A number of things jump out at Colts fans "in the know" regarding Defensive End in Indianapolis.  First, it is easily one of the most important positions in a cover-2 defensive scheme, as players at this position hold the greatest level of responsibility in generating a pass rush.  Second, injuries to our defensive ends over the past three seasons have severely limited the team's ability to continue generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and a lack of depth at the position leaves the Colts in a sensitive position.  Third, with the release of Raheem Brock, the most experienced and dynamic of the Colts defensive lineman, along with the gradual aging of tandem Pro Bowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, infusing some young blood seems like an absolute certainty in the upcoming draft.

What will surprise many fans, even the most avid and informed, is that the Colts have done some scouting homework during the season that has landed them potential replacements and potentially a greater level of depth at the position than it has had in some time.

Two players have a great deal of potential in the defensive tackle/defensive end roll to not only replace Raheem Brock, but possibly push Keyunta Dawson off of the roster altogether. 

via www.colts.com

The first player, John Gill, is someone the Colts showed interest in prior to the 2009 NFL Draft but could not acquire until well into the pre-season.  Once acquired, Gill played both defensive tackle and defensive end in the final pre-season game and found his way onto the practice squad, where he would stay throughout the entire regular season.  It seems clear that the Colts have are interested in his development and that he is a prospect to fill the hybrid defensive tackle-defensive end position vacated by Brock.

via www.canada.com

The second player is new to the Colts but not to professional football, having played the entire 2009 season in the CFL, earning the defensive player of the year award.  As a defensive end for the Roughriders (former home of Kenton Keith), John Chick tallied 32 tackles, 11 sacks, forced two fumbles, and added two special teams tackles.  At 6'4" Chick would fall in line with the Colts stated desire to get bigger on both lines but he is only listed at 248 pounds (a weight I find highly suspect when I look at him on tape).  He is tall enough and aware enough to knock down passes, fast enough to turn the corner on tackles, strong enough to bull rush, and aware enough of the ball to work back inside.  Don't be surprised if you hear more about him as training camp and pre-season roll around.

CHICK HIGHLIGHTS

If you add to the mix defensive tackle Eric Foster, who spent some time outside during the year, J.D. Skolnitsky, who was added to the roster at the end of the season, and Mitch King (YOU DECIDE 2009), who will likely have the physical skills and prior experience to play inside and outside on the Colts defensive line... and you start to see the defensive end position in a different light. 

Honestly, I started the off-season with the feelings that the Colts would use their first round pick to draft a defensive end, and liked Brandon Graham of Michigan to be the possible pick.  Now, though, I feel like the position isn't as weak as I previously thought and feel that Polian and Company are in a position to pick BPA with the thirty-first pick and not worry about drastic consequences to depth along the defensive line.

note:  I put this up as a response in another thread but thought I would make it into a fan post in case people wished to discuss it.  IE - I have no desire or intent to hijack someone else's well thought out and well-written thread.

Something that has proved true this season should concern the rest of the NFL a great deal when facing the Colts. The offense, early in a game, or with the lead is human.  With a lead we tend to be more conservative, which keeps games closer than they would be and keeps us from running up scores like the Patriots.

When we lead, however, the defense tends to be vicious. 

via images2.wikia.nocookie.net

The pass rush is let loose and opposing offenses are set up to make mistakes more often, we start forcing turnovers.

via www.coltsgab.com

This makes it very difficult for teams to come back against the Colts.

So… with a lead, the defense is dangerous, opposing offenses typically are forced to make risky plays that lead to turnovers, and coming back is extremely difficult.

When the Colts are behind, the defense tends to struggle more. The opposing offense can typically set the pace of the game, attempt to be balanced and keep the defense on its heels.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, "that used to be the case bamock but not anymore." To a degree, you would be right for saying so.

Since Coyer has taken over and put a few wrinkles in the Dungy-2 defense, we are far more resilient and capable of making adjustments in scheme or picking up our play defensively to keep games "close enough" to be in striking distance.

This brings me to the offense from behind, which should be a scary thing for any team in the NFL who has to play a game against the Colts. The margin of "close enough" or "in striking distance" is wider for the Colts than any other team in the NFL… HANDS DOWN and it isn’t even close.

When we’re playing from behind the offense is sharper, plays harder, and finds inventive ways to score points by putting together long (yards) 2 min. scoring drives that close the gap or result in 4th quarter comebacks that have not been rivaled in NFL history.

via nimg.sulekha.com

If you’re up 14 on the Colts, particularly late in a game, you had better watch out. That is when Manning and Company have calculated and weighed your defensive scheme and plan and will start to move the ball.

Add to this the pace of the Colts no-huddle offense, a pace that is faster than any other team in the NFL... HANDS DOWN and it isn't even close, and it's no surprise that opponents tend to be fatigued and incapable of stepping up when the game is on the line.

via images.chron.com

So… if you’re behind, you’re in real trouble… the defense will start to eat you alive with its pass rush and it will be really difficult to find balance or true success moving the ball.

If you’re ahead… WATCH OUT, because the offense has seen what you’re doing defensively long enough that Moore, Manning, and Co. will start moving the ball.

Either way, the Colts play on momentum, and the momentum comes from one side of the ball no matter the circumstances on the scoreboard. Once that momentum swings, stopping Indy is insanely difficult.

via cache.daylife.com

No team, none, zero, in the NFL wants to play the Colts. Not the Saints, not the Titans, not the Jaguars, and not the Patriots (Vikings either).

This team is balanced, and the balance usually results in relatively close games.  But it is this specific synergy that makes it harder for an opponent to pull out a victory against Indianapolis than it is when they face any other team in the NFL.

Love Me Some Colts!

If that video doesn't get you reinvigorated and ready for some Colts football, check your pulse.  I know this man no longer plays for us, but there is one who does.  So, for those of you who are disappointed, I offer up exhibit B.

Who Wants Some of This?

By the way, Patriots, I am salivating for you.  I am already thinking about you.  I can't help myself.  I want you.  I look forward to it.  Bring your big boy pants.  Win or lose, it's time to line up for a nice solid hit to the face.

GO COLTS!

The National Football Post has announced that the Colts have released backup RB and KR Chad Simpson and promoted Mike Hart from the practice squad.

Anyone who has followed the two running backs in their young career probably knows that Hart showed a great deal more promise as a running back than Simpson.  However, Hart suffered a season ending knee injury against Baltimore last year, after making probably the most spectacular two yard run I've ever seen (on 3rd down no less) to get the Colts a first down and keep a drive alive.  Although Hart recovered much quicker than expected from knee surgery, he was quickly banged up in preseason, suffering back-to-back ankle injuries that held him out for the beginning of the season and opened the door for Chad Simpson.

In order to maintain his spot on the roster, Simpson had to show that he brought something to the team as a returner.  To this point, he has not looked comfortable returning kicks, has been indecisive, and has not even looked fast (his mo).  After suffering an abdominal injury against Arizona, and missing practice time this week, he has been released and the door has reopened for Mike Hart.  What role Hart will play, if any, in the return game is unknown.  Conventional wisdom would suggest that T.J. Rushing will assume full-time returning duties, like he did in 2007.  Maybe the Colts have something else up their sleeves.

Welcome back Mike!  Chad, we wish you the very best of luck.

I wanted to take the time to let you all know that I will not be around as often writing fan posts at Stampede Blue.  I have been honored by Eric Hartz at ColtPower.com with the opportunity to serve as one of the sites analysts for the coming season.  It's an opportunity I am looking forward to and which I think I will thoroughly enjoy.  I do not intend to "not visit" Stampede Blue anymore.  I will still lurk, like the information starved Colts junkie I am.  Still, I have real life to focus on and two stories a week to publish, which will demand most of my in-depth Colts writing time.  (For those interested, the two stories will cover the "Five to Watch" for each upcoming game and "Who Looked Good, Who Didn't" for the preceding game)

I would like to thank BBS for this platform, without which I would likely not have been given an opportunity to write about my favorite team anywhere.  I would also like to thank many of you for your support and kind words.  I did not write fan posts here for recognition or accolades but you all made me feel very welcome here and some of you even took the time to support me in my effort to become an "official Colts correspondent."  Needless to say, the camaraderie has been great and again, BBS helped provide the platform to find it.

I hope to see some of you over on Colt Power from time to time.  I do enjoy the conversation and the feedback my stories spark.  If there's anything I write for, it's that: seeing other people respond to my humble ideas on the Colts.  This is not an attempt to "steal" any of BBS or Stampede Blue's faithful.  Frankly, I don't think it would happen (you wouldn't visit another site and stop visiting this one) and I know that BBS supports the other Colts blogs/news sites anyway.

So, thank you again BBS for the opportunity and the platform... congratulations on your upcoming marriage.  Thank you to all who supported me, and to some who I know will continue to do so.  I look forward to seeing some/many of you on Colt Power from time to time to say hello.

Brett Mock

This includes the 53 man roster and 8 practice squad positions.  As I have no idea who will be getting cut from the other rosters, I can't foresee what will be available at which position that might prompt these choices to change.  When I feel it is appropriate I will explain my choices and indicate who may be dropped early in the season, or when someone else on the roster gets healthy.

Quarterback:
Peyton Manning
Curtis Painter

If I were the GM for the Colts, I would keep Painter because we can't afford to lose him by cutting him and we can't afford three roster spots for the back-up to one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the league.  I would make a proposal to Jim Sorgi.  Sorgi clearly will not be playing regular snaps for any team in the NFL at any point in his career.  While he would probably be snatched up by someone who wished to pick his brain for information about the Colts offense, he provides no team with a back-up QB option worthy of retaining long-term.  Accordingly, Sorgi stands to lose A LOT if he is cut outright and it would behoove him to consider his long-term future.  The front office should offer Sorgi a contract on the team as an Assistant QB Coach, keeping him in the NFL, giving him the opportunity to make a long career at what he does best (clip-board holding, game analyzing, the cerebral aspects of the game).  It may be in his best interest to retire before taking on this role, allowing him to come out of retirement, should something terrible happen.  Out of the ordinary?  You bet.  Best option?  In my humble opinion, it is.

Running Back:
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart

Lance Ball is still practice squad eligible, should clear waivers, and provides plenty of protection for our RBs in that role.  He MAY be retained for a week or two while Hart fully recovers from his ankle injury.  However, I got the feeling that Hart could have played against the Bengals but the front office held him out in order to give him extra time to heal, which would make such a move unnecessary.  Management will look closely at the status of his injury this weekend before making a final call but this is the move I'd make.  Even if it was a risk to start the season.

Wide Receiver:
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon

I believe Taj Smith will be on the roster but I don't think it will be until Tom Santi gets healthy or is moved to the IR.  As soon as Santi returns, Robinson is released and Smith is activated from the practice squad.  If Santi moves to the IR, same thing.  Otherwise, he waits.

Tight End:
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme
Tom Santi
Gijon Robinson* 

Let's face it, Robinson is a great guy and works hard but does not have the tools to be what we're looking for in a TE.  Santi is the superior player in all aspects of the game and simply needs to get and stay healthy to give us the ultimate TE rotation available.  Santi will likely be out to start the season, however, and while Robinson has not been impressive blocking in games this preseason, he is clearly superior to Tamme at this point (in that role).  I would retain him, predict he will be retained, until Santi returns.

Offensive Line:
Tony Ugoh
Charlie Johnson
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard
Kyle DeVan
Jeff Saturday
Mike Pollak
Daniel Federkeil
Ryan Diem

This roster would provide you with the ultimate depth and talent based on preseason play.  All four of the back-ups can play on the inside of the line.  Ugoh can back-up LT.  Federkeil and Ugoh can back up RT.  In terms of efficiency at the position, and retaining only the best players available from preseason play, this is as good as it gets.  The offensive line is ripe for potential movement via the waiver wire.  Richard and Federkeil would be the first two in line to be released should the Colts acquire someone new.

Safety:
Bob Sanders
Antoine Bethea
Melvin Bullitt
Jamie Silva
Matt Giordano

Matt Giordano's spot on the roster could be in jeopardy upon the healthy return of the Predator.  I could even see him not making the roster, but it would seem that a fairly decent argument could be made that he is needed because Sanders' health is so tenuous and he is a solid special teams contributor.  Keep in mind, however, that Marlin Jackson is capable of moving over to the S position if needed in an emergency.

Cornerback:
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers
Jacob Lacey

I am sorry folks but Jacob Lacey has played his way onto the roster in my eyes.  Coyer requires more man-to-man coverage assignments than the Colts used under Dungy/Meeks.  The best man-to-man coverage defensive back so far has been Jacob Lacey.  Jerraud Powers would likely be second in that department.  Two young CBs, one a surprising undrafted free agent, doesn't seem like too much of a reach to me.

Linebacker:
Clint Session
Gary Brackett
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler
Jordan Senn
Ramon Humber

Mike Tauiliili has shown flashes of greatness over the preseason.  It's very difficult for me to clearly differentiate between Humber and Tauiliili after four games.  That said, when it mattered most (last look), it seemed like Humber came to play and he might win the spot.  Either way, I hope that the Colts front office agrees with what the rest of us saw so clearly, both of these players are better than Keiaho right now.  In fact, Tauiliili could surprise by taking a spot from Senn or Hagler.  I keep only one of the two, retaining a bit more experience in the system than two of three rookie back-ups would offer.  I wish I had Seward here, as I think he would be the best back-up Mike of the LBs in preseason.

Defensive End:
Dwight Freeney
Robert Mathis
Marcus Howard
Raheem Brock

I would keep the pure DEs to just four.  Brock and Freeney start, per last year, Mathis coming in on passing downs.  Howard as the back-up pass-rush specialist.  I really wish I could have CuJo here, as he would have had a spot on my roster.  Alas, he is not so we will just have to move on.  Brock and Foster are your two flex options DE/DT.

Defensive Tackle:
Ed Johnson
Adrian Grady
Daniel Muir
Antonio Johnson
Eric Foster
Fili Moala
Terrance Taylor

Terrance Taylor is on this roster only because I think we have the room, while covering all of our other needs.  It seems within reason that when Ed Johnson returns, one of our DTs would be in-line for a potential release.  The front-runner tentatively would be Daniel Muir.  Which means, all of those people who were shocked that I would suggest putting Taylor on the PS have nothing to fear.  Still, I would not hesitate to put Taylor on the PS if we wanted to add someone from waivers who could help us out elsewhere.  He'd be in the top 3 on my list of players who I would waive and attempt to PS in order to clear roster space for a player on waivers.

Special Teams:
T.J. Rushing
Justin Snow
Pat McAfee
Adam Vinatieri

Practice Squad:
Taj Smith
Mike Tauiliili
Tom Pestock
Jaime Thomas
Steve Justice
Lance Ball
Travis Key
Sam Giguere

I could see Pestock, Key, and Giguere being immediately vulnerable for removal from this list due to waiver acquisitions, replaced by players who are listed in the roster above.  Smith, Tauiliili, and Ball top my list of players who could be brought up from the practice squad the quickest to spell replace players who are currently only on the roster due to an injury concern at one of the positions.

I would like to see the Colts address OT through waivers, moving Richard to the PS.  I would also like to see the Colts address QB, CB, and LB after players clear waivers to put on the practice squad.

This is my dream world.  Thoughts?

This edition of Who Looked Good, Who Didn't? will be brief (temporarily).  I will edit it later when I have a chance to get a better look at the game (had to watch a live feed of only the first half).  As the game does not air again until Saturday on NFL Network, some of my observations may be for naught because final cuts will be made that day.

Who Looked Good?

Safety:

Jamie Silva -

via cache.daylife.com

I cannot point to exact plays for Silva, due to the crappy nature of my feed, and I RARELY look at the stat sheet to determine my opinions about players.  However, Silva was credited with 7 tackles, 6 assists, and a sack.  HOLY GOD!  This kid has really started to come into his own.  He's a solid tackler, makes plays all over the field, is one of the best coverage unit players on the team.  In short, I'm stoked about Silva's progress.  This team is the deepest team in the NFL at safety, and by a pretty comfortable margin.  If it came down to Gio v. Silva, keep Silva, no question.

Cornerback:

Jacob Lacey

via www.nationalchamps.net

Lacey continued his strong preseason performance against the Bengals.  Whenever someone attempts to throw the ball his way it seems like he's whispering into the ear of his assignment.  Very few passes have been completed to his assignment, that I've noticed, and a good chunk of the targets his way have resulted in either break-ups, deflections, or an interception.  The kid is fast, rangy, hits hard, and has a great motor.  It will be very difficult for me to watch this kid get waived or sit on the practice squad, if that is the case.  Oh yeah, 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 passes defensed, and an interception.

Linebacker:

Ramon Humber -

While I was disappointed with Humber on at least one special teams play, on kick coverage, it seems that he spent much of the game making tackles and stopping plays while much of the defense was focused on the dandelions in right field.  It has been a back-and-forth proposition between Humber and Tauiliili for who has been most impressive in a given week.  Weeks 1 and 3 belong to Tauiliili.  Weeks 2 and 4 belong to Humber.  Both have a propensity to make plays on special teams.  Both are fast, quick to the ball, and seem like budding young linebackers with a lot of upside.  Today it was Humber who recorded 3 tackles and 6 assists.

Defensive Tackle:

Adrian Grady (or Mr. T?)

via media.scout.com

via www.getkempt.com

Okay.  I've seen enough.  Grady is a player folks.  The guy regularly gets penetration, gets push, disrupts running lanes, man-handles offensive linemen, and makes plays.  Against third stringers, you say?  Okay, point taken.  But the thing is, if you know how to play football, if you have the physical abilities to play football, you should be able to play football pretty well against almost any competition.  From my naked eye it seems to me that his assets, his talents and skills, are the kind that will be disruptive against anyone.  Maybe that won't be the case but from what I've seen, I think the best starting DT rotation on the team would be a paring of Ed Johnson and Adrian Grady.  Week One we may have the chance to see Grady start alongside Mookie or Muir.  I hope we do.  And if he looks strong in that game, I would keep him there without thinking twice.  He recorded 1 tackle and 4 assists.  (Taylor and Muir were the only other DTs to register assists, 4 between the two of them, none solo)

Offensive Line:

Kyle DeVan (GRRRR!)

via www.everyjoe.com

DeVan finds his way onto this list again.  Honestly, I have more confidence in DeVan than any of our other interior offensive lineman.  He'd be the number one back-up on my roster for each of the positions.  I wouldn't mind seeing him start at RG, if Pollak doesn't cut it.  Him or Ugoh at RG.  Either way, when he is snapping the ball he has a good command of the line and looks like a young Jeff Saturday out there.  When he is playing guard he's constantly sticking with his assignments, has looked solid against the pass, and gets to the second level against the run.  What's not to like? 

Wide Receiver:

Taj Smith

via cache.daylife.com

So, we finally got to see what all the fuss was about re: Smith during training camp.  He ran great routes, displayed great hands, and vacuumed up anything catchable that was thrown his way.  He even showed "something" on his kick return opportunity though he would be a project there at best, or so it would seem.  If the Colts keep five WRs, Smith is the no-brainer choice.  Do they have room?  Smith finished the night with 5 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown.

Tight End:

Jacob Tamme

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Tamme needs more time to develop as a blocker, as Dallas Clark did when he first came into the league, but he has shown some similarities to Clark as a receiver.  No, I'm not saying he is Clark, the second coming of Clark, or anything like that.  Clark is a Pro Bowl TE (he will be a Pro Bowler this year barring injury).  Tamme is a young TE with a lot of potential, good hands, solid route running, and enough athleticism to create mismatches and yards after the catch.  He is a no-brainer to make the team and is clearly one of the better pass-receiving options on the roster.  Tamme recorded 4 receptions for 35 yards.

Running Back:

Lance Ball -

Here is a guy who would be a victim if you judged players based solely on a stat sheet.  Ball ran faster, harder, and was quicker to holes than Simpson.  If it came down to a decision between Ball and Simpson for the final RB spot, I would take Ball without question.  That said, I doubt he displaces Hart on the roster but he looked pretty good carrying the ball.  Ball finished with 9 carries for 31 yards.

Who Didn't?

Offensive Line:

Jaime Thomas -

Thomas plays guard, so of course there is a bit less lateral movement than there would be if he were on the outside.  However, Thomas has stones tied to his feet and was abused multiple times by stunting defensive linemen who would use speed to go to his right or left.  All that size and strength will get you no where if you can't keep your hands on your assignment.  This made life really difficult for Ugoh, who has enough trouble keeping himself from being the goat.

This roster will include 53 roster spots, PUP players (who I think may start on the PUP), and practice squad players.  As I have no idea who will be getting cut from the other rosters, I can't foresee what will be available at which position that might prompt these choices to change.  Anyway, after three preseason games I feel like I can make an pretty educated guess at what the roster might look like.  When I feel it is appropriate I will explain my choices and indicate who might be replaced by PUP players with a * by their names.

Quarterback:
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi

Running Back:
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Lance Ball* (Simply not as good as Mike Hart when both players are healthy)

Wide Receiver:
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon
Taj Smith (primarily as a ST gunner)

Tight End:
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme
Gijon Robinson*  (Has looked pretty bad blocking)

Offensive Line:
Tony Ugoh
Charlie Johnson
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard
Kyle DeVan
Jeff Saturday
Mike Pollak
Daniel Federkeil
Ryan Diem

Safety:
Bob Sanders
Antoine Bethea
Melvin Bullitt
Jamie Silva
Matt Giordano

Cornerback:
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers
Jacob Lacey (Faster, better in man coverage, and more upside than Hughes/Coe)

Linebacker:
Clint Session
Gary Brackett
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler
Jordan Senn
Mike Tauiliili

Defensive End:
Dwight Freeney
Robert Mathis
Marcus Howard
Curtis Johnson (Superior pass rusher and special teams player to Keyunta Dawson)
Raheem Brock

Defensive Tackle:
Ed Johnson
Daniel Muir
Antonio Johnson
Eric Foster (I keep Foster over Dawson as well)
Fili Moala
Adrian Grady (Hands down has out-played both Moala and Taylor.  Ready to contribute now.  Stash Taylor.)

Special Teams:
T.J. Rushing (Best returner we have on the team at this point)
Justin Snow
Pat McAfee
Adam Vinatieri

Practice Squad:
Curtis Painter
Tom Pestock (I could see him being replaced here, but I'm running out of people I would hold on to)
John Matthews
Jaime Thomas
Steve Justice (If he's eligible)
Terrance Taylor
Ramon Humber
Travis Key

Physically Unable to Perform List:
Mike Hart
Tom Santi

While I am sure the Colts performance in the Lions game is not what many people were hoping for, what with all the build-up associated with the "third preseason game," don't fret too much.  Overall the first team offense looked pretty scary.  Peyton looks good.  Dallas looks great.  Austin Collie is still solid.  Addai and Brown both look ready to go.  Charlie Johnson is doing a serviceable job at LT.  Things look pretty good for the regular season.  Defensively, there were never more than 4 starters on defense on the field at any given time.  If you think it looked bad, sloppy from time to time, it's because it was.  That said, when Brackett returns, Ed Johnson plays, Mathis is on the field, our entire starting secondary plays together, things will look vastly different.  There were some players who were disappointing as well.  This post will break that down.

Who Looked Good?

Safety:

Jamie Silva -

Silva continues to be a guy who is always around the football.  No matter what role you put him in, even if he's returning punts.  He may not be a stud, in the sense that he's shown real game-changing or game-breaking ability to this point.  He is, however, a solid player who can contribute to the team whenever he is on the field.

Melvin Bullitt - 

Gets into the backfield to stop a run play for no gain.  Stops another run off of left tackle through a full back.  Looks to be picking up where he left off last year.

Cornerback:

Jerraud Powers - 

Special teams tackle to start the game.  The interception was a solid play.  Powers stuck with his man tight, fought off of a push-off by the receiver, collected himself and stayed focused on the ball, coming back to make the interception.  Very solid defensive play.

Linebacker:

Mike Tauiliili -

Mr. T owned the 4th quarter.  He wreaked havoc in the Lions running lanes.  He was primarily responsible for the goal line stand which caused the Lions to turn the ball over on downs.  He stuffed the runner two downs in a row in order to achieve this feat.  Beyond that, the guy is quick, hits hard, is all over the field, looks like a promising special teams performer.  I like him, I hope he makes the roster, and if it were between Tauiliili and Keiaho for the last roster spot it would be a no brainer for me.  Hello Mr. T.  Freddy... it's KO for you buddy.

Clint Session - 

Continues to be a freak.  Quick to the ball, disrupts running lanes.  Hits ball carriers hard.  To this point in the preseason he looks like a very solid linebacker in the making.  I predict he leads the team in tackles.

Tyjuan Hagler -

 In on special teams plays.  Also looked really good playing the running lanes, in on a number of tackles at or near the line of scrimmage against the run.  One heads up play was near the end of the first quarter when the Lions were within 6 yards of a touchdown, Kevin Smith ran off of RT and Hagler fought off of a blocker to stiff Smith for a short gain.

Defensive End:

Marcus Howard -

Howard is greased lightning.  Right now he's the fastest DE on the team.  This guy is going to be a real stud.  I look forward to seeing him get more opportunities this year.

Josh Thomas - 

Run stop up the gut for a short gain.  Another thing Thomas does well is, even when not making the tackle, he holds his blocker in the hole, redirecting the play.  When that happens, as it did late in the first quarter, it allows others to swarm to the football and stop the player for a short gain.  On the very next play the tackle attempts to seal Josh Thomas for a run off the left guard but Thomas holds him there enough to get an arm on the runner which stopped what would have otherwise been a sure touchdown. 

