I am altering my approach from position specific to a more balanced attempt to grab as much total talent for as many positions as possible. With the arrival of Andrew Luck, he will need some nice new toys to play with. I take a slightly unconventional approach to supplying those toys, whereas I don't take a wide receiver until I pick three of them in later rounds. However, I do grab a tight end fairly early, and one that can handle in-line blocking as well as provide Mr. Luck with a big target that can make plays.

1- QB- Andrew Luck : 6-4; 234; 4.67 Stanford - I know . . .I took Luck . . .nice job ! There is absolutely no way that we do not take him and not look back for the next 15 years.

2- SS-Harrison Smith : 6-2; 213; 4.56 Notre Dame - Tom Zbikowski is a quality backup and excellent special teams ace who also provides leadership and experience in Pagano's defense. However, we need a true starting caliber strong safety to allow Bethea to play center field and make big plays. Mike Mayock really has taken to this kid, and so have I.

3-TE- Orson Charles : 6-2; 251;4.70 Georgia - I know he has had some off-field issues, but I don't think they are sufficient to scare off Grigson and Pagano. This guy can block as well as be an athletic play-maker for Luck. He did 36 reps of 225 lbs at the Combine. I like the thought of him and Brody in a two tight end formation. Equally strong at run blocking as pass catching. More overall value here than an early wide receiver.

4- NT- Josh Chapman : 6-1; 319;5.20 Alabama- Still recovering from ACL surgery and might be a tad slow rolling into the 2012 season, but should come on strong as the year progresses to eventually allow Brandon Mckinney more sideline time and be a major contributor in the d-line rotation.

5-CB-Keith Tandy: 5-10; 202; 4.48 West Virginia- Has been in Indy recently for a looksee. I think he is the tough, physical bigger kind of cornerback Pagano favors. I think he is perfect for The Monster !

5-comp-OG-Joe Looney:6-3; 309; 5.02 Wake Forest- Another talented blocker that is better today as a run blocker, but athletic and smart enough to respond to some good coaching. Should be a solid addition to the talent pool along the o-line. Gotta protect Luck and open holes for the backs.

6-comp- WR-Derek Moye: 6-4; 209;4.52 Penn St.- Lousy quarterbacking held him back from posting much better numbers. Mr. Luck will love his size in the red zone, especially.

7- WR-Jermaine Kearse: 6-1; 209;4.58 Washington- Very similar to Derek Moye in that he lacked the quality of quarterback that could get him the ball more often. Luck can get him the ball.

7-trade-WR-Chris Owusu: 6-0; 196; 4.36 Stanford- Well, I may not have picked up Fleener, but at least I did draft one of Andrew's old college wide receivers. Maybe he'll hold on to the next 70 yard spiral Luck throws him. 4.36 speed is pretty attractive, too.

7-comp- ILB-Korey Williams:6-2; 243; 4.66 Southern Miss.- Still recuperating from knee injury in senior season. Was on track to be a mid-round selection. Instinctive, physical, athletic tackling machine that seems to me to be an excellent Mr. Irrelevant that could quite possible make the roster and contribute to the building of The Monster !

I know there's strong sentiment to take a WR with the 34th pick. My thinking is to get Luck some new toys with lower picks this year, and next year with a top 10 pick (in all likelihood) snag that Pro Bowl caliber talent at wide receiver. Odds are at least one of the three I took in late rounds can play a lick.

Well, that's my mock draft 3.0. I await your input. Go Colts !

We will, no doubt, select Andrew Luck first overall. The expectations for him are off the charts. My draft will depart from others in that my focus will be on the big guys up front and building a formidable O-line that can gel together with Andrew his rookie season and keep him well shielded from harm.

No quantity of skilled pass catchers drafted with Luck can help him much if he is constantly scrambling for survival. So, while the couple of O-linemen Ryan Grigson has brought in will provide camp competition and roster depth, further influx of quality talent this draft, I feel strongly, would be the best course to take. At least in the first few rounds.

