SB Nation - Mike Doss

Bengals worked out Joey Galloway, Ed Johnson and Mike Doss Tuesday

Kirkendall — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:27:58 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

4 months ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Joey Galloway hauls in a pass during NFL football training camp at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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While the signing of Larry Johnson, and to a smaller degree, the release of Ben Utecht, were Tuesday's primary headlines, the Bengals weren't through, just yet. On Tuesday, the Bengals worked out three other players; wide receiver Joey Galloway, safety Mike Doss and defensive lineman Ed Johnson. Johnson was released by the Indianapolis Colts in October because he lacked production. In Joey Galloway's case, he just never caught on with the Patriots. Mike Doss, who played for Cincinnati at the end of last year, was released with Chris Perry, Eric Henderson, Nate Lawrie and Gary Russell in April.

The Bengals invited Galloway, who could be used as a deep threat on a core of wide receivers that are more possession receivers. Unless, of course, you play Jerome Simpson, who has speed. It appears that Ed Johnson is more trouble than he's worth. Johnson was arrested in September of 2008 when Indiana police pulled Johnson over for speeding and found he was in possession of marijuana. Along with lacking production, there's no benefit signing Johnson at this point. Doss was awesome in college. Since then, injuries have really slowed him down and he's, at best, a special teams contributor.

In the end, I'll be surprised if the Bengals offer anyone that visited a contract.

Overcoming the "bump": How great teams keep winning despite setbacks

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, will have to focus his team and not allow injuries to be an excuse. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Every NFL teams experiences a point in their season where something happens to disrupt their flow. Things are going well. The team is winning. Players are happy, flying around, looking to make plays, etc. Coaches are jovial in press conferences. Media are anointing the club, calling them "the best ever." Yippee-yippee-yay-yay!

Then, something happens.

Usually, it comes in the form of an injury. Or, sometimes, it's a team tragedy or some kind of disaster. Last season, we all saw the Houston Texans' "bump" come in the form of a hurricane that damaged their stadium, their facilities, and (for many players) their homes. The Texans never recovered from that "bump," and missed the playoffs because of a bad start.

In 2007, the our own, beloved Colts looked like they would repeat as world champions. They were 7-1 and flying high. Then, they lost Dwight Freeney for the season. They limped along for the rest of 2007, managed to finish the season 6-1 after the Freeney injury, but lost in the playoffs to the Chargers due in large part because of a lack of pass rush. In 2008, Peyton Manning's knee problems, coupled with the disasters at the defensive tackle spot, provided Indy with their "bump" very early in the NFL campaign. The team fumbled and bumbled their way through a 3-4 start. Though Indy managed to close the season on a 7-0 run, they lost in the playoffs again to the Chargers due in large part because of problems they had as a result of their "bump" early in the season (poor DT play).

Bumps for teams can sometimes be too much to handle. They can throw an entire season off track. However, it is the truly great teams that incur these bumps and, somehow, manage to win games in spite of them.

For my money, no championship team in recent memory was as injured as the 2006 Colts. They lost Brandon Stokley, Mike Doss, Corey Simon, James Mungro, and Montae Reagor for the season. Their secondary was a list of walking wounded. Bob Sanders missed virtually all the 2006 regular season (shocking, I know). Yet, despite the injuries, they persevered and won the Super Bowl.

Last season, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose both their first and second round picks in the 2008 draft (Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, respectively). They also played games in 2008 without Willie Parker, using castoff Mewelde Moore as their feature back. They lost Casey Hampton and Heath Miller for long stretches of time. Starting offensive guard Kendall Simmons was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Steelers starters missed over 31 games in 2008 due to injuries. In Week Sixteen, they were dominated by the Tennessee Titans, and many wondered if the Steelers were as good as others said they were.

Yet, I distinctly remember seeing the Steelers hoist the Lombardi trophy this past February.

Obviously, too many injuries, or one devastating injury, can kill your football team. But just because you loose a few starters, or because some other players are down for a while, does not mean that is an excuse to lose. The great teams win despite injuries, and even though the 2009 Colts have lost some players this week, this roster is still good enough to win it all.

More importantly, with this current roster, I expect them to win it all.

I love players like Marlin Jackson and Tyjuan Hagler. But this is the NFL. Injuries happen. For eight weeks, this team has been able to get by without having a serious injury smack them upside the head. Now, they have two. We'll see how tough they are overcoming this "bump" in the coming weeks. Personally, I think they will be fine.

The big Tony Ugoh v. Charlie Johnson debate

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell is big on accountability. Thus, if Charlie Johnson does not outplay Tony Ugoh this pre-season, Caldwell's judgment to bench Ugoh will be questioned. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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The one positive thing to come out of the benching of Tony Ugoh is that all the negative energy readers once directed at Joseph Addai is now firmly fixed on Ugoh, and by extension Charlie Johnson. You all know the story: Tony Ugoh has benched for Charlie Johnson one week into training camp after Johnson returned from the PUP after pectoral surgery. Many of us ranted and raved over the benching for the obvious reason that Johnson is not as good a player as Ugoh. Indeed, as pre-season has progressed, Ugoh has continued to look better, at least in my opinion.

Is he lighting the world on fire and making all of us go "OMG! He's a changed man!" No.

Is he playing better, overall, than Charlie Johnson? Yes.

It's for this reason that I've called Jim Caldwell's judgment into question. Please understand, I personally feel Caldwell has done a masterful job transitioning from QB Coach-Associate Head Coach to Head Coach, replacing the legend that is Tony Dungy. He is intelligent, thoughtful, and (most importantly) respected by the players. He is a little more vocal than Dungy, holds players and coaches more accountable than Dungy, and appears less stubborn than Dungy. Dungy was a unique coach with a brilliant method at focusing on details in order to win football games. He didn't out-scheme, out-wit, or out-plan his opponents. His teams played harder, tackled better, and executed better than his opponents. That's Dungy Ball. Caldwell seems to be using a similar method, and for that he deserves a ton of props. It's not easy taking over for a coaching god, and Caldwell is making it look so. That's impressive, indeed.