Defensive Tackle:

Adrian Grady - 

Did not get a whole lot of time on the field.  However, while he was on the field he stuffed a run for no gain.  A lot of fans gave Fili Moala credit for the stop.  However, Moala was just "in the right place at the right time" to "receive" the ball carrier who was in the middle of going to the ground because Grade penetrated, filled the whole, and wrapped him up.  Plays with great leverage as well.  Late in the 3rd quarter he came back in the game and on the opening run play stood up the line and was in on the tackle, stopping the run for no gain.  He also had the ability to really get some penetration late in the third quarter and early in the 4th on a couple of passing downs.  He didn't get to the quarterback but he rely owned the blocker, getting by them or pushing them backward into the pocket.  Remember that goal line stand that Mike T made, many of us were excited about it.  Before he had the opportunity to make that play the Lions attempted a run off of the left side of the offense but that play was redirected by Adrian Grady, who pushed the Center back into the running lane and forced the running back to the offensive weak side where the defense cleaned things up.  Another nice play that you wouldn't catch if you didn't look really close.  By the way, on the 4th down attempt, the runner had no chance at making a second push because Grady forced the Center right into the lane the runner was trying to find.  Tauiliili is responsible for the tackle, but the back had a wall in front of him even if he wanted to make a second effort.

Daniel Muir -

Penetrates and stops a run play to the left for a loss.  In on another run stop for a short gain, an arm tackle on a run to the right.  Another run stop for a short gain, coming across the offensive line laterally to stop the runner in the other tackle's hole.

Wide Receiver:

Austin Collie -

Once again, the story with Collie is that he is reliable.  He catches pretty much everything that is thrown to him, he's field aware, and he has a knack for finding the open spots in the defense.  These things typify what the Colts look for from a slot receiver.  He could very well develop into a dangerous receiving option for the Colts as the season progresses.

Pierre Garcon -

For the first time, Garcon managed to not drop a pass that was right in his hands.  On top of that, he managed to show the deep threat which we were promised from those who had an opportunity to see him practice during training camp.  He should have just turned on the after-burners and ran down the sideline on his reception, he would have gotten more yard and potentially went in for a score, but all things considered it was his best game and gives fans reason to think he could be a legitimate back-up for us.

Tight End:

Tom Santi -

Santi look really good.  He caught the ball, ran with it well, and looked like the player we saw from last year who made me feel the TE position showed a lot of promise.  He can even block going downfield, which is not something Tamme excels at doing.  All that could be for naught if his knee injury keeps him out for extended time again.  Let's hope for the best.  Of the back-up TEs, Santi is the one who I feel has the most upside as a pure TE.  As a pure receiving TE, Tamme has the most upside clearly.

Dallas Clark -

Obviously this is a guy who needs no introduction.  We all know how capable Clark is and that he's coming off of the best statistical season of his career.  What he showed against the Lions is that he is an absolute stud.  When Clark is on the field, Manning is a happy man.  These two have something really special going.

Running Back:

Joseph Addai -

Addai has really displayed the kind of quickness he lacked all of last season.  While I think Brown is faster than Addai, Joseph seems to have his speed back and that's what he needs to be effective with the ball in his hands.  The last couple of games he has really started to give Colts fans their confidence back in his abilities.  We have a legitimate RB tandem folks.  Watch out.

Donald Brown -

Donald Brown is very fast.  Quick to the hole.  Quick through the hole.  Small through the hole.  He feels pressure and tackles coming before he gets there and finds a way to get an extra two or ten yards every time he touches the ball.  If he can keep this up he'll lead the team in rushing yards and might surpass Addai's rookie season rushing totals.

Quarterback:

Curtis Painter -

I would be shocked if there were too many Colts fans who haven't been pleasantly surprised by Painter.  For a young player  to come into the Colts offense, be forced into extensive playing time due to Sorgi's injury, and play as solidly as he has is impressive.  He looks pretty comfortable in the pocket.  He has a strong arm.  He makes pretty solid decisions most of the time.  He seems to have good timing with his receivers.  All in all, Painter looks like a legitimate back-up QB in the NFL, which is saying something for a team who hasn't had one of those for the better part of a decade.  I look forward to his continued development.  At this rate Sorgi will need to start thinking about his career options, no later than next year.

Offensive Line:

Kyle DeVan -

DeVan looked very good when he stepped in with the first team offensive line, replacing Jamey Richard.  When he entered the game our run blocking and pass blocking improved.  At this point, I believe DeVan has made a strong case for being the primary back-up for the starters on the interior of the defensive line.  He wouldn't scare me starting either, if Pollak struggles.

Charlie Johnson -

People love to complain about the offensive line.  I know.  No they don't look perfect.  But this guy deserves some props.  A few weeks ago he was named the starting LT.  Not a single Colts fan that I know responded to this news with a "hell yeah!" Charlie Johnson is a stud and the real solution we've been looking for at LT.  Since that time he's done a solid job at LT, all things considered.  Against the Lions he played nearly flawless.  If he can play in every game the way he did in Detroit, I'm happy with Johnson as our LT.  Can't believe it?  I understand.  Just watch the tape.

Punter:

Pat McAfee -

Has shown some consistency getting the directional and short yardage punts within the 20 yard line.  His punts go very high and allow coverage to get under them quickly.  This results in a lot of fair catches or punts dropping to the turf.  Pair this with his powerful leg for long punts and his abilities as a holder and you have to be happy with this pick-up.

Who Didn't?

Wide Receiver:

John Matthews -

This is unfortunate to see.  Matthews did all that he was asked to do in the first two preseason games and had the opportunity to solidify his impression with the organization in the Lions game that they should consider keeping him around as the 5th receiver, should the Colts choose to keep five.  With that back-drop, dropping two passes, including one which was deflected into the air for an interception is not encouraging.  He now can probably only hope for a practice squad spot and will need to show more of what he did in games 1 and 2 next week if he hopes to have a shot at even that.

Defensive Line:

Antonio Johnson -

I could pick out positive things most of the interior defensive linemen did during the course of the game.  With Johnson, however, it seems like he got man-handled pretty regularly and didn't generate a great deal of push in pass rushing situations either.  In fact, the weakest DL tandem I could identify on the day was Johnson and Moala.

Offensive Line:

Ryan Diem -

Regularly getting man-handled by the defensive end on his side.  Allowing pressure to close in on Manning many times.  Even sketchy in run blocking to start the 2nd quarter.  More struggles against his man in the early 3rd quarter with the first unit in pass protection.  (wonder if Ugoh would work here)

Steve Justice -

At this point I would think that Justice is the third string C at best and very low on the depth chart at guard.  He may be gone.  He has really struggled.  It's disappointing.  Who was primarily responsible for the Chad Simpson loss of yard after his "impressive" 9 yard gain?  Primarily Steve Justice is who allowed his man to drag him down the line before he engaged Simpson and kept him from turning the corner.  Then later in the 4th quarter, remember when we had a 3rd and 5, down one point with the ball... we failed to convert and had to punt the ball away.  Steve Justice was playing RG and missed a key block to give Painter more time, which resulted in a rushed throw short in the middle of the field.

Others Worth Noting:

First Team Offensive Line - Outside of Diem, the others did great except for missing the stunt blitz early in the 2nd quarter.  In fact, Charlie Johnson was outstanding.  Run blocking was messy in the first half but then again, very little running occurred.  When they went to the ground in the 3rd quarter they ran the ball very well.

Tony Ugoh - Look much more comfortable playing at RT than he has at LT.  I still agree with others who've suggested that maybe he should be looked at as a guard.  He could potentially push Pollak for the starting RG spot I would imagine.  Still, it's good to see him looking competent on the field at RT too.

After a thorough look at the performers in the first two games of preseason, this post hopes to focus on what to look for in today's game, along with the rest of the preseason.  The people listed below are either on the hot seat for a roster spot, in competition for a practice spot, or potentially in a position to earn a roster spot against steep odds.  In terms of those who fall into those categories, I believe these players are the ones who should be watched the closest.

Cornerback:

Travis Key -

Key has done some good things in the first two preseason games.  That said, the safety group is deep.  Jennings, Powers, Hughes, and Lacey have made a better impression and have more experience at cornerback.  Accordingly, he needs to really turn heads against the Lions in order to have a prayer at making the regular season roster.  Even so, if he keeps up his current level of performance he may find his way onto the practice squad.

Nick Graham -

Graham is another player who's flashed ability on defense so far this preseason.  On one play he nearly picked up a sack on a blitz.  On a couple of other plays he has showed solid tackling ability and laid hard hits.  Graham is fighting for his job on special teams.  To this point he's not been a special teams standout.  He will need to be one to close out the preseason if he hopes to find his way onto the regular season roster.

Linebacker:

Mike Tuailiili -

Against the Vikings Tauiliili looked really strong on defense.  He displayed a great deal of quickness and laid hart hits on his opponents.  In the Eagles game he did not stand out as much as Humber but still played solid football.  If he can keep it up, he may put himself in a position to fight for the last linebacker roster spot.

Freddy Keiaho -

Keiaho has been a major disappointment to this point in the preseason.  As it is, Keiaho is now playing with the second string defense and against second offenses.  On this platform he should be standing out as one of the most dominant defenders on the field.  Instead, he's not done anything worthy of notice.  For someone who cleared waivers and sat in free agency for many weeks, not performing like a former starter who is playing against inferior competition is a bad sign.  He needs to step it up against the Lions.

Defensive End:

Rudolph Hardie -

Camp fodder?  Practice squad hopeful?  An outside shot at breaking the roster?  His performance against the Lions will go a long way in determining where he stands.

Curtis Johnson -

Johnson intrigues me but the defensive line competition is deep.  Can he still hold onto a spot as a back-up pass-rusher?  His performance on defense and particularly on special teams against the Lions will go a long way in determining his future with the Colts.

Josh Thomas -

Thomas is one of the fan favorite whipping boys.  He's not a "pass rusher" and plays defensive end for the Colts.  What a waste!  Right?  Actually, in the Eagles game he made a strong solo stop against the run and shared a sack with Melvin Bullitt.  He has long been the best pure run stopping defensive end on the team, though some argue otherwise.  Can he find his way back onto the roster?

Defensive Tackle:

Keyunta Dawson -

Where does Dawson fit on the current roster?  It is clear the interior defensive line has added a lot of  bulk.  It is also clear that the defense is being more flexible with the defensive end rotation.  If a player is going to stay on the team as a pure run stopping defensive end is Dawson a better option that Eric Foster?  I would say not.  If a player is going to stay on the team at defensive tackle he would likely be a pocket penetrating under tackle option.  Is he a better option than a player like Raheem Brock or Eric Foster in that role?  I would say not.  Where does he fit?  Maybe he can make that clear against the Lions.

Adrian Grady -

Grady has been stellar in his first two games.  Another strong performance against the Lions may legitimize his shot at a roster spot in the regular season.

Terrance Taylor -

I know Taylor was a draft pick and last year we lacked bulk on the interior of the defensive line.  This year, however, there is more bulk and experience ahead of Taylor in the nose tackle mold than fans could have ever projected.  Unless Taylor shows something special again the Lions, it may be in the team's best interest to put him on the practice squad while someone like Adrian Grady stays on the roster for the regular season.

Wide Receiver:

Taj Smith -

With Roy Hall on the IR a potential opening at WR has presented itself to Taj Smith.  To this point Smith has not shown anything as a receiver.  He looked very fast in the Eagles game as a gunner on special teams coverage units.  Still, whether he can hold down a roster spot as a gunner a lone is yet to be seen.  It would behoove him to show something in the passing game.

John Matthews -

I have been impressed by Matthews thus far in the pre-season.  Understandably, he has had only a few opportunities to get involved in the offense.  Catching passes from a rookie quarterback who is playing behind back-up offensive linemen who has struggled is no walk in the park.  Still, Matthews has made the most of every opportunity he has had to this point.  If he has more opportunities in the last two weeks and makes the most of them, he could push his way onto the roster.

Running Back:

Chad Simpson -

If he doesn't magically turn into a returner or find a way to turn heads with the ball in his hands on offense, he'll be looking for a new home in a few weeks.

Tight End:

Tom Santi - Santi needs an opportunity to get on the field in the last two weeks of the preseason.  I think he has a lot of potential and showed the most of our young tight ends last year.  I hope he can get healthy and make his presence felt before the start of the regular season.

Offensive Line:

Tony Ugoh -

If Ugoh wants to start and secure a future in the NFL, he will need to step it up a great deal against the Lions.  If he does not, Johnson will move solidly into the starting role.  Moreover, Ugoh may be officially moved to guard and could lose his job after cuts before the season starts.

Steve Justice -

He is on the chopping block for any mock roster I can come up with or find.  He will need to prove he can play in the NFL before the start of the regular season or he may lose his job to DeVan and Thomas.

Kyle DeVan -

The future heir to Saturday?  If the Eagles game is any indication, he might be.  The Lions game could start a pattern.

Dan Federkeil -

With the influx of more talent on the interior of the offensive line and seemingly little work for Federkeil or faith in his abilities on the outside, does he still find a way onto the regular season roster?  It would be in his best interest to distinguish himself in the last two weeks of the preseason.

I know this is very late but I have watched the Eagles game three times, including one focusing solely on defensive and offensive linemen.  With so many new faces around, with the surprise departure of Adam Seward, and standout performances from a few... I thought it would be good to take a look at last week's game before we take a quick look ahead to the last two week of preseason.

Who Looked Good?

Cornerback:

Jacob Lacey -

While Lacey did not have as many opportunities to lay punishing hits on defenders against the Eagles as he did against the Vikings, he still displayed speed, quickness, and the ability to stick closely to his opponent in man coverage.  For the second week in a row he made a play on a ball in coverage.  Unfortunately he failed to haul it in for a turnover but it has been relatively rare to see someone so consistently in passing lanes, getting his hands on the ball, and having the opportunity to force turnovers in coverage in the Colts defensive scheme.  If he looks good again against the Lions, I will pull hard for him as a dark horse roster candidate in the secondary.

Linebacker:

Ramon Humber -

While Tauiliili was the special teams star of the game against the Vikings, Humber was the special teams start against the Eagles.  Multiple tackles while on the coverage units, forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble on defense, culminate in a solid day.  He also played well in week 1 and the two games together have pushed him up in the competition for back-up linebacker spots.  This is clear now as Adam Seward was released early this week.

Adam Seward -

Seward looked stout again against the Eagles.  A solid run stopper and continually right near the ball on special teams coverage units.  Frankly, his release early this week was a total shock to me.  I hope we don't live to regret that decision.  The Jaguars quickly snagged him up.  Keiaho, on the other hand, cleared waivers and seemingly drew no legitimate interest.  Am I missing something?

Defensive End:

Curtis Johnson -

Johnson is a player I have been looking forward to seeing this pre-season.  In the Eagles game he looked like a solid special teams contributor and very quick on defense.  He, once again, reminded me of the speed Freeney and Mathis have shown by making plays at places on the field no one would expect to see them.  Two years ago this team lacked speedy pass rushing depth.  Johnson is the only speed pass rushing depth on the team other than Marcus Howard.  If he continues to perform well on special teams and develops at defensive end, he may still make the team despite a very deep competition on the defensive line.

Wide Receiver:

Austin Collie -

Collie has shown exactly what Colts fans have been looking for from a slot receiver.  A player who, like Brandon Stokely, provides a consistent release for Peyton Manning  in the middle of the field.  Is Austin Collie going to be a crazy deep threat like a Wes Welker or as shifty as Brandon Stokely was in his best years with the Colts?  Possibly not.  Will he provide a reliable, consistent target for Manning on third downs, in the red zone, and create some coverage concerns for opposing defenses?  So far, all he has shown, indicates that he will do that.  If he does, the Colts passing game will be very powerful.

Reggie Wayne -

There is little to say about Reggie Wayne that has not been said before.  He's clearly a perennial Pro Bowl talent at receiver in the NFL to this point.  He has established himself as the 1A receiver on a team that included sure-fire Hall-of-Famer Marvin Harrison.  What he has shown to this point in 2009 indicates that he will be playing at a level matching or exceeding the highest of his career.  If he is playing at that level, if Collie is continues to perform at this level, and if Anthony Gonzalez continues to show the kind of chemistry he showed in that "Marvin" fade route in the red zone against the Vikings, the offense could be very scary this year.

Running Back:

Lance Ball - 

While Ball didn't look like a super star, he certainly seemed to separate himself from Chad Simpson.  This is good news for Ball, as he started the summer 5th on the depth chart at RB, behind Addai, Brown, Hart, and Simpson.  As Simpson has done little to distinguish himself as the clear third option in the backfield or on special teams, Ball needed to show a flash of being the better option in a reserve role.  In this game he has done enough to do that.  Now he needs to reinforce that performance and perception against Detroit.  The biggest surprise for me from Ball this pre-season has been his relatively soft hands.

Quarterback:

Curtis Painter -

Once again Painter did nothing to set the world on fire.  However, he looked much more comfortable in the pocket and has more of a commanding presence on the field than I have seen from Sorgi in pre-seasons past.  That doesn't mean that Painter is ready to take over for Sorgi as a rookie.  It does potentially mean that Painter is the best back-up quarterback candidate we've seen since Sorgi and the one who may have the greatest chance of surpassing Sorgi's "upside," ultimately replacing him as the 2nd quarterback on the depth chart.  Potentially as soon as next year.

Offensive Line:

Kyle DeVan -

Needless to say, the offensive line has not looked stable yet this pre-season.  Something has got to change in a hurry and it would seem that the biggest problem on the team is at the left tackle position.  With Ugoh struggling to nail down the starting spot and Johnson seemingly playing out of position, there is no doubt that the offensive line is in a state of flux.  That said, Jamey Richard and Steve Justice have both been considered potential heirs to Jeff Saturday at Center but neither has locked down the job.  Kyle DeVan looked really good at Center against the Eagles.  To me, he looked like the real deal and has come the closest to looking like a legitimate heir to Saturday than the other young players we're brought in to develop along the interior of the offensive line.

Punt Returner:

T.J. Rushing -

The first time T.J. Rushing has had a legitimate chance to return a punt this year and he does an outstanding job.  Is he the most dangerous returner in the NFL?  No.  Is he a top tier returner in the NFL?  Not even close.  Is he the best pure return man on the Colts this year?  Well, it wouldn't take much but he's the only returner on the 2009 Colts who has touched the ball and even remotely resembled a threat.  For that, he deserves recognition.

Tight End:

Jacob Tamme -

I'm not so quick to write of some of our young players who've been riddled by injuries, frankly because at this point if we did we'd be without nearly half of the players we've drafted or added in free agency over the last three or so years.  I entered this season with high hopes for Tom Santi and we may yet see him develop into the 2nd TE or we may see him released before the regular season begins.  Either way, we saw Tamme take a step toward that position against the Eagles and probably the most promising receiving young receiving tight end we've seen since... well... Dallas Clark.  Has he proven enough to be compared to Clark?  Of course not.  Still, if he can build on the Eagles game... he'll be very impressive in a short period of time.

Who Didn't?

Offensive Line:

Tony Ugoh -

First, I want to make clear that I've closely scrutinized the tape on Ugoh from the Eagles game. Much of the "problems on the left side of the offensive line" with the 2nd unit were played up by the announcers.  There were 5 times I saw Ugoh do a less than stellar blocking job.  Surprisingly enough, 3 of those five were running plays.  One potential missed assignment (downfield too soon), once he dismissed his assignment too early (or Simpson got to the LOS too slowly), and once he was beat inside.  The two times he performed poorly in pass protection he was beat inside.  He gave up no sacks, the QB was hit by his man only once.  He had one legitimate penalty, a false start.  Charlie Johnson look pretty good with the first team but gave up a sack and allowed a forced fumble.  He also played three series while Ugoh played for most of three quarters.   Jaime Thomas made a number of mistakes next to Ugoh that hurt the blocking on the left-side as well.  Did he do well?  Not really?  Did he make a case for the starting position?  No.  Was he holy cow you stink?  On a third look he wasn't as bad as it may have appeared at first glance.

Kick Returner:

Sam Giguere -

I am not entirely sure what Sam Giguere looked like during his two kick returns against the Eagles.  I do know what he didn't look like, he didn't look like a kick returner.  Hopefully he has a chance to look good catching passes from the quarterback.  Otherwise, John Matthews looks like a project which much more upside than Giguere has shown to this point.

Others Worth Noting:

Starting Offensive Line - The first string unit did an excellent job both in pass protection and run blocking.  Yes, that includes Charlie Johnson.  Sure, the DE on Johnson got in and forced a fumble.  Other than that one time getting to Manning, however, they were flawless.  Much improved.

Clint Session - Are you kidding me?  He's looking like a stud.

Ed Johnson - Johnson looked good again to me.  Made a couple of nice plays standing up the line against the run.  Also showed the ability to push the pocket.  Looking good to me.

Josh Thomas - Watched him closely and he plays the run like a DE is supposed to play the run.  He also got some penetration on a stunt.  Looked very good.

Matt Giordano - Not a deep coverage safety.

Fili Moala - After a lackluster week 1, Moala looked pretty good on the line against the Eagles.  Pretty regular penetration, which is what we're hoping to get from him.

Jaime Thomas - Didn't do a whole lot to make Tony Ugoh's job easier on the left side of the second-string offensive line.

After a long Stampede Blue vacation and a disappointing turnout in the "rigged" Bleacher Report competition, I thought I would return and share my thoughts about the preseason game last Friday.  The good news is, this game supplied an excellent opportunity to get a gauge on our young, inexperienced, or developing players.  The bad news is that we looked rather bland on both sides of the ball.  However, as has already been noted by BBS and Colts Homer, little about our "team" as a whole should or can be taken from preseason games, particularly the early ones.  So I will do my best to take what I can from the game in terms of individual performances and what those performances may mean for the season this year and, later, the potential roster.

Who Looked Good?

Safety:

Jamie Silva -

Without a doubt, Silva showed that he has come a LONG way from where he was at the same time last year.  We knew that he was a talented football player from his performance at Boston College and he showed excellent special teams play last year.  What he showed on Friday was that he has an innate ability to always be around the ball.  When some defensive players were getting stuck on blocks or missing tackles, Silva was there to clean things up many times.  On one play he took a shot from an offensive lineman which he managed to bounce off of to make a tackle which was nothing short of incredible.  Had he not found a way to keep his composure and make a solid arm tackle, the runner would have continued for another 5+ yards.  Silva indicated in camp that his primary goal was to start playing more instinctively and he showed that when he does he is a solid contributor on defense and special teams.

Matt Giordano -

Giordano entered the year without a great deal to prove.  The team, coaches, and fans know what they have in Giordano, a speedy, hard-hitting special teams player who knows the defense well enough to be a solid sub when starters need a breather or injuries demand a short-term starting replacement.  In the game on Friday, Giordano did a lot to show that he's extremely capable on defense and that the drop-off from the starters will be marginal should Giordano need to play a more significant role in games.  Colts fans and coaches should be comfortable if Giordano comes into the game in any situation during the regular season if he can keep up his heads up play, speed, agility, and continue to tackle the way he did against the Vikings.

Cornerback:

via cache.daylife.com

Jacob Lacey -

The biggest surprise of the game has to be Jacob Lacey.  For the most part Lacey has gone without attention or praise throughout rookie mini-camp and training camp.  In the Vikings game, Lacey was extremely fast, aware, hit hard, and looked capable of making exciting plays in coverage.  Lacey showed the ability to close on the ball quickly, punish ball carriers, and had a shot at an interception that he should have had.  When a player like Lacey shows that he can hit, has speed, breaks up passes, makes plays on the ball, and makes tackles against the run, it's a good sign.  If this young man improves much over his performance on Friday, we may have a surprise contributor entering the season.  For what it is worth, Lacey showed the speed and agility that makes him an intriguing potential special teams contributor in my eyes.  I would like to see him get a shot returning punts and kicks.

Linebacker:

Gary Brackett -

One thing is clear, Brackett is healthy.  He continues to show why he is the captain of the defense.  Some of his head-up plays stopping the run were outstanding.

Adam Seward -

Seward is an incredible athlete.  He showed a good eye for the ball and nearly stuffed a run for a two yard loss, which I am confident he would have made if he was not bumped off of the play by Ed Johnson.  If he continues to improve as he becomes more comfortable with the defense I think he could be a solid back-up for Gary Brackett and a special teams contributor.  I have not seen enough yet to think he is a threat to Brackett for his starting job but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Mike Tauiliili -

One thing is for sure, Tauiliili can lay the wood on ball carriers and is very fast.  His ability to close on ball carriers and bring the pain was clear again the Vikings.  He is raw but he impressed in the same way Senn impressed last year in pre-season.

Defensive End:

Marcus Howard -

Howard was a terror off of the edge.  He consistently beat offensive lineman, put pressure on the quarterback, and even found a way to force running plays to the inside on more than one occasion.  If he continues to develop at this pace there is no doubt he is ready to be a steady member of the defensive end rotation in the regular season.

