SB Nation - Steve Justice

2009 NFL Cutdown Day- Open Thread

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colts cut Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Nick Graham

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

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

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

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

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

Yikes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Al Behrman - AP

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

The cutdown to 75 complete, now on to 53

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

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

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

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

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

John Matthews (duh)

Ramon Humbler

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

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

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

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

Luke Links: The Taking Stock Edition

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:16:28 -0000

We bring back the Luke Links after weeks of covering camp and the first two pre-season games. Just a friendly reminder, we are less than three weeks away from actual, real, OMG the games count! football. So, so wonderful.

I also want to use this opportunity to announce that King Richard will be returning to help cover the Colts at Stampede Blue. KR went off on his own to try the "get paid for blogging" gig, and like many things in life, it didn't work out. So, we welcome him back and look forward to him covering some Fantasy Football news, Colts player transactions, and other goodies. I will still post the Luke Links (much to your annoyance, I'm sure).

And speaking of links...

The Indy Star's Mike Chappell reminds us that Reggie Wayne will be lined up all over the place in 2009. Gone are the days of Marvin on the right, Reggie on the left, and Dallas in the slot. Now, the offense is mixing it up.
Staying with the Star, PhilB makes the same observation I've made of late: Kyle DeVan is looking good as a back-up center. He can also play guard. Steve Justice's days as a Colt are numbered.
Edgerrin James is back in the league. This time, he is with the Seahawks. Nice to have Edge back.
18to88 reminds us that Tony Dungy did plenty of "tweaking" on defense when he coached.

I've updated my 53-man roster page, and I've made some pretty bold moves. Gone are both Mike Hart and Tim Jennings. With some spots, I've left them open, indicating that a player cut from another team will fill the roster spot. The Colts have done this routinely in the past. Daniel Muir, who I believe will make the 53-man roster, was cut at the end of pre-season last year. Indy snatched him up the next day. Now, he seems like an important part of the DT rotation.
The Dallas Cowboys, and their douchebag owner Jerry Jones, all have egg on their faces over this scoreboard fiasco. To keep this simple and neat, they were dumb to think that placing a scoreboard over the field, hanging down, would not disrupt the punters. Unlike the Cowboys, the Colts did their due diligence last season when they evaluated placing a similar scoreboard over The Luke. They had then-Colts punter Hunter Smith boom some punts, and determined the scoreboard would indeed disrupt the punters. This is another demonstration of what a team run by adults looks like (the Colts) vs. a team run by a clueless clown (the Cowboys).
Very interesting insight from IFR regarding Larry Coyer and his thoughts on the Colts prior to him joining the team this year:
"The thing that [Coyer] said he always noticed about the Colts when coaching other teams was that while many teams speak of playing through injuries, the Colts actually did it. He cited specifically the Colts’ 2003 postseason victory over Denver, the one that came two weeks after the Broncos beat the Colts in the RCA Dome. Coyer said each team came into the playoff game injured. The difference was the Broncos played like it and the Colts didn’t."
Bill Polian tells the Indy Star that rookie contracts are out of control. Well, if they are so out of control, perhaps NFL GMs should stop giving rookies such contracts.
And finally, Ron Meeks has his work cut out for him in Carolina while Russ Purnell continues to suck as a coach. Only this time, Purnell is in Jacksonville. Meeks lost his best interior linemen for the season early in training camp, and now his best player on defense (Jon Beason) is out for six weeks with the same MCL injury Jeff Saturday had last year. That's tough. I hope Meeks is able to get those guys playing better despite the injuries. Meanwhile, in Jaguars land, Russ continues to leave his wonderful mark on special teams play:
With the Jaguars set to play again Thursday night in Philadelphia, he doesn't have much time to fix the fundamental errors the Jaguars made both in coverage and the return game that helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers post a 24-23 victory over the Jaguars on Saturday night.
The Bucs cashed in on the special teams errors for two touchdowns and that was the difference in the game.

"That's an area we need to be better in," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said.

