SB Nation - Marcus Howard

Eagles Working Out Different DEs

Bob_Q — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:52:28 -0000

According to Adam Caplan's Twitter feed, the Eagles have been bringing in new defensive ends for workouts this week. In the past few days, veteran Marcus Howard and undrafted free agent Terrance Carter have both visited Philadelphia for tryouts. The undersized Howard, 23, spent a year as a reserve for the Indianapolis Colts where he racked up 9 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. The 22 year old Carter was a two year starter at Colorado State, where he totaled 29 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble.

This begs the question: are the Eagles unsatisfied with their defensive end depth? Are they considering a roster change or are they merely looking to alter their practice squad? There are currently only three defensive players on the practice squad: CB Jack Ikegwuonu, S Reshard Langford, and LB Jeremy Leman - no defensive line depth there.

As for the active roster, Trent Cole, Victor Abiamiri, Juqua Parker, and Darren Howard should all be safe for the time being. That leaves newcomer and preseason hero Jason Babin, and second-year Eagle Chris Clemons. Much like Bryan Smith last year, the 29 year old Babin had a lights-out performance during the preseason, but hasn't produced so much as a tackle so far this year due to extremely limited playing time. Clemons, on the other hand, has seen the field via special teams and the occasional substitution, but drew three penalties over the first two weeks. Could Andy Reid be looking to replace his limited-production DE reserves with younger prospects? We might not get our answer soon as the Eagles have an entire week off to contemplate any possible roster changes.

Analysis of the 2009 Colts roster cuts: Part One

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

by Michael Conroy - AP

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

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

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

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

Guns: Always injured. Never was going to contribute.

John Gill: Who?

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

Brett McDermott: Once again, who?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So there you go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009 NFL Cutdown Day- Open Thread

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colts cut Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Nick Graham

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

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

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

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

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

Yikes!

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

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

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

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

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

Colts v. Bengals Preseason Review: It's Over!

Colts Homer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:54:51 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

3 months ago: Indianapolis Colts receiver Taj Smith celebrates after scoring against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Finally! The long preseason is over. Very soon we will see who gets cut and who makes the roster. If anyone watched the embarrassment of this game, they know how hard it is to try and find something good from this game. Obviously it needs to be said that almost all of the players that played today are in no way expected to contribute this season, but it was still ugly. It gave us a grim glimpse of life without Manning (and Addai, Brown, Wayne, Saturday, Freeney, Mathis, etc...). Now we know how Lions fans feel in the regular season. Here is a position-by-position rundown of today's "game".

QBs

~I thought both of them played well. Sorgi played the first half and Painter played the second. Both showed good accuracy and didn't make any big mistakes passing. A Sorgi interception got called back but that was mostly Tamme's fault for dropping the pass. Sorgi did lose a fumble. This game didn't show us anything knew. Sorgi is the second best QB on the roster and Painter is the future Sorgi.

RBs

~Simpson and Ball both played well to be honest for their situations. The guards didn't play very well today, but Ball was able to get 3.4 yards per carry (which would have been average on the team last year) and Simpson had 16 yards on 4 carries. Walter Mendenhall had one big run but did nothing to show he deserves to be close to a roster spot. This will be one of the most highly anticipated cuts. Will Hart or Ball make it? Will both of them be on the 53 man roster? I would guess when cut day comes that will be headline here at Stampede Blue.

WRs/TEs

~Taj Smith was pretty awesome today. His touchdown catch was a thing of beauty when he got the ball in tight coverage. He had 5 catches for 59 yards and was targeted an amazing 11 times. Jacob Tamme also got a lot of looks and did decent. His dropped pass which resulted in an interception was ugly though. John Matthews still sucks.

~Kyle DeVan and Tony Ugoh were good. Jaimie Thomas and Jamey Richard were bad. Ugoh was playing great at left tackle and had to compensate for the surprisingly awful performance by Richard. Richard looked like he didn't care and was very slow. Another reason why preseason is too damn long. DeVan should have clinched a roster spot tonight but Steve Justice could somehow keep a roster spot.