Defensive Tackle:

Eric Foster -

Foster displayed amazing versatility not only holding the line of scrimmage on the inside but also at defensive end on running downs.  Foster has clearly bulked up and seemingly lost little of his speed in the process.  On top of that, Foster looked like a guy who could make a steady contribution on special teams.

via cdn1.sbnation.com

Adrian Grady -

Adrian Grady is the other big surprise.  Grady did not budge on the defensive line and flashed the ability to get penetration.  On one occasion he blew up a running play by clogging the lane, forcing the back into the heart of the defense.  On another he got into the back-field and took down the back for a loss on his own.  What is most impressive is that he made these plays back-to-back.  Later in the 3rd Quarter he stuffed another run for no gain.  Finally, in the 4th quarter he tripped up a runner just passing the line of scrimmage to allow Travis Key to hold the play to about 3 yards and stopped two other runs by himself after short gains.  I liked Grady coming into training camp and pre-season and he showed the kind of presence that reminded me of Ed Johnson two years ago.  At this point it seems like he has a shot at the regular season roster.  I look forward to watching him in the next game.

Ed Johnson -

Big Ed Johnson looked really good.  For a guy who's been out of the league for the better part of the year and came into camp looking overweight, he was a big part of the defense (literally and figuratively).  There is no doubt that he is heading to a starting job if he continues to play at the same level.

Wide Receiver:

via www.danransom.com

Austin Collie -

Collie looked very good.  He carries himself like a team leader already and is clearly focused on the job at hand.  He displayed outstanding hands, concentration and an ability to get open.  Additionally he showed some tenacity when he ripped the ball back from a Viking DB who tried to steal it from him after he was down.  His play wasn't perfect, sometimes he missed blocks he could have made but he also made some solid blocks like when he led the way for Donald Brown on his long run.  Far and away the front runner for the slot receiver job after Friday.

John Matthews -

Seeing another player wearing #83 with his size and quickness was eerie.  His sideline reception was impressive and he seems capable of developing into a real player.  After the release of Roy Hall, Matthews showed the most in the Viking game to replace him in the competition for a potential fifth roster spot at wide receiver.  Matthews is another player I would like to see have a shot returning kicks and punts on special teams.

Running Back:

via www.the40yearplan.com

Joseph Addai -

While Addai's best run is due as much to a great block by Mike Pollak as it is to his abilities, he did display the speed we were accustomed to in his first two years in the league.  While he seems ready to be a regular contributor and worthy of another chance as our starting running back, he still shows way too much "wiggle" than he needs to gain yards.  On his long run he juked one too many times and may have gained more yards if he would have made one step and moved quickly inside as opposed to slowing so much that he allowed the help on defense to catch up and make a play.  Still, he looked better than he did at any point last year.

Donald Brown -

Wow.  Just wow.  Donald Brown is quick, he has the ability to get thin, and showed the strength to run through arm tackles.  This is the back we have been looking for as a part of our tandem back rotation.  I see things getting only better from here for Brown.  I am very excited about this young player.

Quarterback:

Curtis Painter -

For a rookie quarterback in his first NFL action, Painter looked very poised.  There is no doubt his job was made more difficult with all the pressure he had to deal with but his cannon on the run is worth noting.  If he can continue to settle in and get comfortable, he will give Sorgi real competition for the back-up job.  As it is, Painter showed about as much as Sorgi ever has in a pre-season game.  In his first series he was very accurate and efficient moving the ball.  His development will be something to watch as Sorgi continues to rest on the sideline.  Pretty solid decision-making, as displayed by his decision to dump off to his release man Simpson when one play broke down (resulting in a first down).

Offensive Line:

Tony Ugoh -

Ugoh looked good at tackle and guard.  While at first glance it looked like he blew his assignment when Manning went down the third time, a second look shows that Ugoh controlled his assignment and leaves one to wonder why Manning went to his left directly into Ugoh and the defender.  At no point did Ugoh allow the defender to get free and there was a ton of room for Manning to step up with a massive passing lane to work with.  It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop and I can't imagine any way Ugoh will stay behind Charlie Johnson on the depth chart at LT entering the regular season.

Punter:

Pat McAfee -

Man oh man does this guy have a leg.  I can't remember the last time I saw a guy punt and jumped to my feet as I watched the return man backing up further and further while the ball hung in the air (from the 35 to the 15).  His first punt travelled around 70 yards in the AIR!  It's yet to be seen if he has the ability to be effective in short punting game, in positional punting.  Hunter Smith was excellent at this.  Hopefully McAfee shows the ability to do this as well.  Still, WOW!  I thought "Scifres" the first time he punted and that's exactly what we wanted.  Good show.


Who Didn't?

Running Back:

Chad Simpson -

If Simpson's performance is any indication of what he brings to the table for the Colts he has no business making the regular season roster.  In fact, he shouldn't even take a spot on the practice squad.  To be direct, Simpson is nothing close to a legitimate kick returner and he definitely has shown nothing to suggest that he will be an effective running back if he is needed.  In terms of the RB competition, he would be behind Lance Ball on my list and I would rather see Mendenhall get carries than see more of Simpson.  It's time to get serious about a different returner and frankly, there's no room on this team for a back who brings absolutely nothing to the rotation.

Wide Receiver:

Pierre Garcon -

After all of the hype, Garcon has yet again disappointed in his debut.  After showing an ability to run fluid routes in practice and earning praises for solid hands Garcon did nothing to contribue on Friday.  The one opportunity to he had to make a meaningful catch and with the blocking to make a significant gain, Garcon dropped the pass, running before securing it even though it hit him in his hands, which led to a punt.  Hopefully he can get the butterflies out of his system and show something more in the next game or not only will he lose the competition for the third receiver position to Collie, he will legitimize a player like Matthews.

Offensive Line:

Corey Hilliard -

Hilliard had one of the worst offensive line performances I have seen in a long time.  Pressure constantly came from his side of the field, leading to Manning getting sacked, Painter scrambling for his life, and doing nothing to help our running game.  It is a scary thought to think that Hilliard would ever been needed during the regular season.  This is a player who does not belong on the roster.  If he is all we have it is time to start shopping.  The good news is that Federkeil and Johnson are far better back-ups for Diem so that will likely be unnecessary.

Linebacker:

Freddie Keiaho -

The fact is, Keiaho started all year last year and was put in the game against the Vikings' second and third team players.  When he should have stood out as one of the most dominating defenders he was invisible.  When he was spotted he actually looked out of place and incapable of making an impact.  On a roster that is looking to get bigger and has players like Tauiliili, Senn, and Seward competing for roster spots it is not outside of the realm of possibility that Keiaho is cut before the regular season begins.  He had better pick it up on defense and become a special teams star in the next few weeks or his future in the NFL is in doubt.

Defensive Tackle:

Fili Moala -

While Moala is expected to have some growing pains and certainly isn't at risk of not making the roster this early he did not look like a 2nd round draft pick.  Donald Brown looked great, Jacob Lacey looked great, even Adrian Grady looked great.  Moala had no impact and clearly needs more work before he is ready.  At this point it would take a miracle to think he will be greatly improved for the next pre-season game.  What we have to hope is that another three weeks with the coaches will help Moala take big strides.

Terrence Taylor -

Unfortunately, Taylor was no better off than Moala.  He too was invisible while in the game and did little to make plays.  When Adrian Grady out-performs both of your draft picks at defensive tackle, something is amiss.  Let's hope that Taylor grows into his role throughout the remainder of pre-season and training camp.

Others Worth Noting:

Tim Jennings - Flashed ability.
Daniel Muir - Amazing that he held the line consistently, considering all the reps.  Made a number of plays against the run throughout the game.
Mike Pollak - Run blocking in particular.
Clint Session - Still fast and lays the wood.
Philip Wheeler - Definitely fast and had the chance to get a sack or deflect a pass on a blitz.  GET THOSE HANDS UP!  He also needs to do a better job of tackling.
Jerraud Powers - When a rookie DB does nothing to "stand out" sometimes that means he did nothing to mess up.  For a rookie CB, that's a good game.
Jordan Senn - Continued to be someone around the ball when he was on the field.  In on a lot of tackles.
Nick Graham - Nothing spectacular, although he was close with the potential sack on a blitz which was partially created by Silva.  Still, in terms of DB competition, Graham is in the mix.
Ramon Humber - Raw and playing against third string Vikings but tackled well and stayed around the ball.

In 1998, two years after the formation of the NFL Coaches Association, the assistant coaches started to ratchet up the pressure for recognition and increased salaries.  The following articles published in1998 give you an idea what the initial concerns of the coaches association were a decade ago.

PRO FOOTBALL; N.F.L. Coaches Stage Protest, but Tagliabue Calls It Silly

By MIKE FREEMAN
Published: Thursday, May 21, 1998

''It's time for the assistant coach to get a seat at the N.F.L. table,'' Wallen said.

N.F.L. assistants, despite their six-figure salaries and guaranteed contracts, are still a highly vulnerable group because they can be fired at any time. It is not uncommon for an assistant to move his family five times during an N.F.L. career.

The protest was first going to be over the fact that there are only 3 black head coaches out of 30 in the league. Then older coaches, mainly in their 60's, wanted to take part, saying that there is an obvious bias against older assistants. Pasquale said that less than 3 percent of all assistant coaches are over 60 years old.

So the protest evolved into a larger statement about several issues affecting assistant coaches, including concerns about what, coaches say, is an ineffective pension plan.

''We're just trying to get the league to move in line with what's taking place in other businesses,'' said Croom, the defensive coordinator for the Lions. ''At least, let's get a meaningful dialogue going.''

Not everyone agreed with the protest. Tagliabue was especially harsh, saying that it ''bordered on silliness because we're well aware of their issues.''

He added: ''We've been talking to them; more than talking to them, we've changed a number of policies. We've amended our health insurance policies for one thing, so I think we've been directly responsive to their concerns.

''Everybody in America likes early retirement. I'd have liked to retire when I was 40, but I'm still working and I'm 57.''

PRO FOOTBALL: NOTEBOOK; Assistant Coaches Are Seeking Better Treatment From N.F.L. Owners

By MIKE FREEMAN
Published: Sunday, September 27, 1998

Larry Kennan, the respected longtime assistant coach, has become the director of the association, and the coaches are taking a less confrontational approach, choosing instead to negotiate quietly with the league. Still, some of the more than 400 assistant coaches remain bitter, since they think they are the only group in the league that has yet to receive its fair share.

''What we are interested in is respect and a little dignity,'' said Kennan, the executive director of the association who has coached in pro football for 15 years. ''You get hired, fired, kicked around and some of it is just not right.''

Head coaches sign contracts that can make them rich for life, even if they are fired. Assistant coaches are more vulnerable. They work 80 hours a week, 26 consecutive weeks with no days off, but that does not keep them from being fired, on average, every two to three years, according to Kennan. One coach said he has moved so much in such a short time that his son missed learning cursive handwriting in school.

The association recently submitted a proposal to the league that Kennan said would improve the quality of life for assistant coaches. He expects a counterproposal from the league by the end of the year. What the coaches are looking for includes:

*A lowering of the retirement age. The league pays a full pension at age 65, but only 9 of the 405 assistants, or 2.2 percent, are at least that age, according to the league. Some assistants feel there is age discrimination, something the league denies.

*Increased health-care benefits and the establishment of severance pay.

*Standard medical and dental insurance. Kennan said the policies vary from team to team. Some policies are great, he said; others are terrible.

*Real-estate expenses. Since coaches move so much, they sometimes incur massive losses in moving and real-estate fees.

''Player salaries have gone up dramatically,'' Kennan said. ''Head coaches as well. The officials have great benefits that we don't have and they're part-time employees. So it's kind of our turn to get what we deserve. We haven't asked for anything extravagant.''

The N.F.L. says assistant coaches are paid well and they have more jobs than ever before. In 1988, according to the league, there were 291 assistant coaches making between $86,000 and $175,000. Now there are 405 assistants making between $148,381 and $475,000.

The league also says it has greatly increased health benefits for coaches by, among other things, making it mandatory for a team to continue a fired coach's benefits for 90 days at the old team's expense.

These articles give an idea of what the assistant coaches were looking for, soon after the formation of the NFL Coaches Association (in 1996).  They felt that their jobs were volatile and wanted more benefits and higher salaries.  As was stated in the first article, all they really wanted was the league to move in line with what was taking place in other businesses.  To see how the NFL responded, and how assistant coaches treatment changed, the following article from 2005 will show the increase in average assistant coach salaries from 2001 to 2005.

Big bucks, no security for coordinators on both ends

By Tom Weir, USA TODAY  8/11/2005  

The figures show drastic increases in assistant coach salaries over a five year period, between forty and fifty percent increases over that time.  In terms of pension and benefits, the article does not speak to it and I cannot find any article between 1998 and 2009 which speaks directly to the pension issue.  I would assume that means, at the very least, that between 1998 and 2005 the biggest concerns for assistant coaches pensions were addressed by the NFL.

The following (2007) article speaks to NFL owner generosity, focusing on head coaching salaries.

HOTTER THAN A CEO

NFL COACHES' PAY FIRST-CLA$$

By JOSEPH BARRACATO

September 9, 2007

Salaries of National Football League head coaches are soaring, growing five times as fast as players' paychecks and even outpacing the growth of CEO compensation over the past 10 years, research by The Post shows.

Led by the behemoth contracts of Mike Holmgren, who will earn $8 million this season coaching the Seattle Seahawks, Joe Gibbs, who will be paid $5.7 million to revive the Washington Redskins, and Brian Billick, who will get $5 million to guide the Baltimore Ravens, NFL head coaches' salaries have ballooned by an average of 14 percent a year over the past decade.

That outshines the average 10 percent annual increase in total CEO compensation and the meager 2.7 percent average annual increase of players' salaries, research shows.

Head coaches will pocket an average of $3.25 million this season - up from $1 million in 1997 - while the players will earn an average of $1.5 million.

"There's no question salaries have skyrocketed over the past 10 years," said Larry Kennan, staff director of the NFL Coaches Association - a group working on issues affecting its members. And deep-pocketed owners are offering up more than boatloads of cash to snare the right coach.

Consider this: (Jimmy) Johnson earned $400,000 in his first season in Dallas in 1989. Holmgren will pocket $500,000 per game this year.

Contracts began taking a massive turn in 1996 when the NFL Coaches Association formed. That was when Kennan and his co-workers began gathering data on pay scales for assistant coaches, placing a higher value on their worth.

Over the same 10-year period, the average operating profit of each NFL team has risen 21.5 percent a year, according to Forbes.

Other factors that significantly influenced the boom were free agency and the salary cap, which made the coach's job more demanding - and important.

While not speaking directly to the assistant-coach issue, during the period of greatest economic prosperity, head coaches pay sky-rocketed.  The NFL Coaching Association seemed pleased with the results.

How has the high-paid head coaching position been affected since the economy has started to decline?  Consider the following article from early 2009.

The Coaching Carousel

By: Robert Bowland  January 13, 2009

Driving Down Coaching Salaries- Bad News for Six Million Dollar Men

What the last couple of off-seasons seem to be pointing toward is a trend away from hiring superstar, in-demand head coaches.  The Jets and Browns seemed game to chase Cowher but apart from that, there hasn't been much love for what we could call "six million dollar (or more) men."  The NFL seems to have three distinct pay points for head coaches: $2 million a year for newly hired head coaches or those who don't have much negotiating power; $4 million a year for the mid-tier of experienced head coaches with a couple playoff appearances, maybe another suitor or on a second contract; and finally the $6 million dollar plus men, which usually implies a Super Bowl or two. 

What is important to remember here is that coaching compensation is not covered by a cap or paid in earmarked revenues.  It comes directly out of the owner's pocket or profits.  So with tougher economic times, fewer owners may be willing to spend so liberally on head coaching talent.  Nobody should plan a telethon for struggling coaches but every time a young assistant is hired that is one less opening for one of these six million dollar men.

It would seem, based on this article, with a dash of logic thrown in, that NFL owners tend to be more generous with their money when economic times are good and tend to be a little more protective of it as economic conditions start to slip.  Fairly common results in poor economic environments for business owners and operators.  "Standard procedure" is a phrase that comes to mind.

Soon after this article, in February of this year, the assistant coaching salaries were discussed.

ASSISTANT COACH SALARIES ARE DROPPING

Posted by Mike Florio on February 6, 2009

In past years, some NFL teams have splurged on assistant coaches, overspending to get the guys who are perceived to be the best.

The pendulum is now swinging in the other direction.

Per a league source, salaries for assistant coaches are trending downward.  On average, the salaries have reduced by more than 20 percent.

In 2008, the assistant coaches' average pay ranged between $300,000 and $350,000.  Now, the average number is between $250,000 and $275,000.

It's still great money, but it's a sign of how the economic downturn has impacted spending.

And it's another reason why coaches might benefit from a union.  The problem, however, is that anyone who would ever take the lead in organizing the NFL coaches would essentially be sacrificing his own career.

Hold on a second, let me get this straight.  Every coaching position across the league is experiencing a decline in salary as a result of the poor economy.  Yet, the decline in assistant coaching salaries may be a reason to form a union?  Alright, I will let that go, if they want to form a union, that is there prerogative.  However, note also that the average assistant coaches' pay increased from $280,000 in 2005 to between $300,000 and $350,000 in 2008 (during strong economic years).

Alright now we get to old-trusty, the over-played pension issue which is this month's version of Brett Favre/Jay Cutler.

Benefit changes could hit NFL coaches, staff

By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports May 1,2009 1:55 am EDT

During their annual March meeting in California, NFL owners approved the right of teams to change or eliminate the payments they make to 401(k) and pension plans for employees, including coaches. Pre-existing benefits would be protected, but future contributions could be impacted.

Three owners who did not want to be identified said the move was a direct reaction to the fact that the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players will expire at the end of the 2010 season and that the economy has gone south. Furthermore, there has been an increasing push throughout American business to reduce such benefits.

"All the resolution approved at the league meeting did was to give each club flexibility and a broader range of options in determining retirement benefits for its front-office employees," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

More importantly, it didn't mean that teams had to follow the new resolution. The decision merely gave teams the choice.

Larry Kennan, the director of the NFL Coaches Association, said he had yet to hear of a team that was wiping out the payments. Still, the mere idea owners are considering it was enough to anger Kennan and other coaches.

"To me, it was thoughtless and disrespectful to coaches and other employees," Kennan said this week regarding the owners' decision. "It wasn't just that they did it, but to do it and let us find out from the newspapers or other sources is just a slap in the face. The owners keep telling coaches that they are valuable, but then they do things like this.

"We all understand the economy is bad, but you could at least talk to us."

Kennan further said that if teams do eliminate the benefits it could inspire coaches to push harder for a formal union. Currently, the NFLCA is only an association, not a union like the NFL Players Association.

The thinking among many people who observe the upcoming talks between owners and players over the CBA is that coaches will be hurt most.

"The coaches are the ones who are going to get pinched in all of this because they don't have a voice at the [negotiating] table," said former NFL player and current agent Trace Armstrong, who was one of four finalists for the NFLPA executive director post. The job went to DeMaurice Smith, who will represent the players' side and, Kennan hopes, the coaches.

"I think we will be quite well represented by the new executive director," said Kennan, whose association depends on the NFLPA to assist in grievances and other matters between coaches and teams. For instance, NFLPA attorneys are currently representing former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin in a grievance he filed against the Raiders.

On April 24, Smith spoke supportively of the coaches and even the thousands of employees who help operate teams and stadiums where games are played. Ultimately, however, Smith's primary job is to represent the players.

I know this article is old news.  I wanted to put it up because no one was in "shock and awe" stage when this article ran.  It was only when teams actually started opting out of the uniform pension plan that people started to get upset.  Still, there are some things to note from the article above.

1)  The CBA negotiations coming up could drastically impact the way things are handled for players.  Until those negotiations are complete, the owners seem to want to play things safe.

2)  The owners cite economic concerns as part of the reason for the move.  The head of the NFL Coaches Association has no problem understanding that things may need to change because of the poor economic condition of the country, he just wanted owners to "talk to" the coaches before reaching a decision.

3)  Greg Aiello has explained that the change would simply give each club flexibility and a broader range of options in determining retirement benefits for its front-office employees.  In other words, when a team has changed its approach to the pension, as some have opted to do, no one knows (right now) what pension plan these teams have settled on.  Rather than wait-and-see if the teams present reasonable substitutes for the previous NFL uniform pension plan, everyone is in a tizzy and screaming about greedy team owners.

4)  In one breath Trace Armstrong again complains that assistant coaches do not have a voice at the table for the upcoming CBA.  In the next breath, Larry Kennan explains that he thinks DeMaurice Smith will give the coaches plenty of air-time in the coming negotiations.

To finish this up I want to turn back time to 1998, when the NFL Coaches Association was formed.  The demand that caught my eye was that coaches simply wanted to be treated in a way that was in line with what other businesses were doing.  Today, as articles have noted, the business-culture is moving away from big pension packages and starting to reduce benefits as a result of the poor economy.  The NFL and team owners are following suit.  The assistant coaches are not happy.  What gives?

Just food for thought.

*NOTE - Even with the reduction in average assistant coach salaries over the last year, assistant coaches still average more than a million dollars in four years.  Not too shabby.  In a 15 year career, at this level they will have make just under 4 million dollars on average (this does not take into account higher salaries for coaches with more experience).

Recently, Paul Kuharsky, AFC South blogger for ESPN.com, did a series covering each of the AFC South teams, polling fans on a number of topics.  Kuharksy then reported the highest rated response from the options given and provided his own answer and commentary to support his conclusion.  The topic this post will discuss and respond to is below:

How should Colts fans feel about their team as compared to last year?

• Significantly better
• Slightly better
• Slightly worse
• Significantly worse
• About the same

Right now, 48 percent of you say slightly better. Reasonable, but incorrect. Even though I think they're capable of winning the Super Bowl and like how they addressed the interior defensive line and running back, I say slightly worse. Losing Tony Dungy has to hurt at least a little and while Marvin Harrison wasn't the same, his departure can also have an effect.

In my honest opinion, I think the poll results and Kuharsky's opinion are both wrong.  I will discuss why I think Kuharksy is wrong first and then move on to explain why I think Colts fans should feel significantly better about their team as compared to last year.

Kuharsky, You're Wrong

Kuharsky cites the loss of Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison as reasons why Colts fans should feel slightly worse about the team this year.  However, in my opinion, and with all due respect, the loss of Dungy is not a reason for fans to feel worse about our team's ability to succeed. 

First, Caldwell may not be the same guy as Dungy but he's worked with Dungy for a decade and in many respects, plans to follow the same general plan Dungy has had in place for the Colts for years.  Second, what changes Caldwell has made to the team, so far, have only served to increase our likelihood to succeed.  Bringing in Coyer and moving toward a larger, stronger, defensive philosophy is welcomed by Colts fans, many who have been asking for this for years.  Bringing in Rychleski as the new special teams coach is highly popular and can only improve the Colts special teams which has been horrid for years as well. 

The only potential loss from Dungy's retirement will be in the leadership department; when the team needs to stay together if it suffers through a rough patch.  We don't know yet whether players will rally around Caldwell, be inspired by Caldwell, or respond to Caldwell in the same way they did Dungy.  Whatever impact that has on the team, I find it unlikely that it will outweigh the improvements we've seen Caldwell make to this point.  Additionally, from an environmental perspective, that he is not as steadfastly loyal to players may encourage players to work even harder to ensure they still have a job here.  Caldwell does not appear shy to make changes if he thinks it is best for the team.

In terms of Marvin Harrison, again with all due respect, the Colts have been without Marvin Harrison for the better part of two years now.  Marvin Harrison was gone the day he injured his knee and never returned.  Not only did Marvin Harrison not prove to be the offensive weapon he was in the past, there were times when he hurt our offense through his lack of effort, physical limitations, or other mental issues he has not had in the past.  Suggesting that "not having Harrison" would be a reason for Colts to feel "worse" about our chances is simply not paying attention to Harrison's relative absence from having an impact last year at all.

Accordingly, I don't think Kuharsky's big reasons to feel slightly worse this year have a great deal of merit and in both cases, I think they may actually be reasons to feel more confident moving forward.

Why Fans Should Feel Significantly Better About The Team This Year

Oh let me count the reasons.

1)  PEYTON MANNING

Really Paul?  You really forgot this one?  Peyton Manning missed all of summer work outs last year, came into the season out of rhythm, and played with a broken leg for four to five games.  During those four to five games Manning had to compensate for lost leg strength, couldn't execute the stretch play, and used the remainder of the season to try to get "back to normal..." and despite his impressive performance and league MVP honors, I'm not sure he ever fully did.  This year he can put on the weight he lost last year, refine his mechanics and form to normal, get his timing down with receivers, and likely not have issues throwing some of the passes he struggled with all last year.  This reason alone would be enough to feel significantly better about our team this year but it certainly doesn't stop here.

2)  JEFF SATURDAY/OFFENSIVE LINE

If it isn't enough to have a hobbled Hall of Fame QB, the QB of the offensive line went down with injury, missed a number of games, passed on surgery, and played injured the rest of the year.  Saturday will now come into the season healthier than he's been in a year. 

Add to that the experience Pollak had last year, which all but guaranteed to make him a better player this year, and include all of the other linemen who gained a great deal of experience, as injuries riddled the line, and you'll see that our starting group will be better and healthier; and our back-ups will be more experienced and more prepared to rotate in if and when they're needed.  More importantly, with a healthy offensive line we can establish continuity and chemistry amongst the starting group which is all but certain to improve Peyton's protection and our run blocking.  I've not mentioned any of the linemen we picked up either.

3)  DONALD BROWN

It's one thing to have Addai and Rhodes as your RBs, when neither is really able to be as productive as you'd like.  It's another thing entirely to have two 1A caliber options at RB to use as weapons on the ground and as potential safety valves for Peyton Manning.  Brown brings the type of game-breaking threat out of the backfield that the Colts haven't had since Edgerrin James' first two years in the NFL.  I think pairing him with Addai, and considering Hart's full recovery and additional year of experience in the Colts system, gives fans ample reason to feel significantly better about the Colts this year.

