Everyone wants to put in their opinion about how bad the Colts will be this year or how Peyton's injury is super severe. I respect everyone's opinions and we'll have to wait until December to see who is right and wrong, but I just want to point out a couple things that might change your perspective about whether or not Kerry Collins can get the job done.

• Kerry Collins a two time Pro-Bowler, most recently in 2008. 
• He is ranked 11th on the NFL's All Time Passing Yards list. He is also 10th for All Time Total Offense.
• The receivers that he's thrown to can best be described as average. They include: Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard, Jeremy Shockey, Jerry Porter, and Randy Moss (during the Oakland years, enough said). None of these guys are really on par with Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.
• He is very familiar with Bill Polian, who was the G.M. that drafted him, and Jim Caldwell, who was his Qbs coach briefly at Penn State. This can only help as far as communication goes.
• He lead Penn State in 1994 to a perfect season. Not something that any QB can do. 
• He lead the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in '96, only to be beaten by the Green Bay Packers who then went on to win Brett Favre's only Super Bowl victory. He also lead the NY Giants to the 2000 Super Bowl where they lost against the Ravens who had what many consider one of the best defenses of all time.
• Over the past 3 seasons, Collins has a higher QB rating (76.0) than the Jags Luke McCown (52.9) and the Titans Matt Hasselbeck (68.7). We still don't have the worst QB situation in our division.

I'm not saying that Kerry Collins is going to be as good as Peyton Manning, or even that if he starts the entire season we'll be better than 8-8. All I'm saying is, this guy is a competitor, and if Peyton comes back within 6 weeks of the season, we might still be in contention.

Also here are some links worth watching.

2002 Colts vs Giants

Penn State's "The Drive"

While being interviewed Tuesday, a reporter asked Jim Caldwell if the Colts signing Randy Moss was possible. He refused to rule it out, saying,

 "I've just learned to say never say never about anything because you just don't know. Never say never, that's the point I'm making not necessarily from an interest level but whether or not he would ever play for us but whether or not he would ever play for us I think that's often time the question you would ask."

I know that the Colts signing him is less likely than Moss resigning with the Vikings, but I would welcome it. If we sign him with the mentality that we will only let positives occur. Zero tolerance policy. One slip up, one sign he's not happy, we waive him. It makes sense with the way our WR corps is looking.

So my friends and I were just talking and we couldn't figure out, how much is Peyton's contract going to be worth? How much guaranteed over how many years and with what escalators? 

And since I have yet to make the ever demanding character limit, 

"I want to go see The Book Of Eli.I always wondered what Eli Manning's playbook looked like."

or

"Calvin Klein has offered Tom Brady a deal to appear in a high profile underwear campaign. Odd, everyone already has photos of Brady being undressed by the Giants' defense."

Rotoworld is reporting via the Palm Beach Post that the Colts have shown interest in trading for the Browns kick returner/wide receiver Joshua Cribbs. 

First off, there is no way this trade goes through. Colts trades rarely happen and whenever it leaks that we might be trading for somebody, it usually always fizzles. That being said, I kind of hope we do get him. It would just make the Colts elite in every aspect of the game. 

So what do you think? Should we trade for him or not?

Source: Rotoworld

It has been 328 days since any single Colts runner has had a 100 yard game. (That was Addai against the Texans, his only of the 08 season f.y.i.)

It has been 279 days since Bob Sanders has been in a game. (Including the playoff game against the Chargers, he only played 7 games.)

It has been 228 days since Marvin Harrison was a Colt. (Already?)

It has been 27 days since Gonzo went down with his knee injury. (He's already missed a quarter of the season.)

BUT

It has still been 348 days since the Colts last had a regular season loss. That is astounding. 

My question to you guys is, if you had, and I mean ABSOLUTELY HAD, to pick one person to attribute this success to, who would it be?