DL

~The way they handle the D-line shows that the Colts couldn't care less about the preseason. Honestly, the only way they could show how little they cared to an even further extent would be to not show up at all. They play 4 DTs and no defensive ends because the defensive end position is locked up. Adrian Grady proved to be a complete monster and I don't think he will get cut. I have a gut feeling that Daniel Muir could be on his way out. It depends on how the team would feel about cutting someone who was looking like he could be starting in Week One.

~This is the most confusing unit on the team. One week Mike Tauiliili looks like a star and the next he is a non-factor. Jordan Senn didn't play all that well tonight and Freddy Keiaho showed his uselessness with missing easy tackles. I think that Ramon Humber has to make the roster. I mean, there is no way they can keep someone like Keiaho over him, can they?

~For the corners, Jacob Lacey played well except on the first drive. He is practice squad bound, but he looks like a future Colt. He's great in man coverage.

~Jamie Silva played great. He led the team in tackles and had a sack. He was a stud today and I think he locked up a roster spot.

Special Teams

~Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal and Pat McAfee had a punt blocked and may or may not have been injured. Someone would need to clarify that for me. From a kicking standpoint, it was an ugly game.

~Jamie Silva is not a punt returner unless 5 yards a return sounds acceptable to you. Simpson wasn't as bad as usual at returning kicks, but he isn't making the roster because of it. That's for sure.

Roster prediction after the jump.

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi
Curtis Painter

RB
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart
Lance Ball

H-B
Gijon Robinson
Tom Santi

WR
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme

LT
Charlie Johnson
Tony Ugoh

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday
Kyle DeVan

RG
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil

RT
Ryan Diem

LE
Robert Mathis
Keyunta Dawson
Marcus Howard

UT
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster

NT
Antonio Johnson
Terrance Taylor
Adrian Grady

RE
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock

WILL
Clint Session
Ramon Humber

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Jordan Senn

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Jerraud Powers
TJ Rushing

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Jamie Silva

SS
Bob Sanders
Melvin Bullitt

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Pat McAfee

LS
Justin Snow

Practice Squad
RB Walter Mendenhall
WR Taj Smith
OL Jaimie Thomas
OL Tom Pestock
DL John Gill
LB Mike Tauiliili
DB Jacob Lacey

I like this roster and I really don't have very many problems with it. Usually I will be apprehensive about publishing a roster prediction because I just don't agree with all of it, but I like this one. Muir being booted is obviously the most controversial along with Jennings leaving, but if this team wants the 53 best players, this is probably the way to go.

Big Happy and Big Worry for the Indianapolis Colts... so far

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:39:23 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai runs out of a tackle of Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Indianapolis, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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I made it a personal point this pre-season to look around other blogs and websites to get a taste of what fans for other teams go through during this time. I also lurk around these places so I can see how other teams cope with the oftentimes torturous rigors of pre-season, especially when injuries and other side-winders (like Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Brett Favre, Tom Cable, etc.) throw monkey wrenches into a team's preparation for the season.

Last year, I felt I watched both the pre-season and the regular season with blinders on. I didn't care what Team X was going through, or that Player Y was out for the year with an ACL. My own team had their best player with a gimpy knee, a pot-smoking DT who liked to drag race against cop cars at 4 in the morning, and a star WR fighting off the jackals at ESPN for his non-involvement in a shooting in Philadelphia which saw a convicted liar and ex-felon get shot in the hand.

For me, 2008 was working past disaster, after disaster, after disaster. Yet, the team still won 12 games. I'm still amazed by that. Remember, there was a new stadium opening (sans gawdy and game-altering scoreboard), a slew of injuries, and a team trying to re-capture the magic that helped them win a Super Bowl.

This year, you could argue that the off-season news has been even louder, and filled with even more distractions. Tony Dungy is gone. Ron Meeks is gone. Marvin Harrison is gone. Dominic Rhodes is gone... again. Hunter Smith is gone. Bob Sanders is still hurt. So is Adam Vinatieri. Tony Ugoh is benched. And so on...

