian, and Dwight Freeney. In fact, without Teerlinck's coaching, Freeney might not have become All-Pro. Robert Mathis probably doesn't developed from 6th round nobody to perennial Pro Bowler without Teerlinck. Players like Corey Simon, Booger McFarland, Ed Johnson, and Raheem Brock also flourished under Teerlinck's guidance.

If you ever watched behind-the-scenes clips of the team on the sideline, Teerlinck's presence was dominating. Probably the best moment I remember regarding Teerlinck was the 2006 Divisional Playoffs against the Ravens. The Colts had their entire defensive plan ready, but at some point in the game Indy's pass rushers were absolutely killing the Ravens o-line. Teerlinck took the defensive plans from each of the players and told them to tear them up.

'Tear it up! Tear it up! Now, we do we WE do.'

As some of you may recall, John Randle had Teerlinck as his presenter at Randle's 2010 Hall of Fame induction. Randle credited his success in the NFL to Teerlinck's coaching in Minnesota, when Teerlinck first worked for then-defensive coordinator Tony Dungy. Dungy would later hire Teerlinck in Indianapolis.

Sad to see a titan of an assistant coach like Teerlinck go. Wish him and his family well.

Panthers 2011 Midseason Review: Defense

Jaxon — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:25:57 -0000

Saving the worst for last here is part three of my three part review of the Panthers 2011 midseason performance. You can review the special teams performance here and the offensive performance here.

Using stats from Football Outsiders and NFL.com you can quickly see the Panthers defense has not made any notable improvement in 2011. Actually it has digressed significantly in a couple areas, which we will review... after the jump...

Statistic	2010 Season	2011 (8 Games)
Total Defense (DVOA)	22^nd	31^st
Rushing Defense (DVOA)	21^st	31^st
Passing Defense (DVOA)	8^th	28^th
Defensive Line (DVOA)	10^th	32^nd
Vs. #1 WR	10^th	13^th
Vs. #2 WR	1^st	15^th
Vs. #3 WR	24^th	14^th
Vs. TE	32^nd	32^nd
Vs. RB	3^rd	27^th
3^rd Down %	385 (16^th)	46% (29^th)
Scoring Defense (Pts/G)	25.5 (28^th)	25.9 (28^th)
Sacks	31	16

There is not much there to admire Panther fans. About the best I can say that at least scoring defense is about the same and there is no deterioration in the sack count. These numbers might just be driving our move to a 3-4 defense. As noted earlier today the two recent roster moves on the defensive side of the ball involve players that seem a better fit in a 3-4 defense, DT Jason Shirley and DE/OLB Thomas Keiser. I think the only thing keeping us from a straight up move to a 3-4 is we have some elite players who probably don’t fit into a base 3-4 dense.

Though it’s no surprise our defensive line is ranked so low given they have been gashed so severely through the 1^st half. I would not have guessed inserting two rookies for DT’s Derek Landri and Ed Johnson would have made such a big difference but I guess it shows the value of veteran experience.

What I am most disappointed in is the pass defense deteriorating so dramatically. I never saw that coming given we have essentially the same secondary minus Richard Marshall. I think it does speak to the safety play not being up to standard and getting an All-Pro option across from Chris Gamble. Also, we can’t seem to cover a TE no matter who the coach or LBs in use.

So where we don't have stats to fall back on to give us that warm and fuzzy we instead have the hope a new coach and staff bring. I think in year 2 of the Rivera Era we will see the type of improvement in the defense that we have seen in the offense this season.

I'm not going to bother with a poll because I think it is obvious how most do or should feel with this performance. So what do you think?

The Importance Of The Nose Tackle Position In The Colts Tampa-2 Scheme

Brad Wells — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:13:46 -0000

Despite what many think or say, the Colts, like all other teams that run the famed 'Tampa-2' defense, do indeed utilize a nose tackle along the defensive line.

We've often written about how the Colts use (or misuse) their defensive tackles, but every once and a while it helps to get a refresher on some of the finer details of how the 'Tampa-2' system works, particularly on the defensive line.

For starters, the 'Tampa-2' is actually a coverage term that has more to do with linebackers and defensive backs than d-linemen. It's a variation on the old 'Cover-2' defense which was made famous in the 1970s with the Pittsburgh Steelers 'Steel Curtain' teams. While former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and his one-time defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, Monte Kiffin, often get praise for changing the NFL with the 'Tampa-2' coverage variation, what they did strategically along the defensive line is equally interesting to dissect.

These changes in how linemen line-up and attack an offense are often lumped in with the term 'Tampa-2.' Rod Marineli, the current defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and one-time assistant under Dungy in Tampa Bay, also deserves credit for the unique why 'Tampa-2' teams attack offensive lines.

The principles and strategies these men standardized back the '90s are still use today in places like Indy, Chicago, Tennessee, Detroit, and now, apparently, New England. It is helpful to understand how these strategies work if one wishes to understand why the Colts are still very thin at the defensive tackle spot despite the additions of players like Tommie Harris and Drake Nevis.