• We have an outstanding passing offense this year.
• The running offense is doing better, but still not nearly where I would like for it to be.
• Our offensive line is doing pretty well. It's held up fairly well when passing and has opened what appears to be bigger lanes in the running game.
• Our WR's have shown outstanding toughness. Every man is stepping up big time and making things easier for Peyton. Garcon has done things in the past two games that I never thought he could. He IS the next big Colts WR.
• Our defensive line has returned to its pro-bowl pass rushing form (fingers crossed for Freeney). 
• Our run defense has improved to the point where we are still weak against the run, but we aren't allowing those long runs of a couple years ago and even last year.
• Our linebacking corps I think is the best asset of our defense. We have Session, Brackett, and Hagler all starting. All have at least a season of starting experience under their belt. The depth behind them is astounding too because we have Wheeler (who was being groomed to start this season), Keiaho, a started from last year, and Senn who has showed promise. They all know how to play, and have shown that their play will be good going forward.
• Our cornerbacks have done well when they needed to. They've been beat up this season so far, but Powers has been a decent starter especially for a rookie CB. I won't even mention Tim Jennings. Hayden has played well when able and Marlin Jackson is recovering well from his torn ACL.
• Our safeties have been the most surprising unit of the team. With Sanders out I thought that our deep defense would be mediocre but Bethea has come into his own possibly forming the best safety tandem when Sanders is healthy. Bullit was clutch last year and looks like he will continue it this year.
• Our special teams has finally reach league average. Thank God. 

This story had me thinking about how marriage might have altered the stats of some QB's throughout history and today.

I went through the dates of marriages (and several divorces) and just wanted to see if there was any statistical evidence relating marriage and a loss of "competitive edge." These findings do not take into account what team each quarterback played for, what players were lost around the same time, or significant rule changes which could alter the numbers.

AVERAGE                     GS   Win%     Comp. %   Yds.   TD   INT   RAT.

(Pre) Dan Marino           14    85%        60.6%     3810    33    15    96.3

(Post) Dan Marino          14    57%        59.1%     3566   25    15    84.6

1. (Pre) T. Bradshaw       12    54%       46.7%     1852   10    19    51.4

1. (Post) T. Bradshaw      9     89%        49.4%     1183   10    15    54.5

2. (Pre) T. Bradshaw       10    72%        50.3%     1339   12     9     69.5

2. (Post) T. Bradshaw     12     69%       54.0%      2301   18    15    84.1

(Pre) Peyton Manning     16     54%       60.4%     4096    28    19   85.5

(Post) Peyton Manning    16    71%         66%       4168    31   14   99.5

(Pre) Eli Manning             14    53%        53.7%     2824   19    16   70.6

(Post) Eli Manning           16     81%       60.3%     3238    21    10   86.4

(Pre) Brett Favre              15    61%        62.6%     3706    27    16   86.9

(Post) Brett Favre            16     63%       66.4%     3869    27    19   85.5

Possible Findings

• Dan Marino might have focused less on football after marriage.
• Terry Bradshaw could not have been luckier in the team that drafted him. Without the Steelers defense, no one else would be able to carry him.
• Brett Favre was not affected at all by his marriage as far as the statistics say.
• Perhaps marriage helps quarterbacks with decision making skills or another attribute as all showed significant increases in their statistics afterwards (Marino being the exception.)
• The maturing could also just be adapting to the game or maturing as a person individually.

NOTES

A trend of marriage is seen after 2-3 years of a starting job in the NFL. All players in this post followed this trend.

Eli's post marriage numbers are so high because he had a good year last year. It was first season since marriage.

Peyton is not coincidentally the best overall quarterback shown.

All stats are taken from Pro Football Reference.

Please rec this FanPost! Special thanks to farris6659 for forwarding this enjoyable story to us. I edited the title so folks would get a better idea of the story's subject, and I placed the forwarded email into our quotes box. Enjoy, and thanks again to farris6659. --bbs

I received this e-mail from one of my Vikings friends. Thought I would share it. It seems to be gaining steam as a forward.