My questioning of Caldwell's decision stems from a personal belief that the guys who should be playing are better players than the guys sitting on the bench. If a 6th round pick (Antoine Bethea) practices and plays better than a 2nd round pick (Mike Doss), than the 6th rounder should play. And like the Bethea v. Doss camp battle of 2006, which helped mold both players into better safeties, my criticism of Caldwell stems from him naming the starter (Johnson) when Johnson clearly had not earned the job.

Before I elaborate, here are what John Oehser and 18to88 are saying about the Ugoh v. Johnson debate.

John Oehser:

Here's one to BigBlueShoe's thoughts on the game on Stampede Blue. As usual, the "Shoe" does a great job of breaking down the game and raising some intriguing questions. I will say this: while I love BigBlueShoe -- and while mentioning him so high in this post shows how highly I consider his views --Stampede Blue has done a lot of questioning of Caldwell's handling of the Tony Ugoh-Charlie Johnson situation at left tackle. I find the handling interesting, too, but while BigBlueShoe is questioning Caldwell's competence and saying he looks inept and ridiculous, I'm not quite ready to paint it like that. Johnson didn't look great against Houston Texans DE Jason Babin Thursday, but Ugoh really didn't, either. Typically around the Colts a major decision such as changing left offensive tackles isn't going to be made whimsically by one person in the organization. There are long discussions, meetings and evaluations each offseason, and from what Caldwell has said about the timing of the decision to start Johnson -- it was made well before OTAs starting in May -- the Ugoh-Johnson decision was made sometime around those meetings. The long and short of this entry is pretty simple and that's that clearly the decision to start Johnson is a hot-button issue, but if Johnson is still starting in early September, it doesn't mean Caldwell's incompetent.

18to88:

Charlie Johnson was an abject disaster. He gave up a big hit on Peyton on the first TD drive. Manning avoided a sack with his lightening release on a sweet pass to Addai. Then CJ followed it up on the next Colts possession by getting whipped again, leading to a sack fumble. In fairness, Pollack got beat on the play as well (not that this makes me feel any better).
Unfortunately, Ugoh didn't play well either. He picked up a couple of penalties (although the second was not a good call), blew some run blocks, and looked generally lost. Johnson left the door wide open (as we knew he would), but Ugoh didn't walk through it. Instead, he laid down on the welcome mat and took a little nap.

I'll respond to John's solid point by saying that the decision to bench Ugoh certainly was not done on a whim. If I conveyed that thought that in my earlier writings, that's my bad. However, the decision on who starts and who sits rests solely with Caldwell. If it doesn't, then we have a BIG problem. Since I'm certain the team I love is the Indianapolis Colts, and not the disaster in Oakland known as the Raiders, I'll state confidently that all decisions on who starts and who sits reside with Caldwell.

This means he is directly and solely responsible for benching Ugoh for Johnson.

Caldwell is big on accountability. It is something he has stressed since he first took the podium last January as head coach. And since Caldwell wants to hold players and assistants accountable for their actions and decisions, Caldwell himself must be held to the same standard. Thus, if benching Ugoh results in worse play at the left tackle position, Caldwell is responsible, and least partially. That's all I'm saying.

Regarding 18to88's take, I'm not as harsh of Ugoh's play last night as they are, but I can see their point. Charlie Johnson was awful last night. When a scrub like Jason Babin makes you look like a chump, you stink as a starting LT. I shudder to think what Mario Williams will do to Charlie. And yes, I realize Charlie is returning from injury, as John Oehser correctly reminds us.

So what?

If you are healthy to start and play, my assumption is you should be able to handle the Jason Babins of this league. If you are too injured, or too rusty, to do that, then what the hell are you doing out there in the first place? If the injury excuse was never good enough for Ugoh, Charlie shouldn't get the pass either.

This brings me to my biggest beef in this whole, stupid mess: The way Caldwell has handled it. I always seem to come back to one key question whenever I read blogs or comments from readers about this debate: Why was Charlie Johnson named the starter?

Certainly, Charlie did not "earn" the job. He's been injured all off-season, recovering from surgery. Why didn't Caldwell state that there is an open competition for the job, and may the best man win? Let Charlie, Tony, Daniel Federkeil, and Tom Pestock all compete for the starting LT job. Then, at the end of (perhaps) the third pre-season game, you name your starter. This way, it looks as if the guy who won the job actually earned it.

That is not how the situation currently looks.

Even factoring in last night's game, which was not a "light's out performance" by Ugoh, he is still clearly outplaying Johnson. He's better in pass protection, run blocking, and has more physical overall ability. Ugoh's also looked better in practice, handling Dwight Freeney much better than he did in the past. By all measures that we evaluate "camp competition," or competition in general, Ugoh is beating Johnson. Last night's game continued to reinforce that.

So, why is Johnson still the "named" starter? It's an unanswered question.

If there is one constant in all this, it is there is tremendous uneasiness about the LT spot. The coaching staff are visibly frustrated by the lack of consistency at both tackle spots, and we fans are scared as all hell at the fact that in two pre-season games, Peyton Manning has been sacked four times in about a quarter and a half's worth of work.

Barf.

It is very unlikely a left tackle will fall from the sky (a.k.a., a team will cut someone to get down to 53), which means the Colts are stuck with Charlie and Tony. In my not-so-humble opinion, this whole thing could have been handled better. The perception among some fans is Charlie simply has not earned the starting LT spot, and if things were this dicey going into camp, why didn't the Colts try and make a trade? Or, draft another left tackle?

What also makes this Ugoh v. Johnson issue stand out is it is the only truly negative thing we've experienced this pre-season (knock on wood). Injuries have occurred, but are not devastating like previous years (more wood knocking). Last night, both the offense, defense, and special teams overall looked damn impressive. I mean, if you think the Colts have issues at this point, kindly take a step back and look at the team Indy just played, Philadelphia Eagles. They had only one starter on their o-line last night. Everyone else is hurt, including Jason Peter, the LT they trade for from the Buffalo Bills. Their #1 pick, Jeremy Maclin, played terrible. Their defense, currently, is a shell of its former self. Stewart Bradley is gone for the year. Brian Dawkins is with the Broncos. Trent Cole is hurt. Jim Johnson has passed, and a new coordinator (Sean McDermott) is soldiering on with this unit. For a truthful perspective on the Eagles, look no further than Bob_Q at Bleeding Green Nation:

In one of the most disappointing performances the Eagles' faithful have seen in a while, the Birds fell tonight to the Indianapolis Colts 23-15. While excuses can can be made that many of our starters were sitting out with nagging injuries, the fact remains that both our offense and defense failed to fire on all cylinders.