Joe Dolan of FantasyGuru.com recently wrote an outstanding explanation on how basic NFL defensive alignments work, and he dedicated a good portion of his article to 'Tampa-2' defensive line fronts.

4-3 Fronts – In the early part of this century, Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin popularized something that had been around since the 1980s: the "under front" in their Tampa-2 defense (which we’ll get to a little more in depth in a little bit). Essentially, the under front shifted the entire defensive line away from the strong side of the offensive line. In the under front, one defensive tackle is shaded directly over the center (a nose tackle), while another, more athletic interior lineman – the undertackle or 3-technique – lines up in the B gap in a more traditional DE position (think Warren Sapp). Then, the team’s best pass rusher (think Simeon Rice) is free to rush from the extreme edge of the offensive line. If each player maintains his responsibility, run plays can be filtered to the LBs.
The "over front," which shifts the line toward the strong side of the offense, is also common to see in today’s NFL. The idea is to create mismatches and get athletic players in their best position to succeed. It’s an example of the constantly changing NFL in that coaches will tweak the traditional 4-3 to best reflect the talent that’s on the field. As an undertackle, more athletic defensive tackles like Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh can overpower slower offensive guards and put up huge sack numbers from the interior line. While different coaches do different things with their 4-3 fronts, the important thing to remember is they’re all trying to create mismatches. That’s how games are won in today’s NFL.

For the Colts, over the past few years we've seen players like Raheem Brock, Larry Tripplett, Montae Reagor, Daniel Muir, and Fili Moala all play well as the undertackle or 3-technique tackle. Speed, quickness, and burst are valued here over girth, size, and strength.

When people say, 'The Colts don't need big fatties, but small guys to shoot the gap and funnel to the linebackers,' they are referring to 3-tech DTs whether they know it or not.

It is the tackle that lines up over the center, the 'nose tackle' as Dolan calls him (overtackle in some other lexicons) that the Colts have truly struggled to find and retain over the years.

They spent big money in 2005 on Corey Simon to fill this role, and he did for only one season until poly-arthritis cost him his career.

They made a big trade in 2006 for Booger McFarland, who was the gold standard of Tampa-2 nose tackles back then. No coincidence that Indy won a Super Bowl that year. Their run defense in the playoffs was dominant. Booger blew out his knee in camp the following year, and his career was finished.

Ed Johnson was stout as the nose tackle in 2007, up until he was kicked off the team in early in the 2008 season.

In 2009, Antonio Johnson solidified the role of 'overtackle' in the Colts Tampa-2. However, last year, for reasons we really still don't know (injuries? coach's doghouse? stupidity? edict from Bill Polian?) the Colts sat Mookie for much of the year used Daniel Muir as the overtackle and Fili Moala as the 3-tech.

The results were disaster. The Colts surrendered 2,032 rushing yards in 2010, at 4.6 a carry.

Now, Muir is gone. Mookie is re-signed to a three-year deal, and the Colts have roped in a couple more 3-tech DTs in Nevis and Harris. However, the key question of depth still remains: Outside of Mookie, who on this team can play nose tackle in the Tampa-2?

Don't say Moala. He simply doesn't have the mindset. Also, he might not be big enough. Mookie is 310-315. Fili is 305. When Moala he did play NT last year, he got consistently blown off the line by the center. Harris and Nevis are strict 3-tech talents. There's been talk of moving Jamaal Anderson to DT on passing downs, but, again, that is as a 3-tech. Same with Eric Foster. He, like Anderson, plays DE and 3-tech DT on passing downs.

The other DTs on the roster include a rookie free agent named Ollie Obgu and two vets: DeMario Pressley, and John Gill.

Obgu, at 6'1, 285 pounds, sounds more like a 3-tech talent. In fact, when you read his scouting reports coming out of Penn State, it's pretty obvious he isn't a NT.

Pressley, at 6'3, 301 pounds, is interesting. But, after being drafted by the Saints in the 5th round in 2008, he's been released, picked up by the Texans, and then released again. If Pressley were good at stopping the run, I highly doubt the Saints and Texans would have just cut him.

John Gill is 6'3, 302 pounds. He's mostly known as the guy who got drunk and pissed his pants before being arrested outside a strip club one year ago today. The Colts were kind enough not to cut him, placing the former Northwestern Wildcat on the injury list for 2010.

So, when look at this roster, outside of Mookie, the Colts have no one who can effectively play the NT spot in the Tampa-2. Should Mookie get hurt (and odds are, he will), teams will simply bash the football down the Colts throat by exploiting their weakness at the NT spot.

Lack of depth here is a big reason why idiots like me are SCREAMING that the Colts sign Pat Williams, formerly of the Vikings. Like Booger McFarland, Williams is considered gold standard of Tampa-2 NTs. He's a free agent right now, and at 38-years-old, he's likely looking for reserve role on a championship caliber team that plays Tampa-2.

Tampa-2 NTs don't grow on trees, and without one the Tampa-2 defense simply does not work. And if the Colts struggle again to stop the run, they simply have no shot at getting to and winning another Super Bowl.