Last Friday I was going through the Indianapolis Airport .

People in the Security Check line were grumbling about what nonsense the process was, blah, blah, blah. An elderly lady (in a different line) was struggling with her luggage, pocketbook, etc.
She was also confused about what to do, how to do it, couldn't get her shoes off (and a host of other things).
The Security Officials weren't helping the situation either (they can be mighty callous at times).

I started to move her direction, but before I could get out of the line I was in, a gentleman (close by) sat down all of his stuff, and began to help the lady. I thought he looked familiar, but it didn't register; it was fascinating to see him come to her aid (nobody else was making a move to help!).
He was talking to her, making conversation, helping her untie her shoes, putting her things in one of those bins, and making sure she was AT EASE. He helped her through the screening gate, then calmly put his things on the belt, went through and immediately began to help the lady put her shoes back on, gather her belongings, etc. In the meantime she had reached in her purse to show him pictures of her family.
He made a big fuss over the photos, then asked for a wheelchair so he could get her to her gate. Honestly, it was a Hallmark script. They disappeared down the concourse together... he was pushing the wheelchair and she was jabbering with him. It made me smile....

NOW HERE'S THE KICKER: I got through security and went to get something to drink. Just beyond the little restaurant was a group of people gathered, all excited, shaking hands, etc., and in the center of them was THIS KIND GENTLEMAN who had been helping the lady.

And, guess who it was?
TONY DUNGY, retired coach of the Indianapolis Colts!  I looked at his hand and, SURE' NUFF there was the HUGE diamond Super Bowl ring.

The point:
The elderly lady didn't know who he was, or care WHO HE IS, of would even have known had she been told. HE DID THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON. Important people serve others with a sense of purpose.

These kinds of things are still THE BEST LESSONS EVER. . . . . .

According to Perezhilton.com and Us Weekly, Tom Brady got married Thursday night to the insanely hot Gisele Bundchen. There had been rumors of this happening several times before but apparently it happened at a small reception in California.

Here's hoping to a new child, wife, QB controversy, and a bum knee distracting Brady enough that the Colts can maybe pick him off a couple times when we meet this season.

Brady's Past

Brady's Present

Recently, my friends and I attended the NFL combine. I searched forever online and only found a few tips. I even emailed Kravitz, Phil B, and some other local/national sports writers. All to no avail, so we decided to go down there with our camera and wing it. Here's what we learned.

• Everyone uses the Skywalks. I never understood how the combine could survive in Indy with this weather. I thought coaches would hate it, but these Skywalks have probably been the main factor for the combine staying. You can see everyone you would want to in these hallways.
• All the Skywalks connect hotels to the convention center. It's real easy to just drift around and look for people of interest. In the Skywalks, we met John Clayton (who just stood around talking ALL DAY, it's no wonder he has so much insider info).
• Upstairs at the convention center is where most of the formal meetings happen. You can't go into the conference rooms, but you can catch coaches to and from. That's how we got a picture with Jim Caldwell.
• Downstairs is usually more quiet than upstairs, so if there are going to be any formal interviews, it's going to be down here. That's how we got a picture with Brad Childress. Also, some players use these long hallways to warm up and practice before they are tested. We were able to see University of South Caroline TE, Jared Cook. He was practicing the 40 yard dash. According to Rotoworld, he ended up leading all TE's in the 40 time, vertical leap, and broad jump.
• Around lunchtime, if you are able to afford Shula's or other similar restaurants then I would advise eating there. Unfortunately for my friends and I, we are college students so we settled for the dining court. We caught John Fox enjoying some Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom there.
• Early in the morning I think there might be some overall conference that everyone attends in the Luke, so we waited outside and caught John Harbaugh.
• Hotel Lobbies are also a hot spot. We caught Jim Schwartz there and barely missed Andy Reid.
• Look to avoid professional autographer seekers. They usually only focus on players, but I don't think NFL execs appreciate them.
• We generally avoided bother players though as a rule of thumb because we figured that they would need to concentrate on their chance to get their names out.

