SB Nation - Sam Giguere

Colts begin to sign players to practice squad; Matt Giordano waived

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:40:48 -0000

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2009 file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) makes a touchdown reception against Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco (47) during the fourth quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game in Tampa, Fla. Francisco signed with the Indianapolis Colts today. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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The last few seasons, one of the best special teams players on the Colts was safety Matt Giordano. Giordano was also one of the fastest players on the team PERIOD, and he had a knack for delivering big hits (like the one he placed on a Bears tight end in the Super Bowl). However, despite Giordano's contributions on special teams, the Colts decided to release him today and in his place sign former Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco.

You all might remember Francisco as the safety who was covering Santonio Holmes on his game winning TD in last year's Super Bowl. According to Mike Chappell at the Indy Star:

Francisco’s forte is special teams. He was the Cardinals’ special-teams captain the last two seasons and ranked second on the team with 18 tackles in 2008.

Francisco has some big shoes to fill. Colts fans very much liked Giordano as a safety and as a special teamer. Tip to hoosier in sodak for the FanPost.

The Colts have also started signing players to their practice squad. From my friends at 6 Verges et les Buts, a Montreal-based NFL fan site, have informed me that Sam Giguere was signed to the practice squad. Also signed to the practice squad were John Gill, Colin Cloherty, Mike Hart, John Matthews, Jaimie Thomas, and Taj Smith.

Mike Hart to the practice squad is a bit of a surprise to me, but it says the team is not ready to give up on him this season.

Indy also claimed linebacker Cody Glenn, who was cut by the Washington Redskins. No word yet on who was cut from the active roster to make room for Glenn. Tip to nmbrthry for the FanPost. Also, no word on Adrian Grady possibly signing onto Indy's practice squad. By my count, the colts have seven signed, leaving one spot open.

Practice Squad:

John Gill, DT
Colin Cloherty, TE
Mike Hart, RB
John Matthews, WR
Jaimie Thomas, OG
Taj Smith, WR
Sam Giguere, WR
[UPDATE] ~~Cody Glenn, LB~~

[UPDATE]: Cody Glenn was signed to the practice squad, not the active roster. Thus, the practice squad is set, and it does not include Adrian Grady or this year's 4th round pick Terrance Taylor.

[UPDATE]: Colts.com informs us that Matt Giordano was cut to make room for Cody Glenn on the active roster. This means there is one more open spot of the PS.

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?

Colts roster moves: Three players injured-waived, TE Colin Cloherty cut

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:37:12 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Indianapolis Colts receiver John Matthews was (shockingly) not cut today (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Tomorrow, the Colts must trim their roster down to 75 players. Today, they took the first steps to doing so, placing Michael Coe, Curtis Johnson, and Rudolph Hardie on the injured-waived list. This is the same list the Colts placed Roy Hall on. Basically, when the players clear waivers, another team can pick them up. If a team doesn't, the Colts will then place them on the Injured Reserve (IR) list, effectively ending their season.

Again, just like with Roy Hall, it seems Coe, Hardie, and Johnson will not play for the Colts in 2009.

Indianapolis also cut Colin Cloherty. By my count, they need to make one more roster move to get to 75. One possibility is cutting kicker Shane Andrus and bringing Adam Vinatieri off the PUP list.

Cutting Coe was something many of us saw coming. I don't think he's played in a single pre-season game. Likely, he is still recovering from last season's knee injury during training camp, which is very unfortunate. Hardie was injured in the Lions pre-season game on Saturday, and apparently that injury was serious enough to get him waived-injured. Curtis Johnson is a bit of a shocker. Some of us (aka me!) thought he'd make the final roster. Not sure what his injury is.

Also, Kelvin Hayden, Matt Giordano, Raheem Brock, and Jacob Lacey returned to practice today, according to IFR. Held out of practice were Mike Hart, Mike Pollak, Sam Giguere, Clint Session, and Tom Santi. The Colts seem to be listing Santi's injury from the Lions game as an ankle injury, and, as Phil B of the Indy Star fears, it could be serious.

Caldwell looking to boost special teams by adding more players

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:21:34 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell is looking to shake things up on special teams. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Saw a very interesting note in a recent article from Matt Dollinger at Colts.com:

The Colts plan to insert some new players on special teams to bolster their return game, Caldwell said. In addition to defensive back T.J. Rushing, Caldwell said he anticipates wide receivers Austin Collie and Taj Smith and safety Jamie Silva may return some kicks and punts on Thursday against the Lions.

Barring any kind of setback with T.J. Rushing regarding his knee injury from last year, the man has won the punt returning duties. We saw it last week against the Eagles (who played last night; anyone watch?). Rushing could also return kicks, but it seems Caldwell wants to split those duties, or at least try to. It's also clear that Caldwell is not happy with the players who have been returning kicks of late.

Collie practiced punt returning during mini-camps and training camp this season. I have not seen him practice returning kick-offs. I'd be shocked if Jamie Silva could return a punt or a kick. He seems more of a gunner or up-man on kick coverage.