4)  WIDE RECEIVERS

It is hard for Colts fans to imagine saying this but I believe it is true.  The Colts wide receivers will be better this year because Marvin Harrison is not here.  As discussed above, he really wasn't productive last year, nor reliable.  However, Anthony Gonzalez is poised to have his first 1,000 yard season as a receiver, giving Peyton his first pair of 1,000 yard receivers in three years.  Add to that the development of Pierre Garcon earning him praises from Polian, the amazing upside and ability of Collie, and the compliments Roy Hall has received in his development and you have the deepest group of WRs the Colts have had in a long time.  There is no reason to believe that a productive third receiving option will not find its way out of that trio, nor to believe that the Colts won't have a full arsenal of legitimate back-ups at receiver.  I know most of these guys are not household names yet, like Marvin Harrison, but sit back and watch as our passing game steps it up a notch with this bunch.

5)  TIGHT ENDS

Dallas Clark is a constant but what is more important is the foundation Bill Polian laid at this position two drafts ago.  When the Colts took Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi they were looking to replace the departing Ben Utecht (wouldn't take much).  Last year the two young ends were injured but return healthy this season.  More importantly, they have had a year to digest the Colts offensive scheme, playbook, and adjust to the speed of the game in the NFL.  Hmm... what else were they missing last year that kept them from having a bigger impact during the season?  Oh yeah!  Peyton Manning will have a full summer to establish timing with these guys this season, along with Gijon Robinson.  I am confident that all three of our TEs are more valuable then Utecht was, have higher upsides than Utecht did, and will all be better players than they were last season.  IE - We're set to see a great deal of improvement from our young TEs, only adding to the weapons Manning has at his disposal.

That covers the offense... how about defense?

6) DEFENSIVE TACKLES/DEFENSIVE LINE

Holy schnikeys!  The amount of talent and size the Colts have added this off-season at the DT position is breath-taking.  Is there any doubt AT ALL that, whatever rotation of defensive tackles makes it onto the regular season roster, our ability to stop the run will at least marginally improve?  I'm being modest so as to not get our hopes up but seriously, our run defense is better day 1 with the talent we've added on the inside than it was all of last season. 

Oh but wait!  That's not all folks!  With larger DTs, many of whom also excel at penetrating, getting push or otherwise rushing the passer, there is little doubt that the amount of attention opposing offensive lines can afford to place on our DEEP group of DEs will be reduced.  Reducing the amount of attention you place on Freeney/Mathis = certain doom for your QB.  In short, our pass-rush from the front four is all but guaranteed to improve is well. 

7)  BOB SANDERS

Last year was one of Sanders' roughest years fighting injury.  This year, after a summer to rest, he will surely enter the season healthy.  Now, what is important is the changes that have been made on defense and how they impact Sanders.  With a stouter front seven, Sanders will be relied on less to sacrifice himself in confrontations with offensive linemen and will be able to sit back more and pick out who to destroy, like he used to.  This will improve his longevity and effectiveness on the defense and will likely result in massive infliction of pain against his enemies.  Accordingly, Bobzilla is back and with his new friends, poised to terrorize the league once more.

8)  MARLIN JACKSON/CORNERBACK

Some believe Jackson's pass coverage skills are suspect.  And to a degree they're probably right.  However, few will argue that they'd rather have Tim Jennings in the game than Marlin Jackson.  Accordingly, his healthy return to the lineup will be very welcome.  What's more, he's in his contract year.  He has A LOT to prove and A LOT of time to make up for from his injury last year.  The result?  He should play very hard and have a wail of a season. 

He too will benefit from the stouter front 7 and will be less likely to miss time with nicks and dings he tends to pick up laying the wood against his opponents.  The experience Tim Jennings got last season, as much as I'm not a Jennings fan, certainly will help him make an impact this year at the nickel.  His familiarity with the scheme, with the role both inside and out, and playing against NFL competition in games when it matters, should make him more valuable on the field.

QUESTION MARKS

The only position on the field I'm unsure of in LB at this point.  Sure, OT is questionable in terms of depth but overall the OL should be better than last season.  On the other hand, LB shouldn't be any worse but I don't know if there's a big reason to suspect that it can be better (outside of the DT trickle down theory).  Time will tell. 

Additionally, as much as there are reasons to be confident that special teams can improve under Rychleski, who will return kicks and punts is still up in the air.  We'll have to see how that situation develops before we can use it as a reason to feel any better or worse about our chances this season.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours?

Obviously, one of the biggest stories for Colts fans this year is the addition of two larger DTs in the draft.  Many are also aware that we have picked up two DTs through UDFA, one 300+ lbs. and one about 15 lbs. shy of that mark.  With all of this attention at the position, and after all of the pleas from Colts fans to get bigger up the middle, it is easy to forget a player who is already on the roster.  In this case, Eric Foster.

Foster was given a big responsibility for much of last season.  Despite the fact that he is a smallish DT, best suited to be the penetrating UT in the Colts scheme, Foster spent much of the year either at NT, or treated as the NT by opposing offenses, because he was lined up next to an even smaller Keyunta Dawson.  Given his circumstances, Foster's performance as an UDFA rookie can only be described as admirable.  With all the experience he gained last year being thrown into the fire, I would not be surprised if this young player demonstrates a great deal of improvement this summer, hammering home to coaches, and fans alike, that he belongs on this team and should potentially be a starter.

Eric Foster - Rutgers

via www.colts.com

Draft Guys TV
Leading Locker Room Chant
Stuffing Mewelde Moore - 1:30 in to Highlight

6'3", 277 lbs. (I don't believe the Colts listing AT ALL, look at him)
4.89 40 Yard Dash, 32.5 Inch Vertical Jump, 29 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
64 Tackles, 41 Assists, 15 TFL, 7 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD, 17 QB Hurries, 2 FF

ROOKIE SEASON STATS:
49 Tackles, 15 Assists, 6 QB Pressures, 1 PD (13 Games)

2008 SCOUTING REPORT:  NFLDraftScout.com

Positives: Quick twitch athlete who explodes into the gaps to create backfield havoc.  Hard to block because of his burst off the snap.  Has a good first step that allows him to beat his man to the play and uses an array of pass rush moves to get into the backfield with no problem.  Slippery pass rusher with the balance and body control to jump around blocks and give double teams lots of trouble when closing on the pocket due to his quickness and relentless motor.  Plays the game on his feet and never gives up on plays.  For a defensive tackle, he runs well to the sidelines.  Has outstanding hand usage to work moves and does a very good job at reading screens and draws.  Has a good grasp of the playbook and learns well.  Coaches cite his work ethic and call him the toughest player on the team.  

Negatives: Fiery competitor who must be held back in camp because he goes too hard, but must play in better control on the field, as he will get too relentless in his pursuit and out-shoot the play.  Lacks the strength and technique to hold up against double-teams, usually relying on his initial burst to beat the lethargic blockers.  Shows adequate quickness to close on the quarterback, but he spends more time trying to avoid blocks, making him late to the pocket at times.  Does not have the size you look for in a defensive tackle.  Not considered a two-gap type due to size issues, but struggles getting off blocks playing the one-gap.

Compares To: DAN KLECKO-Philadelphia - Like Klecko, Foster is a great college player, but due to size and bulk issues he is not really an ideal defensive tackle.

Eric Foster is easy for fans to pass-over this summer because he fits the mold of the typical Colts DT pre-Coyer.  The Colts have been known for having undersized DTs for years and, as a result, are often labeled a "soft" team.  Colts fans have been fighting this label and begging for more size up the middle for years and, now that the Colts front office has responded, they could forget Foster... an undersized DT who may develop into an excellent NFL player. 

No matter how big the interior of the defensive line gets there will always be one constant; we expect our defensive lineman to put pressure on opposing QBs.  Accordingly, a player like Foster who specializes in this area, may continue to be an important part of this team.  Whether he'll be a starter next year is really up to Coyer and Caldwell as they decide whether Moala will start as a rookie and where (NT/UT).  It will be surprising to me if, regardless of the starters, Foster doesn't play a major role on the inside of the defensive line on passing downs, rotating in with Mathis.

2008 Pre-Season Analysis:

Players to Watch:  Colts v. Panthers - "Foster has not only gotten the attention of Colts fans attending training camp, he has received attention from NFL "expert analysts" as a player who might be able to make a real difference in his first year.  While his performance in the HoF game didn't wow many Colts fans who were expecting great things, he certainly can't be judged by one game alone.  He did show signs of giving the interior of the Washington offensive line fits, as they tried to keep him away from the QB.  Foster, more than any other member of the DL, drew consistent double teams to limit his effectiveness."

Who Looked Good, Who Didn't?  Colts v. Bills - "Foster looked good, getting penetration early and disrupting things.  I am seeing more out of him and understand why he's valued on the interior of our defensive line."

FINAL THOUGHT

I know we are all excited about getting bigger at DT and the likely boon it will be to our run defense.  I also know that people are tired of seeing the smallish DTs on the field getting pushed around by larger offensive linemen.  However, there are some players who play heavier than their actual weight and who make an impact on defense in both facets of the game. 

Clearly, if we have the weapons to use larger DTs on a "sure" run down, we should probably move a smaller DT out and bring in more bulk.  However, on the majority of downs, the Colts will likely rely on the "get pressure on the QB" philosophy and will "risk" the run until such time as they feel they must stiffen up inside.  If a player like Antonio Johnson, Terrance Taylor or Adrian Grady show they can play stiff against the run on running downs and still get push against the pass, the issue may be rendered moot as it is all but certain that Moala will be on the field on run downs.  If those players do not show the ability to get push or to get pressure on the QB to supplement their run defending prowess, do not be surprised to see Moala at NT, except for on pure running downs, with a smaller, quicker DT like Foster taking a significant number of snaps as the UT. 

I should also mention again, I have looked at pictures of Eric Foster and I do not believe that he's 265 lbs (he was listed at 277 lbs. coming out of Rutgers).  Keep an eye on Foster over the summer and see if he roots out a "starting caliber" spot on the inside of the defensive line (taking more snaps than all but Moala potentially).

Every year the NFL draft and free agency period dominates the attention of fans.  With all of the hype around draft selections, UDFA, and free agent acquisitions during the off-season it is easy to forget players who were already on the roster last year but were not often utilized in games.  Accordingly, the DON'T FORGET series will focus on those players who are already on the roster and for one reason or another, are being overlooked by the majority of Colts fans.

Curtis Johnson is a player many Colts fans probably don't know a whole lot about.  Fans may be aware that he was an UDFA acquisition after the 2008 draft, and may also remember seeing him in pre-season or from time-to-time on special teams during the regular season.  However, it may be in your best interest as fans to learn a bit more about Curtis Johnson.  In my opinion, Johnson is one player who will help make the 2009 Summer, and pre-season roster competition, fun to watch.

Curtis Johnson - Clark Atlanta

via cache.gettyimages.com

SACK V. TENNESSEE
COMBINE VIDEO - Says Kendall Langford But It Is Johnson

6'3", 242 lbs.
4.60 40 Yard Dash, 4.46 20 Yard Shuttle, 6.78 3-Cone Drill
26 Inch Vertical Jump, 25 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
112 Tackles, 43 Assists, 27 TFL, 13.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 6 PD, 1 BK

ROOKIE SEASON STATS:
5 Defensive Tackles, 3 Assists, 1 Sack - 6 Special Teams Tackles (In 7 Games)

2008 SCOUTING REPORT:  NFLDraftScout.com

Strengths: Type of player whose short-area burst off the line needs to be accounted for on every snap.  Has a violent hand punch that will generally see him gain advantage over a lethargic blocker.  True warrior that coaches won't have to worry about motivating.  Maintains good separation when he extends his arms in combat and when he shoots his hands with force, he has good success in shedding.  Gives excellent chase along the perimeter to cut off the runner and stays on his feet well, doing a nice job of stringing out plays.  Can clear his feet and run a long way to deliver a crunching tackle.  Stays alive and squeezes the pocket well. Can generate good power on his initial surge and has developed a strong rip move to rock the blockers back on their heels.  Has great timing as a gunner on special teams, adding more value to his resume with his pedigree on these units.

Weaknesses: For a down lineman, he lacks ideal bulk and strength to play at the point at the next level, as bigger blockers will have success bouncing and pushing him around, especially when working in-line.  Has good quickness coming off the edge, but has just decent timed playing speed.  More of a speed rusher when playing with his hand down, but does not have the anchor to hold ground vs. double teams.  Better attacking the backfield coming off the edge, as he doesn't have the raw power to get a good push when playing the blocker head-up. 

Compares To: JOEY PORTER-Miami - When Porter converted from college defensive end to pro linebacker, he was raw in his first few years before the light clicked upstairs. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long.

One of the most notable comments regarding Johnson is that he isn't a quick study.  Accordingly, reaching his potential is something that will likely take some time.  After a full year to study the defense, learn from Freeney/Mathis and JT, it stands to reason that he'll be a much stronger player this summer than he was last year.  Of course, college scouting reports are not as important after a player has a year of NFL experience under his belt.  Accordingly, below I have included my observations from pre-season last year... since those observations are while he was on the Colts roster playing against NFL level competition.

2008 Pre-Season Analysis:

HOF Game - "Curtis Johnson was EVERYWHERE.  He got into the backfield often.  Disrupted opposing QBs, stopped running backs, even when he had to come from out of position to do so."

"Johnson's effort in the HoF game got my attention even more than Howard's.  The reason is that Johnson was not only effective getting pressure on Washington QBs, he showed me an ability to always be around the ball, making plays everywhere on the field.  That kind of hustle and effort is what we expect out of DEs and reminded me of how often Mathis and Freeney will be found making plays everywhere, to this day surprising us that they would make the stop on a given play."

Colts v. Falcons - "Johnson was impressive again, penetrating the offensive line regularly, making strong plays against the run and getting pressure. He is very fast and, again, he impressed me more overall than Howard because he does not play like he brings only pass rushing value but value overall.  Move Brock back inside now... we're totally stacked at DE, thanks."

Draft:  What Do We Really Need Anyway - "A guy who I think has been vastly undercovered and over-criticized is Curtis Johnson.  From what I saw of Johnson during pre-season play last year, and in the Tennessee game, I feel he is even more exciting as a prospective DE (or even situational DT) than Howard is.  Johnson is fast, has an excellent motor, and plays at a different level than most of the guys on our team, by way of his tenacity.  I am really looking forward to seeing Johnson develop and think he could be far more valuable than fans currently seem to expect."

FINAL THOUGHT

Curtis Johnson has really shown the ability to bring pressure off of the edge.  Additionally, he was a solid special teams player last year.  Consider that he was actvive for only seven games last year but was able to make 11 total tackles, including 1 sack and 6 solo special teams tackles.  Accordingly, he averaged just under a defensive tackle a game and a special teams tackle a game with limited time on the field.  He has had a full year to learn the defensive scheme, truly does play with a non-stop motor and had one of the most impressive special teams plays of the year last year.  I do not recall the exact game.  During a kickoff Johnson overran the returner, dropped to the ground, got back to his feet, chased down the returner and made the tackle.  A defensive lineman who can do that is someone worth keeping an eye on.  I, for one, really look forward to see how he develops this summer.

In the second part of the "State of the Franchise" series we will take a look at the defensive side of the ball, position-by-position.  Then we can speculate about which positions might need more work and potential FA or UDFA prospects the Colts may have interest in before training camp and pre-season play begins.

Defensive Tackle:

Eric Foster - Rutgers
6'2", 265 lbs.
2008 Starting NT!
DT
2nd Season
UDFA - 2008

Keyunta Dawson - Texas Tech
6'3", 254 lbs.
2008 Starting UT!
DT/DE
3rd Season
7th Round Selection - 2007

Antonio Johnson - Mississippi State
6'3", 310 lbs.
DT
3rd Season
5th Round Selection - 2007 (acquired from Tennessee practice squad 2008)

Daniel Muir - Kent State
6'2", 312 lbs.
DT
3rd Season
UDFA - 2007 (signed off of waivers from Green Bay 2008)

Raheem Brock - Temple
6'4", 274 lbs.
Starting LDE in 2008
DE/DT
8th Season
7th Round Selection - 2002 (acquired off of waivers from Philadelphia 2002)

Fili Moala - USC
6'4", 303 lbs.
DT
Rookie Season
2nd Round Selection - 2009

Terrance Taylor - Michigan
6'0", 319 lbs.
DT
Rookie Season
4th Round Selection - 2009

Adrian Grady - Louisville
6'1", 290 lbs.
DT
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Pat Kuntz - Notre Dame
6'2", 285 lbs.
DT
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

Defensive tackle is the position that has me most excited about this summer and the coming season.  Colts fans have been screaming for years that the DT position needed to be a priority for Polian and Co. not just when disaster strikes and free agent moves are made to stop the bleeding, but in the off-season - in the draft.  This year folks, Polian and Co. answered the call and I am of the opinion that the four young DTs that were added through the draft and UDFA all have a good shot of being very productive in our defense and may ALL, that's right ALL, make the roster this year.  Every year there are players let go that shock people, and sometimes it's players like Colin Ferrell who get the boot but do not be surprised if Caldwell/Coyer start cleaning out the DT closet, replacing players who were regular facets of our defense with new younger players who better suit the new "tweaked" defensive scheme the Colts will be unveiling this year.

Fili Moala brings more size and length than we've seen at the UT spot for many years.  He has a high motor, he can penetrate the pocket by slipping through blocks, he does a decent job of standing up to double-teams, and he can bull-rush his opponent if he draws a single blocker.  Anything that causes the pocket to collapse and the QB to move will make Freeney and Mathis even more dangerous.  He probably won't be an immediate Pro Bowl talent but compared to last year, the presence he'll bring to the DL both in stopping the run and rushing the pass will be a vast improvement.

Terrance Taylor is a beast of a man, the strongest DT coming out of this year's draft class and a former wrestler.  He gets knocked on by fans of rival Big 10 teams on these forums but the fact is that many thought he would be one of the most coveted DTs in the 2009 draft at the end of his solid Junior year.  What happened instead is the Michigan defense imploded.  It was terrible and in an environment like that the lone presence on the DL wasn't able to make much of an impact.  He has a chance to bring something to the Colts we've not had since Corey Simon, a pure NT who has the strength to push the pocket, is hard to move off of the line and will fill running lanes appropriately which should free up LBs to make plays on the ball.  He may need some development but there is no reason to believe that he won't be used in at least a Quinn Pitcock kind of role this year, developing for a more involved role in 2010.

In my mind, Adrian Grady is the top prospect for the Polian UDFA gem of 2009.  Grady is a bad man, he looks like Mr. T for crying out loud, he plays with leverage that is superior than both Moala and Taylor and has incredibly strong legs, coupled with explosion off the ball that should make him a prime-time competitor for a back-up UT spot.  Watch out Keyunta Dawson and Eric Foster, this kid is going to make you earn your spot.  Grady has the kind of quickness the Colts like in Dawson in Foster but is 20-30 lbs. heavier.  I am excited to see this kid out on the field.

The last new addition to the Colts DL competition is local boy Pat Kuntz who played at Notre Dame.  The Irish had their own defensive problems last season and Kuntz was one of the few bright spots in a rather disappointing season.  Kuntz, like a Mitch King, has a very noticeable "animal-like" nature that comes out in games.  He plays with high intensity all the time and will work his tail off to make an impact in the game, or make the Colts roster over the summer.  Like Grady, Kuntz has the kind of speed, motor, and ability to push opponents that make him valuable to the Colts and a potential threat to Dawson/Foster/Muir.

The veterans deserve their due as well.  Antonio Johnson seemed like he was doing a decent job of picking up the Colts scheme and certainly helped our running game when he was on the field.  With more development in our system and work with Coach JT, he could be another massive DT competing for NT responsibilities.  He has the NFL experience advantage over Terrance Taylor and may be the player who keeps Taylor as a back-up in his rookie season.

Don't forget Daniel Muir.  He may amount to nothing, could be released before pre-season in one of the team's initial cut downs, or he could be a valuable player.  The Colts wanted Muir bad enough that, not only did they grab him off of waivers immediately last year, they kept him on the roster through his injuries and let other prospects like LaJuan Ramsey go.  If he's fully healthy, it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table and what about him caught the Colts eye.

The most promising DT last season was Eric Foster who had to start out of position for the crippled Colts DL.  Even in this massive assignment Foster handled himself relatively well.  Most fans remember the big stand he made against the Steelers which held them out of the end-zone.  If he can continue to grow and develop, he could be a valuable asset as a smaller/speedy UT option.  It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff handles Foster this summer.

The hottest topic and biggest subject of being a casualty this summer is Keyunta Dawson.  Dawson is a strong man but he weighs 13 lbs less than Dwight Freeney and he's playing DT in the NFL.  Too often fans watched Dawson get blown off of the ball by much larger offensive linemen who were clearing the way for an oncoming RB, disposing of Dawson and moving on to our LBs.  That said, Dawson was the most adept of our DTs at running plays down, getting down the line, runnings sideline to sideline... ya know, all the things you hear more often describing LBs.  Still, let's be serious, Josh Thomas is not with the team at this point and Dawson could be used opposite Brock on pure-running downs at the DE position.  If he is used as a starter again this year, or sees a lot of playing time on the inside, I'll need to find the nearest censor before lashing out lengthy epithets at my TV screen.

I am very excited about the Colts moves at DT and cannot wait to see these players develop over the summer and take the field against the teams that want to "run the ball down our throat" every game this year.  *REBEL YELL - BRING IT YOU BASTARDS!!!*

Defensive End:

Dwight Freeney - Syracuse
6'1", 268 lbs.
Colts All-Time Career Sacks Leader
4 Time Pro Bowl Selection
8th Season
1st Round Selection - 2002

Robert Mathis - Alabama A&M
6'2", 245 lbs.
2008 Pro Bowl Selection
2nd Colts All-Time Career Sacks
7th Season
5th Round Selection - 2003

Raheem Brock - Temple
6'4", 274 lbs.
Starting LDE in 2008
DE/DT
8th Season
7th Round Selection - 2002 (acquired off of waivers from Philadelphia 2002)

Marcus Howard - Georgia
6'0", 237 lbs.
2nd Season
5th Round Selection - 2008

Curtis Johnson - Clark Atlanta University
6'3", 237 lbs.
2nd Season
UDFA - 2008

Analysis:

I've gotta tell you folks, this is another position that I'm really looking forward to watching this year.  The DEs on this team will only benefit from the improvements made to the interior of the DL.  Freeney and Mathis are one of, if not, the most feared DE pass-rushing combinations in the league.  With opposing OL unable to single-block each of our DTs this year, it will be even more difficult for team's to handle the super sack brothers.  Anything, I mean anything, that makes it more difficult for our opponents to handle or deal with these two head-hunters only serves to make me grin, giggle, and dance around my apartment.  Hey Dwight... hey Robert... IT'S TIME TO EAT!!!

That said, there are a couple of young DEs on the team who I look forward to watching in our pre-season games.  Marcus Howard is the fastest DE on the team right now, I think most would agree if they've seen how lightning quick he comes around the edge.  He doesn't yet possess the strength or the technique to make up for his lack of strength to be as effective a player as Mathis but it is certainly going to be fun watching him have the time and get the reps to develop behind two of the best in the business at punishing the QB.

Curtis Johnson, honestly, is even more exciting to me because I saw things he did in pre-season last year and on special teams that were pretty remarkable.  I think he is a player who could really develop under solid coaching and if he has his habit to jump off-sides under control, has gotten a little stronger, and has continued to improve technically... Johnson may well have the higher ceiling out of the two young DEs.

Linebacker:

Gary Brackett - Rutgers
5'11", 235 lbs.
Starting MLB
Defensive Captain
7th Season
UDFA - 2003

Clint Session - Pittsburgh
6'0", 235 lbs.
Starting SAM
3rd Season
4th Round - 2007

Freddy Keiaho - San Diego State
5'11", 226 lbs.
Starting WILL/MLB
4th Season
3rd Round Selection - 2006

Tyjuan Hagler - Cincinnati
6'0", 236 lbs.
SAM/WILL
4th Season
5th Round Selection - 2005

Philip Wheeler - Georgia Tech
6'2", 240 lbs.
LB/DE
2nd Season
3rd Round - 2008

Jordan Senn - Portland State
5'11", 224 lbs.
MLB/WILL
2nd Season
UDFA - 2008

Rufus Alexander - Oklahoma
6'1", 232 lbs.
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2007 (acquired from free agency 2008)

Michael Okwo - Stanford
6'0", 225 lbs.
1st Season
3rd Round Selection - 2007 (acquired from free agency 2009)

Adam Seward - UNLV
6'3", 250 lbs.
5th Season
5th Round Selection - 2005 (acquired as an UFA from Carolina)

Ramon Humber - North Dakota State
5'11", 232 lbs.
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Tyrell Sales - Penn State
5'11", 232 lbs.
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

This has been an atypical off-season for the Colts at LB.  Not only were the Colts able to retain all of their starters from last season, they added undrafted free agent Adam Seward from Carolina.  Ultimately, what this means is that the Colts LB corps should be as strong or stronger than it was last year.  This is true not only because they were able to retain their starters but also because of, as someone else put it, the trickle down effect from our new DTs. 

Clint Session improved greatly last year, his first year in a starting role for the Colts, and I believe he could really break out this year as one of the team's best defensive playmakers.  I am excited to see him get an opportunity to start again and would love to see him as the WILL.  However, two years ago Freddy Keiaho showed a great deal or promise despite getting injured very early in the season.  Last year he struggled a bit but I think people have to be realistic in their evaluation of Freddy last year.  The defensive line was so bad that it is hard to imagine that any LB on the team would look really good.  Especially not the WILL.