Overall, it was great. The Combine was really fan friendly and all the coaches were happy to take pictures (I secretly think Jim Schwartz was even happy to be recognized). From what I could tell we were the only people there looking to see coaches so you don't have to worry about competing with other fans. I would suggest this to anyone who wants to meet NFL coaches and others.

All the Pictures

Rotoworld.com is reporting via NFL.com that we have resigned Kelvin Hayden to a 5 year 43 million dollar contract. There is reportedly 22.5 million guaranteed.

This really changes things because before, Adam Schefter (the only viable inside reporter) said that we would cut Marvin to make room for the franchise tag. Does anybody know if this contract would put us over the cap limit? Maybe Marvin restructured? I'm just glad that we got this done becuase Hayden will be an NFL star one day.

I'm glad that Peyton, who was the only real candidate for MVP, won it. But, around the league several people were pulling for Pennington, Rivers, or Turner.

Turner- 2.3 YAC, longest carry 13 yards, 7 yards receiving

Rivers- 20 of 36 for 217 yards, 55.6% completion, 1 interception, 61.9 QB rating

Pennington- 25 of 38 for 65.8% completion, 4 interceptions, 53.7 QB rating

Manning- 25 of 42 for 59.5% completion, no interceptions, 90.4 QB rating

In what world could people argue with those numbers?

The Colts are one of the most committed teams to the draft only approach. But I'm just going to get right to it, does it really work?  Yes, we make the playoffs years after year, but when it comes down to the playoffs would we have different outcomes with experienced tried and true free agents than what Dungy is given to work with?

I'm not saying let's go out and throw cash around for free agents, but let's be honest, we need to bolster a lot of positions on our team and usually drafting leads to players that take 2 or even 3 years to mature into reliable players. I for one, would not be against trading up in the draft to grab a good power running back or a wide receiver with pure speed. If we don't take that route, then maybe we should trade for a big name defensive tackle. If we can find a way to make it work under the cap, then we should.

Is anyone else sick of how many flags are being thrown in the NFL this season? I understand that some need to be, but the sheer amount I see is staggering. Not that I love Florio, but he has a story about it right here.

It's not even the amount that upsets me, it's when they pick them up and say there wasn't a penaltly. In my opinion, when a ref throws a flag, he better call a damn penalty on something. During the 49'ers Cards game Kurt Warner was flagged for intentional grounding, but the ref decided to pick it up.  He literally said that he "conferred with #14 and he said he was throwing it to #34 so there was no penalty on the play." That is absolute bullshit, since when can a player affect a flag like that. Later on in that same game, Singletary threw a challenge flag that the ref let him pick up. Yet again, if you throw a challenge flag, you better challenge something that happened on the damn field.

These flags are slowing down the game and only leading to the ease of throwing more. If you throw a flag, call something god damnit.

Reggie Wayne- It is obvious to me that the Colts put Reggie through some tipped ball drills this past week because he just knew where they were. After the first half of the season where tipped balls would lead to Peyton picks, they're starting to lead to touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison- Is anyone else pissed off about how hard everyone in the media is on him? It's true that he's been dropping passes, but that doesn't mean he's not the player he used to be. I still believe that the timing between Peyton and him is off. He burned everyone on those 2 drops Sunday. You can teach hands, not speed. Also, I bet come playoff time Marvin's timing is back. Look for him to absolutely erupt.

Anthony Gonzalez- If I remember right, he had a first down grab yesterday. He also had a drop in which he was going to get completely smashed. I think we're going to see more of him going forward.

Pierre Garcon- The one catch he had yesterday showed why we haven't seen him earlier.

Roy Hall- Where is he? I'm just waiting for him to explode on the scene. I think he has the ability to be a Brandon Marshall-esque receiver without the tears.