Yet, despite all this news, I personally do not feel that this off-season, and pre-season, has been near the disaster that last season was. Of course, anything can happen, and we hope (knock on wood) that nothing bad does. But it just seems this team is not distracted by any of the changes. That's a credit to Jim Caldwell, his staff, and the veteran players on this team.

So, unlike last year, where each week (even in pre-season) felt like it was just another game to "ride out" in the hope that soon something good will happen, this year I approach the games with a greater sense of hope. This team, even with all the departures, is a damn good team. But, even with all the changes and added (and in some cases improved) players that make me grin ear-to-ear, there are also some worries. Mind you, compared to other teams, they are minor worries, but to us they are major.

Big Happy: The defensive line

I'm pretty damn giddy about this group, especially when I read more articles about players like this. The defensive tackle position has looked very strong in camp and in pre-season. Bringing back Ed Johnson was a major coup that few people will talk about, but his presence will have a major impact on the AFC. Teaming him on the line with Antonio Johnson, who is much better than I ever gave him credit for, should drastically improve Indy's run defense.

And if you haven't watched the second string defensive ends, you haven't seen Marcus Howard absolutely torturing people like Tarvaris Jackson and A.J. Feely. We know Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are the best pass rushing duo in football, but backing thme up are some pretty scary-good rushers in Howard and a bulked up Curtis Johnson. Also, once Raheem Brock's hand heals, his insertion back into the rotation will help both the DE and DT positions.

Big Worry: The offensive line

A big question mark this off-season was the health of Ryan Lilja, and thankfully that question has been answered. He is indeed healthy, and has looked good in pre-season. Jeff Saturday is back, and second year guard Mike Pollak is improved. Behind them all are solid depth with guard Jamey Richard and guard-center Kyle DeVan.

It's the tackles I'm worried about.

Ryan Diem is a great guy, and has been one helluva RT for years in Indy. But, for the last three years, Diem has been injury prone. Last year was the first time in a while he played, and started, all sixteen regular season games. I don't hold out hope that he will repeat that in 2009. But as dicey as the RT position seems, it is nothing to what we have at left tackle. All-Pro talent Tony Ugoh has been benched in favor of all-world back-up Charlie Johnson. CJ has played, and started, at four of Indy's five offensive line positions. He's a high quality player who gives maximum effort on every single down.

Sadly, he does not have the talent to play LT. Tony Ugoh does.

Ugoh's problem is his effort and his toughness. He has all the physical tools, all the skill to dominant this league at LT. But, for some reason, he can't beat out a utility player like CJ. This poses major problems because even on mediocre pass rushers, Indy cannot leave CJ to single block the rusher. He simply cannot do it. This means keeping a TE in to double, or using more chip blocks from the backs. Thus, it limits the offense. This does not even take into account what they will need to do against the premiere rushers of this league. Mario Williams plays in this division, and the Colts will face the Patriots and the Ravens this season.

So, what are the things you are both excited and worried about?

Jim Caldwell discusses pre-season loss to Vikings

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:29:45 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, right, talks with quarterback Curtis Painter during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Indianapolis, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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While many of us look at a 13-3 pre-season loss and either shrug or groan, Jim Caldwell took a second look at the game tape and came away with many positives.

First and foremost, let me just state this right off: The Colts don't give a crap about pre-season. They sat 11 guys for this game, and all likely could have played if this was a real game. Indy didn't game plan for the contest either. They rarely blitzed; showed vanilla plays on offense. Hell, their entire starting secondary for the game were back-ups. Contrast this with the Minnesota Vikings. They dressed 79 players. They came into the game with regular season intensity. They blitzed like no tomorrow on defense. They seemed to run their conventional offense.

Why did they do all these things?