The Jaguars jumped to a 14-3 lead in the second quarter and appeared to be in control of the game when the special teams gave up a 75-yard return to Sammie Stroughter.

Greg Estandia whiffed on him and then Gerald Alexander appeared to have him and let him get away.

We experienced this type of coaching for seven years. How many games did the Colts lose because of special teams? Hell, the last game they played was lost due in large part to terrible special teams play.

I watched some of the Jets v. Ravens game last night. Joe Flacco is the real deal, folks.

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

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.

Training Camp, Pre-preseason Roster Prediction

Colts Homer — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:05:28 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Mike Hart sits outside the misting tent during a water break at the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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These have been tough to do for a while, but I don't think it has been any tougher than right now. This team is ridiculously deep. There is talent at every position and for most of them the backup has been a starter recently or could be a starter on a lot of teams. This will be great for special teams with the talented backups like Melvin Bullitt, Freddie Keiaho and Tyjuan Hagler. I think that this could be a very special team.

The predictions for the 53 man roster and practice squad are after the jump. Like always, it is in a depth chart order.

QB
18 Peyton Manning
12 Jim Sorgi

RB
29 Joseph Addai
31 Donald Brown
32 Mike Hart
27 Lance Ball

H-B
86 Tom Santi
47 Gijon Robinson

WR
87 Reggie Wayne
11 Anthony Gonzalez
85 Pierre Garcon
17 Austin Collie

TE
44 Dallas Clark
84 Jacob Tamme

LT
67 Tony Ugoh
74 Charlie Johnson

LG
65 Ryan Lilja
61 Jamey Richard

C
63 Jeff Saturday
53 Steve Justice

RG
78 Mike Pollak
76 Dan Federkeil

RT
71 Ryan Diem

LE
79 Raheem Brock
98 Robert Mathis
92 Marcus Howard

UT
95 Fili Moala
68 Eric Foster
64 Adrian Grady

NT
91 Ed Johnson
99 Antonio Johnson
62 Terrance Taylor

RE
93 Dwight Freeney
96 Keyunta Dawson

SAM
50 Philip Wheeler
56 Tyjuan Hagler

MIKE
58 Gary Brackett
52 Adam Seward

WILL
55 Clint Session
54 Freddy Keiaho

CB
26 Kelvin Hayden
28 Marlin Jackson
34 T.J. Rushing
23 Tim Jennings
49 Jerraud Powers
20 Dante Hughes

FS
41 Antoine Bethea
33 Melvin Bullitt

SS
21 Bob Sanders
43 Matt Giordano

K
4 Adam Vinatieri

P
1 Pat McAfee

LS
48 Justin Snow

Practice Squad
QB Curtis Painter
WR Sam Giguere
WR Taj Smith
OL Jaimie Thomas
OL Brandon Barnes
LB Mike Tauiliili
LB Ramon Humber
DB Travis Key

UFL-Bound
DT Daniel Muir
S Jamie Silva
WR Roy Hall
DE Curtis Johnson
RB Chad Simpson
CB Michael Coe

Thoughts: The defensive tackle position was the hardest. I was debating between Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson with AJ barely necking it out. If Muir continues to make progress, he will have a chance. Jamie Silva was also very close to making the roster but he could very easily be a midseason signing because of injury. The same goes with Muir. Curtis Johnson could make a huge impact on this league, but Marcus Howard is the faster version of him from a bigger program (Georgia>Clark Atlanta). This was hard to make. I am excited for the regular season.

What to Expect: Offensive Line

Colts Homer — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:04:17 -0000

The offensive line scares me. There is only one player that I am completely sure in, and that is All-Pro center Jeff Saturday. Mike Pollak had a terrible rookie year. Ryan Lilja is coming off of a bad injury. Tony Ugoh is very injury-prone. Ryan Diem is old and losing it. I feel extremely confident about every single unit except for this one. Saturday is obviously a once-in-a-generation type of center, but I cannot get behind the rest of the offensive line. Hopefully Ugoh and Lilja can stay healthy and Pollak and Diem can improve and prove me wrong. 10 questions this time.