I went to pick up my Madden 09 at midnight at the GameStop in the Tippecanoe Mall and I've been playing it off and on. Overall all I'd say it's a pretty big improvement over last year's, but there are still some of the same flaws. 

As far as the Colts go, I'm pretty happy with a lot of the rankings.

• Anthony Gonzalez is an 80, which is sort of low, but I'm sure he'll move up with some roster updates after he proves himself even more this season.
  
• Tony Ugoh is an 88 and at only 24 years old is one of the best tackles in the game to trade for in franchise.
  
• MIke Pollak is our starting right guard over Charlie Johson (Thank God). He's a 78. That's not bad for a 2nd round pick.
  
• Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are almost identical. They're both 95's. Freeney is older and stronger, but Mathis is more agile, aware, and a better tackler. I'm not sure if I agree with the awareness.
  
• Marcus Howard is a 74 with 87 speed.
  
• Ed Johnson is an 86, I would have put him around an 88, but it's fair enough.
  
• Hagler is a generous 81, while Clint Session is only a 75. Obviously the EA guys didn't see the Colts-Chargers regular season game last year.
  
• Phillip Wheeler is a 74.
  
• Both Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are 87's. They should easily be approaching 90 if not higher. If Dre Bly and Champ Bailey are 89 and 97 respectively, than our cornerbacks should at least be 92's.
  
• Antoine Bethea is a 93 and the reigning Defensive MVP is a 99.
  
• And if you couldn't have guessed, Peyton is a 99, Reggie is a 97, Marvin is a 96, and Addai is a 91.
  

Just for Humor,

• Calvin Johnson is a 91. Can you say overrated?
• Jason David is a 73, in my opinion that's the most accurate ranking in the entire game.
• Brett Favre retires after one year with the Jets in franchise mode.
• Tom Brady's arrogance rating is a 100.

According to Profootballtalk.com (the most slanted butching of journalism on the web), the Colts signed quarterback Quinn Gray.

Florio states that this move "could be interpreted as a sign that franchise quarterback Peyton Manning might not be recovered from knee surgery in time for the start of the regular season."

Uhhh.....so since we signed a quarterback that can not even manage a game with other free agents out there like Daunte Culpepper, Aaron Brooks, and Byron Leftwich, we don't have faith in Peyton's recovery? More like he's just another camp body. If Florio thinks that we actually brought in Gray, who was cut earlier this season by the Texans for not catching on fast enough, to learn our playbook before preseason or even start a game of regular season, he's smoking something. I'd choose Sorgi.

Among other things, we're also supposed to have interest in Jared Lorenzen a.k.a. The Hefty Lefty. Who knows, maybe he could rotate into the offensive line?

I was just watching the free NFL films recap of the Colts 2004 season, and I couldn't help but break a huge smile across my face when it shows Reggie Wayne running in for a touchdown versus the Broncos in the playoffs. While it was awesome to see Reggie scoring, I wasn't smiling because of him, I was smiling because of the block that Marvin put on Champ Bailey. If anyone has Comcast and gets the free channel I highly suggest watching it. It's always fun to see the Colts dominate people bigger than them.

According to Profootballtalk.com, Indy is 9 million dollars over the cap limit for the 2008 season. Right now the cap limit is expected to be around 116 million, but the Colts are at 125 million. We're the most over the expected cap in the league, with the Redskins in second at 123 millions, and the Panthers at 120 million.

Who are we cutting, or whose contract is going to get mixed up to put us under?

http://beta.profootballtalk.com/2008/02/19/panthers-colts-skins-needs-to-trim-cap-space/

Linebacker:

Demorrio Williams: After a good sophomore year with 128 tackles, his production has faded, but his potential is still there.

Boss Bailey: He's just another average linebacker, but he would help with depth. If it helps, his brother is Champ Bailey. Do you think their parents thought highly of their kids enough to name them Champ and Boss?

Secondary:

Domenique Foxworth: Young cornerback with decent coverage skill, but that's not what makes him appealing. Foxworth can also double as a safety.