[UPDATE] I neglected to mention Ricardo Mathews, DT for the Colts at 6'3, 295. He is playing a lot of NT in camp. So, maybe he can do it, but I have my doubts.

Rookie Depth Chart Battles: Terrell McClain

Jon Dove — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:00:36 -0000

More and more NFL rookies are expected to contribute early in their careers. However, for them to make an impact they need to beat out a veteran player. We are going to analyze the situation of specific rookies and determine the likely hood of them winning a position battle.

Player: Terrell McClain

Team: Carolina Panthers

Position: Defensive Tackle

Competition: Sione Fua, Nick Hayden, Ed Johnson, Derek Landri

Chance of winning the battle: 70 percent

Thoughts: The new coaching staff in Carolina means that every player starts with a fresh start. This benefits rookies because cuts into some of the advantage vets have in a specific system. The defensive tackle position in Carolina is great situation for a talented rookie because the current roster doesn't feature any sure fire starters.

Terrell McClain possesses a good first step and snap awareness that allows him to penetrate the pocket. He also has a nice thick lower half that helps him anchor against the run. He likely projects as a 3 technique but has the versatility to rotate to the nose tackle spot. His overall talent and potential makes him an early favorite to earn signifitant playing time.

His competition really struggled to create pressure registering only a combined 4 sacks. The defense also gave up nearly 2000 rushing yards which made it tough for the unit to be successful. This is a unit that needs an infusion of talent which means McClain will be counted on to contribute.

Report: Colts Knew Of Quinn Pitcock's Anxiety Issues In 2007, Drafted Him Anyway

Brad Wells — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:34:27 -0000

File this under 'facepalm' [emphasis mine]:

Most teams give players a psychological test at the combine, or perhaps at an all-star game or even during a visit to the team facility.

Not every player passes. "We have standards and metrics we’ve used over the years to tell us what constitutes a level acceptable for success in the league," Colts president Bill Polian says. "Virtually every team has norms on which they rely to tell them on whether or not a player may have success. It really is no different from a 40 time or a height weight, a wingspan, or hand size. It’s a matter of what the measurable tell you. If the psychological measurable tell you there is a low chance of success, we simply move on."

The Colts knew Quinn Pitcock had some anxiety issues when they made him a third round pick in 2007. But the problems weren’t enough to scare them away. Over time, Pitcock developed depression that proved problematic.

That's from Dan Pompeii's NFP Sunday Blitz article, which focused on how how the NFL teams evaluate the mental and emotional states of players.

Basically, prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, the Colts knew of Pitcock's anxiety problems, but decided to use a third round pick on him anyway. I can let that go somewhat because it's not like there was a ton of talent immediately following Pitcock in Round Three (pick No. 98). Sure, the Colts could have taken Michael Bush, Jermon Bushrod, Doug Free, or Paul Soliai at that pick, but it's not like a guy like Brendon Mebane was still sitting there.

The real annoyance is when you look at this recent revelation and then consider how the Colts approached the 2008 off-season.

After 2007, the Colts knew defensive tackle Booger McFarland's career was finished. During the 2008 NFL Draft, they passed on Pat Sims, Marcus Harrison, and Dre Moore. Harrison and Moore were both drafted by teams who run the Tampa-2 (Chicago and Tampa Bay, respectively). The Colts didn't aggressively go after free agents like Chris Canty, Corey Williams, or Jovan Haye. Had Bill Polian not traded his first round pick in 2008 for the right to draft Tony Ugoh in 2007, the Colts would have had a shot in Round One of '08 to take defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer out of UNC.

Now, I'm not saying that having any one of these guys would have guaranteed the club another Super Bowl in 2008. However, any one of these players would have provided the Colts with some kind of real depth at DT which, in 2008, the team simply did not have outside Ed Johnson and Quinn Pitcock.

Going into training camp for 2008, they had the 305 pound Ed Johnson (who had issues stemming from his days at Penn State) and the 310 pound Quinn Pitcock (who they knew had mental problems). These were the two people the Colts were relying upon to start at the defensive tackle for their defense that year. After them, names like Keyunta Dawson (265 pounds), Eric Foster (260 pounds), and Raheem Brock (275 pounds) were all they had.

Pitcock shocked everyone when he retired the day everyone was to report to training camp that year, later citing depression and mental anxiety as the reasons why he gave up football. Johnson was kicked off the team after Week One when he was arrested on the Northside of Indianapolis for speeding and marijuana possession.

The Colts spent the rest of the year desperately trying to plug the DT hole, signing cast-offs like Daniel Muir, LaJuan Ramsey, and Antonio Johnson. Brock, Foster, and Dawson started much of 2008 at the DT spots.

The defense surrendered 1,966 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs in 2008. Backs averaged 4.2 a carry on Indy that year. One back, in particular, was Darren Sproles. He ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Indy in their first round playoff loss to the Chargers that season. For the game, the Colts surrendered 167 rushing yards and three TDs on 33 carries (5 yards a carry).

