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My motto has always been that I have sacred symbols, cows, or prophets. I call a spade a spade when I see it. Now we all greatly respect Bill Polian. He wrote the book on how to build a team in the modern NFL. Every successful team copies on the techniques that Bill Polian authored.

Now these techniques have made the Colts into one of the elite teams in the NFL. It was a foundation built upon having very good drafts year in and year out. However, I think we are starting to see that Polian is only human after all. I am not writing this to suggest that Polian "sucks" but rather to point out that many of the problems we currently face are directly the result of recent draft years which are sub-par. They aren't necessarily bad drafts they just don't live up to what I would call the "Polian Standard."

I think the best way to go about this is to look at previous drafts starting in 2001 up until 2008. Obviously, the 2008 draft class will not be viewed quite as harshly because the jury is still out on them.  However, it's fairly clear to see that the current drafts classes are not living up to the pass draft classes so let's take a look and see.

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via www.stilettosetsports.com Its baaaack! I love this picture!

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Alright folks lets talk about something we have been ignoring and that something is our good friend Adam Vinatieri. Now Adam V is a revered hero. Almost a legend you could say because he is sort of like a good version of Benedict Arnold. Someone who defected from tyranny (the Patriots) to fight for truth, freedom and American apple pie (the Colts). Now that being said we need to talk about it... we need to talk about the possible end of Adam V.

Lets start with what we know. We know that Adam V has a bum hip. We know that he had an intrusive operation on this hip back in June and we also know that he had his knee scoped at the same time (which could mean anything). Adam V is on the PUP list and the Colts are starting to bring in other kickers for pre-season. The Colts say he will be ready for the season opener, but we know about the history of Colts medical statements.

There are a couple of big red flags that jump out at me; one the surgery was in June meaning there isn't a lot of recovery time for this. For instance, Joe Addai had his knee scoped back in January which gives a much longer recovery period. The second issue is that this is a hip injury. Hip and knee injuries are serious injuries. Any injury that affects the legs is serious for a professional athlete even "minor" ones and it goes without saying that a kicker uses his hips a lot to generate power to... well kick the ball. In Vinatieri's case this is his right (kicking leg) hip and that's not good anyway you cut it. All surgeries, regardless of how talented the surgeon is, lead to muscle atrophy. That is when  the muscle loses strength due to disuse. Even if the surgery is 100% effective it remains to be seen if Vinatieri can regain the strength in his leg for this season.

We also know that this hip injury has been affecting him for over a year. Despite this he had a productive 2008 season going 20 for 25 on field goals. He was also clutch in the Minnesota game so there is cause for optimism here. Its not all doom and gloom.

However, its pretty clear that Adam V has been dinged up for awhile now. He struggled in 2007 due to injuries (leading to the infamous Chargers game) then seemed to bounce back last year only to have this hip injury flare up on him recently. He is also now almost 37 years old. It gets tough even for kickers around that age. Finally, it's worth pointing out that he counts a great deal against the cap at around 2.0 million. Is it worth it to keep a 50%  effective Vinatieri around at that cap hit? Well maybe for the "Vinatieri mojo" I am not sure.

Now no one is ready to plant roses on the grave of Vinatieri's career. The jury is still out on that. He could still be highly effective for a number of years, but there is some serious doubts that can happen now. I think its a mistake for we, as fans, to just gloss this over and say, "Oh Vinatieri will be fine." This hip injury to Adam V may very well be an issue for the Colts in the 2009 season. We will keep at eye on it.

via blogs.trb.com Edge James was the original "stretch play" RB and even he was bad in short yardage. However, I still love ya Edge!

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Do you guys remember the "stretch play"?

You know, it's the play that the Colts started using back in 1999 with Edge.  Peyton sprints to the outside and the O-line stretches horizontally (hence the name) and the RB uses his vision to find a seam and cut back into it. The Colts have been running it every year since then... except, for some unknown reason, they stopped running it last year.

Poof! It was gone like magic.

Many of us thought that it was due to the fact that Manning's knee was too weak to handle it, but then the knee got better and the Colts still didn't run it. Were the rookie guards just not able to handle it? Personally, I doubt that. The Colts have always been able to plug in young guards. Just look at years past when they had the revolving door of Tupe Peko, Steve Sciolio, and Rick DeMulling (and whoever else they could find, for that matter). The Colts were always able to run the stretch play despite injuries and turnover. I am not saying the stretch play is easy, but it's not as complicated as Denver's zone blocking system is, either. We will probably never know exactly why the Colts stopped running the stretch play last year, but it did expose us all to the fact that the running game has become a bit of a One-Trick Pony.

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Lets be real here and say honestly that this is a pretty talented Colts team. I mean just look at the defense alone, in which the Colts are stacked at defensive back, linebacker and defensive line. Not only are the starters good, but the backups have talent and experience as well. For instance, a player like Melvin Bullitt could be a starter on a lot of other teams and here he is backing up two excellent starters in Bethea and Sanders. Even on offense at the WR position the Colts I think have a ton of talent despite the fact that they lost Marvin Harrison. This receiving corp is better than the one we fielded last year especially if Garcon is coming along as well as we keep hearing. However, there is a big giant black spot on the Colts roster and that is the Offensive line.