Mike Doss: Our old friend. I remember making fun of him during last year's rally at the dome because he was running around like he helped. If it weren't for his ACL tear, Bethea wouldn't have gotten where he is today, but Doss would still make an above average back-up. He only had 6 tackles this season, so a trip back home for at least a season might not be out of line.

Defensive Linemen:

Corey Williams: If or more like when Haynesworth gets franchise tagged, Williams might be the best defensive tackle on the market. He was worked in rotation with Green Bay this season, and had two games with two sacks in them.

Jovan Haye: He's young and quick. He's from Tampa Bay, so like Booger, we know that he fits in the Tampa 2. This past season he had six sacks.

Bobby McCray: While his stats are eye popping, he seems to have a real knack for forcing fumbles. He can play both left and right defensive end.

Travis LaBoy: He's not very durable, but he can come in to help Freeney or Mathis rest on obvious passing downs.

Okay I'm done, so comment on all three articles as much as you would like.

I know, Polian and Dungy don't go into free agency, but this year I think it might be different in order to gain more depth. Even with that belief I'm not saying that we will sign a single one of these players, but these are ones fit roles we need.

Wide Receivers:

Bryant Johnson: He's been told he's not going to get re-signed because of the cap problem in Arizona. He's 6'3 and he's young. He's got okay return skills because of his speed. He would make a great fit into our offense.

Andre' Davis: Amazing returner who revitalized his career this year by stepping up when required because of injuries. The Texans are trying to keep him, but it's not a guarantee.

Jerome Mathis: Another player from the Texans, he's shown poor receiving skills, but returning is his specialty. He might have problems with injuries.

Devery Henderson: I cannot tell you how much I was amazed by him two years ago, but this season, he seemed to have lost his connection with his hand eye coordination. He's fast and young, like many receivers, and will come cheap because of this season's hand problems. I think the Colts could straighten him out, and make him one of the deepest threats in the league.

Jabar Gaffney: The only Patriot wide receiver around this year that witnessed the meltdown the Patriots had in the dome, he was always peaking in games at the right time. His touchdown catch in the Ravens game and another touchdown catch from the play dubbed the flea flicker fumble were two of the most exciting plays I saw all season.

D.J. Hackett: He had great back to back games in weeks 10 and 11 when he got significant playing time due to Deion Branch's injury, though he developed some injuries of his own.

Nate Washington: He's a fast, good returner, and he's consistent at being an average receiver. Not much more to say.

Justin Gage: He huge! He really reminds me of Brandon Marshall's playing style and had a great season for being on the Titan's offense this season. He has tons of unused potential that the Colts could definetly harness this coming season.

Running Backs:

Tatum Bell: He's quick and would make a great 2nd stringer. He rushed for over a 1,000 yards with Denver, but then again who doesn't as long as you don't sit out with knee and marijuana issues?

Aaron Stecker: He's old, but he runs physically. Pretty much a Kenton Keith, but with better hands.

Chris Brown: He can run it. He was a great backup for Lendale White, but he got injured last season. Despite all this he averaged a healthy 4.6 YPC.

Mewelde Moore: Triple threat. Good runner, good receiver, and good returner. He would have a roster spot guaranteed with Minnesota, but (if it's possible) they have way too much depth at this position. He's averaged 5.8, 4.3, 5.5, and 5.7 YPC in the four seasons that he's played.

Quarterback:

Charlie Frye: I honestly almost didn't want to put him on here, but it makes sense. Sorgi just ain't going to cut it. Frye shows poor decision making at times, and he was just traded to the Seahawks where he picked up a West Coast offense. He would be good as a backup, and according to Holmgreen, he picks up on new offenses fast.

Okay, well I'm going to put the defensive players I have listed on another diary to chop them up into manageable pieces.

P.S. I purposely didn't include offensive linemen because I don't think there has been an instance in which recently we haven't drafted them, and we can usually fit any linemen into our system.