Well, for one, they don't know who their starting QB is. To find out who has the goods, you kind of need the QBs to play the game as "real" as possible. Remember, Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson are playing for their jobs. Employment is a very strong incentive. Just ask their coach, Brad Childress, who is coaching for his job this year. If the Vikings do not make the playoffs AND win a playoff game, he's gone. He knows it. The players know it. Fans know it. Brett Favre knows it (which is why we will likely hear his name again after the third pre-season game). The Vikes are a team struggling to create an identity. High intensity in the pre-season can sometimes help with that.

For the Colts, this is a team of veterans mixed with strong youth. Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders, and Adam Vinatieri have been there, done that many, many times. The first pre-season game is about seeing how players like Austin Collie, Corey Hilliard, and Marcus Howard play. It's about rookie QBs, third string DBs, and back-up linemen learning a new system. So, like I always say in pre-season, don't freak out. They are sloppy now so they won't be later.

Back to Caldwell, the new coach took several positives away from his first pre-season game as head coach of the Colts. As John Oehser has noted, Caldwell is a subtle departure from Tony Dungy in that he will sometimes call out a player, or the team, when things do not look as they should. Now, Caldwell is not doing this Jim Mora-style, but Dungy never called out a player the way Caldwell did recently with Tony Ugoh. He never questioned his team's energy level as Caldwell did during a halftime interview. But, like Dungy, Caldwell does not dwell on the negatives. Instead, he sees what it positive, heightens it, and uses it as an example of how the team can improve.

For example:

Caldwell, like many of us, was very impressed with Tony Ugoh's play Friday night.
"Tony Ugoh really played well," Caldwell said. "We're certainly pleased with the progress he's making."
This is said less than five days after Caldwell publicly benched Ugoh for Charlie Johnson, who did not play Friday night even though he'd practiced all week. I am starting to believe what many of you are suggesting, that Ugoh will once again be the starter at LT in Week One.
Adrian Grady caught Caldwell's attention as well, as did Jacob Lacey.
It's early, but the feeling is Pat McAfee will provide Indy with a field position weapon.
Rookies like Austin Collie, Fili Moala, and Terrance Taylor are coming along nicely.

So, as I always say, don't get too crazy about losing in pre-season. The Detroit Lions went 4-0 in pre-season last year. 'Nuff said.

This time of year is about seeing what the back-ups can do. It's about watching rookies like Curtis Painter go out there and fall on their face. Remember Peyton Manning in his first pre-season game? Hell, Matt Cassell played so bad in pre-season last year he was almost cut. Now look at him!

I know we've been living in a football desert for months now. The real games start in just one month. In the meantime, let the new kids develop and grow, and let Corey Hilliard and players like him struggle now as opposed to when it really counts.

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

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

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi

RB
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart

H-B
Gijon Robinson
Tom Santi

WR
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme

LT
Tony Ugoh

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday
Steve Justice

RG
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil

RT
Ryan Diem
Charlie Johnson

LE
Robert Mathis
Marcus Howard
Keyunta Dawson

UT
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster
Adrian Grady

NT
Antonio Johnson
Daniel Muir
Terrance Taylor

RE
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Adam Seward

WILL
Clint Session
Freddy Keiaho

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Dante Hughes
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Jamie Silva

SS
Bob Sanders
Melvin Bullitt

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Pat McAfee

LS
Justin Snow

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

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

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

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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

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

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

What are your thoughts heading into the game?

First Depth Chart Released: Here's Some Analysis

Colts Homer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:43:01 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning makes a throw during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Tip to Aerostar and his hilarious avatar for first posting this.

The first depth chart of the year is released. Yes, we all know about Charlie Johnson being the starting left tackle over Ugoh, but I found other tidbits just as astounding and surprising. I need to remember that this isn't the final roster, but it does show Caldwell's impressions. We have been looking at tweets and reports and even first-hand accounts, but Caldwell is the man who makes the final decisions, and this gives us a peek into his thought process. This is also very telling of who will be cut and who will make the roster. Note that the PUP list players are listed at the bottom, so like Aerostar said, don't grab your pitchforks and torches and head out for Caldwell when you see Sanders listed as the #3 strong safety.