Photo: photos.indystar.com

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BSBD (or, the Bob Sanders Beatdown Defense) was a term coined on this site by our very own BigBlueShoe. In the coaching world it is known simply as "Cover 3." Now, I don't want to go into too many details, but essentially Cover 3 is when the corners give a big cushion, one safety plays deep center-field, and the other safety (Bob Sanders in this case) plays in the box to stop the run. Hence, the title "Bob Sanders Beatdown Defense."

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Now, the Colts started running this defense to stop teams like the Tennessee Titans from running their "keep away" offense in which they try to shorten the game by running the ball over and over and over again. Cover 3 lets you play 8 in the box without surrendering the big pass play because there are three guys deep.  This arrangement worked against teams like the Titans, but ultimately it was a failure in the long run. This is because the BSBD defense was a creative stop gap measure brought about because the front 7 of the Colts just hasn't been very good against the run. They needed Bob's help to do their job for them.

The major problems with the BSBD defense is that first it compromises the health of Bob Sanders. Now Bob is one tough guy, but at 5'8 he should not be used as a 4th LB because the other three LB's can't do their jobs. It turns him into a human kamikaze, leading to nagging injuries. It's reckless of the Colts to expect him to take on a 315lb offensive linemen play after play. They have to be smarter about how they use the Bobzilla.

The other issue with BSBD is that it assumes your opponent can't make plays in the short passing game. Cover 3 essentially dares you to throw curl routes all day  and make plays in the short passing game. It works against Vince Young, but against guys like Phillip Rivers its ineffective. Good QB's can make those throws and chip away at you. They have the patience, talent, and experience to do that. As creative as the BSBD is, the Colts have to find ways to win with their front 7. No amount of scheming can change that.

The Colts coaching staff recognizes this during the off-season. That is why there has been a shift in defensive philosophy. The LB's and DT's have gotten bigger and more athletic  through the draft and free agency. I have always been a big fan of Dungy's defensive approach, but I think our personel has been way too undersized to play against the style other teams play us now. They know they can't throw deep against the Colts, but they do know they can wear them down if they stay patient. They have adjusted and now the Colts need to be flexible enough to tweak how they do things. Ultimately I feel Caldwell is still going to run a Cover 2 defense, but hopefully the front 7 will be strong enough to not have to rely on Bob Sanders for additional support.

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Does anybody here remember Jim Finn? He was drafted as "Mr. Irrelevant."  You know he played fullback for the Colts from 2000-2002. He fumbled a lot, but he played hard. I remember the 2002 game against the Titans when the Colts were so hurt at running back that they had to start Jim Finn at HB. He had like 2 carries and 2 fumbles before he got knocked out of the game. In fact, in the picture to the right here he is about ready to get hit, hurt and fumble all at once. It was sad, but I always loved Jim Finn.

Anyways, the other day I was searching on Wikipedia because I am a Wikipedia addict and I was like, "I wonder what Jim Finn is up to these days." Yes I know I don't have a life so you don't need to remind me of that. So I was reading that Jim Finn was retired from football and he recently married actress Rosa Blasi. This name sounded familiar so I did a Google image search of her...

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Oh. My. God! That is one amazing woman! Jim Finn truly is "The Man!" Pretty damn good for a "Mr. Irrelevant." I take back everything I said about your numerous fumbles Mr. Finn!

Also, its worth mentioning that Jim and Rosa welcome their first child together in September 2004. Congrats to both of them! Once a Colt, always a Colt.

Oh and for those of you who don't remember Jim Finn well at least you can appreciate the picture of his wife that I put up here!

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7 months ago: Indianapolis Colts first round draft pick Connecticut running back Donald Brown, center, poses with Colts coach Jim Caldwell, left, and team president Bill Polian, right, at the Colts headquarters in Indianapolis, Sunday, April 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

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It has often been said that you have to wait 2-3 years to judge a teams draft class and I think that is fair. Sometimes guys struggle early or maybe they spend a year or two on the bench before they see significant playing time. We therefore, don't know how good this draft was but we do know a few things thus far.

The Colts really want to get bigger and stronger on defense. We already know this by the fact that they wanted bigger and stronger LB's. That's why the let guys like Kreddie K go, but the additions of Moala and Taylor  firmly demonstrate this desire to get bigger and stronger. The type of defense the Colts have run for awhile works when our offense scores early and often thus forcing teams into throwing against our edge rushers and zone coverages. The problem was when teams kept the game close by playing the Jeff Fisher style "run, run, run" game against us. The Colts answer to this is to get bigger and run a different front 4 against people that try and do that. If teams play that style then they are doing to see this...

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Hey Giants fans its MasterRWayne here. I help run the Stampedeblue site for the Indianapolis Colts. We had our mock draft over there and I picked for the Giants. We did rounds 1-2 and here is who I got...

1. Eben Britton-OT

2. Kenny Britt-WR

3. Asher Allen-CB

I felt that I got good value in my picks and I also addressed need areas for the G-Men. What do you guys think?