Tyjuan Hagler returns to the team after losing his starting spot last year to Clint Session due to a pre-season injury.  Many were excited to see Hagler and felt he showed the ability to be a starter for the Colts.  Hagler played well when he started at WILL after Brackett was injured but his spot on the roster and role on the team is still a bit of an unknown entering the summer.

Philip Wheeler, one of our dangerously inconsistent 3rd Round selections, is hoping to make a push for a starting spot this year.  Based on Coyer's defensive habits it would seem that Wheeler would have a decent shot of making the team because he brings a pass-rushing/blitzing element to the LB corps that was previously absent.  If Coyer likes what he sees from Wheeler as a potential SAM he could start; or he could be a rotational player who brings a blitz threat as long as he's on the field.

Jordan Senn had an astounding pre-season last year, leading the team in tackles and was awarded a roster spot, beating out veteran Ramon Guzman.  Senn certainly looks the part of a Colts LB but has a lot of competition to fight through if he plans to not only stay on the roster but have a chance at more time on the field in 2009.

The three intriguing additions to the team are Michael Okwo, Rufus Alexander and Adam Seward.  Many have already annointed Adam Seward as the back-up Mike.  He has more experience than any LB on the roster not named Brackett and has been stuck behind great MLBs at Carolina for his entire career.  He is quite a bit bigger than a normal Colts LB and could be another indication that the Colts are "tweaking" the T2 by bringing in larger players. 

Another T2 LB we've brought in is Michael Okwo who was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears defense in the 3rd Round of the 2007 draft.  He was drafted in case Lance Briggs chose to follow-through with his holdout.  As Briggs returned to the field in 2007, Okwo was not really needed.  He suffered through an injury his rookie year and spent time on Chicago's practice squad after.  Now he's with the Colts and, if he plays up to his 3rd Round billing, he could be a cheap upgrade for our depth if nothing else.

Leading up to last year's draft many Colts fans were excited about Rufus Alexander as a potential Colts target in the draft.  The Colts went in another direction but were able to land Alexander from free agency in 2008 and will now have the opportunity to evaluate him over a full summer workout.  In his senior year at Oklahoma he was a tackling machine and showed great promise.  He will be interesting to watch.

Two additional LBs were added recently in UDFAs Tyrell Sales of Penn State and Ramon Humber of North Dakota State.  Sales played on a Penn State team that was stacked with talent at his position for most of his collegiate career and was overshadowed by Aaron Maybin as a senior.  However, it seems that he can play the part so long as he can keep out of trouble off the field. 

The more exciting of the two, in my opinion, is Ramon Humber.  Humber was the key component of North Dakota State's defense last year and really put up some strong numbers:  93 Tackles, 36 Assists, 12 TFL, 4.5 Sacks, 1 INT, 2 Pass Break-Ups, 7 QB Hurries, 2 FF.  Clearly this was against lesser competition but, as Polian says, if a player can play, a player can play.  It will be interesting to see how this shorter version of a "poor man's" Jason Williams will perform on the field this summer.

Corner Back:

Kelvin Hayden - Illinois
6'0", 195 lbs.
Returned the Super Bowl XLI sealing interception for a TD in 2006
Starting LCB
5th Season
2nd Round Selection - 2005

Marlin Jackson - Michigan
6'0", 196 lbs.
Starting RCB
5th Season
1st Round Selection - 2005

Tim Jennings - Georgia
5'8", 185 lbs.
Starting NCB
4th Season
2nd Round Selection - 2006

Dante Hughes - California
5'10", 190 lbs.
CB
3rd Season
3rd Round Selection - 2007

Michael Coe - Alabama State
6'0", 190 lbs.
CB
3rd Season
5th Round Selection - 2007

T.J. Rushing - Stanford
5'9", 186 lbs.
CB/KR
4th Season
7th Round Selection - 2006 (acquired from free agency 2006)

Jerraud Powers - Auburn
5'10", 192 lbs.
CB
Rookie Season
3rd Round Selection - 2009

Brandon Foster - Texas
5'8", 185 lbs.
CB
1st Season
UDFA - 2008

Nick Graham - Tulsa
5'10", 191 lbs.
CB
3rd Season
UDFA - 2007 (acquired from free agency 2008)

Jacob Lacey - Oklahoma State
5'10, 177 lbs.
CB
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Brandon Anderson - Akron
5'10", 179 lbs.
CB/S
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

Another position handled atypically by the Colts leading up to the 2009 season.  Kelvin Hayden was offered a new contract to keep him on the Colts for the foreseeable future, securing one of our starting CB spots.  CB was one of the positions which almost certainly spelled doom to a player on the Colts roster who was coming to the end of his original contract.  Hayden broke that mold and has given fans a reason to feel at least somewhat relieved that they're not entering the 2009 season with their two starting CBs ready to enter free agency.

That said, Marlin Jackson is still in his contract year and what will happen with Jackson is still up in the air.  The injury last year could not help Jackson in terms of his power to negotiate for a high-paying contract extension.  However, Jackson has been an important part of the Colts secondary and I don't think it is any secret that the front office and fans alike are more comfortable when the former 1st Round draft pick is on the field than when he is not.

The depth behind Jackson is where things get a little scary.  Tim Jennings spent a lot of time on the field last year, starting for Jackson after he was put on the IR.  Jennings showed some flashes of doing some good things, showed some signs of being a non-factor in the game, and showed some flashes of doing some really stupid things.  The inconsistency, the inability to appropriately cover bigger receivers or elite route runners, and the propensity to make bone-headed mental mistakes at the most inopportune times in a game certainly haven't won Jennings many friends.  Add to that the flash-backs many fans have of passes to the left side of the field on 3rd and long last year and the number of times the result was a reception and a 1st Down and you're starting to get the picture.

Dante Hughes was a fan favorite as a rookie, and moving into his second year, but for some reason the Colts front office has seemingly either forgotten Hughes or is not happy with his development.  He may yet have the opportunity to beat out Jennings for the nickel spot while Jackson and Hayden are healthy but it seems like the more experience Jennings gets on the field, the harder it will be for coaches to throw a player with less experience into the game.

T.J. Rushing is really just a returner but has played some CB in emergencies and wasn't awful.  That said, I don't think the Colts staff wants him on the field for defensive purposes if they can help it.  His paycheck depends on his ability to win a return job.  Brandon Foster was an UDFA pick-up last year and spent a lot of time on the Colts practice squad but is vertically challenged like so many of the Colts CBs and will have to really show development to leap-frog past Hughes, Jennings, Coe and the Colts 3rd Round selection this year, Powers.

Michael Coe is another CB prospect Colts fans have been anxious to see on the field.  Many seem to think he has the ability, and the size, to be an effective corner for the Colts.  However, he has suffered from the injury bug since he entered the league, spending each year on the IR.

Nick Graham is a player most Colts fans don't want on the roster at all.  Some have mentioned that he's a solid special teams player, in coverage.  He better be really good at it because there's a lot of talent on the Colts roster and barring injury, a "decent special teamer" is not going to make the final cut.

Jerraud Powers was drafted in the 3rd Round of the Colts draft and has been likened to Kelvin Hayden by Polian.  However, Powers is shorter than Hayden and is known more as a cover-corner than a zone guy.  He also may not pack the punch against the run as players like Hayden, Jackson and Jennings have proven to.  It will be interesting to see when and how Powers in used and if he really is as good as Polian has indicated by using our 3rd Round pick on him.

Possibly the most intriguing player to keep an eye on this summer in the CB competition is Jacob Lacey.  Lacey has improved greatly in each of his collegiate years and seems to bring all the things the Colts want to the table.  To overuse this phrase once again, I would liken him to a "poor man's" Bradley Fletcher (CB Iowa).  If he can develop well over the summer and take to the Colts system, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at least on the practice squad, if not pushing Hughes/Graham for a roster spot.

Brandon Anderson out of Akron is a player who showed some ability as a senior.  It would seem he could be considered at CB or S.  I have him at CB for now because of his 10 pass break-ups as a Senior... and because I feel sorry for anyone who has any part of the competition for a S spot this year.

We have a lot players at the CB position so "lots of options," and potentially "lots of depth," but we don't have a lot of proven ability at CB behind Jackson and Hayden.  Jennings has experience at the position but hasn't been spectacular.  Our best "depth CB" was not re-signed in the off-season.  The rest are in a crap shoot for two-three roster spots with Jennings and Powers as the immediate front runners.  Let's hope somebody good comes out of this group.

Safety:

Bob Sanders - Iowa
5'8", 206 lbs.
SS
2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
6th Season
2nd Round Selection - 2004

Antoine Bethea - Howard
5'11", 203 lbs.
FS
2007 Pro Bowl Selection
4th Season
6th Round Selection - 2006

Melvin Bullitt - Texas A&M
6'1", 201 lbs.
S
3rd Season
UDFA - 2007

Matt Giordano - California
5'11", 200 lbs.
SS
5th Season
4th Round Selection - 2005

Brannon Condren - Troy
6'1", 205 lbs.
S
3rd Season
4th Round Selection - 2007 (acquired from free agency 2008)

Jamie Silva - Boston College
5'11", 204 lbs.
SS
2nd Season
UDFA - 2008

Travis Key - Michigan State
5'9", 190 lbs.
S/CB
1st Season
UDFA - 2008 (acquired from free agency 2009)

Brandon Harrison - Michigan
5'9", 197 lbs.
S/CB
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

The Colts have one of the strongest groups at S of any team in the league, if not the strongest.  Bob Sanders, when healthy, is a defensive player of the year candidate every year.  Antoine Bethea is a tackling machine, one of the better players on the team at making plays on the ball in the air, and is in competition for a Pro Bowl selection each year.  Melvin Bullitt played very good football last year when Sanders was down, coming up to make plays against the run, hitting hard, making plays on special teams, and sealing games with late interceptions.  Bullitt would be a starter on quite a few NFL rosters if he was not with the Colts after his performance last year. 

If that's not enough, Matt Giordano has been one of the most dependable back-ups for the Colts for years now and is one of the fastest players on the team... known for running down Devin Hester on the inital kickoff in Super Bowl XLI.  Brannon Condren was one of the biggest "gasp" decisions by the Colts front office last year as he seemingly played well in the pre-season and had me saying that he may make the team over Bullitt.  Silly me. 

Still, Silva's job isn't in stone.  Silva is an excellent special teams contributor and absolutely a football player who is capable of making plays on defense and special teams.  However, Condren has a lot of experience in the Colts system too, moreso than Silva in fact, and he's faster, bigger and could work his tail of to get his roster spot back.  The "real competition" in my mind is between these two players, although Giordano may be thrown in as well.

That said, we have a couple of young S prospects who are in the precarious position of trying to do anything to claw their way onto the Colts roster or practice squad against the formidable veterans ahead of them.  Travis Key of Michigan State was signed as as a free agent late last season and has hopped around from team to team since initially signing with Minnesota as an UDFA last year.  In his senior season with the Spartans, Key compiled impressive stats:  69 tackles, 24 assists, 1 TFL, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 2 FR - but those stats are not going to be enough for him to crack the roster.  He'll need to show that he is one of the best kept secrets on special teams to make the roster and may have a better chance of clawing his way onto the practice squad in case something should happen and an emergency sub is needed.

Our most recent S prospect is Brandon Harrison out of Michigan, signed as an UDFA this year.  Harrison has a little bit better size for the position than Key does and also had impressive senior stats:  69 tackles, 27 assists, 7 TFL, 3 Sacks, 3 pass break-ups, 1 FF, 2 FR - but like Key, there is little chance that those stats will carry over to a roster spot.  Harrison probably would have a better shot at CB but could surprise and make the practice squad as a developmental S.

What's not to like at the S position?  Whoever comes out of this competition will be a part of one of the strongest S groups in the league.

Now that the draft is complete and mini-camp has started, I thought it might be useful to take a look at the "State of the Franchise" position-by-position on both sides of the ball.  We can then figure out what "needs", if any, we still have as a team entering the summer and speculate about potential FA or UDFA signings before TC and pre-season arrives.

Quarterback:

Peyton Manning - Tennessee
6'5", 230 lbs.
Laser-Rocket Arm
Team Leader
Greatest QB Ever?
12th Season
1st Round Selection - 1998

Jim Sorgi - Wisconsin
6'5", 195 lbs.
Clip-Board Guru
4.6 40 Yard Dash
6th Season
6th Round Selection - 2004

Curtis Painter - Purdue
6'4", 230 lbs.
Rookie Season
6th Round Selection - 2009

Analysis:

Coming into the 2009 season the Colts have their biggest weapon back in training camp.  Manning is healthy and should be able to take his normal reps and work his normal workouts in preparation for the upcoming season.  Without a doubt, Manning is in his prime and poised to make things happen this year.  He'll be without his long-time top target Marvin Harrison but with the continued development of Anthony Gonzalez and a full summer to get his timing down with his new weapons, which include:

Roy Hall, Pierre Garcon, Samuel Giguere, Austin Collie, Taj Smith, John Matthews, and Brett McDermott at WR
Gijon Robinson, Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme, Jamie Petrowski, and Colin Cloherty at TE
Mike Hart, Chad Simpson, Lance Ball and Donald Brown at RB

There is no reason to believe that Manning and the Colts offense won't be able to hit on all cylinders again, for the first time since 2006.  All indications at this point lead to the conclusion that the offense will return to its dominance and climb back into top 5 rankings for yards and points.

Jim Sorgi, token clipboard holder and Manning study-buddy, will be back on the team for his 6th year.  While little is known about Sorgi's ability to produce with the 1st team offense in a back-up role, what is clear is that his chemistry with Peyton is top-notch and Manning values his contributions preparing for opponents each week.  Last year Sorgi played in the final game against Tennessee and, while he didn't set the world on fire, he looked better than fans have seen him play leading up to that game.

Curtis Painter joins the squad this year, and in this fan's opinion, is a massive upgrade over Throw Boy and Dr. Quinn from last season's QB "competition."  Painter should be able to learn a lot from Peyton over the summer and develop on the practice squad next year.  Some believe that Polian has indicated he will be on the active roster and that we'll be carrying 3 QBs for the first time in years.  I don't see that happening, and think Painter joining the team gives the Colts a Josh Betts type of option to groom on the practice squad and who will be available should something terrible happen.  Outside of his senior season struggles and questionable performance in big games (a knock on Manning entering the NFL and throughout his career), Painter has the arm, field-vision, and intellect to be a quality back-up in the NFL.  It is unlikely that Painter is the "heir-apparent" to Manning, which will likely be found in the 1st Round of a draft in 2-3 years, but he bolsters our depth at the position.

Overall, the QB position is stronger this year than last when Peyton's health, Sorgi's experience and Painter's addition to the team are all taken into account.

Running Back

Joseph Addai - LSU
5'11", 214 lbs.
2007 Pro Bowl Selection
4th Season
1st Round Selection - 2006

Donald Brown - Connecticut
5'10", 210 lbs.
2008 NCAA Leading Rusher
Rookie Season
1st Round Selection - 2009

Mike Hart - Michigan
5'9", 206 lbs.
All-Time Leader Rushing Yards at Michigan
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2008

Chad Simpson - Morgan State
5'9", 216 lbs.
2nd Season
UDFA - 2008

Lance Ball - Maryland
5'9", 225 lbs.
1st Season
UDFA - 2008 (signed off of waivers from St. Louis)

Analysis:

Last year was one of the worst years in Colts history running the ball.  Joseph Addai missed time with injuries and may have never taken the field 100%.  Dominic Rhodes got his share of carries but could fair no better than Addai in overall performance.  Rhodes has been a regular facet on the Colts squad but was again let go this year and will not be returning for the 2009 season. 

With Addai's injury struggles, Hart's season-ending injury last year, and Rhodes' departure, the Colts found it prudent to sign Donald Brown in the 1st Round of this year's draft.  Brown brings the kind of speed, quickness and north-south running style the Colts have been coveting for a long time.  With Brown and Addai the Colts have a formidable two-punch backfield which should be effective in 2009 and beyond.  Mike Hart, Chad Simpson and Lance Ball may be playing for a final roster spot throughout the summer.  Hart, coming off of an injury, is the favorite to win the position but Simpson and Ball both had opportunities to get on the field last year and benefited from that experience.

However you slice it, the Colts backfield can only be better from last season's stable of backs.  Last year, at the beginning of the season, the Colts had Addai, Rhodes and Hart, a rookie, as its backs.  This year the Colts have Addai, a new 1st Round draft pick in Donald Brown, and three players entering their second season in the Colts system.  In terms of overall experience, the young backs have a lot more coming into this season, and in terms of ability, Brown is clearly an upgrade over Rhodes (and maybe even over Addai).  The backfield should be as strong or stronger this year than it has been since Edgerrin James and Dominic Rhodes shared running responsibilities in 2005.

Wide Receiver

Reggie Wayne - Miami
6'0", 198 lbs.
3-Time Pro Bowl Selection
9th Season
1st Round Selection - 2001

Anthony Gonzalez - Ohio State
6'0", 193 lbs.
3rd Season
1st Round Selection - 2007

Roy Hall - Ohio State
6'3", 240 lbs.
3rd Season
5th Round Selection - 2007

Pierre Garcon - Mount Union
6'0", 210 lbs.
2nd All-Time in Receiving TDs in NCAA Div. III History
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2008

Austin Collie - BYU
6'1", 200 lbs.
1st in NCAA in Receiving Yards 2008
Rookie Season
4th Round Selection - 2009

Samuel Giguere - Sherbrooke (Canada)
5'11", 215 lbs.
1st Season
UDFA - 2008

Taj Smith - Syracuse
6'0", 192 lbs.
1st Season
UDFA - 2008 (signed off of waivers from Green Bay)

John Matthews - San Diego
6'0", 200lbs.
2008 1st in FCS:  Receptions, Receiving Yards and TD Receptions
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Brett McDermott - Holy Cross
6'0", 204 lbs.
2008 Avg. 26.4 Yards on Kick Returns
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

This will be the first year in Manning's career that he'll line-up, look to his right, and not find Marvin Harrison.  However, as amazing a career as Harrison has had, the injury he sustained in 2007 apparently took a big toll as he was not the same player in 2008.  Unable to reach a contract agreement with Harrison the Colts released him so he could test the free agent market.  He has not yet signed with another team. 

Still, without Harrison the Colts receiving corps looks to be stronger this year than it was last year.  Anthony Gonzalez will be coming into his 3rd Season and is ahead of the Reggie Wayne curve in production and development entering the NFL.  I predict that he'll put up his first 1,000 yard season and will bloom into the player we all hoped he would become in the coming season. 

Behind Wayne/Gonzalez is a host of young receivers hoping for their first chance at significant playing time with the first team offense, catching passes from Manning rather than Sorgi.  All indications from summer last year suggested that Roy Hall really developed during his rookie season and was poised to have a bigger impact on the offense last year.  Hall, unfortunately, was hampered again by injury and was unable to show his stuff until late in the season, where he primarily served a special teams role.  Pierre Garcon, by all accounts, has come a long way and Polian predicts that he will be the team's most improved 2nd year player this year.  Garcon did a decent job returning kicks when given the opportunity last year but could figure to take over the slot role vacated by Gonzalez who we all assume will move outside.  The Hall/Garcon competition could be interesting to watch this summer.

To bolster WR depth and potentially create even more competition for roster spots, the Colts added Austin Collie in the 4th Round of the draft.  Collie will be the 2nd tallest receiver on the squad, behind Hall, and has all the makings of a solid slot receiver and potential kick returner.  Collie already has the age and maturity to be ready to handle the NFL and the demands of the off-season and could surprise by surpassing both Garcon and Hall as Manning's primary 3rd WR option by the end of the 2009 season. 

Before that, however, Collie will have to prove himself against Samuel Giguere and Taj Smith, who are entering their second NFL summers, and 2009 UDFA hopefuls John Matthews and Brett McDermott.  Giguere was a coach favorite last year and was retained the whole year on the practice squad for continued development.  With the physique of a small LB and the speed of WR, he is intriguing and could make a move this summer to show he's worthy of a roster spot.  Taj Smith is unknown at this point to Colts fans but will enter the off-season looking to turn heads if he plans to stay with the Colts. 

John Matthews was the best receiver in all FCS football this year and may be playing for at least a practice squad spot to be developed for the future or be an emergency back-up.  While Brett McDermott has experience as a receiver, it would seem his role as a kick returner at Holy Cross is what probably spurred interest in him and he'll be fighting with a large group of potential returners in camp for the position.  McDermott is the biggest long-shot of the WR group.

Tight End:

Dallas Clark - Iowa
6'3", 252 lbs.
2008 Broke the Colts Single-Season Record for Receiving Yards by a Tight End
7th Season
1st Round Selection - 2003

Gijon Robinson - Missouri Western State
6'1", 255 lbs.
2nd Season
UDFA - 2007

Jacob Tamme - Kentucky
6'3", 236 lbs.
2nd Season
4th Round Selection - 2008

Tom Santi - Virginia
6'3", 250 lbs.
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2008

Jamie Petrowski - Indiana State
6'4", 262 lbs.
2nd Season
UDFA - 2006 (signed off of waivers from Tennessee)

Colin Cloherty - Brown
6'2", 245 lbs.
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Analysis:

The Tight End position is one of the most exciting positions to watch entering the summer.  Of course Dallas Clark is the leader of this group and is one of Peyton Manning's most popular targets.  Clark is in the prime of his career, just had his best season statistically, and has showed no signs of going any direction but up.  With Marvin Harrison gone and younger receivers working their way into Peyton's cross-hairs, Clark could prove to be even more involved in the passing game than ever before and may well earn his first Pro Bowl berth as long-time AFC TE, and future Hall of Famer, Tony Gonzalez has moved to the NFC.

What makes this summer exciting is the ground work that has been laid to bolster the TE position with the 2008 draft and through free agency.  Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi both struggled with injuries last year but both proved on occasion the kind of skills they bring to the field and gave a glimpse of what could be a very positive future for both players.  Gijon Robinson came onto the scene off of the practice squad and played very well for a guy from a small school who stayed only one year on the PS before moving into a starting level role at TE.  The further development of these players individually, in terms of technique and conditioning, is something to look forward to of course.  More importantly, however, this will be the first time Santi and Tamme will have a full off-season to work out with Peyton Manning.  That could prove to make all of the difference in the world for their future and their ability to contribute to the team in 2009.

The newest additions to the Colts roster include Jamie Petrowski, a big bruising TE who may bring more of a blocking aspect to his game than the other TEs on the roster, and Colin Cloherty from Brown who could be used as a FB on occasion.  Petrowski has showed a flash or two while with the Titans and is the second most experienced TE on the roster behind Clark.  Both players are long-shots to make the final roster but should be fun to watch in training camp and pre-season competition.  I know there are more than a few Colts fans who will get excited if they see Petrowski pancake some defenders in pass protection or run blocking.

Offensive Tackle:

Ryan Diem - Northern Illinois
6'6", 320 lbs.
Starting RT
9th Season
4th Round Selection - 2001

Tony Ugoh - Arkansas
6'5", 301 lbs.
Starting LT
3rd Season
2nd Round Selection - 2007

Charlie Johnson - Oklahoma State
6'4", 305 lbs.
T/G
4th Season
6th Round Selection - 2006

Daniel Federkeil - Calgary
6'6", 290 lbs.
T/G
4th Season
UDFA - 2006

Michael Toudouze - TCU
6'6", 303 lbs.
T
3rd Season
UDFA - 2007

Corey Hilliard - Oklahoma State
6'6", 300 lbs.
T
3rd Season
UDFA - 2007

Brandon Barnes - Grand Valley State
6'2", 325 lbs.
T/G
1st Season
UDFA - 2008 (acquired via free agency 2009)

Analysis:

The Offensive Tackle position received a lot of attention from fans leading up to the 2009 draft but did not receive a great deal of attention from the Colts front office.  Many thought the Colts could use an early round selection to address need for depth or a potential starter to replace Ryan Diem at RT, or even replace Ugoh at LT, moving Ugoh to RT or inside to G.  Instead, the Colts did not draft a single offensive lineman until late in the draft and he is projected as a G. 

Still, not all is lost.  Tony Ugoh will be entering his third season and has not yet completed a single season without suffering an injury.  Hopefully he will take a big step in his development this year and turn into the LT we were hoping for when we traded away our 2008 1st Round pick to get him in the 2nd Round of the 2007 draft.  Ryan Diem may have had his struggles last year but to be fair, he was playing next to a rookie RG and on an offensive line which was lambasted by injuries the entire year.  He was the only offensive lineman on the Colts to start every game last year and may look a lot better after he has had a year to develop some chemistry with Mike Pollak; and on a line that will hopefully have some semblance of continuity from week to week this year.

Charlie Johnson and Dan Federkeil were both players who spent a lot of time at G last year.  However, as much as Charlie Johnson catches flack from Colts fans who seem to think he's no Tarrik Glenn when he plays LT (DUH!), he is one of the more valuable OL on the team and can play every position on the line but C.  Dan Federkeil moved inside this year as well but has proven the ability to play on the outside and is probably a bit more popular among Colts fans looking for a change at OT, wanting Federkeil to be given a chance.  These guys bring respectable depth to the OT position.