OK, now to the picks. I have not planned for a possible trade of Dwight Freeney for any extra picks, and only planned on one compensatory pick to come at the end of the 6th round.

1- QB - Andrew Luck - 6-4, 236, 4.67 The complete package and the hope for the future of the franchis.

2- OT - Zebrie Sanders - 6-6, 308, 5.25 Powerful, athletic, capable of starting immediately on the right side. Allows Ben to move to RG.

3- OG - Brandon Brooks - 6-5, 346, 4.98. Dominated big-name D-linemen at East-West practices all week. Powerful and athletic for such a large man. Starts day one at left guard Pairs with Ben for a helluva set of road graders and Andrew Luck bodyguards in the middle.

4- NT - Nick Jean-Baptiste - 6-1, 335, 5.40 Powerful bowling ball that can anchor the nose position.

5- WR - Ryan Broyles - 5-10, 192, 4.46 A second day talent still rehabbing an ACL surgery from November of last season . Maybe we get lucky and he falls a bit due to concerns about the knee, and we get a talented "toy" for Mr. Luck without having to spend a second day pick on one.

6- TE - Rhett Ellison - 6-5, 251, 4.79. A lesser Pac-10 talent than Fleener, but a hard worker that also has special teams skillset. NFL bloodlines. Nice value here.

6C- WR - Danny Coale - 6-0, 201, 4.50. A bit of an under utilized sleeper from Virginia Tech. Special teams value and a nice developmental pick.

7-CB - Omar Bolden - 5-10, 202, 4.59 . Like Oklahoma's WR Broyles, Arizona State's Bolden is recovering from knee injury and may very well last this long to get selected. He is a higher rated talent and would be a late round steal if still there.

Well, there you go. I would love to see a group of O-line that looks like this :

LT- Costanzo ; LG-Brooks ; C-Pollak ; RG- Ijalana ; RT- Sanders.

A backup cast of C-Kirkpatrick ; G-Reitz ; G- McGlynn ; T-Justice or Ojinnaka

Fire away !

Thanks to Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones, the two team Roger Goodell busted today for dumping cap into 2010 after repeatedly being warned not to by the league office. The Redskins are docked $36 mil and Cowboys $10mil, which can be proportioned as they say fit over the next two seasons.

The kicker is that the collective $46 mil gets divied up amongst the rest of the teams (except two that did the same thing a year earlier) which works out to $1.6 mil per team.

Serves them right. Maybe this helps land Safety Laron Landry from the Skins, which would be a double bitch slap to Danny Boy. Heh-heh !

After taking a little time to google Marandino's background to get a feel for what he brings to the team, I came away impressed and hopeful he will prove to be able to reduce the size of the line limping to the injured list year after year.

While Peyton's injury proved the most devastating of all, the past several years have been maddening to see one player after another succumb to injury and miss significant playing time. Now, in fairness to John Torrine (outgoing S & C Coach) much of the blame should rightfully be laid at the feet of Tony Dungy for preferring smaller, faster players that could be acquired on the cheap to flesh out a roster that turned over significant numbers annually.

Further, the new regime of Grigson and Pagano, at least initially, would seem to favor a different scheme that leans toward bigger, stronger, tougher players. One result, hopefully, will be improved durability and ability to endure the rigors of an NFL season beginning to end. While I am no expert on this specialized coaching area, Marandino does seem to have a very good track record, and joins Grigson from the Eagles' staff where he was highly regarded after just one year there.

Anyway, I thought Marandino's hire was worth discussing and projecting its role in the transition of our Colts into a new era with different approaches and philosophies. I hope Roger and holdover assistant coach Richard Howell can bring dramatic improvements to the team's ability to keep players on the field and winning football games. Beats the Manning/Irsay drama.

Go Colts !