Look, I'm not writing this to slam the Colts for drafting Pitcock, nor am I taking cheap shots at Pitcock himself. The guy had serious mental problems, and he's since tried to get his life back under control. Personally, I'm pulling for him.

However, when the Colts entered the 2008 off-season knowing full well they had a sketchy character guy in Johnson and a possible mental meltdown in Pitcock, how could they not address the DT spot in the draft or free agency? Don't tell me that there wasn't anyone for them to take, because there was. And don't tell me the old, lazy 'hindsight is 20-20' excuse. I don't need hindsight to know that when you build the foundation of your defense on two players with track records that suggest they are not 100% reliable, Murphy's Law will undoubtedly make you pay.

And with the Colts, it did.

Since 2008, Indianapolis still has not been able to adequately address the DT spot. They drafted Fili Moala and Terrence Taylor in 2009. Taylor didn't even make it out of pre-season that year (he's in Arena Football now), and the jury is still out on whether Moala can actually play at this level consistently. Dan Muir and Mookie Johnson have played spotty at best (downright awful at worst) since getting signed as free agents, with Mookie rated as slightly better. 2011 saw Indy take Drake Nevis from LSU in Round Three.

The DT spot is a train wreck for well over a decade, and Colts management has no one to blame but themselves. Hopefully, unlike past years, the Colts will use the upcoming free agent market to finally infuse some talent into this big problem area.

Panthers Rivera Gives Candid Interview on Team Needs

Jaxon — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:38:36 -0000

This is going to take a little getting used to, a Head Coach who actually answers a question with more than hyperbole. Panthers new HC Ron Rivera gave a candid interview to the Fayetteville Observor and others while at Ft. Bragg that was published yesterday. For me it was his answer to this question that I found to be surprisingly candid given what we are used to in Carolina:

Q: When this thing is over, obviously, free agency will be open. What are the big things you need to take care of right away?

A: "Well, I think there are a couple of positions we most certainly need to make sure there are some good veteran depth there. We’re going to look at some of the defensive positions. We made a couple of moves here in the draft, but we’d still like to see if we can find a veteran defensive line guy who could help us. You look at our linebackers and we’ve got a couple of guys who are coming back after injuries, so we’ve got to see if there’s potentially if there’s a veteran guy we could bring in. The same thing with the defensive back position. Offensively, we feel pretty comfortable with our offensive line and our running back situation. We’ve got to resolve the wide receiver position and see how all that unfolds once this is done. Our quarterback position is what it is right now. We’ve got to talk about where we want to head as far as the veteran back up is concerned.’’

Boy he didn't shy away from the obvious needs nor avoid any of the sticky subjects such as QB and WR. We'll talk about what this means...after the jump...

I was most surprised that he mentioned LB in his list of needs. With four good LBs returning in Jon Beason, James Anderson, Dan Conner and Thomas Davis returning it makes you wonder how they would fit in a veteran. I agree there has to be concern that both Davis and Conner are returning from knee injuries. Yet the Panthers appear to have some quality back-ups in place who could hold things down behind an upgraded d-line until these guys shape up. The Panthers return Nic Harris, the former Bear Jason Williams, Jordan Senn, Sean Ware and rookie draft pick Lawrence Williams.

Could this mean there is a good chance Thomas Davis doesn't return? If that were the case I could understand the thought that we need another vet to support the remaining three starters in Beason, Conner and Anderson. With these three to shose from we are back to that unanswered question we had all last season, what to do with Dan Conner? He's strictly a MLB in my view and Beason's ability to play in coverage seemed to minimized at the WLB early last season. Yet I thought the run defense was better with Conner in the middle.

The other positions mentioned by Rivera were not much of a surprise. It's a forgone conclusion CB Richard Marshall is a goner hence the need for a vet CB. Rookie Brandon Hogan might be a long-term solution but not many want to see him out there as a rookie. A lower probability would be to move either of the safeties Charles Godfrey or even Sherrod Martin to CB. Both have played the position before; Martin was actually projected to be a CB after being drafted but got moved during his rookie season.

Even after drafting two DTs the Panthers could certainly still use a vet up front until these guys get their feet wet. That tells me we will have several changes in the depth chart once camp opens (I'm remaining positive on that). We've got a number of young guys who had better impress this new coaching staff soon or they might not last long; guys like Corvey Irvin, Andre Neblett, Nick Hayden and Ed Johnson.

Rivera even acknowledged they have yet to decide on two positions: QB and WR. Obviously the Steve Smith situation remains up in the air. Rivera addressed this question directly:

Q: Are you planning the wide receiver position without Steve Smith?

A: "We’re planning, when this all breaks, to sit down and visit and come to a decision. One thing I did tell Steve is we’ll make a decision we feel is best for the team, and at the same time keeping in serious consideration what’s best for him as well. I don’t want to put words in his mouth. It might be in his mind (to leave), it might not. I do know we had a great conversation. He was honest and and forthright. He did kind of leave me at a point where I was wondering exactly where did he want to go with this. But I’ll wait until we can sit down and talk when the time comes.’’