Like all things, I hold out hope that the LT situation will shake itself out. This is a very good Colts team that is highly motivated to kick the snot out of people. Like most of you, I love the subtle "tweaks" and changes I am seeing. I love watching Antonio Johnson and Ed Johnson stuffing the run on third and short. I love Dwight Freeney spinning like Fred Astaire on crack. I love Peyton Manning looking like he is ready to eat your young.

I mean seriously, folks. This is our man before a PRE-SEASON game. Imagine him before games that actually count. I swear, lasers or something shoot out of his eyes.

I hope this LT shakes out. But, if it doesn't, then Jim Caldwell bares much of the responsibility. This is especially true if Charlie Johnson continues to struggle while Tony Ugoh continues to look better by comparison.

Eagles vs Colts coverage

The Bearcats and Cincinnati Bengals South; a few previews for tonight, watching the offensive line

Kirkendall — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:15:57 -0000

Last year, while we sat through the back-end of a retched eight-game losing streak, it became apparent that the Bengals might miss the playoffs. While that thought horribly sunk in, there was another football team in Cincinnati that was taking over the show. We followed the Cincinnati Bearcats from start to finish last year, enjoying their ride to their first ever BCS game. Their games were exciting and their rise was awesome. Even though they lost to Virginia Tech 20-7 in the FedEx Orange Bowl, it was a great ride by the Bearcats. This year the University of Cincinnati are underdogs to conference favorites Pittsburgh and Rutgers. ESPN's Big East blogger Brian Bennett lists quarterback Tony Pike and Wide Receiver Mardy Gilyard as his preseason All-Big East team.

We plan on doing the same thing this year, observing them, though in less detail than Bearcats specific sites. My goal is to keep Bearcats interest high, supporting them for as long as we have Brian Kelly (which might not be very long). And for some of you, to turn you into Bearcats fans.

We also want to, though without any confidence that we'll do it regularly, follow the Cincinnati Bengals South, also known as the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. While there's no roster listed online, as far as we can tell, we know that the following Bengals players are with the Tuskers this year.

Former Bengals defensive coordinator is also the Tuskers linebackers coach. This is by no means complete. Most of the names were found in a post we did about the UFL draft. So it's possible players have come and gone and we wouldn't know about it; it's not like I'm signing up for Tusker Tweets. Heh.

+ If you were in downtown Cincinnati, you had an opportunity to watch Hard Knocks on Fountain Square. However, managers decided to pull the plug. Was the crowd out of control? Were there Steelers fans that slipped past the defensive parameter, setting up a timer for dark matter to swallow the Queen City? No. The show had cursing.

“We try to keep our content PG-13,” says Kelly Leon, vice president of 3CDC, which programs Fountain Square entertainment.

Cursing. The cause for war and pestilence. Word has it from a prophet that the act of cursing will open a gateway in which aliens will enslave the human race to drain Earth's resources leaving the planet baron. Thank god others are doing their part to keep that gateway closed.

Moving on. Links and Notes

All four Bengals preseason games will be broadcasted in HD, carried by Local 12, starting tonight.

Joe Reedy previews tonight's game.

The Chickster says tonight's game will be the first test for the Bengals rebuilt offensive line | Joe Reedy agrees.

The first unit did well during last week’s scrimmage, which had line coach Paul Alexander to the point of jubilation, but Friday night is a different deal. It will serve as a better indicator to how much progress the line has been made and what is left to do.

“For the most part, we’ve been where we need to be and the mental mistakes haven’t been there as much,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “Right now is a chance to show that. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do it on a live field. It’s a chance to get out there for some live action and to hit someone else. We’re ready for it.”

Robert Geathers will be entering his fifth season in the NFL and he's only 26 years old. He's looking to take on a role as a defensive leader.

Who Dey Fans react to Hard Knocks, specifically the way J.D. Runnels was cut.

WDR points out that ticket sales for the team continues to fall, striding towards their to goal to make sure games are not sold out to affect Mike Brown's pocket book. I really hope it works. Otherwise players will see open seats, become less inspired to play and rather than changing things, Brown will become even more penny-pinching.

2009 Colts Training Camp: Third Running Back

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:23:36 -0000

More photos » by Tom Strattman - AP

Who will play behind Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown (pictured above)? (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

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We established the key training camp battles for 2009. Now, with nearly 30 days left until camp, we'll tackle two camp battle evaluations a week, giving insight and analysis on who is competing for the job, what they offer, and our estimation as to who will win.

As we always say around here, camp competition is one of the building blocks of making a championship caliber team. Regardless of contracts, singing bonuses, and all that garbage, players earn their starting spot in camp. If not, if they are just handed the job because they were drafted high or signed some kind of big contract, then you are cheating your football team. This is especially true if another player is better in camp, as was the case in 2006 when a ~~7th~~ 6th round rookie (Antoine Bethea) was better in camp than an established veteran that was well paid (Mike Doss). Bethea beat out Doss for one of the starting safety positions, and was a big part of the Colts winning the Super Bowl that year.

Yes, broken record on this point, I agree. But, it's what we believe in as bloggers, and it is a tried and true way to building a great team. Today, we focus on the players competing for the third running back spot on the roster.

Running backs currently on roster: Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart, Lance Ball, Chad Simpson

Running back competing for third and final RB spot: Mike Hart, Lance Ball, Chad Simpson

Traditionally, the Colts carry three running backs on their active roster and keep another back on the practice squad. Last year's active roster RBs heading into Week One of the 2008 season were Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, and then-rookie Mike Hart. But, injuries to Addai and Hart forced Indy to juggle several backs on and off the active roster. Two of those backs were practice squad players Chad Simpson and Lance Ball.