I am sticking to my guns that Peyton returns and we trade the #1 overall choice to Cleveland. In return, we get their two first rounders, their 2nd rounder this year and QB Colt McCoy. Colt becomes an instant upgrade over Painter, but isn't necessarily the heir apparent to Peyton (although he could possibly develop into that). Besides, with a name like Colt, it's just good Karma that he IS a Colt.

Okay, my picks (note: I have referred to Draft Scout and Walter Football to make my choices):

1(7) OT Riley Reiff Iowa 6-6 300 4.94 A left tackle, allows Castonzo to move to the right side (Ijalana to RG)

1(21) CB Chase Minnifield Virginia 6-0 185 4.49 Immediate starter and huge upgrade

2(33) SS Mark Barron Alabama 6-2 218 4.56 Immediate starter at strong safety, helps Bethea a lot in run support

2(39) OG Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin 6-4 312 5.21Competition or upgrade at LG for Reitz

3(65 NT Josh Chapman Alabama 6-1 310 5.21 An upgrade over Mookie Johnson

4(97) QB Nick Foles Arizona 6-5 235 5.01 Never hurts to have a quality QB as third teamer to develop

5(129?) RB Vic Ballard Miss. St 5-11 215 4.60 Another tough hard-assed running back

6(161?) CB Tashaun Gipson Wyoming 6-0 195 4.49 A sleeper who is one tough cookie and very athletic, good value

6(comp) Center Grant Garner Okla. St. 6-3 292 5.19 A Jeff Saturday clone and competition for Pollak

7 Kicker- Caleb Sturgis Florida 6-3 198 Big leg. Insurance in case Adam V decides to hang 'em up.

My focus was on the secondary and offensive line, while looking for size and toughness (aka. durability). Peyton automatically upgrades the offense, but I would make sure to provide him with an outstanding group in front of him. I look forward to your comments and input. Fire away fellow Colts Fans !!

I base my selections on the Colts having traded the top pick to Cleveland for their two firsts, their second, and third rounder this year.  Probably would be a couple picks from 2013, but I leave that topic for another day .  My emphasis will be heavily tilted toward the defensive side of the ball .

1-A -    DE- Quinton Coples  N. Carolina  6-6, 285, 4.76

1-B-     OT  Riley Reiff - Iowa                    6-6,  300 ,  4.94

2-A      CB  Chase Minnefield - Virginia  6-0 , 185 , 4.49

2-B      S     Markelle Martin  -  Ok. State  6-1 , 198 , 4.47

3-A      NT  Alameda Ta'amu - Washington  6-3, 337, 5.22

3-B     CB  Coryelle Judie - Texas A&M    5-11 , 190 , 4.48

4-        DT Kendall Reyes - U.Conn        6-4 , 296 , 4.99

5-       QB  Kirk Cousins  -  Mich. State   6-3 , 205 , 4.80

6-       WR Greg Childs  -  Arkansas       6-3 , 217 , 4.56

7-       FS Tramain Thomas - Arkansas  6-0 , 204 , 4.60

      My aim with these picks would be to reload the d-line and secondary with quality players, provide one more solid piece to the o-line, and an upgrade to Curtis Painter at the backup position behind Peyton (not as Peyton's successor unless we got unbelievably lucky like NE with Brady).

      Coples-  Replacement for Robert Mathis.  Probably belongs on the strong side.

      Ta'amu and Reyes- More quality depth for the interior of the d-line

      Childs - Great value if he falls this low (6th rd) due to injury history.

     This is my first pass at trying to figure the best course for the Colts to take.  Whether or not to draft Andrew Luck is the first question, and this mock is based on sticking with a (hopefully) healthy Peyton and trading Luck for a boatload of picks. I welcome one and all to critique away ! :-)

, , , , ,I simply must interject the human/emotional side to the current "suck for Luck" debate. I believe Jim Irsay is a standup guy.  He knows full well he has Peyton Manning to thank profusely for making him a billionaire. Peyton Manning built Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning elevated Indy to elite NFL franchise level. Peyton Manning made Sundays a whole helluva lotta fun for folks in Indiana and all around the world.