1. Do you expect Jeff Saturday to be a Hall of Famer?

2. Do you expect Tony Ugoh to be the starting left tackle in 2010?

3. Do you expect Ryan Lilja to start in Week One against Jacksonvile?

4. Do you expect Mike Pollak to be significantly improved this year?

5. Do you expect Ryan Diem to be on the Colts in 2010?

6. Do you expect Jaimie Thomas to make the roster?

7. Do you expect Charlie Johnson to ever be a regular starter for the Colts again?

8. How many more years do you expect Jeff Saturday to play?

9. Do you expect either Kyle DeVan or Tom Pestock to make the roster?

10. Do you expect Ugoh to be re-signed after the 2010 season?

My answers are after the jump.

1. Yes. If Dwight Stephenson is in the Hall of Fame, Saturday will get in also.

2. Yes. Ugoh will have a bounce back year and claim his starting job.

3. He better be. I expect him too, and if he is not, I will freak out about the offensive line.

4. Yes. Remember he did not have a training camp last season, and Mudd will work extensively with him and make him a good lineman.

5. No. Diem will be cut to save money. Either a draft pick or Charlie Johnson will be the starting right tackle in 2010.

6. Before Cornelius Lewis got cut, I would have said no way in hell. But with Lewis gone, he will make the roster.

7. Yes. Johnson will either be a starting right tackle in 2010 or a starting guard in the near future. He will be re-signed after this season.

8. Saturday will play out his contract and retire when it is finished. Jamey Richard will take over after that.

9. No. Both of them will get cut unless Steve Justice just absolutely sucks in training camp and preseason.

10. Yes. Ugoh will be re-signed for a short three year contract barring a major injury.

Estimating the Rookie Contracts- McAfee, Painter and Thomas

shake n bake — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:03:56 -0000

(Updated to include Jaimie Thomas)

Continuing from the first installment and the two fourth round picks, to the late rounders including the just signed (link) Pat McAfee

Recapping the cap (non) situation, the Colts have been allotted just over 4mil for signing rookes of 7.5 to 8 million in cap room. They are unlikely to need very much of that space to sign the rookies. The biggest reason being that every rookie signed bumps a minimum salary player out of the top 51 of the roster, meaning that 310K comes off the cap at the same time as the signed rookie's hit goes on.

To the late rounders,

Curtis Painter (#201 overall)

via cdn0.sbnation.com

Last year Tom Santi was taken (#196 overall) and recieved a 4 year 1.805million dollar contract, with a 100K signing bonus. Steve Justice taken (#201 over) last year got a 4 year 1.80mil contract with a 95K signing bonus. Both the players to either side of Painter signed deals worth 1.84million in total, with Brandon Myers getting a 90K bonus, and DeAndre Wright 92K.

My estimate- 4 years 1.84million, 100K bonus, 335K '09 cap hit

running total (4 picks) 1.635mil

Pat McAfee (#222 overall)

via blogs.suntimes.com

Last year Jamey Richard (#236 overall) signed for 4 years, 1.74 million with a 37K signing bonus.

3 picks ahead and 2 picks behind are the closest signed players with contract terms disclosed. Niners saftey Curtis Taylor (#219 overall) signed for 4 years 1.80 million with a 60K signing bonus. Broncos lineman Blake Schlueter (#125 overall) will get 1.81 million with a 57K signing bonus

My estimate- 4 years, 1.80million, 65K bonus, 327K '09 cap hit

running total (5 picks) 1.962mil

Jaime Thomas (#236 overall)

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Last year the Colts drafted a Jay-Me in the exact same place in the draft Jamey Richard (#236 overall) signed for 4 years, 1.74 million with a 37K signing bonus.

At pick number 232 Julian Edelman signed for 4 years 1.8million with a 49K signing bonus. Two picks after Thomas Stoney Woodson got 1.8mil and a 45K bonus in a 4 year deal.

My estimate- 4 years, 1.80million, 55K bonus, 324k '09 cap hit

running total (6 picks) 2.286mil