Michael Toudouze had a shining moment in a San Diego game two seasons ago, shutting down Shawn Merriman.  Since then we've not seen anything from Toudouze but most seem eager to see if he has continued to develop and if he can repeat his performance from 2007.  Still, it is unlikely that he'll get that opportunity anytime soon.  Corey Hilliard has been a project player on the practice squad for a couple of years but has not shown the ability to play on the field in the last two pre-seasons as he has been a disappointment to most fans.

The lone OT pick-up for the Colts this year is Brandon Barnes, who the Colts acquired via free agency leading up to the draft.  Barnes is a long shot at best, or so it would seem, as he is the smallest player listed at T on the roster.  He may be competing against Hilliard/Toudouze for practice squad spots or may be moved inside before the summer is over.

Offensive Guard:

Ryan Lilja - Kansas State
6'2", 290 lbs.
Starting LG
6th Season
4th Round Selection - 2004 (signed off of waivers from Kansas City)

Mike Pollak - Arizona State
6'3", 301 lbs.
Starting RG
2nd Season
2nd Round Selection - 2008

Jamey Richard - Buffalo
6'5", 295 lbs.
G/C
2nd Season
7th Round Selection - 2008

Steve Justice - Wake Forest
6'3", 293 lbs.
G/C
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2008

Jamie Thomas - Maryland
6'4", 330 lbs.
G/T
Rookie Season
7th Round Selection - 2009

Cornelius Lewis - Tennessee State
6'4", 332 lbs.
G/T
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Tom Pestock - Northwest Missouri State
6'7", 300 lbs.
G/T
Rookie Season
UDFA - 2009

Kyle DeVan - Oregon State
6'2", 308 lbs.
G/C
1st Season
UDFA - 2008

Charlie Johnson - Oklahoma State
6'4", 305 lbs.
G/T
4th Season
6th Round Selection - 2006

Daniel Federkeil - Calgary
6'6", 290 lbs.
G/T
4th Season
UDFA - 2006

Analysis:

The Colts have a ton of depth at OG but not a lot of experience.  Ryan Lilja's future on the team is in question due to a knee injury that failed to heal all last year and, all signs seem to indicate, may not be able to recover to a level which will allow him to return to football.  If that happens, the Colts will be forced to either keep their T/G hybrids inside as starters or will move their 2008 draft selections into permanent starting roles.

Last year Mike Pollak, the first of three centers the Colts drafted in 2008, started almost the entire year at RG.  It is very likely that the job will be his to lose over the coming summer and that he'll return again to Saturday's right-side for the 2009 season.  Of all the rookies who showed the most promise, many fans will say Jamey Richard was the most impressive, despite the fact that he was the Colts seventh round selection and last of the three centers drafted last year.  He could look to push for a starting spot at LG.  However, with the skill of Johnson and Federkeil, along with their superior experience against NFL competition, the 2nd year OLs may get another year to study behind the veterans who came before them.

The Colts used another 7th Round selection in the 2009 draft to select Jaime Thomas out of Maryland to bolster G depth.  Thomas is a road-grader and is much bigger than any of the other offensive linemen on the team.  If he can surprise like Jamey Richard did last year, we could be set on the interior of the offensive line for years to come.  Thomas is joined, however, by Tom Pestock out of Northwest Missouri State, who is a large man himself at 6'7".  His height may well make him more suited for a tackle spot, so don't be surprised if you see him workout there over the summer.  However, he comes out of the draft as a G prospect and will have to work very hard if he hopes for anything other than a chance to stay on the team's practice squad.

Two other Gs were picked up this spring.  Cornelius Lewis of Tennessee State was signed as an UDFA and Kyle DeVan was signed from free agency prior to the 2009 draft.  Picking up Lewis is an uncharacteristic move for the Colts as his character history includes getting booted from Florida State's football team.  Two things can be taken from that.  First, he was good enough to be on Florida State and they have a pretty good program.  Second, Florida State isn't known as the biggest stickler in the world on players with character issues so getting kicked off of the team at FSU must take something special.  Hopefully Lewis has matured and can push to be solid depth at G.  He may well find his way outside to T before the end of the summer as well.

Kyle DeVan was signed from the Boise Burn semi-pro football team and will be the fifth player with a lot of experience playing Center on the Colts roster.  DeVan is listed as a G at this point but will certainly get the opportunity to snap the ball some over the summer as the Colts continue to evaluate and develop the future heir to Jeff Saturday.  DeVan's coach with the Boise Burn, as well as his college coach, have nothing but positive things to say about him.  Believe it or not, I think he has a decent shot at making his way onto the roster in some capacity, or at least onto the practice squad.

The continued development of the team at this position will be fun to watch.

Center:

Jeff Saturday - North Carolina
6'2", 295 lbs.
3-Time Pro Bowl Selection
Starting Center
11th Season
UDFA - 1998 (signed as a free agent in 1999)

Jamey Richard - Buffalo
6'5", 295 lbs.
G/C
2nd Season
7th Round Selection - 2008

Steve Justice - Wake Forest
6'3", 293 lbs.
G/C
2nd Season
6th Round Selection - 2008

Kyle DeVan - Oregon State
6'2", 308 lbs.
G/C
1st Season
UDFA - 2008

Analysis:

The biggest free agent signing for the Colts in the off-season was re-signing Center Jeff Saturday.  Prior to getting injured in 2008, an injury which would have sidelined most players for a season, Saturday earned 3 Pro Bowl selections in a row from 2005-2007.  Willing his way onto the field to continue to help the team, keep Peyton upright, and increase the team's chances of turning around a slow start to the season in 2008, Saturday was a key cog in helping the piecemeal offensive line fair as well as it did.  Without him, it is scary to think how ugly it could have been for Manning and Co., Addai, or anyone else relying on the offensive line.  His return and the ability to bring him back 100% healthy this year, as opposed to playing through pain and his injury last year, puts us in a good spot entering the 2009 season.

What makes the Center position even more exciting is that Polian has drafted and started developing players to be Saturday's future replacement.  Jamey Richard looked promising in the games he filled in for Saturday last year and was selected by Peyton as the guy he wanted to take snaps from while Saturday was down.  Steve Justice spent most of the year as the 2nd string C on the roster but did get some experience in games at G as well.  Kyle DeVan was picked up as a free agent leading up to the 2009 draft and has shown a lot of promise playing semi-pro ball for Boise and during his college career.  All of this has been said without even mentioning the highest draft pick we've spent on a Center in years, which went to Mike Pollak the team's starting RG.  It isn't outside the realm of possibility that he, like Jeff Saturday when he first arrived with the Colts, could develop as a Guard and get in-game experience only to shift over to Center once Saturday chooses to retire.  With all of these options, Center is another intriguing spot to watch over the summer.

QB

Graham Harrell - Trying Out in Dallas

RB

P.J. Hill
Kory Sheets - San Francisco
Ian Johnson - Minnesota
Devin Moore - Seattle
Arian Foster - Houston
Tyrell Sutton - Green Bay
Marcus Thigpen - Philadelphia

WR

John Matthews
Brett McDermott
Dudley Guice - Tennessee
Quan Cosby - Cinncinati
Jamarko Simmons - Green Bay

TE

Colin Cloherty

OT

Cornelius Lewis
Augustus Parrish - New Orleans
Jason Watkins - Houston
Gerald Cadogan - Carolina
Alex Boone - San Francisco

OG

Tom Pestock

DT

Pat Kuntz
Adrian Grady
Nader Abdallah
Antonio Dixon - Washington
Lonnie Harvey - Carolina
Tez Doolittle - Seattle
Chris Baker - Denver
Mitch King - Tennessee
John Gill - Detroit
Jeremy Navarre - Jacksonville

ILB

Dannell Ellerbe - Baltimore
Darry Beckwith - San Diego
Joseph Frantz - Oakland

OLB

Ramon Humber
Tyrell Sales
Corey Smith
Lee Robinson - Denver
Jonathan Casillas - New Orleans

CB

Brandon Anderson
Brandon Harrison
Domonique Johnson - Denver

S

Derek Pegues

P

Tim Masthay

Keep your eyes on these players who could potentially make their way into Colts camp this summer.  All would add to our camp competition at their respective positions.  Oh yeah... YOU DECIDE!  lol

Coming into this draft the Colts biggest team weaknesses were in the running game on both sides of the ball. My final team needs list was as follows:

1)  DT
2)  OT
3)  RB
4)  CB
5)  WR
6)  LB

Round 1

In the 1st Round of the draft they picked the top rusher in the NCAA in 2008.  Donald Brown is everything the Colts look for in a RB, he can run, catch, block and could even be used as a returner.  Some say he does not have long speed but he runs in the 4.4 40 area and certain is quick to and through the hole.  He has great vision and is a high character guy who will work hard, is durable, and will play hurt if he needs to.  Some think that Brown was selected as the 1B back to Joseph Addai, I think not.  I think he may be a 1B to Addai as a rookie, as Addai was to Rhodes as a rookie, but I think Brown was drafted to be the 1A back, as Addai was.  I'm excited about this pick.

Round 2

In the 2nd Round of the draft the Colts picked up Fili Moala, a 6'4", 305 lbs. DT who has the quickness to play as a 3-4 DE and the size to hold up against the run.  Moala hsa the strength to push the pocket, the speed to slip through the C/G gap, and the length to make plays in the interior of the defensive line.  Additionally, he has the lateral speed to get after the QB and to chase plays down.  He's an excellent UT for the Colts with their newly revamped defensive line and was such a big target on the Colts draft board that they traded up to be sure they grabbed him in the 2nd Round.

Round 3

In the 3rd Round of the draft the Colts selected Jarraud Powers, CB from Auburn.  Powers entered the draft as a Junior and has been a solid player for Auburn the last three years.  Having said that, I'm shocked by this pick.  I'm sure the Colts have a reason to make this selection and that Powers must have been at the top of their board.  However, if I were drafting for the Colts I would have selected Victor Harris out of Virginia Tech.  Powers is another short CB prospect at only 5'9", which means he joins Jennings and Brandon Foster and smallish cover guys for the Colts.  To me, Harris would have brought more value in the cover 2, could have taken over for Marlin Jackson and would have brought value as a punt/kick returner.  Only time will tell if this was the right pick but I'm not high on it and think there were a host of players still available which would have brought more overrall value to the team.

Round 4

With their 4th Round selection the Colts picked Austin Collie of Brigham Young.  Collie is a solid pick for the Colts receiving corps, has the ability to play inside and outside and also brings potential return ability.  At 6'1 he has good size, displays good hands and I would call him a "poor man's" Brian Robiskie.  He led the NCAA last year in receiving yards, runs solid routes, and should be a good target for Manning in the coming years.  More high profile picks may have been available but the Colts obviously had their eye on this guy, and it looks like they got the guy they wanted.

Round 4

With their compensatory pick in the 4th Round the Colts selected Terrance Taylor, DT out of Michigan.  Taylor is a true NT at 6'0", 306 lbs, leading all DTs with 37 bench reps at the combine.  Built like a "fire hydrant," Taylor is difficult to move off of the ball and plays very stout against the run.  With Taylor and Moala on the inside of the DL the Colts have aggressivly upgraded their defensive line and drastically improved their run defense day one entering the 2009 season.  The Colts camp competition for DT spots has gotten really busy with Taylor the clear favorite at NT and Moala the clear favorite as a starter at UT.

Round 5

Traded to Miami with our 2nd Round pick to move up and grab Fili Moala.

Round 6

In the 6th Round the Colts selected Curtis Painter out of Purdue.  Had Painter entered the draft last year he would have probably been a top 5 QB who would have had a chance to go as early as the 1st Round.  In terms of arm strength, accuracy and NFL readiness, it is hard to not like Painter as a potential back-up and developmental player at QB.  However, I don't care for this pick because of others who were still on the board when we took Painter.  Mike Mickens, CB out of Cinncinati, Zack Follett LB out of Cal, and Rashad Jennings RB were all still on the board and we picked up a QB who struggled his senior year of college after losing his primary receiving options and who has questionable ability playing under pressure both in terms of getting rushed by defensive players and playing in pressure situations in big games.  There's as much a chance the Painter is a PS project QB as there is that he'll supplant Sorgi in 2009.

Round 7

The Colts traded up to draft a P, giving up a 6th round selection in the 2010 draft.  Pat McAfee of WV is known for his accuracy more than his leg strength and played with the special teams unit at WVU which was very strong.  He was top-10 in the NCAA in avg. punt distance and had 25 punts inside the 20 yard line.  With Dragosovich and McAfee we have a punter competition ready to go in camp and will hopefully have a suitable replacement for Hunter Smith.  In addition, McAfee has a HUGE leg and may take over kickoff responsibilities from Vinatieri and he hsa the accuracy as a K to kick long FGs as well hitting 6/7 from beyond 40 yards.

Round 7

With the Colts second Round 7 pick, the Colts selected Jaime Thomas, G out of Maryland.  Once again, the Colts disappoint me with this pick.  The G position is so stacked with prospects, including 3 picks last year who are all capable of playing G, an injured Lilja who must be on his way out the door based on our movement at the position, and two free agent pick-ups pre-draft.  Thomas is a big drive blocker who can open holes in the running game but I just don't see a big need for this pick and passing up a player like Mitch King who is an instant STer and potentially could supplant Eric Foster as the UT on passing downs doesn't make any sense to me.

GRADE:  B

I give the Colts a B grade.  The selections I like most are Donald Brown, Fili Moala, Austin Collie, Terrance Taylor and Pat McAfee.  I'm less sure about Jerraud Powers and Jaime Thomas, who I feel were either reaches, unnecessary or simply not BPA when they were selected.  I know the Colts already picked up two DTs so King was not a "need" in the 7th Round of the draft but neither was G and we passed up a hard-nosed player to make our G competition so big that it's almost certainly going to be impossible to get a good read on all the guys without guessing to some degree.  I know we needed a CB and I'm happy we picked one up, but a 5'9 CB joining Jennings and Brandon Foster makes no sense to me.  Victor "Macho" Harris is a player, plays very well in a zone coverage scheme like the T2, and brings return ability which would make our ST return competition even better this summer.  However, the run D was vastly upgraded and the running offense was upgrade by adding a suitable 1A or 1B back in Donald Brown.  The draft addressed 5 of the team's 7 biggest needs and we've not even entered the UDFA signings yet.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR READING THIS DRAFT BOARD

This draft board is a combination of what I think the Colts Front Office draft board could actually look like and my personal opinions about the players in the draft.  Accordingly, some players you will find on the board may only be listed because the Colts have shown direct interest, while other players who the Colts have shown direct interest in may not be included based on my own assessment.  Additionally, some players' values may seem higher or lower than what you would expect, and that is based on my own assessment as well.

As you are reading this draft board it is best to look at players near the top of the list not only as the players I see as potential MVPAs in the given round but also as the players which will be less likely to be available at that pick.  The further you move down each list, the more likely the player will be available when we select (generally speaking).  In order to save space, you should read that players at the bottom of one round are at the top of the following round (I did not list the same player twice).  A bottom second round MVPA for the Colts would beat out the top listed third round MVPA (and so forth). 

As with any draft board, as players in a given position are selected, the "need" of that position will like lower, resulting in a shift of the lists in following rounds (generally speaking).  Accordingly, just because there are three DTs as top MVPA three rounds in a row does not mean that the Colts would choose to pick three DTs, when the second or third MVPA in each of those rounds would fill another, now higher position of need.

I will be making up another Ultimate Mock Draft soon.  This will give you an idea what players might be discussed in my upcoming Ultimate Mock Draft.  I would be interested in hearing your thoughts or which players you would add or subtract from the list.  Sorry it is so long but I hope you enjoy reading it.

DRAFT NEEDS:

1. DT - ONLY NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE STARTER(S)
2. OT - STARTER AT ONE SPOT AT MOST, PRIMARY BACK-UP OTHERWISE
3. RB - TANDEM BACK AT MOST, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
4. LB - STARTING SAM AT MOST, FUTURE BRACKETT REPLACEMENT, DEPTH OTHERWISE
5. WR - SLOT AT MOST, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
6. DB - REPLACEMENT IN 2ND YEAR AT MOST, NICKELBACK, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
7. QB - BACK-UP AT MOST
   

FIRST ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Peria Jerry - UT/NT
2. Knowshon Moreno - RB
3. Malcolm Jenkins - CB
4. Ziggy Hood - UT/NT
5. Eben Britton - OT
6. Chris "Beanie" Wells - RB
7. Brian Robiskie - WR
8. James Laurinaitis - MLB/SAM
9. William Beatty - OT
10. Jarron Gilbert - UT
11. Jamon Meredith - OT
    
12. Darius Butler - CB/KR
13. Clay Matthews - OLB
14. Sean Smith - CB
    

SECOND ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Donald Brown - RB
2. LeSean McCoy - RB
3. Fili Moala - NT
4. Ron Brace - NT
5. Victor Harris - CB
6. Marcus Freeman - OLB
7. Phil Loadholt - OT
8. Shonn Greene - RB
9. Rashad Jennings - RB
10. Andre Brown - RB
11. Connor Barwin - DE/OLB
12. Louis Delmas - S
13. Patrick Chung - S
14. William Moore - S

THIRD ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Alex Magee - NT/UT
2. Mike Mickens - CB/KR
3. Chip Vaugh - S/OLB
4. Dorrell Scott - NT
5. Cedric Peerman - RB
6. Jairus Byrd - CB
7. Andy Levitre - OG/OT
8. Troy Kropog - OT
9. Sen'Derrick Marks - UT
10. Jason Williams - OLB
11. Derrick Williams - WR/KR
12. Zack Follett - OLB/MLB
13. Michael Hamlin - S
14. Fenuki Tupou - OT

FOURTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Mitch King - UT
2. Kory Sheets - RB/KR
3. Terrance Taylor - NT
4. Vance Walker - NT
5. Ramses Barden - WR
6. Jarrett Dillard - WR
7. Louis Murphy - WR
8. Jason Phillips - MLB/OLB/FB
9. Glen Coffee - RB
10. Corvey Irvin - NT
11. Jasper Brinkley - MLB/OLB
12. Asher Allen - CB/KR
13. Deon Butler - WR
14. David Bruton - S/OLB
15. Clinton McDonald - UT
16. Austin Collie - WR
17. Jason Watkins - OT/G
18. Augustus Parrish - OT/G

FIFTH  ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Vaughn Martin - NT
2. Alex Boone - OT
3. Ian Johnson - RB
4. Johnny Knox - WR
5. Mike Wallace - WR/KR
6. Morgan Trent - CB
7. Bradley Fletcher - CB
8. Kalukda Maiava - OLB
9. Dannell Ellerbe - MLB
10. Donald Washington - CB
11. Terrance Knighton - NT

SIXTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Nick Reed - DE/OLB
2. Corey Smith - OLB/S
3. Glover Quin - CB/S/KR
4. Dudley Guice - WR/KR
5. Quan Cosby - WR/KR
6. Lee Robinson - LB
7. Al Afalava - S
8. Joe Burnett - CB/KR
9. Robert Brewster - OT/G
10. Nate Davis - QB
11. Kevin Huber - P

SEVENTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD

1. Mike Teel - QB
2. Derek Pegues - S
3. Antonio Dixon - NT
4. Domonique Johnson - CB/S
5. Gartrell Johnson - RB/FB
6. Jeremy Navarre - UT
   

UDFA LIST

• John Gill - NT/UT
• Myron Pryoer - NT
• Lonnie Harvey - DT
• Tez Doolittle - UT
• Pierre Walter - DE
• Ramon Humber - LB
• Russell Allen - OLB
• Ellis Lankaster - CB
• Mike Mitchell - CB
• Vince Anders - CB
• JaRon Harris - WR
• Andrew Johnson - RB
• Jake Richardson - P
• Thomas Morstead - P

Recently I reviewed Polian's draft history and listed our drafts back to 2001 with the needs at each position before the draft.  Clearly, as hard as I tried, I couldn't completely remove 20/20 vision from my team needs assessment.  Accordingly, I thought it prudent to post what I believe are the team's official needs coming in to this draft.

Team Strengths:

The Colts biggest offensive strength is its passing game.  Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and Dallas Clark combine for a high-octane passing attack which keeps opposing defenses on their heals, often struggling to match up.  With the departure of Marvin Harrison a new era is beginning and fans know that Polian puts a premium on offensive weapons for Manning to utilize.  Anytime the Colts feel they "have their man" in a draft who will be a new weapon for Peyton Manning, they will likely pull the trigger.  Still, not much work needs to be done to improve the passing game and arguably the biggest improvement could still be made on the offensive line.

The Colts biggest defensive strength is its passing defense.  The reasons for the Colts success defending the pass are varied:

1) Opponents choose to run the ball on the Colts, and have for the last two-four years, in order to keep Peyton Manning off of the field.

2) When our opponents do try to pass they have to deal with Freeney/Mathis hurrying the quarterback, forcing fumbles and getting sacks. Taking our pass rush out of the game is to their advantage.

3) We draft corners specifically for our system, not cover-corners but guys who excel in zone coverage. The result of that is two-fold.

First, trying to throw into the zone is dangerous, can force turnovers and leads to injuries because our secondary is one of (if not the) hardest hitting secondaries in the league.

Two, to expose the weaknesses of our secondary the receiver must be given enough time to get “over the top” of the zone… which means the QB needs more time than usual to wait for the play to develop and #2 above becomes a bigger factor.

With these things in mind, it can be said that finding system corners and pass-rushers is a Colts drafting strength.  This year could be a time to address the corner position, however, because Marlin Jackson and Tim Jennings are both in contract years and the other CB who saw the most time last year not named Hayden was Keiwan Ratliff who has just been signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Drafting a CB or two would be wise and could start in the 2nd or 3rd Round of the draft, unless Malcolm Jenkins were to fall in the 1st Round.

Team Weaknesses:

The Colts biggest offensive weakness is its running game.  The reasons for this are the cause of much debate though all agree they are varied.  First, a lot of fans believe the biggest weakness in the Colts running game is along the offensive line.  Ryan Lilja was injured all of last year and Charlie Johnson was pushed into the starting line-up.  Additionally, Jake Scott was not retained for the 2008 season so rookie Mike Pollak had to step in at RG.  Add to all that the injury to Jeff Satruday which held him out of four games and arguably kept him from ever returning to 100% last year and we begin to see a pattern.  Still, the biggest need on the offensive line would seem to be the OT position with Ugoh struggling to this point and Ryan Diem struggling last year as well.

The Colts biggest defensive weakness is its run defense.  There could be two positions on the team who deserve some blame but few deny that defensive tackle is the biggest reason for the team's struggles.  The team has continually been addressing the LB issue through free agency, retaining Tyjuan Hagler, picking up Adam Seward, Michael Okwo and Rufus Alexander.  The team also added Philip Wheeler last year, and has lost only Freddie Keiaho.  Adding a LB could be an option but the argument for DT is varied as well:

1) The BIGGEST reason the Colts run defense ranked 31st last year is because of the interior of the defensive line.

2) Even the DTs we added as free agents last year either didn’t pan out, did not have a chance to really prove their value, or didn’t play.

Antonio Johnson wasn’t active for 2 or 3 games after he was added to the roster. Muir didn’t play more than a handful of downs all year. Dawson/Foster got beat up inside at their weight. Brock was back to DE. Darrell Reid is gone.

3) We have no talent or depth at the position for improving against the run. Imagine a CB rotation that looks like this: Tim Jennings, Brandon Foster, Michael Coe, T.J.Rushing, Dante Hughes. That is the equivalent of our run-stopping DTs right now.

It’s clearly the biggest need position on the team, DEFINITELY needs one starter out of the draft and arguably two (I argue two). No other position on the team, none, zero… HAS TO HAVE a starting caliber player in their first year for the team to perform well at that position or in that aspect of the game.

4) HISTORY! In the last three years at DT we’ve had the Corey Simon experience, lost Booger to a career ending injury, lost Reagor to a car accident, had Pitcock retire, witnessed Johnson smoke his way out of the league, lost Darrell Reid to free agency, and so on. This position is NOT getting stronger and has only gotten weaker in the last three years. It MUST be fixed. What is the draft for if not to find players who play in weak/broken positions on your team and mold them into the player you want them to be?

Team Positional Needs

1)  Defensive Tackle -

Current Roster -

NT - Antonio Johnson

NT/UT - Daniel Muir

UT - Eric Foster

UT/DE - Keyunta Dawon, Raheem Brock

Our starting DTs on the depth chart are both under 270 lbs. and simply could not hold up against the run last year.  Antonio Johnson may develop in our system but even after he was added to the roster he was inactive for 2 or 3 games.  Daniel Muir played only a handful of downs and is a bit of an unknown at this point.  Raheem Brock moved back outside to DE last year and unless a return inside is eminent, Brock is really only used inside on passing downs.  Accordingly, the Colts not only need "more size" but more importantly the Colts need more run stopping ABILITY than is currently on the roster.  The Colts NEED at least one starting caliber DT in 2009, and most likely need 2 starters in 2009, and based on salary cap numbers it appears those players will have to come from the draft.

2)  Offensive Line (OT)

Current Roster -

OT - Tony Ugoh, Ryan Diem, Michael Toudouze, Corey Hilliard

OT/G - Charlie Johnson, Dan Federkeil

G - Ryan Lilja, Mike Pollak, Brandon Barnes

C/G -Jamey Richard, Steve Justice, Kyle DeVan

C - Jeff Saturday

We certainly don’t need any G/Cs, we just picked up two more interior OLs in free agency, Kyle DeVan and Brandon Barnes. If we draft one it will be because we think he’s just too good to pass up. It won’t be for need.  He'll also likely be someone who think can move outside to RT.