For 2009, veteran Joseph Addai and 2009 first round pick Donald Brown are locked into the #1 and #2 running back spots. In the past, the #3 back has been what Bill Polian has described as a James Mungro-type player, referencing former Colts back James Mungro, whose career was cut short after a knee injury in 2006's training camp. Back #3 is often a short yardage and goal line back who will also play heavily on special teams either as a gunner or a returner. The Colts value cutback runners due to their offensive scheme, and the ability to pass block and catch the football are also important.

Necessary attributes: Goal line and short yardage running; good pass blocking, strong receiving skills, special teams contributor (gunner or returner)

Mike Hart

Image: blog.syracuse.com

At A Glance
Position 1: RB	Height: 5-9
Position 2: Gunner	Weight: 206
Year: 2nd	Age: 23
Number: 32	Note: Recovering from injury

Analysis: The third running back spot is Mike Hart's unless he is unable to return 100% healthy from major knee surgery last year. Hart injured his knee during the October 13th clash with the Baltimore Ravens, ending his promising rookie season. Hart was drafted by the Colts in Round 6 after a legendary collegiate career at Michigan. Hart's 40 time at the Combine in 2008 was not that good (4.65), but as a rookie Hart showed good burst when running.

In pre-season last year, Hart looked very good, displaying strong cutback runs and good blocking technique on passing downs. He played in 5 games in the 2008 regular season, mostly on special teams as a gunner. In October of last year, the Colts started using Hart more in the regular offense, especially on short yardage. However, after just his second NFL carry, he hurt his knee and was done for '09.

The key for Hart in 2009 is proving he is healthy. According to Bill Polian, Hart will start training camp on the PUP, which could be problematic for Hart is players like Lance Ball look good in camp.

Lance Ball

Image: Colts.com

At A Glance
Position 1: RB	Height: 5-9
Position 2: Gunner	Weight: 232
Year: 2nd	Age: 23
Number: 27	Note: Recently re-signed with Colts

Analysis: I like Mike Hart and I have a ton of respect for him. However, there is just something about Lance Ball that makes you root for him. An undrafted kid out of Maryland, Ball landed with the St. Louis Rams early in 2008 only to eventually get picked up by the Colts. Not long after signing Ball, the Colts had him playing in the running back rotation. His biggest controbution came in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans, where Ball ran for 83 yards on 13 carries (6.4 a carry). He showed a comination of toughness and size (232 pounds!) that Colts fans have rarely seen. Ball showed impressive burst when the Colts ran off tackle out of an offset I formation.

It remains to be seen whether Ball can block well enough at the NFL level, or is he can offer much as a special teams gunner. His size and power make him an ideal short yardage runner, and if he can excel at this in camp and pre-season then he could push Mike Hart off Indy's active roster.

Chad Simpson

Image: cache.daylife.com

At A Glance
Position 1: RB	Height: 5-9
Position 2: Returner	Weight: 216
Year: 2nd	Age: 23
Number: 35	Note:

Analysis: Of all the candidates for the third back spot, 2nd year player Chad Simpson has seen the most extensive playing time. Simpson, a practice squad player elevated to the active roster, played in 11 games in 2008 as both a running back and a special teams returner on kick-offs. As a back, Simpson had 45 yards on 15 carries (3 yards a carry) and scored 1 TD. As a returner, he had 15 returns for 344 yards. His longest was for 46 yards.

To put it bluntly, Simpson's numbers are awful.

No one game exemplified his poor running skills than the Detroit Lions game last year. Against the Lions, who had a horrible rush defense, Simpson ran for only 17 yards on 7 carries. He also fumbled once.

In red zone situations, Simpson averages 1.4 yards a carry. Even though he is bigger than Mike Hart, Simpson does not seem to run with any power or burst. As a returner, he doesn't turn the ball over, but that is kind of expected when you evaluate kick returners. He doesn't have much break away speed, and is not skilled at making people miss.

Thoughts Prior to Camp: If Mike Hart is healthy, he gets the job. If he isn't, and Lance Ball continues to build on his strong showing last year, Hart is done as a Colt. I think it will take a miracle for Chad Simpson to make this team again in 2009. He's just not that good at anything. I would not be surprised seeing two of the three players profiled here cut by September with the Colts signing a rookie free agent to the practice squad after the final roster cut downs.

Right now, I think the money is on Lance Ball. Hart opening camp on the PUP is not good. Ball is making progress this off-season and should look good in pre-season if he stays healthy. If he looks good and Hart is still PUPed, Ball will win the job.

UFL Orlando drafts 3 former Colts

Colts Homer — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:11:00 -0000

The UFL draft was held on Friday, June 19, 2009, and a few former Colts were taken (first posted by Endo). Bo Schobel, Larry Tripplett, and Mike Doss were all taken by the Orlando franchise, which still does not have a nickname. Here's some more info on these players and their Colts careers.

Mike Doss, safety

I've already said what I can say about Doss, so here is a recap on him from my last post.

Doss is not with the team anymore. Like Peterson, Washington, and Tripplett, he played four years with the team. He had his fair share of successes and failures. Doss' second, third and fourth seasons all were successful with two interceptions and at least four starts. In his final year with the Colts, he only played six games but was off to a hot start before he tore his ACL. The Colts had some sixth round pick named Antoine Bethea who Coach Dungy apparently liked, and Bethea took his starting job. After Bethea ended up being pretty damn good, Doss was no longer needed and was cut. However he was part of the Super Bowl team, so that's something.

I was always a Mike Doss fan. He wasn't great, but he was a fun player to watch. He had his problems, including a time when he shot his gun outside of a restaurant. However he was a decent player. After his injury it was clear that he was no longer needed, especially with future Pro Bowler Bethea on the team.

Doss also played for the Bengals and Vikings after his Colts career ended. The other defensive backs taken by Orlando are former Bears, Saints, and Bucs practice squad man Greg Fassitt, former Steeler Grant Mason, former Ram and Falcon Darius Vinnett and former Bengal TJ Wright.