If Taj Smith can prove he can return kicks, then that is a huge boost for him. He is on the bubble, along with Sam Giguere. While I like Giguere, he looked horrible returning kicks last week; no moves or speed as he rushed forward. If Taj shows he can do the job, it wil be Taj in, Giggy out.

One player who I'm about 95% sure is out is Chad Simpson. Simpson's sole reason for being on this roster is special teams. He returned several kicks last year, and he was horrible doing so. He's had multiple chances this off-season and training camp to prove he can do the job, and he hasn't. It doesn't bode well for Chad that Caldwell is "adding more players" to a position and job Simpson pretty much did exclusively. Chad's also been out-played at running back by Lance Ball, who might win the job as the third back if Mike Hart starts the season on PUP.

Other news for the upcoming game against the Lions: Ryan Lilja is out with a bruised shoulder, and it's unlikely we will see Captain Pre-Season himself, Jim Sorgi.

2009 Position Battles: Where do people stand after second pre-season game

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:05:39 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

3 months ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Lance Ball runs during the third quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Indianapolis, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Indianapolis won 23-15. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Camp has broken and two pre-season games are down. It's time to re-visit the key positional battles.

Third wide receiver

This one is a bit mis-leading because the third WR battle is really a battle for who will play slot receiver. Both Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez have played slot, but both are much more effective playing on the outside. So far, Austin Collie has been the best, working solely as the slot receiver. Last night, Collie caught 2 passes for 32 yards and looked sharp running routes (save for one in the red zone in the first quarter). His main competition, Pierre Garcon, has shown flashes but has not been consistent. Garcon caught a five yard pass last night and swung around to gain seven more. But, he has dropped some passes... again. This is becoming a theme for Garcon, and a WR who drops the ball is a waste of space. Taj Smith and Sam Giguere have not really distinguished themselves.

Driver's Seat: Austin Collie

Starting defensive tackles

Antonio Johnson and Ed Johnson have started at DT for the last week, and both played very well in last night's game against the Eagles. Mookie is playing NT while Big Ed is at undertackle. Daniel Muir looked very good in camp, but didn't look good starting for Mookie at NT last week. Rookies Fili Moala, Terrance Taylor, and Adrian Grady have looked good at times, especially in some short yardage situations last night, but none are ready. I have seen very little of Eric Foster of late.

Driver's Seat: Mookie and Big Ed

Kick and punt returner

Jerraud Powers, Sam Giguere, and Chad Simpson have looked awful returning kicks. However, last night. T.J. Rushing returned a kick 45 yards, putting some nice moves on the Eagles' gunners in order to get to the sideline and gain yards. To quote the Indy Star's Bob Kravitz:

Good to see T.J. Rushing give the Colts the rarest of all commodities, a big-time punt return. T.J., the job is yours.

Driver's Seat: T.J. Rushing

Third RB spot

Mike Hart seemingly won this job in camp, but Hart has not been all that lucky staying healthy. He injured his knee last season, and after fighting back from that, last night he left the game early with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Lance Ball ran with authority last night behind a poor o-line of back-ups, many of which will not make the final roster. Hart's ankle better heal quick, for his sake. Ball is making a strong case for the #3 RB spot.

Driver's Seat: Mike Hart

2009 Colts Training Camp: News and notes from 8/17/09 morning and afternoon practice

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:47:51 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell watches from the sidelines as his team plays the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Indianapolis, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Before we get to the notes about the morning practice, we'll recap a few roster moves that happened today:

OG Brandon Barnes, who was signed to a two-year deal this off-season, was cut.
Colts used the open roster spot to sign DT John Gill, 6'3, 302 pounds. Gill is an undrafted rookie out of Northwestern. Gill was recently cut by the Detroit Lions.
DT Raheem Brock is out for 3 weeks with a fractured hand. He is having surgery.

The Gill signing is to have a warm body in camp while Brock recovers. Cutting Barnes seems to indicate that the Colts are confident in Ryan Lilja's health. Signing Barnes this past off-season made little sense if Lilja was healthy, but since there were all kinds of questions about Lilja's surgically repaired knee the Colts needed someone if Lilja were done. So, while I wish Barnes all the best, his releasing might be a good sign. We shall see.

John Oehser at IFR provided some great notes today from the morning practice. Several Colts players returned to practice after sitting out some last week, or not playing in the Friday pre-season opener against the Vikings. Mike Hart, Anthony Gonzalez, Charlie Johnson, Sam Giguere, Dallas Clark, Jacob Tamme, Kelvin Hayden, Melvin Bullitt, Marlin Jackson, and Antonio Johnson all returned for the morning practice. Antoine Bethea returned for the afternoon one.

Again, as I said this past weekend, the Colts don't give a stinking crap about pre-season. It is my suspicion that all of these guys could have played. Why didn't they? Because the Colts don't give a crap. They know what each and every one of those guys can do.

Check after the jump for camp notes from 8/17/09.