I can't help but chuckle that Rivera said he "had a great conversation" with Smitty yet he also was left "wondering exactly where did he want to go with this". Does that sound like Smitty or what? I still can't help but think Smith will remain a Panther for 2011.

The other obvious question is do the Panthers need a vet QB to drive the offense until one of the young guys steps up. I'm willing to bet Rivera was being very honest that he doesn't really have a clue in that regard. It's that kind of honesty I'm having to get used to.

Panthers 2010 Position Review: DT

Jaxon — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:00:46 -0000

We continue our 2010 position review Panther fans looking now at the defensive tackle (DT) position. This position was in most fans views one of the weaker positions on the team in 2010. Though you could argue the offense kept them on the field way too much the Panther leaders at defensive tackle in 2010 were hardly considered elite in 2010, more like average to pedestrian at best. Yet when you consider their two starters at the beginning fo the season were a 5th round pick and a UDFA it's hardly surprising they failed to impress. We'll take a look at each of the DTs from 2010 that made a contribution worth discussing, starting with last years game one starters:

Derek Landri

2010 Stats: 43 tackles (30 solo) 3.0 sacks, 1 FR, 1 PD in 16 starts

Landri's 43 total tackles in 2010 led the Panthers at the position and was good for a tie at 15th among DT/NGs in the NFL.The 30 solo registered tied for 16th best overall. Essentially middle of the pack statistics overall but honestly not bad for a 5th round pick in his 5th season. Landri played the RDT position with usually a one gap assignment. Often he succeeded at getting in the backfield only to miss the tackle for loss. The fact is the Panthers got all they could have hoped for from Landri in 2010 which unfortunately was not near enough.

Grade: C+

Ed Johnson

2010 Stats: 22 Tackles (15 solo) 2 PDs, 1 INT in 6 starts and 12 games

The Panthers took a flyer on Johnson in 2010 in hopes he could regain his rookie form but instead they mostly got the same guy the Colts cut after 2009. At one point Johnson was inactive and in John Fox's doghouse for unspecified reasons for a game here and there. We can only assume it was for a lack of production. He did have one very good game against the Bengals (6 tackles) but otherwise was pedestrian in his 12 games. His biggest play of the season was picking off a pass against Jay Cutler (imagine that) that was the epitome of a blind squirrel finding a nut. As the LDT or under tackle (or even NG) as some call it in a 4-3, Johnson job was to engage blockers, preferably more than one and allow the Panther LBs the lanes to stuff the running game. To this end Johnson was effective for short periods of a game but he wore down as the season progressed. He sat the last two games, with an injury I believe but have no desire to actually look it up!

Grade: D

via cache.daylife.com

Nick Hayden

2010 Stats: 31 tackles (20 solo) 1 sack, 1 PD in 10 starts and 14 games

Once Ed Johnson lost his starting job Hayden got the call and essentially made the most of his limited athletic ability, at least when it comes to playing the LDT spot. Hayden is vastly under sized for what he was asked to do but I will say the kid played with the proverbial non-stop motor. Problem was too often on 3rd and short he simply could not hold the point of attack.

Grade: C

Andre Neblett

2010 Stats: 10 tackles (8 solo) in 7 games

The undrafted rookie from Temple beat the odds when he made the final roster cut down last season. In his short time on the field he flashed some ability to get up field and make plays as a one gap penetrator. Consequently given his status as probably the last guy to make the roster I give him the highest grade of the group for making us notice him towards the end of the season when we could barely what was unfolding before our eyes.

Grade: B

Corvey Irvin

2010 Stats: 4 Tackles (3 solo) in 2 games

It's hard to grade a guy that has hardly seen the field in two seasons, the first lost to injury and the 2nd continuing to recover. It doesn't bode well that he could garner more playing time sitting behind such a weak group of players.

Grade:D

Louis Leonard

2010 Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo) in 2 games

In what seemed like a value pick-up prior to the 2009 season from Cleveland Leonard played in two games in 2010 before cutting cut after week 3.

Grade: F

2011 Undrafted Players: Who The Colts Might Be Looking At

Brad Wells — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:00:43 -0000

The unfortunate reality of this ridiculous NFL lockout is that players who were not drafted cannot be signed to NFL teams as free agents. Those, dozens and dozens of quality players are sitting out there with no contracts, no income, no means of earning of living through football.

For a team like the Indianapolis Colts, undrafted rookies are really a main source of talent for the roster; almost as important as the draft itself. Key players in Colts history, like Dominic Rhodes, Blair White, Gary Brackett, Marcus Pollard, Ed Johnson, and Melvin Bullitt were all undrafted players. Five of those six mentioned were starters for this team at one point. Brackett is, currently, the team's defensive captain.

After the jump, we have a list of undrafted players that the Colts may be looking at in order to determine who they should target once the lockout is lifted.