Larry Tripplett

Like Doss, I also did a profile on Tripplett for my 2nd round picks blog. Here it is.

Tripplett's career ended up being pretty short. In what seems to be a trend, he played four years for the Colts. He was forced into the starting lineup almost immediately. He had just 21 tackles but was a nice rotation player. However, he lost his starting job in 2004 to everyone's favorite DT Josh Williams. In his final year with the team he had a nice 4 sacks and 30 tackles. However, the Colts parted ways with Tripplett because they had the greatest Colt ever Corey Simon along with Montae Reagor. Tripplett went on to have two mediocre years with the Bills before ending his career.

Tripplett never panned out. He had a good 2005 season, which was the Colts best defensive season under Polian. However, he didn't have enough success to warrant a spot on the team once his first contract was over. Tripplett ended up being like all of the other Colts defensive tackles who disappointed.

Tripplett last played for the Seahawks and also played for the Bills. He will play alongside another Colt taken by Orlando in the UFL draft.

Bo Schobel

This name didn't ring a bell at first, but after looking him up I can remember him. He wasn't as big of a contributor as Doss and Tripplett were. He only played one year for the Colts, but he got a ring from it. Schobel played for the championship Colts team, and he even got playing time in the Super Bowl. He had 29 tackles and half a sack in 14 regular season games, and he got half a sack in the Kansas City playoff game. Most people would recognize his brother Aaron Schobel, the star defensive end for the Buffalo Bills. He last played in 2007 for the Arizona Cardinals.

One thing that should be made clear is that they are not already on the teams. They will be contacted and seen if there is further interest in playing for the new franchise. All of these players attended a combine for the league, so they must have some interest in playing. Also, when training camps end, each team is assigned to a certain division group in the NFL. So if Orlando is assigned with the southern divisions, they will get first dibs on players cut from the Colts, Titans, Jags, Texans, Bucs, Saints, Panthers and Falcons (Michael Vick maybe?). If Orlando is assigned with the southern divisions, we could see more Colts on this team. So if you want to see former Colts starters like Tripplett, Doss and maybe some more former Colts, UFL Orlando will be the team. I have a keen interest in this league, and I will be paying attention to how the season goes once it gets started. Personally, I think they would be wiser to play from the weekend after the Pro Bowl to right before MLB opening day instead of from October to the end of November, but if they want a closer relationship with the NFL, they are going the smarter route.

Former Bengals players find home in UFL; there's a twinkle in Palmer's eye

Kirkendall — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:08:14 -0000

As Mr. NC-17 points out, several former Bengals players found a home during last night's UFL Draft. Some of the names include former running backs Chris Perry and Quincy Wilson, linebacker Anthony Schlegel, cornerback T.J. Wright, safety Mike Doss and tight end Ronnie Ghent. Five former Bengals players found a home with the Orlando franchise while Ghent went to New York. We're sure that we're missing someone (or two). Let us know if we do.

Player	Position	UFL Team
Chris Perry	RB	Orlando
Quincy Wilson	RB	Orlando
Mike Doss	DB	Orlando
Anthony Schlegel	LB	Orlando
T.J. Wright	DB	Orlando
Ronnie Ghent	TE	New York

James Walker writes that Jeremi Johnson participated in his first practices but "still appears he has some work to do to get to his ideal playing weight."

Quotes from a physical secondary.

“If anything, we’re going to be a physical secondary,” (Chris) Crocker said.

Said (Roy) Williams: “We bring a presence that we’re not backing down from anyone and we’re going to hit you. We’ll be able to let receivers know that we’re back there and we’re head hunting.”

You have to like it when John Clayton starts a piece saying "For the first time in a couple of years, a positive twinkle was seen in Carson Palmer's eyes."

The Denver Broncos released Herana-Daze Jones.

The Universal Football League is Here. . .Feel the Excitement!

Gonzo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:09:07 -0000

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, professional football's latest attempt to compete with the National Football League will be kicking off their season in October 2009, and they held their premiere draft for the league last night. Each of the four franchises (Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, San Francisco) selected 24 players to build their franchise around, and there are a few names on the list that should be fairly familiar to Vikings fans.

If you want to base your NFL cheering preferences on which team has the most former Vikings on the roster (at this point, anyway). . .it looks like the Orlando franchise is the one for you. Among their new additions are QB Brooks Bollinger, S Mike Doss, and TE Jermaine Wiggins. They aren't the only Viking alumni in the new league, however. Former Vikings' coach Denny Green will be the head coach of the San Francisco franchise, and former Vikings' defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell will be the head coach in Las Vegas (Jim Haslett and Jim Fassel will coach Orlando and Las Vegas, respectively).

The other former Vikings player in the UFL at this time is DB Oliver Celestin, who I know spent a season or two on the practice squad with the Vikings, but I'm not sure he ever made the big club. Marcus Fitzgerald, the younger brother of Larry that the Vikings took a look at after the draft, is a member of the San Francisco roster. With only about half of each team's 50-man roster filled out to this point, I'm sure we'll be seeing more Minnesota alumni popping up in the league as they progress towards their kickoff in October.

I'm not sure how wise an idea it is to try to go head-to-head with the NFL during their season, but the UFL might be worth a look. With only four teams for now, there won't be a lot of match-up variety or anything, but if they're successful in their first season, I'm sure there will be more to come. No other league has been successful in America, however (see also: the USFL, the XFL, the WLAF), and the odds are certainly against the UFL at the start.

Polian-Era Colts Draft History: Second Round Picks

Colts Homer — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:42:09 -0000

More photos » by Tom Strattman - AP

Fili Moala looks to become one of the all-time great Colts 2nd round picks, joining players like Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden, Marcus Washington and Mike Peterson. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

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The second round has given Polian some of his best players. Like almost every other round, Polian consistently finds gems in the second round. Defense has been a priority in round 2 in the past, and it continued into this past draft. Many starters and even a Pro Bowler have been drafted in this round. His first pick was a small wide receiver out of Washington, and his most recent pick was a big defensive tackle from Southern Cal. Let's see the steals Polian got, and some he may have missed on.