However, drafting a solid OT back-up who could play LT or RT should Ugoh/Diem have injuries, or to replace one of them if they should not pan out, is a possibility. I don’t think it takes a 1st/2nd Round OT to be a suitable back-up or potential Diem replacement. The only reason to draft an OT on day one is if we're looking for a LT to replace Ugoh. I don’t think we're there yet with him. But we shall see.

3)  Runningback

Current Roster -

Joseph Addai, Mike Hart, Chad Simpson, Lance Ball

I think the Colts could be looking for a compliment to Addai but they’d only strike early if they absolutely felt a player was too talented to pass up. The depth behind Addai may not be composed of high draft picks but all indications, at this point, are suggesting they are suitable 1b “material.” Unless Moreno or Wells drops in the first, I don’t see a RB before Round 2 but I doubt they wait later than round 4. This is pretty deep RB class imo and "value" is the key to these picks.

4)  Cornerback

Current Roster - Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson, Tim Jennings, Dante Hughes, Michael Coe, T.J. Rushing, Brandon Foster, Nick Graham, Travis Key, Brandon Sumrall

Cornerback has moved up my needs list because we were unable to retain Keiwan Ratliff.  Now that Ratliff is in Pittsburgh there is a much bigger question-mark at the position.  Both Marlin Jackson and Tim Jennings are in their contract seasons.  Unless Jackson is retained it is likely we'll have a new starting CB on the outside.  Tim Jennings could be retained for less cost to the team but he's not nearly as talented as Marlin Jackson and if he is not retained we'll have no proven starter ready to take his place.  Accordingly, it is quite possible that the Colts will strike early for a CB to replace the departing Jackson/Jennings, and may even select two.  There are a handful of prospects who should fit well in the Colts scheme with names like Victor Harris, Mike Mickens, and Bradley Fletcher popping out.  Those are 2nd-5th Round prospects and may find their way onto the Colts.

5)  Wide Receiver

Current Roster -

WR - Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Roy Hall, Pierre Garcon, Samuel Giguere, Taj Smith

TE - Dallas Clark, Gijon Robison, Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme, Jamie Petrowski

I agree with those who have stated that we don’t need 5 First Round draft picks as weapons in the passing game for Manning to be effective. However, I see this particular group of WRs as one that might tempt Polian and Co. to get one early. I don’t care if it’s popular or not but I think Brian Robiskie is EXACTLY the kind of receiver the Colts want. He fits the Colts in EVERY way. Accordingly, I wouldn’t be surprised nor do I think it would be a reach (go run to your draft guides scoff) to grab him in the 1st Round. We’ll take the MVPA and he could be it on the Colts board. We’ll see how things come along and if we don’t get a WR until the 2nd day, this fan won’t be panicked in the slightest.

6)  Line Backer

OLB - Clint Session, Philip Wheeler, Tyjuan Hagler, Jordan Senn, Michael Okwo, Rufus Alexander

MLB - Gary Brackett, Adam Seward

I think there are a few Mike prospects who could intrigue the Colts and finding a heir for Gary Brackett who is not getting any younger is possible.  However, I think the OLB draft is much deeper and there could be some very strong candidates in the middle rounds. I think they should add at least one but wouldn’t panic at this position if they don’t get anyone either. I just think the class, overall, is too good (particularly for the kinds of guys we look for) for us to pass up all of them.  The early possibilities are Laurinaitis in the 1st Round and Marcus Freeman in the 2nd, in my opinion.

*Other notable potential needs - Back-up QB, P, and S.

Some of you have mentioned that you would be interested in having access to the YOU DECIDE posts I have done over the last month or so for use on draft day.  Accordingly, I have listed each post I've done on draft prospects, by position, for you to peruse on draft day should you find yourself interested in doing so.

Running Back

Donald Brown v. LeSean McCoy
Shonn Greene v. Cedric Peerman
Rashad Jennings v. Andre Brown
Kory Sheets v. Glen Coffee

Wide Receiver

Percy Harvin v. Hakeem Nicks
Brian Robiskie v. Derrick Williams
Johnny Knox v. Mike Wallace
Deon Butler v. Quan Cosby

Offensive Tackle

Eben Britton v. William Beatty
Jamon Meredith v. Duke Robinson
Phil Loadholt v. Augustus Parrish
Troy Kropog v. Fenuki Tupou
Alex Boone v. Robert Brewster

Defensive Tackle

Peria Jerry v. Ziggy Hood
Jarron Gilbert v. Fili Moala
Sen'Derrick Marks v. Dorrell Scott
Alex Magee v. Mitch King
Chris Baker v. Vance Walker

Linebacker

James Laurinaitis v. Clay Matthews
Marcus Freeman v. Dannell Ellerbe
Zack Follett v. Jason Williams
Jason Phillips v. Jasper Brinkley
Lee Robinson v. Corey Smith

Defensive Back

William Moore v. Victor Harris
Patrick Chung v. Louis Delmas
Mike Mickens v. Asher Allen
Chip Vaughn v. Michael Hamlin

Sleeper Prospects

NT - Terrance Knighton
NT - Antonio Dixon
UT - Clinton McDonald
DE/OLB - Nick Reed

INSTRUCTIONS FOR READING THIS DRAFT BOARD

This draft board is a combination of what I think the Colts Front Office draft board could actually look like and my personal opinions about the players in the draft.  Accordingly, some players you will find on the board may only be listed because the Colts have shown direct interest, while other players who the Colts have shown direct interest in may not be included based on my own assessment.  Additionally, some players' values may seem higher or lower than what you would expect, and that is based on my own assessment as well.

As you are reading this draft board it is best to look at players near the top of the list not only as the players I see as potential MVPAs in the given round but also as the players which will be less likely to be available at that pick.  The further you move down each list, the more likely the player will be available when we select (generally speaking).  In order to save space, you should read that players at the bottom of one round are at the top of the following round (I did not list the same player twice).  A bottom second round MVPA for the Colts would beat out the top listed third round MVPA (and so forth). 

As with any draft board, as players in a given position are selected, the "need" of that position will like lower, resulting in a shift of the lists in following rounds (generally speaking).  Accordingly, just because there are three DTs as top MVPA three rounds in a row does not mean that the Colts would choose to pick three DTs, when the second or third MVPA in each of those rounds would fill another, now higher position of need.

I will be making up another Ultimate Mock Draft soon.  This will give you an idea what players might be discussed in my upcoming Ultimate Mock Draft.  I would be interested in hearing your thoughts or which players you would add or subtract from the list.  Sorry it is so long but I hope you enjoy reading it.

DRAFT NEEDS:

1. DT - ONLY NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE STARTER(S)
2. OT - STARTER AT ONE SPOT AT MOST, PRIMARY BACK-UP OTHERWISE
3. RB - TANDEM BACK AT MOST, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
4. LB - STARTING SAM AT MOST, FUTURE BRACKETT REPLACEMENT, DEPTH OTHERWISE
5. WR - SLOT AT MOST, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
6. DB - REPLACEMENT IN 2ND YEAR AT MOST, NICKELBACK, RETURNER, DEPTH OTHERWISE
7. QB - BACK-UP AT MOST
   

FIRST ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Peria Jerry - UT/NT
2. Knowshon Moreno - RB
3. Malcolm Jenkins - CB
4. Ziggy Hood - UT/NT
5. Eben Britton - OT
6. Chris "Beanie" Wells - RB
7. Brian Robiskie - WR
8. James Laurinaitis - MLB/SAM
9. William Beatty - OT
10. Jarron Gilbert - UT
11. Jamon Meredith - OT
    
12. Darius Butler - CB/KR
13. Clay Matthews - OLB
14. Sean Smith - CB
    

SECOND ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Donald Brown - RB
2. LeSean McCoy - RB
3. Fili Moala - NT
4. Ron Brace - NT
5. Victor Harris - CB
6. Marcus Freeman - OLB
7. Phil Loadholt - OT
8. Shonn Greene - RB
9. Rashad Jennings - RB
10. Andre Brown - RB
11. Connor Barwin - DE/OLB
12. Louis Delmas - S
13. Patrick Chung - S
14. William Moore - S

THIRD ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Alex Magee - NT/UT
2. Mike Mickens - CB/KR
3. Chip Vaugh - S/OLB
4. Dorrell Scott - NT
5. Cedric Peerman - RB
6. Jairus Byrd - CB
7. Andy Levitre - OG/OT
8. Troy Kropog - OT
9. Sen'Derrick Marks - UT
10. Jason Williams - OLB
11. Derrick Williams - WR/KR
12. Zack Follett - OLB/MLB
13. Michael Hamlin - S
14. Fenuki Tupou - OT

FOURTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Mitch King - UT
2. Kory Sheets - RB/KR
3. Terrance Taylor - NT
4. Vance Walker - NT
5. Ramses Barden - WR
6. Jarrett Dillard - WR
7. Louis Murphy - WR
8. Jason Phillips - MLB/OLB/FB
9. Glen Coffee - RB
10. Corvey Irvin - NT
11. Jasper Brinkley - MLB/OLB
12. Asher Allen - CB/KR
13. Deon Butler - WR
14. David Bruton - S/OLB
15. Clinton McDonald - UT
16. Austin Collie - WR
17. Jason Watkins - OT/G
18. Augustus Parrish - OT/G

FIFTH  ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Vaughn Martin - NT
2. Alex Boone - OT
3. Ian Johnson - RB
4. Johnny Knox - WR
5. Mike Wallace - WR/KR
6. Morgan Trent - CB
7. Bradley Fletcher - CB
8. Kalukda Maiava - OLB
9. Dannell Ellerbe - MLB
10. Donald Washington - CB
11. Terrance Knighton - NT

SIXTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD:

1. Nick Reed - DE/OLB
2. Corey Smith - OLB/S
3. Glover Quin - CB/S/KR
4. Dudley Guice - WR/KR
5. Quan Cosby - WR/KR
6. Lee Robinson - LB
7. Al Afalava - S
8. Joe Burnett - CB/KR
9. Robert Brewster - OT/G
10. Nate Davis - QB
11. Kevin Huber - P

SEVENTH ROUND FULL DRAFT BOARD

1. Mike Teel - QB
2. Derek Pegues - S
3. Antonio Dixon - NT
4. Domonique Johnson - CB/S
5. Gartrell Johnson - RB/FB
6. Jeremy Navarre - UT
   

UDFA LIST

• John Gill - NT/UT
• Myron Pryoer - NT
• Lonnie Harvey - DT
• Tez Doolittle - UT
• Pierre Walter - DE
• Ramon Humber - LB
• Russell Allen - OLB
• Ellis Lankaster - CB
• Mike Mitchell - CB
• Vince Anders - CB
• JaRon Harris - WR
• Andrew Johnson - RB
• Jake Richardson - P
• Thomas Morstead - P

The draft is quickly approaching and, as such, my YOU DECIDE marathon is nearing its end.  I am sure that my parents will sleep better at night knowing that I'm not burning the midnight oil writing about the Colts when I should be getting sleep to be well-rested for school in the morning.

However, as I enjoy self-abuse so long as it hopefully benefits our discussion of the Colts, I am willing to take last minute requests for YOU DECIDE type posts or simply a thorough profile of individual players, like the ones found in each of the aforementioned posts.  Obviously I will only be able to get to a couple/few of them before the draft as I do have plans to write up a final Colts Big Board, final Mock Draft, and an easy to navigate links post to each of the profiles I've done leading up to the draft for those of you who wish use my posts as a reference on draft day. 

Before your requests, I am already planning on a comparison of Nate Davis and Mike Teel at the QB position.  Thanks.

Continuing late-round WRs in consideration this installment of the YOU DECIDE series invites you to take a closer look at two players suited for the slot potentially, one with proven special teams ability.  If Deon Butler of Penn State is available in the 4th Round and Quan Cosby of Texas is available in the 5th Round of the upcoming draft, which player would you pick?

Deon Butler - Penn State

Photo
Highlights
Draft Guys TV
Combine Video

5'11", 182 lbs.
4.31 40 Yard Dash, 4.23 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.01 3-Cone Drill
34.5 Inch Vertical Jump, 12 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
47 Receptions, 810 Yards, 7 TDs (17.2 Yds./Avg)

INJURIES:
None listed.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Wiry strong receiver with long arms. Reliable hands; uses his hands outside his frame even when challenged and high-points the ball. Has the initial quickness off the snap to get into his route. Good vision, elusiveness and stop-start acceleration in space. Able to run through cornerback tackles to extend the play. Set up corners well for out-routes, pressing them inside and using his arms and quickness to separate.

Small, yet tough, pass catcher who does the little things well. Runs sharp routes, quickly gets into breaks, and stays low on exit. Comes back to the ball, effectively uses his frame to shield away opponents, and looks the pass into his hands. Adjusts to the errant throw, lays out for the difficult reception, and consistently catches the ball away from his body. Works his way across the field, finds the open spot in the defense, and finds a way to get open. Effectively uses the sidelines, playing with good balance and body control. Gives effort blocking.

Deon Butler is arguably one of the most underrated players in this draft.  Playing alongside Derrick Williams, who is getting all of the attention for Penn State prospects, it is easy for draft analysts and fans to overlook Butler's accomplishments.  Penn State was not the most WR friendly offensive team in the country but despite all of Williams' attention, Deon Butler led the Nittany Lions as a receiver.  Butler worked hard on the field to gain separation, gave up his body for the ball, and made some impressive plays throughout his career at Penn State.

Weaknesses: Short, lean receiver who is knocked off his routes by larger corners. Will struggle to get off the jam. Makes the effort blocking on the outside but lacks the strength to sustain. Questionable value as a deep threat against man coverage; will be best in the slot.

Struggles going up against large defensive backs. Despite his forty time at the combine, he does not present himself as a vertical threat.

One thing that is clear from Butler's career and his measurable is that he's best suited for the slot position.  Running underneath routes, using his quickness to get open over the middle and flash a target for the quarterback.  Out of his breaks going over the middle he has enough strength to break some secondary tackles and enough speed to break a reception long.  That's not to say he has the speed to go all the way.  However, on tape he looks faster to me than he does on a stopwatch.

PROFESSIONAL SCOUTING REPORT - TFYDraft.com

Body Structure: Has a compact frame that could carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk, but he has good chest, arm and shoulder definition, a tight waist and abdomen, good thickness in his thighs and calves, along with low body fat.

Athletic Ability: Demonstrates exceptional straight-line speed and balance, but needs to improve his lateral agility, as he shows some tightness in his hips. Shows the timing, arm extension and leaping ability to make plays outside his frame. An agile, deceptive runner with the crisp cutting ability to set up and separate from the defender after the catch. Gets good elevation going for the high passes, but lacks the power to absorb much punishment. Has good body control throughout his route progression, but you would like to see better flexibility to get to the off-target throws. Has quick hands to adjust to the ball in flight and shows ease of movement getting his head turned around to look the ball in.

Football Sense: A highly intelligent player, both on and off the field. Quickly digests the playbook, taking the action from the chalkboard to the field easily. The type that puts in the extra hours studying tapes and is alert to coverages and locating the soft areas on the field. Quick to settle into the openings in the zone and understands his role for the offense -- coming up with the tough catches over the middle and as coach Joe Paterno calls him, "my field stretcher." Effective at converting his patterns and maintaining eye contact with the quarterback to come back for the ball when the pocket is pressured.

Character: The type of character you hope your daughter brings home for dinner. Comes from a supportive family and is very well liked by the staff and teammates. An unassuming type that is reliable and takes well to hard coaching. His hard work saw him emerge from walk-on status to go-to receiver and he prides himself on his work ethic. Recently awarded the Robert B. Mitinger Jr. Award. The honor is presented to a senior who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility.

Competitiveness: Even though Butler lacks the strength you look for in a blocker, he is a good stalker who will sacrifice his body to slow down a defender. A fearless receiver in traffic and gives total effort until the whistle, even though his frail-looking frame will see him get ping-ponged by the more physical second-level defenders. Assertive going for the ball in a crowd and times his leaps well to get to the ball at its high point. Has become a fan favorite because of the way he plays with good urgency and high energy. For a player with his frame, you would expect some flinch going for the ball in a crowd, but Butler just exudes that fearlessness. The type of kid that will play hurt and is always hustling and giving total effort on the field.

Work Habits: Ever since arriving on campus as a walk-on, Butler has exhibited a work ethic above the rest of the players, one that the coaching staff asks the younger players to pattern. Gives total effort throughout, whether in practices or in games. Takes pride in his work ethic, putting in the extra hours studying tapes. A coachable, team player who plays hard and will not back down from an opponent.

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.30

Release: Even though Butler is quicker than most, he lacks great lateral agility to get a smooth release off the line. Lighter than ideal, but gives good effort with his hands to fight off the jam and has enough functional strength to separate after the catch at the college level. Makes sharp cuts coming out of his breaks and has an array of moves to get into his route cleanly, but lacks great explosion when changing direction due to adequate hip snap. Smooth in his patterns and does a decent job of working off and riding up the defender to get to the ball in flight. Has the short-area quickness to separate and has developed good hand placement to secure the ball after the catch (never fumbled in college).

Acceleration: Because of his short-area burst, Butler has been quite effective working underneath or in the intermediate area. Shows some ability to separate on deep routes, but does not have the second gear to elude in the open field, despite his impressive stopwatch speed. Does a nice job of settling into the zones and shows natural hands to look in and secure the ball. The type that builds up his acceleration nicely, demonstrating the athletic agility to adjust to the ball in flight. Works hard to make adjustments to uncover and has the quick vision to come back for the ball when the pocket is pressured. Used more in the slot than as a deep threat, but builds to top speed quick enough to be a valid target in the secondary. Has that short pitter-patter stride that sneaks up on a defender, showing fine body adjustments to get to the ball.

Quickness: Makes quick, precise cuts to gobble up the cushion. Relies more on his quick feet and upper-body power rather than lateral moves to separate after the catch, but is elusive enough to gain some yardage going over the middle. More the type that needs to build up to top speed rather than generate suddenness. Coordination and eye quickness sees him get his hands up nicely to secure the ball away from the frame without having to break stride. Comes off the ball with good urgency, keeping his pads down and hands extended to help him avoid getting rerouted.

Route Running: This is what Butler does best -- run crisp routes while showing the lateral agility and balance to elude after the catch. Sharp in his cuts and does a nice job of sinking his weight to get under most balls thrown to him in the short-to-intermediate areas. Shows tight hips in his patterns, but has the body control to separate. Maintains eye contact with the backfield to work back for the ball and is very effective locating and settling into the zone's soft areas. Showing a good ability to sell his fakes and even though he is used mostly as a zone route runner, he works hard in his patterns and is quick to find the open area. Has the ability to stick and define his cuts and shows decent acceleration in the open.

Separation Ability: Even though he won't win many open-field foot races, Butler is a deceptive route runner who does a nice job of conning and setting up his moves. Sharp making his cuts and is alert to activity in the backfield to come back for the poorly thrown ball. Reads the defensive back's moves well and shows great anticipation ability, knowing when to come in or out on his breaks. Most effective on comeback routes, where his speed is a benefit. Lacks the deep explosion to go vertical, but has good quickness in his stride when working horizontally. Has the hand placement to push off the defender and get valid yardage after the catch.

Ball Concentration: Very alert to the sticks and boundaries. Has the balance and body control to keep his feet along the sidelines and is fearless fighting for the ball in a crowd. Does a nice job of making body adjustments in coverage to get to the ball at its high point. More effective on short-to-intermediate routes, but also does a nice job of settling into the zone's soft spot.

Ball Adjustment: The thing you always see on film is that Butler will make every effort to get to the ball, especially in a crowd. Has the loose hips and body control to get to the off-target tosses and looks very natural extending for the ball in flight. Determined to come up with the ball in traffic and has that body-contortion agility to work his way under the ball to catch it in stride. Uses his body control and balance to catch and turn with the ball without having to gather in his cuts and will generally put himself in good position to catch the ball with his hands extended.

Leaping Ability: Times his leaps well and had just seven of 79 passes targeted to him be deflected by the opposition during his senior year at Penn State. Uses his body well when executing his vertical skills and does a good job of securing and catching the ball, despite absorbing some punishing hits. Demonstrates the proper timing to get to the ball at its highest point. Seems to have that natural ability to get comfortable in adjusting to make the tough grab.

Hands: A natural hands catcher who can secure all the throws in his area. Shows the ball adjustment and body-control agility to extend and snatch outside his frame. Has never turned the ball over during his career, so you know his ball control is good. Generates proper hand placement to get a good push off the snap and has the softness and extension skills to look the ball in without breaking stride. Lacks the ideal arm length you look for in a receiver, but he looks smooth and natural extending for the ball.

Run After the Catch: Has to rely on his straight-line speed and savvy moves to separate after the catch. Lacks the strength to run through arm tackles or the loose hips to simply fly past defenders in the open field. However, he has the vision to settle into the soft areas on the field. Not the type that will get much yardage after the initial hit, but if given room, he can jitterbug for good distance with the ball.

Blocking Ability: Because of his lack of size and weight-room strength, Butler is not going to blow up bigger defenders, especially at the line of scrimmage. Will give great effort, but is just lacking the bulk and big hand punch to sustain. Willingly gets in the way of the defender, but is better stalking in the second level than when asked to block in-line.

Compares To: WAYNE CHREBET, ex-New York Jet -- Much like Chrebet, Butler is a solid slot receiver and good route runner whose balance and lateral agility allow him to ride up on a defensive back and easily separate after the catch. He needs to improve his overall strength, as he is a marginal in-line blocker, but he will not hesitate to face up to an opponent. It is his deceptive quickness and balance that allow him to set up his moves and separate. With teams relying more on multiple receiver formations, Butler is a perfect fit for the slot receiver position.

There's little not to like about Deon Butler.  He has the size, quickness, hands, and fearless nature to be an effective slot receiver for the Colts.  While he's not a deep threat, he is a field stretcher.  Whether the Colts want to draft a guy to play on the outside, allowing them to move Anthony Gonzalez back inside... or if Gonzalez proved so valuable on the outside that the Colts see more value in getting a slot receiver, is yet to be seen.  If they are looking for a slot receiver, however, Deon Butler brings just about everything the Colts could want at that position on the field.

ANOTHER SCOUTING REPORT - FFToolbox.com

Quan Cosby - Texas

Photo
Highlights 2009 Fiesta Bowl
Laying a Big Block
Wrestling for the Ball and Running for the TD
Combine Video

5'9", 196 lbs.
4.50 40 Yard Dash, 4.47 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.28 3-Cone Drill
34.5 Inch Vertical Jump, 28 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
92 Receptions, 1,123 Yards, 10 TDs (12.2 Yds./Avg)
6 Punt Returns, 38 Yards (6.3 Yds./Avg)
17 Kick Returns, 350 Yards (20.6 Yds./Avg)

INJURIES:
None listed.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Short, but has a compact, athletic build. Good quickness off the snap to avoid press coverage. At least adequate straight-line speed. Savvy route-runner who varies his speed and can sneak behind the defense deep. Can drop his hips and shows good burst out of his break to generate separation. Secure hands. Looks the ball into his hands and secures it quickly. Best attribute might be his body control. Times his leaps extraordinarily well to reach the ball at its highest level and can lay out to make the spectacular grab. Fierce competitor who makes plays on the ball despite being out-sized. Averaged 23.7 yards per kickoff return and 11.7 per punt return, with one score on each, over his career. Good character and mature; a husband and father.

Small, yet tough, pass catcher who does the little things well. Runs sharp routes, quickly gets into breaks, and stays low on exit. Comes back to the ball, effectively uses his frame to shield away opponents, and looks the pass into his hands. Adjusts to the errant throw, lays out for the difficult reception, and consistently catches the ball away from his body. Works his way across the field, finds the open spot in the defense, and finds a way to get open. Effectively uses the sidelines, playing with good balance and body control. Gives effort blocking.

Quan Cosby is a savvy receiver.  Like Butler he works well across the field, finds the soft spots in the defense.  Cosby has the ability to get up to the ball at its peak and has the hands to secure any pass within his reach.  More developed physically.

Weaknesses: Measured in considerably smaller than expected at the Senior Bowl. Lacks the height scouts prefer on the outside and may struggle with the adjustment inside, where his body control and leaping ability is minimized. Older than most NFL rookies (26) due to his time playing minor league baseball. May lack the straight-line speed to challenge deep in the NFL.

Struggles going up against large defensive backs. Despite his forty time at the combine, he does not present himself as a vertical threat.

The biggest question-mark about Quan Cosby is his age.  He'll be 27 years old in his rookie year.  However, the upside of that is that he's arguably more mature, fully developed and could be considered a "what you is what you get" kind of guy.  In the Colts system he'd have to move inside, and while his experience is on the outside, nothing I have learned about Cosby leads me to believe that he would hav ea real struggle making that transition.

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes: Ran decent routes and showed adequate hands but nothing about his game really stood out.

Tuesday Practice Notes: Cosby was effective today and improved on a solid opening practice.  He ran crisp routes, effectively used his body to protect the ball and made several nice grabs.  He looked impressive making one catch when Derek Pegues was draped on his back.

Wednesday Practice Notes: Once again Cosby had a real good day.  His routes remain crisp and he constantly gets separation.  Cosby has very sure hands and did not drop anything.

Thursday Practice Notes:  No notes.

Analysis:  Cosby continued the momentum of a terrific senior campaign here in Mobile.  He played much bigger than his listed size and showed a lot of natural pass catching skills.  Size and speed limitations will push him into the later rounds yet like McKinley, Cosby can be a productive 4th/5th receiver in the NFL.