I put almost 2 hours into this thing and it didn't quite come out how I wanted to. If you notice any errors (which probably are present) make sure to correct me as is Stampede Blue tradition.

Free Agents that if signed, would make a splash:

Julius Jones, RB: After averaging only 3.5 yards a carry sharing time with Marion Barber, he's looking to get out as fast as he can. A Notre Dame graduate, he's fast but not very agile or strong. With our line though, or even a pass into the backfield from Peyton, the endzone is never too far away.

Derrick Ward, RB: Strong and big runner, he averaged 4.8 yards a carry as a backup but is not necessarily needed in New York after his injury and Ahmad Bradshaw's talent being seen.

Justin Fargas, RB: Great runner but at 28, just now came of age. He's a tough runner which led to his most recent injury, but with his head first style of running and Addai's bunny hopping that has been occuring lately, the two could form a good tandem.

Bernard Berrian, WR: The fastest player on the Bears besides Hester, he's been amazing considering the quarterback play that has been going on in Chicago. At 6'1 he could be a great slot receiver and a mixture between Wayne and Harrison.

Randy Moss, WR: Does he want cash or a ring? He most likely won't be able to achieve both. He's almost certainly going to be Franchise Tagged, but how great would it be if Peyton broke the TD record with Moss, Marvin, and Wayne this coming season? We would have to do some major cap room adjustments to sign him, but one can imagine the capability of the Colts offense with him. We would be playing consensual horseplay with all defenses in the league.

Derek Anderson, QB: Flashed in some games, looked pitiful in others. He's looking for a huge contract that he won't get. After a 3,787 yard and 29-19 TD to INT ration season, it would be nice to develop him to someday take over the Colts offense. He's a little too old for that, but it would be interesting. He also has some speed on him that helps when the pocket breaks down.

Albert Haynesworth, DT: He is going to be franchise tagged, he's in his prime, and I would buy his jersey right away if we signed him. Yeah he has character issues, but with Freeney, Mathis, and him, our defensive line could reach that of legendary status.

Jared Allen, DE: He's huge, fast, and strong, and knows how to operate in a 4-3 as a disciple of Herm Edwards. Another francise tag nominee, he led the league in sacks with 15.5 without another real dominant player on the Chief's defense.

Terrel Suggs, DE: Franchise Tag is going to come soon from the Ravens front office, but he has shown how valuable he is. This year his production dropped off with only 5 sacks, but last year he got the quarterback 10 times.

Lance Briggs, LB: Another 4-3 player, he's due for a big contract. Almost guaranteed to leave a month ago, with Urlacher's surgery, he might stay with the Bears. Our linebacking corps would get a major upgrade with him there. He does have some character questions after his Lambo incident and he pulled himself out of the Pro Bowl due to a mystery injury.

Asante Samuel, CB: I hate to say it, but I actually like this Patriot a lot. He's always aware of what's going on. With both Moss and Samuel up for contracts, I find it highly unlikely that both are back. He can't be franchise tagged and he's looking for a big contract so he will be the most likely to leave, although the game winning interception he dropped in the Super Bowl might have cost him a couple cool million.

Marcus Trufant, CB: He had a good year this year and he's looking to cash in, supposedly for more than what Nate Clement's received. He had 7 interceptions this season with 150 yards off of those and one touchdown. With 15 pass deflections, it's no doubt he's a great player.

So those are the ones that if we sign will be all over ESPN for a week, until Tom Brady fathers another child. I'm going to post a 2nd diary for those free agents that I could see the Colts having interest in.

I couldn't find a better way to say it.

All season, the talk around the NFL was about whether the Patriots were the greatest team of all time. Turns out they weren't even the best team Sunday.

That comes from ESPN.com....looks like they finally bit down while sucking the Pats off all season.

it seems might be expendable by the Redskins if they find the type of receiver they are looking for.

The Washington Post's Jason La Canfora quotes sources who say there is "no way" Brandon Lloyd will get his roster bonus this spring.