1998: Jerome Pathon/WR/Washington

College: Pathon was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada. It wasn't until his college days at Washington did he live in the states. He played at Acadia University in Nova Scotia for a year before he transferred to Washington, and he had a great year with 44 receptions and 868 yards. In 1997, Pathon had one of the best years in Huskies history when he had 69 receptions and 1245 yards. This earned him first team All-American honors.

Draft: The Colts had already taken the QB of the future for the team, so they then looked for talent to surround him with. The team already had a solid receiver in Marvin Harrison, but there wasn't a great second target for Peyton to go to. Other receivers that we left on the board were Jacquez Green and Patrick Johnson.

Today: Pathon is no longer in the NFL. He played for the Colts for four years then went to New Orleans for two and ended his career with a season in Atlanta. Pathon had a great rookie year when he started 15 games and had 511 receiving yards. He only started 2 games in 1999 and played in 10 due to the rookie Terrence Wilkins. However, Pathon had a career year in 2000 with over 600 receiving yards and looked to be a rising star. However, he hurt his foot in Week 3 and never fully recovered. He was looking like he was bound for the Pro Bowl. He had an amazing 168 receiving yards in Week 2, but the injury derailed his season and his career. With Harrison, Wilkins and Reggie Wayne, Pathon was the odd man out. He had two solid years with New Orleans and one year with Atlanta where he only had one catch.

Review: This pick turned out bad because of circumstance. If it weren't for injury, Pathon was looking like a star. However, 2001 was one of the worst years in recent Colts history when it seemed like everyone was getting hurt. However, 2001 led to Jim Mora's firing and the hiring of one Tony Dungy. Pathon was picked over Pro Bowlers like Flozell Adams, Patrick Surtain and Samari Rolle.

1999: Mike Peterson/LB/Florida

College: Peterson played under coaching great Steve Spurrier at the University of Florida. He started 24 of 42 games and had great success for the Gators. He was 1st team All-SEC and had 249 tackles in those 42 games. He was one of the top linebackers in the country playing for one of the top programs in college football.

Draft: In the first round the Colts took running back Edgerrin James, so with Manning, James, Harrison and Pathon, the Colts were settled at offense. They looked for a defensive playmaker to help strengthen a poor defense.

Today: Peterson last played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and was a mediocre linebacker at the end of 2008. He was cut and later signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Peterson played four years for the Colts and was a great linebacker. He had 3 sacks in his rookie year and had 2 seasons with over 100 tackles, including 2000 when he had 158 tackles. He was not resigned after 2002 and he went to the Jags. Peterson became a notorious douchebag who even another notorious douchebag Jack Del Rio couldn't stand and had to get away from. Peterson was a loudmouth and became a locker room cancer with the Jaguars. He often spoke out against the Colts for not resigning him, showing his limited knowledge in Bill Polian's history and the way the league runs.

Review: Peterson was a great linebacker with the Colts but didn't last long. Usually Colts linebackers don't stay too long, so his departure is not a different situation from Cato June or Marcus Washington, other great Colts linebackers. Peterson was the star Colts linebacker during his four years. His status fell because of his stupid grudge against the Colts, but he may be the best Colts linebacker in the Polian era.

2000: Marcus Washington/LB/Auburn

College: Washington went to his hometown college Auburn for four years. However, he was not a linebacker at Auburn. He was actually a defensive end who got seven sacks in his senior year. Like some other old Colts defensive players, he had to adjust to a new position when he came to Indy.

Draft: In 2000 the Colts took linebacker Rob Morris in the first round. However, the defense was still getting looked at. The Colts ended up taking two linebackers in the first two rounds with Morris and Washington, making the linebacking corps Peterson-Morris-Washington. That locked up the position for the next few years.

Today: Washington, along with Cato June, Gary Brackett and Mike Peterson, is one of the great Colts linebackers. With the Colts he had 18 sacks in just four years. No other Colts linebacker has been able to get to the QB as well as Washington. Like Peterson, his Colts career lasted just four seasons and he went on to become a star linebacker for the Redskins. He made the Pro Bowl in 2004, his first season as a Redskin and had 100 tackles in 2004, a feat he never accomplished with Indy. He is now unemployed.

Review: Washington was the most prolific pass rushing linebacker in Polian era history. Philip Wheeler is supposed to be the next Washington. Wheeler will have his chance as he is the favorite for the SAM linebacker spot. It would be nice to have Washington back in 2009, but Clint Session, Tyjuan Hagler, Brackett, Adam Seward, Wheeler and Freddie Keiaho give the Colts enough strong linebackers.

2001: Idrees Bashir/S/Memphis

College: Idrees Bashir was a solid safety for the Memphis Tigers. For his first three years, he was a strong safety, but he moved to free safety for his senior year. He was one of the leading tacklers on the team for his junior and senior seasons.

Draft: In the first round, the Colts took Reggie Wayne, but the Colts decided to work on their weak secondary in the second. Bashir was a great safety at both pass defense and run defense, so he was supposed to be the strong safety of the future.

Today: Bashir plays for the Detroit Lions now, but he did enjoy four seasons with the Colts where he started every game he played. However he was battling injuries and never became as productive as the team would have liked. His rookie year was his best when he had 77 tackles and an interception. He never matched his tackle number, and that is why he plays for the Lions and not the Colts right now.

Review: Bashir never panned out, but he was fun to watch. I wish he would have been able to have any major effect on the team, but it just didn't happen. It's as simple as that.

2002: Larry Tripplett/DT/Washington

College: Like Pathon, Tripplett played for the Washington Huskies. Also like Pathon, he was a great college player. He was a third team All-American and had 11 tackles for a loss. He only played one game at nose tackle and played the rest at defensive end even at 300 pounds. He was a great special teamer with 3 blocked kicks. His pass rush was his greatest asset. He had 6.5 sacks in his senior year.

Draft: It's clear that the Colts were going after defensive line in this draft. They took Dwight Freeney in the first round and took Tripplett over offensive stars like Clinton Portis, IU's own Antwaan Randle El and Antonio Bryant.