For me, the safety position is the most intriguing, as is defensive tackle. Deandre McDaniel, a SS from Clemson, and Martin Parker, a DT from Richmond, might be players the Colts covet. Martin earned defensive MVP honors at the 2011 East-West Shrine Game. Colts fourth round pick Delone Carter won offensive MVP honors in that game.

Also, Delaware quarterback Pat Devlin could be someone the Colts like.

Player	Position	Height	Weight	School
Adam Grant	OL	6'6"	325	Arizona
Adrian Moten	LB	6'2"	228	Maryland
Adrian Taylor	DL	6'3"	311	Oklahoma
Alexander Linnenkohl	C	6'2"	304	Oregon St.
Allen Reisner	TE	6'2"	248	Iowa
Andre Holmes	WR	6'4"	210	Hillsdale
Andrew McGee	DB	5'11"	195	Oklahoma St.
Armando Allen	RB	5'8"	199	Notre Dame
Armon Binns	WR	6'3"	209	Cincinnati
Brandon Bair	DL	6'6"	276	Oregon
Brandon Saine	RB	5'11"	220	Ohio St.
Cameron Graham	TE	6'3"	244	Louisville
Carl Johnson	OL	6'5"	361	Florida
Cedric Thornton	DL	6'3"	309	Southern Arkansas
Charlie Gantt	TE	6'4"	252	Michigan St.
Chas Henry	P	6'3"	215	Florida
Colby Whitlock	DL	6'2"	302	Texas Tech
Damien Berry	RB	5'10"	211	Miami
Dan Bailey	K	6'0"	193	Oklahoma St.
Dane Sanzenbacher	WR	5'11"	182	Ohio St.
Daniel Aiken	OL	6'4"	244	Virginia
Darren Evans	RB	6'0"	227	Virginia Tech
Darvin Adams	WR	6'2"	190	Auburn
David Sims	DB	5'9"	200	Iowa St.
DeAndre Brown	WR	6'6"	233	Southern Miss
Deandre McDaniel	SS	6'0"	217	Clemson
Demarcus Dobbs	DL	6'2"	281	Georgia
Derrell Smith	LB	6'0"	243	Syracuse
Derrick Locke	RB	5'8"	188	Kentucky
Deunta Williams	CB	6'2"	205	North Carolina
Devon Torrence	DB	6'0"	199	Ohio St.
Elijah Joseph	LB	6'1"	243	Temple
Garrett Chisolm	OL	6'5"	312	South Carolina
Graig Cooper	RB	5'10"	205	Miami
Henry Hynoski	FB	6'0"	257	Pittsburgh
Ian Williams	DL	6'1"	319	Notre Dame
Isaiah Thompson	OL	6'3"	300	Houston
Jacob Rogers	K	6'2"	213	Cincinnati
Jamar Newsome	WR	6'1"	200	Central Florida
Jamel Hamler	WR	6'1"	193	Fresno St.
Jarriel King	OL	6'5"	317	South Carolina
Jeff Van Camp	QB	6'5"	218	Florida Atlantic
Jeffrey Maehl	WR	6'1"	190	Oregon
Jeremiha Hunter	LB	6'1"	239	Iowa
Jeron Johnson	SS	5'10"	212	Boise St.
Jerrard Tarrant	FS	6'0"	204	Georgia Tech
Jerrod Johnson	QB	6'5"	251	Texas A&M
Jimmy Young	WR	6'0"	204	TCU
Jock Sanders	WR	5'6"	181	West Virginia
Joe Lefeged	DB	6'0"	210	Rutgers
Joe Morgan	WR	6'1"	189	Walsh
John Clay	RB	6'1"	230	Wisconsin
John Graves	DT	6'3"	286	Virginia Tech
Joshua Davis	OL	6'7"	313	Georgia
Joshua Jasper	K	5'10"	174	LSU
Joshua Nesbitt	QB	6'1"	217	Georgia Tech
Joshua Portis	QB	6'3"	211	California (PA)
Justin Boren	G	6'3"	309	Ohio St.
Kai Forbath	K	5'11"	197	UCLA
Keith Smith	WR	6'2"	214	Purdue
Kendric Burney	DB	5'9"	186	North Carolina
Kentrell Lockett	DL	6'5"	241	Mississippi
Kevin Hughes	OL	6'4"	302	Southeast Louisiana
Kevin Rutland	DB	6'0"	190	Missouri
Kristofer O'Dowd	OL	6'4"	304	USC
Kyle Hix	OL	6'7"	318	Texas
Ladi Ajiboye	DL	6'1"	297	South Carolina
Lestar Jean	WR	6'3"	215	Florida Atlantic
Mario Butler	DB	6'0"	182	Georgia Tech
Mario Fannin	RB	5'10"	231	Auburn
Mark Dell	WR	6'0"	193	Michigan St.
Mark Herzlich	LB	6'4"	244	Boston College
Marshall Williams	WR	6'1"	188	Wake Forest
Martin Parker	DL	6'2"	303	Richmond
Matt Asiata	RB	5'11"	229	Utah
Nate Williams	SS	6'0"	211	Washington
Nick Bellore	LB	6'1"	245	Central Michigan
Niles Brinkley	DB	5'10"	193	Wisconsin
Noel Devine	RB	5'8"	179	West Virginia
O.J. Murdock	WR	5'11"	197	Fort Hays St.
Orie Lemon	LB	6'1"	242	Oklahoma St.
Owen Spencer	WR	6'2"	195	N.C. State
Patrick Devlin	QB	6'3"	225	Delaware
Pierre Allen	DL	6'4"	273	Nebraska
Preston Dial	TE	6'3"	237	Alabama
Ray Dominguez	OL	6'4"	334	Arkansas
Reid Forrest	K	6'0"	189	Washington St.
Ricardo Lockette	WR	6'2"	211	Fort Valley St.
Richard Henry	OL	6'3"	308	Nebraska
Richard Lapham	OL	6'8"	315	Boston College
Ryan Bartholomew	C	6'1"	302	Syracuse
Ryan Colburn	QB	6'3"	223	Fresno St.
Ryan Donahue	K	6'2"	193	Iowa
Ryan Winterswyk	DL	6'4"	268	Boise St.
Schuylar Oordt	TE	6'6"	261	Northern Iowa
Scott Lutrus	LB	6'2"	241	Connecticut
Scott Tolzien	QB	6'2"	212	Wisconsin
Sealver Siliga	DT	6'2"	305	Utah
Shaun Draughn	RB	5'11"	213	North Carolina
Terrance Turner	WR	6'2"	220	Indiana
Terrence Toliver	WR	6'4"	212	LSU
Tori Gurley	WR	6'4"	216	South Carolina
Ugo Chinasa	DL	6'5"	264	Oklahoma St.
Vai Taua	RB	5'10"	213	Nevada
Vance Cuff	DB	5'10"	178	Georgia
Wayne Daniels	DE	6'0"	260	TCU
Weslye Saunders	TE	6'5"	270	South Carolina
Will Hill	FS	6'1"	202	Florida
Willie Smith	OL	6'5"	310	East Carolina
Zachary Hurd	OL	6'7"	316	Connecticut
Zack Pianalto	TE	6'3"	256	North Carolina
Zane Taylor	OL	6'3"	309	Utah