I view Jim Irsay as a truly standup guy. I think he finds it impossible to kick the "golden goose" to the curb in favor of a newer model (Andrew Luck).  Provided Peyton can demonstrate that he can return to form and sustain it for the next 3-4 years, trade the 1st overall pick for the mother of all motherloads of draft choices (and elite ones too!) and surround your QUARTERBACK  with the best collection of elite draft selections and free agents humanly possible, and make a glorious run at the next FOUR Lombardis !!  Peyton's successor is still learning how to shave without slitting his throat !

You go home with whomever brung ya !  Andrew Luck will most assuredly be an excellent NFL Quarterback, but  we already have the "Greatest of all Time" .  Let the kid find his niche.  Give Peyton the benefit of our love and appreciation. He is truly the creator of Colts Football as we now know it.  Let the legend play his final few hands. He's earned it!

1st round- QB Josh Freeman-6-53/4, 248, 4.97.  A serious upgrade over Jim Sorgi, although it may be wise to carry 3 QB's.  Will need grooming/coaching.

2nd round- DT Dorell Scott-6-4, 310, 4.95.  Value this late in round 2, and will give DT rotation a big body with skills to penetrate.

3rd round- CB Keenan Lewis- 6-07/8, 208, 4.53.  Solid cover-2 corner with tackling skills and physicality.  Especially if Ratliff isn't re-signed.

4th round-  RB Glen Coffee- 6-01/8, 209, 4.58.  Tough running back to compliment Joe Addai.  Should add 10-12 pounds.  Good between the tackles.

4th round-WR Brooks Foster- 6-01/2, 211, 4.45.  Has some technique issues that will get corrected by NFL coaching.  Has the physical tools.

5th round- OT Augustas Parrish- 6-4, 302, 5.23.  Nimble athlete who can play left tackle.  Needs to hit the weight room and attend the U. of Mudd.

6th round- P Kevin Huber- 6-07/8, 220, 4.85.  Big leg with accuracy.  Not a kickoff guy, but can HOLD ON PUNTS!

7th round- DE Rulon Davis- 6-43/4, 281, 4.92.  Athlete from Cal that could possibly move inside and help beef up DT rotation.  May help on special times like Reid.

I know Freeman is not the sexy pick, but this past season's experience with Peyton's knee and the slugs we brought in to be camp fodder makes me think it quite possible that this is the year to seriously upgrade the position.  Besides, at 27th spot Freeman is likely to be the "best player available" and a clear choice for BP to take.  He sure has the physical tools and huge arm to make all the throws and then some.

And, this would definitely be the "Polian Surprise" for this year's draft.  I appreciate Sorgi for being a class act, but I don't want this team's fate in his less-talented hands in case (God forbid!) Peyton should go down for an extended period.  Freeman has the level of talent that Sorgi can only dream of.

Yeah, the Colts do pretty well at drafting.  They believe, rightfully so, that's how you build a team for the long haul.

Of course, it helps to have a Peyton Manning at QB so you're not constantly spending draft choices searching for competency at QB.  Instead, you have the latitude to fit in the pieces around him and on defense.

I've followed this team from Unitas' days, and Bill Polian  gets my vote as master of the draft board.  And he's extra smart in how well he and all of the personnel dept. listen to Tony and his staff in order to fit the right talent to the system.  No one is better at uncovering talent with low draft picks or undrafted collegiate free agents.

This year's rookie crop is as good or better than I have ever seen.  Depth on this year's team will be extraordinary.  Speed, athleticism and play-making ability top the descriptive terms one might use for this year's Colts team.  Guys like Howard, Foster, Curtis Johnson, Mike Hart, Wheeler, Tamme, Garcon . . . . . . .whew!  That's not all of them, I know.  But what tremendous additions to an already talented squad!

Now, with the opening of Lucas Oil Stadium, a truly classy and talented team has a home field to match their level of excellence.  We fans have one heckuva lot to look forward to this season . . .it should be a great ride!

OldeColtsFan