Today: Tripplett's career ended up being pretty short. In what seems to be a trend, he played four years for the Colts. He was forced into the starting lineup almost immediately. He had just 21 tackles but was a nice rotation player. However, he lost his starting job in 2004 to everyone's favorite DT Josh Williams. In his final year with the team he had a nice 4 sacks and 30 tackles. However, the Colts parted ways with Tripplett because they had the greatest Colt ever Corey Simon along with Montae Reagor. Tripplett went on to have two mediocre years with the Bills before ending his career.

Review: Tripplett never panned out. He had a good 2005 season, which was the Colts best defensive season under Polian. However, he didn't have enough success to warrant a spot on the team once his first contract was over. Tripplett ended up being like all of the other Colts defensive tackles who disappointed.

2003: Mike Doss/S/Ohio State

College: Doss was another future Colt who just dominated in college. He was a major part on the 2002 Ohio State team who the refs decided to give the national championship to. Doss had an amazing career with 3 Sporting News All-American spots and three All-Big Ten spots. He did it all. He had 8 interceptions, 8 fumbles recovered and 6 sacks in his career. He was a two-time finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, named after one of the greatest defensive backs in history and the greatest all-around athlete in American history.

Draft: This was the first draft I really followed. I remember how excited I was that the Colts got one of the best safeties in Big Ten history. They already took Dallas Clark in the first round, and they went secondary in the second, an area that really needed some help.

Today: Doss is not with the team anymore. Like Peterson, Washington, and Tripplett, he played four years with the team. He had his fair share of successes and failures. Doss' second, third and fourth seasons all were successful with two interceptions and at least four starts. In his final year with the Colts, he only played six games but was off to a hot start before he tore his ACL. The Colts had some sixth round pick named Antoine Bethea who Coach Dungy apparently liked, and Bethea took his starting job. After Bethea ended up being pretty damn good, Doss was no longer needed and was cut. However he was part of the Super Bowl team, so that's something.

Review: I was always a Mike Doss fan. He wasn't great, but he was a fun player to watch. He had his problems, including a time when he shot his gun outside of a restaurant. However he was a decent player. After his injury it was clear that he was no longer needed, especially with future Pro Bowler Bethea on the team.

2004: Bob Sanders/S/Iowa

College: Sanders is the second player taken out of Iowa in recent Colts history. At Iowa Sanders was a little bit of a legend for his murderous hits that separated a running back's shoulder. Sanders was held out of tackling drills because of that. Bob Sanders appeared on 3 All-Big Ten teams and was a second team All-American in his senior year.

Draft: The Colts traded down twice to take Sanders. Sanders ended up being the second safety taken in the first two rounds in the past two drafts. It represented a complete change for the defensive backs that occured once Dungy became head coach. The unit went from being one of the weaknesses to one of the strengths in just a matter of years.

Today: When healthy, Sanders is the best safety in the NFL. He is up there with Ed Reed and Troy Polomalu. However, he has only had two healthy seasons, and those were amazing. In both 2005 and 2007 he made the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team. In 2007 he was the Defensive Player of the Year. His nagging injuries have kept him from becoming one of the best players in the league. It seems that it is every other year, so hopefully he is healthy in 2009. His style of play puts him in a position where he is always going to be put in dangerous situations. He is a hard hitting safety who also is great in pass defense. He is the leader of the defense.

Review: This could be the best pick in Polian history. Everyone loves Bob Sanders. He could easily be the most popular player on the team. I'll take every other year of Bob Sanders in a big contract over a decent safety every year for a lesser contract. The 2004 draft really sucked, but Sanders is the bright spot. Hopefully he will still be playing for a while, but his injury history seems to point to a short career, so enjoy it while it lasts.

2005: Kelvin Hayden/CB/Illinois

College: Hayden represents another Big Ten defensive back taken by the Colts in the second. It was three in a row at this point. However Hayden didn't play all of his career at Illinois. He played two years at a junior college in Joliet where he was the best wide receiver in junior college. He led Joliet Junior College to 21 straight victories and a national championship. After his two years at Joliet JC, he went to Illinois and became the team's best wide receiver. He led the team in yards and receptions in his junior year; however the team switched him to corner for his senior year. He transitioned well, leading the Big Ten in interceptions.

Draft: Hayden was the second cornerback taken in the 2005 draft by the Colts. Marlin Jackson was taken in the first. That means that four defensive backs were taken in the first two rounds over three years. All of them became starters at one point in their career, and only Mike Doss isn't a starter for the Colts anymore.

Today: Hayden is the best corner on the team, surpassing the first round pick Jackson. Hayden will always be remembered first for his interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI that clinched the win. However Hayden has just been amazing the past two years. He is the prototypical corner for the Tampa-2. He is big, a good tackler and has sure hands. Over the past 26 games of his career he has 6 interceptions and 125 tackles. He signed a long-term contract this offseason and will be a Colt for a long time.

Review: Hayden is one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the game. The Colts are so lucky that they locked him up longterm because he is only going to get better. I predict that he makes the Pro Bowl next year and has more than 3 interceptions, his number of the past 2 seasons.

2006: Tim Jennings/CB/Georgia

College: Tim Jennings is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, cornerback under longtime Bulldogs coach Mark Richt. He was a three year starter for the Dawgs and had ten interceptions, ten tackles for a loss and 170 tackles.

Draft: In the first round, the Colts took running back Joseph Addai, but the team decided to go defense next. They knew that Jason David and Nick Harper were about to go, so Jennings was supposed to replace one of them.

Today: Jennings did an alright job filling in for Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden when they were down with injuries, but I am still not a fan. I don't like small cornerbacks because I do not trust them if a running back is coming their way. However, Jennings has the speed to be a decent nickelback and he has experience now. I prefer TJ Rushing, but Jennings wasn't awful last year. I'm hoping that Rushing or Jerraud Powers comes on strong and gives the Colts a bigger nickelback, but I will assume that Jennings has the job for now.