2011 NFL Draft: Colts Interested In Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

Brad Wells — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:46:15 -0000

Earlier today, we touched on the Colts visiting with 346 pound defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis from Hampton. Now, we have a report from National Football Post that the Colts have interest in 6'3, 334 pound monster Phil Taylor out of Baylor.

Ellis is viewed as a second round prospect. Taylor is a mid-to-late first rounder.

It's encouraging to see Indy taking an interest in 'anchor-style' defensive tackles and not three-technique guys. Players like Fili Moala and Daniel Muir are nice if they don't have to hold their ground and stop the opponent whose running at them. In years past, Antonio Johnson has been the guy to do that, and before him it was Ed Johnson, Anthony McFarland, and Corey Simon.

Last season , Antonio 'Mookie' Johnson lost his starting job to Moala, who was pretty terrible as the 'nose tackle' in Indy's Tampa-2 defense. The Colts allowed over 2,000 rushing yards in 2010 (4.6 a carry), and the run defense did not start to improve until the last four games of the regular season, which also happened to coincide with Mookie getting his starting job back. Mookie sat out the playoff game against the Jets, who racked up 169 rushing yards on Indy.

Finding a true, legitimate anchor for this defense is critical. Maybe not so critical as a quality offensive linemen, but important nonetheless.

The knock on Taylor entering the draft is his health, especially the status of his feet. However, NFP is reporting that:

Phil Taylor's feet checked out fine at the NFL scouting combine medical recheck, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.

Indianapolis Colts Top 10 Draft Busts And Successes In Franchise History: Quinn Pitcock

Brad Wells — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 15:19:52 -0000

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I've spent the better part of 24 hours chasing around the whole 'WHAT! That Peyton Manning twins story was TRUE?' news. Thus, I didn't have time yesterday (or the day before that) to continue with our daily series of Colts all-time draft 'busts' and successes.

Today, we have our first 'bust' that wasn't a first round pick: Quinn Pitcock.

Colts Draft Bust No. 7: Video Killed (The Career of) The OSU Star, Quinn Pitcock

Now, when evaluating a draft 'bust,' most likely such players come from the first round because, naturally, more is expected from a first round pick. Anyone taken in the first round is expected to start at some point in their career for the team that took them. If they don't become a reliable starter, chances are they were a 'busted' pick.

In the case of Quinn Pitcock, he did not come to Indianapolis with first round expectations. However, his rise during his rookie year to becoming, in essence, a starting-caliber player along the defensive line coupled with his dramatic and odd fall from grace certainly make him 'bust' material.

Pitcock is No. 7 in our list of all-time draft 'busts' for the Indianapolis Colts.