Cosby's performance at Senior Bowl practices lends credibility to idea that he truly is a "what you see is what you get" type of player.  He has sure-hands.  He aggressively goes after the football, can wrestle away from defenders.  Cosby is not afraid of sacrificing his body to block.  Cosby is also a solid return man who would likely excel in that ability very quickly.  His biggest potential upside is that he might be a very low round pick who could produce very quickly because he's already fully developed physically and shouldn't change much regardless of where he goes or what specific position he is asked to play.

ANOTHER SCOUTING REPORT - FFToolbox.com

COMPARISON:

Deon Butler and Quan Cosby are very similar players on the football field.  Both are smaller receiver who have excellent hands, are fearless, run excellent routes, and have been consistent in their play and ability throughout their college careers.  Butler has more youth, potentially a bit more room to develop physically and as a player but would require a higher pick.  Cosby is higher in age, fully developed physically, and brings a similar game to Butler but would require a later draft pick.  Both players could bring dynamic return ability.  Which of these two guys would you select?  Which has the better value?  Butler in the 4th or Cosby in the 5th?

YOU DECIDE

WR is one of the most debated positions amongst Colts fans in this draft.  Some believe a WR is a no-brainer in the 1st Round of the upcoming draft, others are not convinced that a 1st Round talent is necessary for the Colts passing offense to succeed and that depth options are available later in the draft.  For those considering later picks at the position, two names which have garnered a great deal of attention are Johnny Knox out of Abilene Christian and Mike Wallace out of Ole Miss.  Knox, of course, got the attention of the entire league at the NFL Combine with his blazing speed.  Wallace also has blazing speed and brings an impressive special teams resume to the draft.  If both players are available in the 5th or 6th Round of the upcoming draft, which player would you choose if you could snag only one?

Johnny Knox - Abilene Christian

Photo
Draft Guys TV
Combine Video

6'0", 185 lbs.
4.29 40 Yard Dash, 4.15 20 Yard Shuttle, 6.81 3-Cone Drill
35 Inch Vertical Jump, 12 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
56 Receptions, 1,069 Yards, 13 TDs (19.1 Yds./Avg)
1 Rush, 16 Yards
13 Punt Returns, 96 Yards (7.4 Yds./Avg)
3 Kick Returns, 75 Yards (25 Yds./Avg)

INJURIES:
None listed.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Adequate height with wiry upper body strength and good muscle definition in his arms. Not your typical slight small-school receiver. Good initial quickness off the snap to get into his route. Reliable hands; snatches the ball and adjusts to poor throws. Gets up to high-point and secure the catch. Sinks his hips and displays quick feet going into and out of routes. Has good vision and is elusive running in the open field. Works hard to block downfield, and will sustain and even dominate against smaller corners. Experienced as a punt returner.

Explosive pass catcher with reliable hands and game-breaking speed. Displays a lot of quickness to his game, immediately gets to top speed and runs sharp routes, getting separation from defenders. Shows good field awareness and always on the same page as the quarterback. Consistently extends to make the reception away from his frame, and possesses soft hands. Plays with terrific balance, body control, and easily makes the difficult reception running full speed. Possesses good eye/hand coordination, nicely adjusts the errant throw, and makes the reception in stride. Consistently finds the open space in the defense, comes back into the clearing to make himself an available target, and effectively uses his frame to shield away defenders.

Johnny Knox is a VERY intriguing WR prospect.  Had he played at a larger school and had the chance to display his talents against big school competition, he'd be talked about as a potential day 1 draft pick.  Knox has speed, we all know, but he also brings strong route running and reliable hands to the picture.  At 6'0" tall he's an inch taller than Gonzalez, the same size and Marvin Harrison, and has the kind of game-breaking ability in the passing game we've not seen since Marvin was in his prime.  Add to all that a surprise for many of you, he is experienced as a punt returner and posted a respectable average of over 7 yards an attempt.  Knox could very well be a late round gem in this draft and in many respects, bring more to the table than Pierre Garcon did last year as a small school candidate.  No, he did not put up Garcon's gaudy numbers but in pure physical, athletic and football ability... he may well be the stronger candidate.

Weaknesses: Thin through the hips and legs. Gets a lot of his yardage after short routes, screens and swing passes. Lacks elite speed or quickness, but had enough to be special at the FCS level. Easily tripped up in the open field. Does not switch the ball to the outside hand. Despite his strong effort, he lacks the bulk and strength to be effective against NFL defenders. Dances and runs backward too much after the catch or on returns - will not get away with that at the next level.

Choppy with his footwork into breaks. Does not consistently translate his timed speed onto the football field. Has a thin build and must get stronger, as he is likely to have difficulty handling jams in the NFL.

As with any other candidate in the draft, Knox could improve in a number of areas.  The upside of his weaknesses is that all of them are things that can be taught or handled through appropriate time with the training staff.  The Colts have one of the most respected WR coaches in the NFL who has been able to get the most out of his back-ups when they have come into the game, although those back-ups were ridiculed by fans.  With a little time in the weight room, some work on his fundamentals, and time with NFL-level coaching Knox could be very dangerous as a slot receiver in the NFL... particularly with Peyton Manning throwing him the football.

PROFESSIONAL SCOUTING REPORT - Dave-Te' Thomas, CBSSports.com

Dave-Te' Thomas Biographical Information

Body Structure: Has a wiry, yet cut frame with adequate width in his shoulders and chest, good lean muscle development and low body fat, but he is too thin in his legs and hips. Needs further strength and bulk development, but his frame might be at maximum growth potential without the additional weight affecting his best asset -- his explosive speed.

Athletic Ability: Has outstanding quickness and good athletic agility. Shows the flexibility, burst and acceleration to get behind the defender consistently, but seems more comfortable working on controlled routes than threatening the deep areas of the secondary. Has good feet and an exciting second gear on the move. Runs with a normal stride, but is quick to turn on the after-burners. Has good balance and change-of-direction agility. Shows the second-level speed and explosiveness with a fluid natural running motion to run past most defenders in isolated coverage.

Football Sense: Needs route refinement and must show better determination to run with the ball, as he does a lot of dancing after the catch rather than just turning and heading upfield. Has the functional vision not to run into spots often. Finds the open areas quickly and does a nice job of working back for the ball, but relies more on his speed rather than football experience. A good learner, but needs a few reps and is still developing his retention skills.

Character: A team player and a decent student, but did not have the academic standing to apply for a major college coming out of high school. A conscientious person and a sociable sort with no known off-field issues.

Competitiveness: Aggressive going for the ball in a crowd, but would have better success if he can improve his marginal-to-adequate strength. Has developed that ability to come through in the clutch. Despite his almost frail-looking frame, he is very tough and determined going for the ball. When on his "game," he will give a good, consistently high effort and is the sort that will play through minor pain.

Work Habits: Still maturing, but football is important to him. A good worker in all areas, a team-first guy who is generally the last to leave the practice field. Will need to be pushed a bit in the weight room, an area that he is sorely lacking in strength, but is the type that will embrace any suggestions from the coaches that will improve his playing ability.

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.21

Release: Has world-class speed that is evident when he gets a clean release off the line, as he is quick to get behind the defender, showing suddenness to eat up the cushion. When he sinks his hips, he is very crisp using his feet to get in and out of his routes, but if he fails to drop his weight, he struggles to get downhill out of his breaks. Has the ability to escape the hold up with solid head fakes, but must generate a stronger push with his hands and not expose his chest so often for the defender to get a piece of his jersey in attempts to reroute. Shows outstanding quickness in his release, with the shiftiness and avoidance ability at the line of scrimmage. Even though he is still developing strength, he does a decent job of eluding with nifty swim and spin moves.

Acceleration: A very productive pass catcher on slants and crossing routes due to his ability to get open quickly. Effective on posts, fades and go routes, but needs to get stronger to have better success navigating through traffic. Has that second- and third-gear burst to run under the ball and get there in a hurry. If a defender hesitates, Knox can change gears and beat him. Quick to uncover and even quicker to separate on short patterns. Shows exceptional ability to get open deep, displaying that superb speed needed to take the ball to the house.

Quickness: Very quick through his routes and shows good movement off the ball, with nice stop-and-go action. Blessed with outstanding quickness on the field, which helps him execute short and sharp cuts. Initial burst is sudden, especially when left uncontested. Quickly gains advantage on the defender due to his speed, but is still learning how to gear down in order to prevent from out-running the ball.

Route Running: For all of his explosive speed, route running is still an inconsistent area for Knox. Needs to be more consistent sinking his weight in order to negotiate out of his breaks better. Does not have the strength to power through tackles, so avoidance is key for him having success catching the ball. Shows too much gather before he gets depth on intermediate patterns. Displays excellent quickness and foot speed in and out of his breaks when he drops his pads. When he plays at a low pad level, he shows good set up and body control, but needs to use his hands better to prevent the defender from attacking him and trying to reroute him with a strong push.

Separation Ability: Needs to refine his cut mechanics and is inconsistent when trying to elude, as he rarely does the same thing twice. Despite his timed speed, he is not as sudden in and out of his breaks as his quickness dictates. Speed and burst should allow him to consistently get past defenders, but he does not have the power to break tackles. Very quick in his running stride, especially when trying to pull and separate with vertical routes and short runs, but must show better leg drive to plant and turn once he has the ball secured.

Ball Concentration: Will not hesitate to stretch and lay out for the ball in a crowd. Might not win many jump-ball battles due to strength issues, but he has the courage and toughness to sacrifice himself in order to make the play. Has good concentration and keeps his eyes on the ball in flight. Still needs to do a better job of being aware of the sticks, but is very adept at working his way back for the pass.

Ball Adjustment: Has the body torque and loose hips to adjust to the ball in flight, but while he has good leaping ability, his timing needs refinement. Quicker to react to the short throws that drift into the deep ones. Shows the ability to make proper adjustments on the ball and is very athletic to turn his body around as he tracks the ball well. Flexibility and ability to turn allow him to excel at adjusting to the off-target passes. While he shows aggression, he lacks the strength to consistently make the catch in traffic.

Leaping Ability: Has very good leaping ability, showing the proper explosiveness to go get the ball and out jump smaller defenders, but he gets bounced around quite a bit by the second-level defenders. Training room vertical jump does not translate when he needs to high point the pass.

Hands: Has reliable hands to look the ball in and catch outside his framework. Problem occurs in ball distribution, as he dances and bounces around too much trying to head upfield, doing so without properly switching the pigskin to his outside hand. Has soft hands to grasp the pigskin and the look-in mechanics with good concentration, but needs to attack the ball better than he does. Has soft, natural hands, but will revert to body catching. Also needs to time his leaps properly to get to the pass at its highest point.

Run After the Catch: Much better separating when taking slants and screens, thanks to his ability to maintain acceleration and turn upfield. Knows he does not have the power to break tackles, but when he gets too cute dancing around and moving backward to try to separate, it usually leads to the defenders recovering to take him down. Has that game-breaking speed with the ball in his hands, but just needs to try the "meat and potatoes" route rather than try to get fancy with the pigskin. A "make you miss" type of receiver who can take a short throw, have the defender grasp at air and then, turn it into a big play. Looks fluid moving in the open field, but has to rely strictly on his speed to separate, as he does not have the strength or frame to battle vs. the bigger defenders.

Blocking Ability: Will give adequate effort, but only to pester. Does not have the power to sustain or wall off. Quick to position as a cut blocker, but not strong enough to make an impact.

Compares To: JACOBY JONES, Houston -- Like Jones, Knox has the speed to simply fly past the defender, but needs to improve his strength in order to beat the press vs. NFL types. With 30 touchdowns over the last two years, he has proven to be capable of making the big play. May be better in the slot, as he has great ability to turn and run on crosses and slants to separate than he does on long patterns. He tracks the ball well and has a fearless attitude operating in a crowd, but he needs to work on sinking his pads and dropping his weight in order to come out of his breaks better when running deep patterns.

The good news on Knox is that he excels where the Colts would likely ask him to excel.  He is at his best on posts, crossing patterns, and is not afraid to go over the middle.  His biggest weakness over the middle is the same as many slot receivers, he's not so large or strong that he'll man-handle larger players like the LBs he'll see in the middle of the field.  However, with some work in the weight-room, some reps with Peyton, and some time to develop, I think he could be a solid slot receiver in a year or two.

Mike Wallace - Ole Miss

Photo
Combine Video

6'1", 199 lbs.
4.28 40 Yard Dash, 4.27 20 Yard Shuttle, 6.90 3-Cone Drill
40 Inch Vertical Jump, 14 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
78 Receptions, 1, 568 Yards, 14 TDs (20.1 Yds./Avg)
20 Rushes, 184 Yards (9.2 Yds./Avg)
35 Kick Returns, 861 Yards, 1 TD (24.6 Yds./Avg)

INJURIES:
None listed.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Stengths: Looks the part. Athletic build with room for additional mass. Rare straight-line speed. Eats up the cushion quickly and can blow by the defender. Smooth acceleration and has a late burst to pull away if being challenged. Can track the ball over his shoulder. Developing into a more reliable route-runner and pass-catcher. Has the foot quickness and balance to be a good route-runner and can sink his hips. Generally uses his hands to make the reception, though he still allows too many into his pads. Has some lateral agility to make defenders miss. Helped himself with a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl.

Game breaking receiver that consistently makes big plays from the line of scrimmage. Quickly gets into pass routes, displays a burst of speed and runs away from defenders in the open field. Nicely makes the reception running full speed and looks the pass into his hands. Gets vertical, grabs the ball from the air and returns to the field on balance then continues running after the reception. Solid athlete who nicely adjusts to the errant throw and makes the catch in stride.

Mike Wallace has the things that Johnny Knox does not, he has been tested against superior competition, he has more size to handle the larger DBs and LBs he'll face in the NFL, and he is likely more polished from day one than Knox.  While  Wallace needs to improve in certain areas of his game, he does an adequate job with his hands, has the same kind of blazing speed Knox posses and is an inch taller, the same height as Reggie Wayne, which could give him the opportunity to reach some balls that Knox could not.  Add to that his game-breaking special teams ability and you have a pretty dynamic weapon.

Weaknesses: Still a work in progress as a route-runner. Learning to sink his hips and explode out of his cuts, as he has to gather himself too much. Struggles a bit against press coverage. Has to use his hands better to gain a quick release. Lets too many passes into his pads, resulting in some ugly drops. Doesn't consistently show the vision and elusiveness in the open field to truly capitalize on his pure speed. Needs an open lane as a returner to break off a big gain.

Not a physically strong receiver. Limited in the types of routes he can run.

If Wallace can learn to be more physical against NFL-level competition and develop his route running, he too could be the kind of slot receiver we'd hope to find in Johnny Knox.  Additionally, with his height and ability to stretch the field, he could play into the Colts system where we like to move personnel around to create mismatches, as he should be effective on the outside as well.  However, the importance of route running cannot be overplayed as Peyton is a timing QB and if his routes are sloppy it could result in incompletions or interceptions.

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes:  The speed is apparent as opposing defensive backs were moving further away from the line and giving an extra cushion.  Wallace also showed a burst with the ability to flip it on.   He caught the ball well yet needs a lot of work on his route running skills.

Tuesday Practice Notes: Wallace again showed tremendous burst and speed.  He quickly gets off the line then immediately opens it up.  He ran past defensive backs on a number of occasions and showed himself as the top deep threat on the South.  For the most part he caught the ball extremely well.

Wednesday Practice Notes: Opponents have trouble staying with Wallace down the field but there's one thing we've noticed; Wallace does struggle catching the ball if he's not running in a straight line.  On a number of occasions balls slipped through his fingers on crossing routes.

Thursday Practice Notes:  Really caught the ball well and made several nice receptions running corner patterns.  Used his size well.

Analysis:   Wallace stood out in a variety of ways this week.  He's an explosive pass catcher who can turn on his burst in a single step.  You could see how defensive backs stepped back a few extra yards when Wallace lined-up across from them.  He needs to develop his game and improve his route running as well as catching the ball when moving laterally yet Wallace did a very good job in Mobile.

The biggest concern for Wallace is that he's weak in an area that Knox is strong, crossing patterns and posts which require him to extend his hands in front of him and secure the catch laterally are a glaring weakness.  He'll often be asked to run these patterns in the Colts offense and will need to improve on his hands in those routes and his route-running ability before he'll be a regular part of the passing game.  Wallace would be refined to special teams play until such time as he could develop these attributes.

COMPARISON:

Both Knox and Wallace are speedy, deep-threat WRs with the ability to stretch the field.  Wallace excels catching the body over his shoulders while Knox excels catching the ball on crossing patterns and posts.  Knox is a decent route-runner but could use some work while Wallace is probably requires more work on this area of his game.  Wallace is a prove kick returner while Knox is a proven punt returner.  Which of these project WRs would develop the quickest or have the greater impact is tough to decide.  As such, I leave it to you.

YOU DECIDE

Next in the YOU DECIDE series on DBs is a comparison of Chip Vaughn and Michael Hamlin.  Both players have sparked the interest of the Colts and Colts fans.  Additionally, both players seem to be potential fits not only as SS depth for Sander but also as potential Cato June type players at LB in the strong nickel packages.  One is more adept at pass coverage while the other is better against the run so the Colts will have a choice to make about which attribute is more important.  If Vaughn and Hamlin are both available late in the 3rd, which player would you select?

Chip Vaughn - Wake Forest

Photo
Draft Prospect
Highlights
Combine Video

6'2", 221 lbs.
4.42 40 Yard Dash, 4.12 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.03 3-Cone Drill
37 Inch Vertical Jump, 21 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
87 Tackles, 28 Assists, 2.5 TFL, 2 INTs, 6 PBUs, 2 FR

INJURIES:
2007: Suffered a concussion in the North Carolina State game in November.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Looks the part. Rare size and upper-body development for the position. Aggressive defender that attacks in run support. Reliable open-field tackler. Heavy hitter that can separate the ballcarrier from the ball, resulting in forced fumbles and passes broken up. Appears to have at least adequate straight-line speed, good balance and a low backpedal. Good leaping ability to battle for the ball. Has developed a reputation for game-changing plays over his career. Came to Wake Forest as a wide receiver and is still an ascending player.

Large, forceful safety who displays good awareness in centerfield. Effectively diagnoses the action, plays disciplined football, and stays with assignments. Works well with cornerbacks, and displays solid ball skills as well as coverage abilities between the numbers. Forceful up the field and squares into tackles, bringing ball handlers down at the point of attack.

Chip Vaughn is a fierce defender and lays crushing blows on his opponents.  He is arguably the best run defender amongst the safeties in this draft and has the vision and awareness in a zone coverage scheme to whack the receiver just as the ball is arriving, separating him from the ball.  In my mind, Vaughn looks more Bob Sanders-like than any safety I've seen in the draft since Sanders was drafted.  He'll probably not get many interceptions, like Sanders, not only because he's not often asked to do so in the scheme but also because he tends to stay in space tracking the ball than spend his time in man-coverage. 

Weaknesses: Better in run support than against the pass. Questionable instincts. A step slow in recognizing the action and has a hitch in his turn. May lack the agility to mirror routes. Better facing the quarterback. Loses track of the ball and has only marginal hand-eye coordination for the interception. Surrounded by a great deal of talent at Wake Forest.

Lacks great speed to the sidelines and usually a half-step late arriving on the scene, trying to make plays out to the flanks. Shows minimal quickness and explosion to his game. Has off-the-field issues that may raise red flags.

The biggest concern for a team like the Colts will be Vaughn's off-field issues.  What I cannot find is particulars about Vaughn's issues and it seems whatever the problem was it was minor as his punishment was only to sit out the first half of the 2008 season-opener.  Otherwise, Vaughn's strengths and weaknesses play right into what is typical of SS for the Colts.  With time to develop, and he does still have upside, he could become an even stronger player with a year behind Sanders/Bethea.  Until then, he has all the tools ,the nose for the football and the field-vision to be a solid special teams contributor.

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes:  Vaughn struggled in one-on-one pass cover drills but looked real good in centerfield.  He has terrific sideline-to-sideline range and covers a lot of area on the field.  Vaughn also made several nice plays helping out cornerbacks on the deep throw.

Tuesday Practice Notes: The more you see Vaughn the more you like him.  He's not flashy or explosive just very steady in centerfield and does a great job constantly putting himself in a position to make plays or help out the cornerbacks.

Wednesday Practice Notes:  Vaughn has shown steady improvement all week.  During drills he did a great job battling the quicker Mike Thomas to defend the pass.  

Thursday Practice Notes: No notes.

Analysis:  When Vaughn was used as a traditional safety he performed well.  When asked to play man coverage he struggled.  Overall it was a good week for the Wake Forest safety who likely moved into the third round.

Vaughn's performance at Senior Bowl practices supported what most knew about him from watching his tape at Wake Forest already.  He is not an overly effective pass defender in coverage.  He is strongest in space in a zone but can support over the top when he is needed and covers a lot of ground.  Additionally, Vaughn showed the ability to be coached and to develop quickly when asked to make adjustments by NFL level coaches.

ANOTHER SCOUTING REPORT - MockingtheDraft.com

Michael Hamlin - Clemson

Photo
Highlights
Draft Prospect

6'2", 214 lbs.
4.57 40 Yard Dash, 4.42 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.14 3-Cone Drill
37.5 Inch Vertical Jump, 17 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
110 Tackles, 36 Assists, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 10 PBUs, 2 QB Pressures, 6 INTs

INJURIES:
2006: Suffered a fifth metatarsal bone fracture in his left foot during fourth quarter action vs. Boston College in September, missing the next three games.
2007: Left the Chick-fil-A Bowl with an undisclosed injury.
2009: Suffered a hamstring pull working out nine days prior to Pro Day.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Rangy player with the frame to add an additional 10-15 pounds of mass.  Quick to come up in run support.  Willing to take on blocks to get to the action.  Reliable tackler in the open field who flashes hitting ability.  Wrap-up tackler who looks to punch or rip the ball out to create a turnover.  Instinctive in coverage. Reads the quarterback's eyes and gets a good break on the ball due to his feel for the game.  Natural hands for the interception.  Competes for the ball and can time his leap to catch it at its highest point.  Good vision and elusiveness with the ball in his hands.  Cerebral player who lines up the Clemson defensive backfield and was voted a permanent team captain as a junior.

Large, athletic safety who is a force on the field when he applies himself. Moves well on his feet, works well with cornerbacks, and gets vertical to defend the pass. Forceful up the field in run defense, and jars opponents with hard hits. Solid tackler when he squares into ball handlers and wraps up. Displays a closing burst of speed, and plays with a good degree of explosion. 

Michael Hamlin's strong suit is his pass coverage.  He excels in zone coverage and reads the offense well, making strong breaks on the ball by reading the QB.  He flashes big hit ability, similar to Antoine Bethea, and is not afraid of stepping up to make an impact defending the run.  One could say that Hamlin is a bit more of a well-rounded S prospect while Vaughn is more of a physical run supporter with the ability to help over the top but without the ball skills a lot of teams look for from their safeties.  His taller/leaner frame keeps him from being more physical on the field but he could bulk up if asked to without losing much of his quickness or agility.

Weaknesses: Questionable straight-line speed.  Much better with his eyes pointed toward the quarterback, as he lacks the deep speed most teams want as the deep safety.  Reliable open-field tackler, but lacks bulk and explosive hitting ability to be an intimidator over the middle.  Durability red flags: broke both feet in his career, missing three games in 2006 after breaking one against Boston College and undergoing postseason surgery after the 2007 season with a stress fracture in the other.

Inconsistent on the field, and his statistics are a bit misleading. Late arriving on the scene in coverage, slow getting to the sidelines, and he does not always play to his size. 

One of my biggest worries about the film on Hamlin is that it is dominated by his interceptions.  That gives me the impression that he can make big plays but may not be consistent on the field in all aspects of the game.  You always want to get a guy who will be consistent and not one who will only show flashes if you have a choice.  It is this attributes of the differences between Hamlin and Vaughn that makes me feel a little more confidence in Vaughn's ability to have a successful career in the NFL.  However, if he has superior ball skills and stands 6'2" tall, he could be a deep zone answer to the larger receivers with smaller cornerbacks on the outside.

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes: Hamlin was unimpressive to us.  He does not think quickly on his feet and is very hesitant to make a decision in pass coverage.  He very much looks the part but must pick up his awareness when the ball is in the air.

Tuesday Practice Notes:  Hamlin was smooth moving about the field yet for the most part was non-existent when it came to making plays.

 Wednesday Practice Notes:  No notes.

Thursday Practice Notes:  No notes.

Analysis:   Looks like Tarzan- plays like Jane.....

Not a shining review of Hamlin to say the least.  Hopefully the majority of Hamlin's problems were scheme related.  He seems more suited for a zone scheme and it's rather possible that the Senior Bowl practices focused more on man-coverage and took Hamlin a bit out of his game.  For that reason, the Senior Bowl reports are good for certain insights but weaker for others.

ANOTHER SCOUTING REPORT - FFToolbox.com

COMPARISON:

While both Hamlin and Vaughn are big compared to our current safeties, they have different games.  Hamlin seems more of a finesse player who excels in zone coverage but flashes the ability to make plays against the run and punish opponents.  Vaughn is more of a pass support guy, with the ability to get deep and help but not much by way of ball skills.  However, Vaughn is a punishing tackler and excels stopping the run.  He too is a product of a zone scheme who will excel playing in space.  Which player do the Colts need more?  A great coverage safety with the ability to bulk up more, or a head-hunting punishing tackles who will excel in run defense and play a deep support role for the CBs?

YOU DECIDE