Review: Jennings hasn't impressed me, but many people seem to be a fan. I prefer cornerbacks to be bigger than 5-7, 185, but size won't matter if he can perform on the level of a Marlin Jackson. Jennings is definitely not my favorite player on the team because of his style. I like cornerbacks that I know can take down any big bruiser that comes towards them. Speed has never been a big deal for me, especially in the Cover-2 where corners are playing short zones up front.

2007: Tony Ugoh/OT/Arkansas

College: Ugoh got hurt in his freshman year, but just the fact that he was playing as a freshman offensive lineman early in the year showed how good he was. After his medical redshirt season, he became the best blocker for the crazy Wildhog the Razorbacks used. Ugoh paved ways for future NFLers Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis while having to protect these guys while they attempted to pass. Ugoh ended up being a third team All-American as a senior.

Draft: The Colts traded up for Ugoh. They had just taken Anthony Gonzalez, a replacement for Brandon Stokley, and Ugoh was taken to replace Tarik Glenn down the road.

Today: Well, the whole "down the road" thing was a lot quicker than we all would have thought. Glenn surprisingly retired right before training camp, and Ugoh became the starter at left tackle almost immediately. When healthy, Ugoh was great. It seemed like Tarik Glenn never really retired and just started having less false starts. However injuries have plagued our friend Ugoh. He has missed six games in his short two year career and struggled with injury for a few more games last year.

Review: BBS pretty much said it all. Ugoh has come under fire after being called out by Irsay, but that only shows how important to the team he is, and the Front Office would not leave an important position in the hands of someone they think is lazy. Plain and simple.

2008: Mike Pollak/OG/Arizona State

College: In 2007 the Arizona State line was just dreadful. The team had the talent, but the line was the Achilles' Heel of the team. Pollak was considered the only bright spot for the awful unit. Pollak was the starting center for the team and led the line much like Saturday leads the line today. Also like Saturday, the failures of the offensive line was not Pollak's fault. Pollak did the best he can with a bunch of untalented linemen on his sides.

Draft: The Colts traded their first round pick to the Niners for Tony Ugoh in 2007, so you could say that the Colts decided to work on the offensive line with the 2008 NFL Draft. Remember that they also drafted Steve Justice and Jamey Richard, so one day we could very well see 80% of the offensive line coming from this draft. Pollak was expected to replace Jake Scott at right guard.

Today: Pollak is the starting right guard, but he did not have the best start to a career. Pollak did not have a preseason because of injury, and he missed the playoff game against San Diego because of injury as well. When he did play, he wasn't very good. Hopefully he can work past it.

Review: I think it is hypocritical to label Pollak a bust but defend Ugoh. Neither of them are busts. Both of them have battled injury. However, Pollak had to make a position change without preseason. That is what I need to stress. I bet if he was healthy last August, he would have had a fine year. He is very talented. Polian wouldn't touch him if he wasn't. He had to learn on the fly and Mudd did all he could do. We saw what Mudd could do with a 7th round pick in Jamey Richard. I bet he can do wonders with Mike Pollak.

2009: Fili Moala/DT/SCum

College: Fili Moala played for a team that claims a make believe championship. His teammates were paid. His coach makes Bill Belichick look like Tony Dungy. I hate the University of Southern California and all it stands for. Fili Moala is the first player I really like to ever attend that wretched university.

Draft: Like in 2007, the Colts traded up for Moala. However, they only had to spare their second and third round picks, so the Colts still have their first rounder for next season. Moala was worth it.

Today: Well, it hasn't even been two months since the draft, so nothing has changed. I will say that he is looking like a starter and that's what I expect him to be come September. He is so talented. He can rush the passer and stop the run both at levels that no other defensive tackle on the team could do last year. I am psyched about him.

Review: USC sucks.

2nd round pick rankings

9. Idrees Bashir
8. Larry Tripplett
7. Tim Jennings
6. Jerome Pathon
5. Mike Doss
T3. Marcus Washington
T3. Mike Peterson
2. Kelvin Hayden
1. Bob Sanders

Colts Camp Battles: What positions will have the fiercest competition?

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:05:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

6 months ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell watches drills during the NFL football team's minicamp in Indianapolis, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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With mini-camp done, we now have more key information so that we may begin assessing the key training camp battles as we gear up for August. Camp is 8 weeks away, and while we are fast approaching the "official" beginning of summer, 8 weeks is not a long time away. This gives us to time to dig deep into this new roster, to evaluate these new coaches, and assess just what kind of team we should expect to see in 2009.

Recognizes key camp battles is important to this process.

As we have always stressed here, competition is good. Players who do not want to work for their job are bums. No one, not even Peyton Manning, is entitled to a roster spot. You must earn it, each and every year. There is a reason Peyton is the #1 QB in football: He comes into camp and works harder than any rookie free agent trying to win a roster spot. The Colts have never been known to be a "lazy" team in the 12 years Bill Polian has run the front office. Coaches Mora and Dungy instilled strong work ethics in the rosters they coached, and now coach Caldwell seems to be doing the same. 99.9% of the roster is participating in OTAs in Indianapolis. Effort in mini-camp was very high. People practice hard, learn quick, and seem focused on one goal: Winning another ring.

The key now is finding the best people who fit the system and have them play as often as possible. In 2006, we saw a rookie 7th rounder (Antoine Bethea) beat out an established veteran (Mike Doss) for the starting safety spot. The result was a dramatic improvement in Indy's safety play. In 2007, we saw an undrafted rookie (Ed Johnson) beat out several established veterans for the starting NT spot. In 2008, we saw a 7th round lineman (Jamey Richard) beat out other linemen drafted higher than him in 2008 to start several games at center and guard.

What will we see this year?

From my vantage, six key areas will have stiff competition:

Third wide receiver: Who will play the slot, or the right side, when the Colts go three-wide?
The starting defensive tackles: Lots of new talent, only four spots
Third running back position: Third down specialist
Punter and FG holder: Hunter is gone, who fills his shoes?
Kick and punt returner: Does T.J. Rushing regain his old job, or wil someone else step up?
Starting guards on offensive line: Will Mike Pollak earn the right ot start, or will a new player emerge?

If you have other camp battles you think are important to watch, let us know.