In 7 on 7 drills, rookie CB Jerraud Powers intercepted a deflected ball intended for TE Jamie Petrowski. Powers strolled down the sideline for a TD.
Charlie Johnson is still the starting LT... for now. If Ugoh continues proving the obvious (that he is leaps and bounds more superior at LT than Charlie), then the coaches will continue to look like boobs for making this dumb and obnoxiously silly change.
Morning practice was in full pads.
Austin Collie continues to work solely in the slot. Pierre Garcon is working as an outside receiver.
Collie had a TD pass this morning in practice, as did Garcon in 7 on 7 drills.
Clint Session, looking like Kimbo Slice, is fully entrenched at WILL backer.
Gijon Robinson got hit hard in the morning practice. He did not return for the afternoon one. Don't know yet who hit him.

We'll have an article up tomorrow discussing Peter King's very interesting conversation with Peyton Manning while at training camp, but until then, check out this very tastey quote straight from Big P himself:

I'm gonna kind of whisper this because I don't like rookies to read anything I say. But I think [third-round BYU receiver] Austin Collie's got a chance. He can run. He can really run. He is working the slot only. We haven't had anyone since Brandon Stokley to work the slot only. That's all he practiced. He doesn't have to worry about anything but the slot.
"The other young guy, Pierre Garcon, can run, too. He's an outside receiver only. What we're doing a better job of with the young guys is we're saying, 'This is your position. You don't have to learn everything.' Garcon is like Marvin; after he takes five steps, he's so fast, you'd better let it go.

Very, VERY high praise for two young men from a guy who rarely, if ever, praises young, unproven players. Let's just lock it in stone now, because when Big P talks, it's pretty much law around Colts Land: Collie is the slot receiver; Garcon is Reggie Wayne's back-up.

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.

Highlights from Jim Caldwell Pre-2009 Training Camp Press Conference

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:43:06 -0000

Colts head coach Jim Caldwell: 7/31/2009

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On Friday afternoon, new Colts head coach Jim Caldwell held a pre-training camp press conference to sort of set the tone heading into camp and to update the media on certain Colts-related topics:

Colts just completed a three day "workout" with their rookies.
Longtime assistants Tom Moore and Howard Mudd have indeed returned. They are doing the same jobs they did before. Their titles are Senior Offensive Coordinator and Senior Offensive Line Coach. The "senior" portion of their title enables them to have more "attitude" with their duties, allowing them to delegate more responsibility (if they wish) to other assistant coaches.
Caldwell praised Clyde Christensen and Pete Metzelaars for filling in for Moore and Mudd throughout the off-season.
Colts assistant coaches will be available for press interviews on Fridays during camp and during the regular season
Players who will open camp on PUP: Marlin Jackson (knee), Bob Sanders (knee), Sam Giguere (leg), Antonio Johnson (knee), Charlie Johnson (shoulder), and Adam Vinatieri (hip and knee)
Vinatieri had hip surtgery this off-season and shortly afterwards had his knee scoped
Caldwell does not expect currently unsigned draft picks Donald Brown. Fili Moala, or Austin Collie to miss any camp time
Caldwell made a point to mention two players many expected to be on PUP will indeed practice on Monday: Gary Brackett and Mike Hart.
All players currently on PUP are expected to be ready by the start of the regular season.
Caldwell did not list Ryan Lilja as being on the PUP. He is expected to practice Monday, just like everyone else.

Start getting excited folks!

Colts Training Camp 2009: Battles

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:08:08 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

6 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is surrounded by fans as he signes autographs before NFL football minicamp at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., Saturday, June 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Training Camp opens for the Colts in 33 days. Between now and then, we will need to identify the training camp battles that could define this team heading into the 2009 season. As many of you know, I'm a big proponent of camp competition. Regardless of a player's salary, reputation, or name, he must always earn his job in camp. Example: Peyton Manning, the best QB of his generation, approaches every training camp as if he were fighting for his job. If he is doing that, everyone should.

That said, it's time we start isolating the key camp battles. Obviously, these battles can change due to injuries, new player signings, and other variables. But, for now, these are the ones I see:

Third wide receiver in the "kings" WR set. This is either slot receiver, or a receiver who will lineup right while Anthony Gonzalez shifts to the slot when Indy goes 3 wide. Players: Pierre Garcon, Roy Hall, Austin Collie, Sam Giguere
Starting nose tackle. Players: Ed Johnson, Antonio Johnson, Terrance Taylor, Daniel Muir
Starting three technique DT. Players: Fili Moala, Ed Johnson, Adian Grady, Eric Foster
Starting guards on the offensive line*. Players: Mike Pollak, Jamey Richard, Jaimie Thomas, Brandon Barnes
SAM linebacker. Players: Philip Wheeler, Adam Seward, Tyjuan Hagler
Second tight end. Players: Gijon Robinson, Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme
Special teams returner. Players: T.J. Rushing, Austin Collie, Chad Simpson, Pierre Garcon, Michael Coe
Nickel corner. Players: Tim Jennings, Jerraud Powers, Dante Hughes, Michael Coe, T.J. Rushing
Third running back: Players: Mike Hart, Lance Ball, Chad Simpson

If there are other camp battles you think are vital, kindly list them.

* As someone in the comments noticed, I left Ryan Lilja off the guards spot because I am not 100% certain what his injury status is.