My position-by-position analysis is after the jump.

Quarterbacks
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi
Curtis Painter
Chris Crane

No surprises there.

Running Back
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart
Chad Simpson
Lance Ball

Coming into training camp, people would have said you were crazy if you had Chad Simpson, who was just plain bad last year over the promising Lance Ball, but now Simpson is above Ball. Everything I've heard out of training camp has Simpson being a phenomenal player. Ball does have practice squad eligibility left, so there is that. Last year Lance Ball dominated in preseason for the Rams much like Mike Hart did for the Colts and ended up not making the roster, so it is hard to say that if Ball has a great preseason he will make the roster.

H-Back
Gijon Robinson
Jacob Tamme

Again, we are seeing Tamme listed as an H-back while his skill sets fit more of the tight end/slot receiver role that Dallas Clark plays. That confused me.

Wide Receiver
Reggie Wayne
Pierre Garcon
Roy Hall
Austin Collie
John Matthews

Anthony Gonzalez
Brett McDermott
Taj Smith
Sam Giguere

A lot of things to note here. First, Austin Collie behind Pierre Garcon and Roy Hall? That surprised me. Collie has been practicing as the slot receiver while Garcon has been the fourth and Hall hasn't really been heard from. Second, who's this Brett McDermott? Taj Smith has supposedly been very impressive, but he is listed behind McDermott. That shocked me. Giguere is obviously listed last because he is on the PUP list.

Tight End
Dallas Clark
Gijon Robinson
Jacob Tamme
Tom Santi
Jamie Petrowski

So Santi is fourth. That disappoints me since I am such a Santi fan. Gijon Robinson holds onto the second receiver job for now. This could seriously change this preseason. Santi was out for training camp and preseason last year and has battled injuries for his career, so he could surprise the coaches who have seen very little from him so far.

Left Tackle
Charlie Johnson
Tony Ugoh
Michael Toudouze

These are some names that have been around for a while, but usually Ugoh would be above Johnson. That continues to shock me. The Colts gave up a first round pick for Ugoh in the most deep running back class I can remember. Some players that were left when the Niner picked were receivers Donny Avery and Eddie Royal, tight ends Dustin Keller and John Carlson, and running backs Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Kevin Smith. Keep that in mind when deciding whether Ugoh was a bust or not.

Left Guard
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard
Jaimie Thomas

It's nice to see Lilja in a depth chart again. That is the biggest addition of the offseason. They are getting back an outstanding offensive guard that will have a chip on his shoulder. I expect left guard to be the strongest position on the line other than center with Jamey Richard being the backup. Richard is going to be one of Polian's diamonds in the rough picks. It isn't looking great for Thomas to make the roster right now, but training camp could change that.

Center
Jeff Saturday
Steve Justice
Kyle DeVan

No surprise with Saturday at the top. Justice really needs to step it up because he was awful last season in both the preseason and regular season. The DeVan signing keeps looking weirder now that he isn't making any impact.

Right Guard
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil
Brandon Barnes

Pollak is another young offensive lineman who needs to step it up. This really is a huge question mark. Pollak was not good last year, but at least he will have a training camp to get ready for the season. Federkeil, straight outta Medicine Hat, has been a long time Colt and has played well when given the opportunity. Barnes was another weird signing who hasn't panned out.

Right Tackle
Ryan Diem
Corey Hilliard
Tom Pestock

Diem was the only healthy lineman last year, but he wasn't great. I would not be surprised to see Ugoh starting on the right side one day. Hilliard played well at the training camp I went to and he could make the roster. Pestock is in the same boat as Barnes and DeVan. All three will be in the UFL soon enough.

Left Defensive End
Robert Mathis
Keyunta Dawson
Marcus Howard

This surprised me a lot. Not only is Robert Mathis starting, but Raheem Brock isn't even listed as a left defensive end. Dawson's move to defensive end must be going well now that he is listed above Howard, someone who I think could make a huge impact. I do not want to see Mathis starting. He isn't great against the run, and he is much more effective as a pass rush specialist.