A guard? A guard?! A GUARD?!!?!?!!? You can't be serious can you? I mean are you seriously proposing that the Colts take a guard with their first pick? Yes, my friend, that is exactly what I am proposing, and here is why:

Common wisdom is that you take the best available player regardless of position needs. I feel that this is for the most part true, but I have always viewed it as a hybrid of the two; you consider needs, but differ to the best player. In the case of guard, when the Colts pick at 27th the best player on the board will be a guard AND it will fulfill a need. So, who is this "best player" who is a guard late in the 1st round?

Duke Robinson from Oklahoma (and direct relative of the famous "Smokey Robinson) is a beast.

Photo: media.scout.com

Robinson is big (330lbs), strong, tough, durable (never misses games), athletic and quick (5.27 40 time) . He is one of the best offensive linemen to come out of the draft in a long time. He was the anchor and the rock of one of the most prolific offenses in college football history. On top of his superb run blocking he also has excellent pass blocking skills and intelligence because he was part of a pro style offense at Oklahoma. On top of all that he is actually pretty darn quick and can pull well. A 5.27 40 time is very good for a guard.

From Mocking The Draft:

Perfectly sized for a guard, Robinson has the power to engulf defenders one-on-one. Quickly gets into his stance to block in-line on running plays. Does a nice job keeping his feet moving and repositioning himself. An excellent and scary drive blocker. Incredible lower body strength. Typically plays with good leverage keeping a low pad level. Gets good knee bend.

From NFL Draft Countdown:

Huge frame with long arms...Great bulk...Outstanding strength...Very powerful...Tough and physical...Nasty and is a finisher...Gets a great push and can be a dominating run blocker...Is stout at the point of attack...Uses his hands well...Plays with good leverage and bends at the knees...Quick with decent mobility and range...Good awareness and instincts...Versatile...A lot of experience against top competition.

From NFLDraftScout (via NFL.com/Combine):

Can generate movement at the point of attack in short-yardage situations. ... Plays with some nastiness and has the raw power to turn and pancake his opponent. ... Quick, strong hand punch to jolt the defender in pass protection. ... Natural knee-bender who plays with good leverage and balance in pass pro. ... Long arms and strong hands to keep the defender at bay.

But why should we draft a guard ahead of say WR, RB, DT... etc?

Well, first it all, start up front with your offense. A strong o-line helps both your passing game and running game. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built around. Your WR's and QB might be All Pro, but if they don't have adequate time then your play book is going to be severely limited to three step drops and screens like it was for the Colts late last year. Therefore, getting Duke Robinson helps all these areas. He would help both immediately and into the future because he has Pro Bowl potential written all over him and could play in this league for eight plus years. Guys like Robinson can potentially help teams both short term and long term, which is extremely rare to find. They are literally the "gems" of every draft class. Also, factor in that the interior of the Colts line is a big problem right now. We don't know if Ryan Lilja is coming back and Saturday isn't growing any younger. Robinson can start immediately for the Colts and he can be groomed to be Saturday's replacement at center. Getting him instantly upgrades our entire offense.

I know this is not a "sexy" pick, but it is a very sound one. I know WR and DT are the "sexier" picks, but that doesn't mean they are the better ones. With WR's you have to remember it takes 2-4 years to develop those guys so they won't help much, if it all, in the short term. The Colts have the potential to win now so should we not draft players that can help us now? Hall and Garcon already know the playbook and we spent draft picks on them so I say we give them a chance to prove themselves as the #3 WR. Besides passing wasn't our problem last year; our problem was running the ball and the interior of our Offensive Line. Duke Robinson
addresses both of those problems simulataneously. As for DT I really don't think there will be any 1st round DT's at our pick, but we can find talent in rounds 3-5.

Duke Robinson negatives?

From Mocking The Draft:

For any power running team, Robinson is about as good of a guard prospect as there has been in several years. His play is similar to that of Ben Grubbs. Where he struggles most is against quick, gap-shooting defensive tackles who like to get after the quarterback.

From NFL Draft Countdown:

Can be a bit inconsistent...Not a great technician...Isn't real light on his feet...Has lapses in concentration...Poor balance...Will get caught reaching at times...Will have some trouble with quicker defensive tackles...Work ethic has been questioned and tends to skate by on his natural ability...Little  immature...Won't be an  ideal fit for every team.

From NFLDraftScout (via NFL.com/Combine):

Only marginal balance and lateral quickness to block at the second level, and spends too much time on the ground when trying to block on the move. ... Lack of great quickness shows in pass protection, as he struggles to adjust if his initial punch doesn't slow the defender

I have thought long and hard about this because I am usually of the mindset of not drafting guards until rounds 4-7, but its not unheard of to use a late 1st rounder. The Ravens did it last year and Ozzie Newsome is a very bright GM. I just feel that Duke Robinson addresses so many areas of need for us in addition to being one of the most athletic and talented players in this draft. Besides what is better than being big? Well being big AND athletic... just look.

Photo: i.cdn.turner.com

Editor's Note: View some Duke Robinson YouTube highlights after the jump. --bbs

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As per www.NFL.com Housh has been signed by the SeaHawks.

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