For you Ohio State fans out there, I'm sure you all remember ole Quinn. He was a relentless defensive tackle for the Buckeyes. He was, arguably, the team's best interior tackle from 2004-2006. In 2004, he earned All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention. He registered a career-high 49 tackles (20 solos), two sacks, and 7.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. In 49 games at Ohio State, Pitcock started 34 of them. He had 133 tackles (65 solo) and 14 sacks while seeing constant double-teams from offensive linemen.

After the Colts championship season of 2006, won in large part due to a mid-season trade for Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, the Colts still wanted to shore up their historically weak DT position. Outside of McFarland, the team had no real prospects to play the Tampa-2 defense's version of a nose tackle.

Thus, with the 98th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft (third round), the Colts took Pitcock.

Almost immediately, the drafting of Quinn Pitcock paid off, which is somewhat odd when discussing a draft 'bust.' During training camp for the 2007 season, Anthony McFarland suffered a career-ending knee injury. This injury thrust rookies like Pitcock and Ed Johnson from Penn State into the proverbial fire, so to speak. As rookies, both responded well. Johnson became the starting defensive tackle, and Pitcock was his primary back-up. Though, as the season progressed, Ed and Quinn essentially became interchangeable. They solidified a d-line that had been the worst in the NFL at stopping the run in 2006, and before the Colts started resting starters at the end of the 2007 season, the Colts were surrendering only 107 rushing yards a game compared to 173 a game in 2006.

Despite an early playoff loss to the Chargers, there was a great deal of optimism about the Colts and their defense heading into 2008. Pitcock was being seen as a starting caliber tackle, and for the first time people wondered just how good the Colts could be if they had a defense which could stop the run.

But, as with the start of the 2007 training camp, something odd happened that would, essentially, doom the Colts season before it even began. For reasons that, at the time, seemed odd and 'Twilight Zone' strange, while driving to training camp in Terre Haute, Indiana in August of 2008, Quinn Pitcock decided to stop his car, turn around, drive back to Indianapolis, and retire.

Yes, retire. At the ripe old age of 24.

The move was so ludicrous no one truly believed he'd stay retired. To quote ESPN's Mike Wilbon in the video segment above, 'He'll be back in a couple of weeks. He was drafted just last year. What's he gonna do?'

Contrary to Wilbon's opinions, Pitcock stayed retired. The Colts played out their 2008 season, which saw them cut Ed Johnson (their starting DT) from the team after Week One. With Ed and Quinn gone, the Colts allowed nearly 2,000 rushing yards that season (122 per game). They made the playoffs because of an MVP season by Peyton Manning, but once again they lost in their first playoff game due in large part to the defensive line not knowing how to tackle a running back. Back-up Darren Sproles rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including a TD in overtime which sealed the win for San Diego, the team that had knocked the Colts out of the playoffs the year before.

All throughout 2008 and 2009, many of us wondered why such a promising talent like Pitcock would just up and quit on football. He didn't have the attitude of a 'quitter,' and his reputation at college was one of toughness and determination. It would not be until 2010 that we would finally get an answer.

Video Games.

Two years ago, as he headed for training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, Quinn Pitcock decided he didn’t want to do it anymore.

Sure, he was making good cash as a third-round draft pick, a former All-American defensive tackle from Ohio State with a nice future with a Super Bowl contender.

But something wasn’t right. Something was missing. And a day later, that something missing was Pitcock himself, who went underground after never showing up at Colts’ camp.

"I’m introverted. I cast myself away from everybody and became almost a hermit," Pitcock said Thursday after his first practice with the Seahawks, who are giving him a chance at a comeback. "I was a hermit for a year. No one knew where I was at. I just sat in my apartment and did nothing."

Nothing except play video games, which became his addiction and way to avoid the world. Who needs real life when you’ve got PlayStation?

"I got sucked into that," said the 26-year-old. "I’m going to be working soon starting some sort of charity to help kids who are addicted to video games because that turned into my way out and I got lost to the world. It took me awhile to get myself back and get my bearings and get back into society.

That's right, folks.

Quinn Pitcock gave up millions, a potential starting job on a Super Bowl-caliber team, and a chance at NFL glory to, essentially, play Call of Duty all day long. It too stupid to believe, and what makes it even more dumb is that it's TRUE.

The Colts relinquished their rights to Pitcock in 2010 (a dumb move, but done nonetheless), allowing Quinn to join the Seattle Seahawks and, potentially, re-start his career. He participated in their training camp and preseason, but was cut before the final 53 man roster was settled. He did not play at all in 2010, and is currently out of football.

The reason we list Quinn as the Colts No. 7 all-time 'bust' is because of how oddly and spectacularly he fell from grace. This guy was being looked at as a future, long term starter. He had the talent. He seemingly had the mindset. He had the right coaching and college pedigree. But, like so many busts, despite all the tools in the world, Quinn couldn't put it all together to make a successful NFL career. As a result, the Colts are still searching for a competent defensive tackle as their run defense continues to be a major weaknesses for the team and franchise.

No. 8 Draft Bust: Leonard Coleman

No. 9 Draft Bust: Quentin Coryatt

No. 10 Draft Bust: Steve Emtman

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