Lloyd has been a tremendous bust for the Redskins, and dumping his salary will be a good first step as the Redskins try to attain a stud receiver this offseason. It is believed the team would heavily pursue either Chad Johnson (by trade) or Randy Moss (if not franchised) if they become available.

If they do sign what they consider a "stud" receiver, then I think that even though Randle El has a huge contract, he would take a pay cut to come back and play in Indiana or even on a high caliber team if we traded for him.

I know the main argument about him is that he's not that great of a player, but we don't need great in the 3 positions he can fill. We need someone to be good enough that there is a real return threat and we need someone who is good enough to fly by people.

   I was at work Friday night at the BP off of State Road 32 in Lebanon, Indiana. My grandparent's own it and I'm still in High School so I get a lot of weekend hours.

   Usually Friday nights all we get are the local drunks or annoying people that you don't know that stop to talk to you for 20 minutes. But tonight was so much different. The place was dead except for this guy about to walk into. He looked like such a goofball. He was tall, had a cowboy hat on, lots of facial hair, and a big nose. He walked over to the drinks.

  My cousin (who works with me) turned to me and told me to check out Dallas Clark over there. We both laughed and waited for him to turn around so we could make fun of his uncanny simliar characteristics.

   When he did, my jaw dropped. Dallas Clark was right in front of me. It was completely amazing. Before me stood a man who could lift more weight with his 'stache than I could with my entire body. I didn't say anything to him because I didn't want to be annoying like some fans can be, but it was still cool.

  I got within 5 feet of one of the best tight ends in football today (I would have to agree with Terry and say that Witten is the best right now. Who else is as physical and determined enough that he can lose his helmet, stay upright, and still run for an extra 30 some yards?) I got within 5 feet and chickened out, but now at least I have a story to tell.

Defensive End Paul Spicer had this to say about the game on Sunday as reported by Profootballtalk.com

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer suggested after Sunday's loss at Indianapolis that the officials gave the game to the Colts.

"We are in Indianapolis. [Bill] Polian [the Colts' general manager] give them a little extra in the check,'' Spicer said, per Vito Stellino of the Times-Union.

You can bet that the suggestion that a general manager is buying off the officials by putting something extra in their checks will result in Spicer's next paycheck being quite a bit smaller. But Spicer wasn't done there. He also criticized Polian for, in Spicer's view, drawing too much attention to himself.

"A GM with a radio show. You're kidding me. Give me a break. Ridiculous,'' Spicer said.

Spicer was particularly angry that two Colts touchdowns were preceded by replay reviews in the Colts' favor by referee Terry McAulay.

"We could have done more, but there were some things going on out there that were definitely against us," Spicer said. "I don't have to say it. You know what it is. You watched the game. We felt we had a good crew. They're the worst. I bet people at home were wondering what is going on out there. I'm ticked off right now.''

Stellino reports that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio had another complaint after the game: According to Del Rio, Colts defensive line coach John Teerlink teaches his players to yell out signals to get the opposing offensive line to false start. Ravens coach Brian Billick made a similar accusation against the Jets this year.

Del Rio refused to say what he thought of the officiating because, he said, "Guys in my position get fined for saying what they think.''

I'm an Indy resident, but right now I'm in Houston (more specifically Kingwood) until my flight leaves at 8:30. Does anyone know if they are playing the Colts game on TV outside of Indy and Carolina? I'm going to be super pissed if I can't watch it.

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According to ESPN's Ed Werder, our very own Colts were only 2 picks away in last years draft from getting Maurice Jones-Drew.

"Dungy said the Colts were shocked that Jacksonville took Drew, because they usually take such huge (tall) physical players. The Colts settled on CB Tim Jennings..."

We would have had the best one-two punch in the league, if we didn't already. Oh well I guess we can only leave this one up to John Lennon and Imagine.

http://blogs.rotoworld.com/Fantasy_Football/2007/10/what_if.php