Nose Tackle
Anthony Johnson
Daniel Muir
Terrance Taylor
Adrian Grady

This shocked me to be honest. I thought Mookie was in trouble with his injury, but now he is a starter. He earned it after last season, but with the way Muir has been playing and the drafting of Taylor I thought he may have been the odd man out. Besides AJ, nothing surprises me. Muir has almost guaranteed himself a roster spot now, and things aren't looking good for Grady.

Under Tackle
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster

I don't know how Ed Johnson is an under tackle. He's a huge man. This doesn't seem right. I think the defense will be a little different next year, which is a good thing. There will be better run defense and hopefully the Johnsons could even get pressure on the QB. Fili Moala isn't starting, but he isn't a wasted pick. Let's see how he does with the preseason. Foster better make the roster.

Right Defensive End
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock
Curtis Johnson

Things aren't looking good for Johnson. He could very easily not make the roster after minimal playing time last year. He is a good pass rusher, but there are much better lineman, and I think he is the odd man out. Nothing surprising at RDE.

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

No surprises here.

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Adam Seward
Freddy Keiaho
Mike Tauiliili

This shocked me. Keiaho is listed as a middle linebacker, and he's third on the depth chart? He may not even make the roster. Special teams may save him. Besides that, no surprises.

WILL
Clint Session
Jordan Senn

Senn is the backup WILL right now. He was a special teams stud, so maybe he will make the roster. The 2008 UDFAs were a very special group. Maybe he will continue to be a part of it.

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Dante Hughes
TJ Rushing
Jacob Lacey

Marlin Jackson
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers
Michael Coe
Nick Graham

To me, this looks like Hughes may be winning the nickelback job, something that would please me. Hughes was built for the Tampa-2, and if he can stay healthy, he can be a very good player. He was another third round pick that was starting to look like a bust, but maybe he can end up breaking the curse. Rushing and Coe may be the odd men out when it comes to making the roster. Losing Rushing would disappoint me, and Coe could have been a great special teams player, but when a team has great depth, good players end up getting cut.

SS
Melvin Bullitt
Jamie Silva
Bob Sanders

This may be the most talented group on the team. Bullitt was an absolute stud filling in for Sanders last year, and Silva is a great special teams player. Sanders is obviously an amazing player, but he has to stay healthy. I'm not sure if I can take more of his injuries.

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Travis Key

Bethea is in his contract year, so I expect him to really step it up. Giordano is a great gunner who has found his place on the roster. Key is a training camp player and nothing more. No surprises here.

P
Pat McAfee

Obviously.

K
Shane Andrus
Adam Vinatieri

PUP players are listed last, so that's why Andrus is the team's kicker. Vinatieri should be healthy by the Jaguars game, so this is what I expected. Keep Vinatieri off the field and let him rehab.

Holder
Pat McAfee
Jim Sorgi

How can you hold the ball AND the clipboard at the same time? Obviously Sorgi isn't going to win this job.

PR
TJ Rushing
Pierre Garcon
Jerraud Powers

This may be the way Rushing makes the roster. He is a great punt returner. I did not know that Powers was a returner, so that surprised me. Garcon is not a good returner so hopefully Rushing makes the roster or Powers beats him out for the job.

KR
Chad Simpson
TJ Rushing
Austin Collie

Simpson being named the starter shows how bad the kick return game is. Hopefully they draft someone like Perrish Cox next year so this isn't a problem anymore.

Long Snapper
Justin Snow
Jacob Tamme

Good old Justin Snow. He's been around forever, and I couldn't be happier. He has a great job.

I do not expect all of these to stand. Obviously Ed Johnson isn't starting Week One because of suspension, but there is no way AJ is going to be a regular starter. I also expect Ugoh to start Week One as well. Overall, this was a shocking depth chart. I can't wait to see these guys play on Friday.