Team Report: Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts

By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Predicted: 1^st

2007 Record: 13-3 (1^st AFC South)

Head Coach: Tony Dungy (7^th year)

Roster Quick View

*rookie

**new veteran

Offense

QB: Peyton Manning
Thirty-two and
approaching his 11^th season as a pro. So far, he’s done alright.

RB: Joseph Addai
Excellent fit in Tom
Moore’s system. Might be one of the five best running backs in football.

WR: Reggie Wayne
Coming off career-high
1,510-yard season. Has supplanted Harrison as Indy’s No. 1 receiver.

WR: Marvin Harrison
Finally showing signs
of mortality after a knee injury wiped out 11 games for him last year. Can you
believe he’s almost 36?

WR: Anthony Gonzalez
Looks like he’ll be a
key figure in this offense for the next 10 years.

TE: Dallas Clark
Became the highest paid
TE in football over the offseason.

LT: Tony Ugoh
Survived the fires of his
rookie season. Skills are there and he’s proven capable of developing. Be
patient––he’ll be a good one.

LG: Ryan Lilja
Was chosen over Jake Scott to
return in 2008. Excellent run-blocker, particularly at the second level.

C: Jeff Saturday
Thirty-three and in the
final year of his contract. Oh, and playing ahead of two rookie centers. Not
slowing down, so could still return next season.

RG: Charlie Johnson
Surprisingly was
anointed the starter during minicamp. A better utility backup, but capable of
surviving with good vets around him.

RT: Ryan Diem
Huge frame and quick power
makes him one of the elite RT’s in football. Highly underrated.

---------------

QB: Jim Sorgi
Nice guy but absolutely no one
in the Hoosier State ever wants to see him have to take the field for the Colts.

RB: Dominic Rhodes
A football speculator:
Won a ring in Indy, went to Oakland for a year and made a quick $3.5 million,
then humbly returned to Indy.

H-back: Jacob Tamme*
Will line up in the
backfield but is strictly a receiving option. He actually played WR at one
point. He also long-snaps.

WR: Devin Aromashodu
A picture of Indy’s
health situation at wideout: if he’s on the field, then someone’s hurt. If he’s
on the sideline, then everyone’s fine.

TE: Gijon Robinson*
Will have a chance to
contribute right away as an extra blocker on the line or out of the backfield.

OL: Mike Pollak*
A center in college,
will begin his career at G. Only a matter of time before he starts.

Defense

LDE: Robert Mathis
So small, he almost looks
like someone’s humorous Create-A-Player on the Madden video game. But he
can sure play.

DT: Raheem Brock
Serviceable player who
is deserving of his reps in a rotation. Will occasionally draw a double team.

DT: Ed Johnson
Undrafted a year ago because
of character concerns, but has been well-behaved and, honestly, absolutely
outstanding. The Colts rolled a seven here.

RDE: Dwight Freeney
Perhaps the most
destructive pass-rusher in football when healthy. How will he perform coming
back from a Lisfranc (foot) injury?

LOLB: Tyjuan Hagler
Shows a good burst. Can
be physical and is effective in space. Must continue to build awareness as he
develops in the system.

MLB: Gary Brackett
Don’t be fooled by his
pudginess. This guy is smart, productive against the run and adroit in pass
defense.

ROLB: Freddy Keiaho
Indy’s best LB; should
really come into his own in 2008.

CB: Kelvin Hayden
Lacks strength and will
get picked on at times, but quickness makes him a good starter.

SS: Bob Sanders
Reigning NFL Defensive
Player of the Year. And now the game’s most well-compensated safety. Key for
him, as always, is staying healthy.

FS: Antoine Bethea
Went to the Pro Bowl as
an injury replacement last season. Doesn’t have dominating tools, but certainly
does his job well.

CB: Marlin Jackson
Physical presence who
can play anywhere in the secondary. Colts like to slide him into the slot in
nickel situations.

---------------

DL: Jeff Thomas
High-energy player who
you can plug in on defense and stay above water.

LB: Clinton Session
Flashed stimulating
signs of potential as a fourth-round rookie last year. Will be a starter
someday, maybe even this season.

NB: Tim Jennings
Absurdly short (5’8')
but performs well when called upon because he trusts the Cover 2.



Key Acquisitions

RB Dominic Rhodes (Oak)

Key Losses

LB Rocky Boiman (Phi)

TE Bryan Fletcher

G Dylan Gandy

DT Dan Klecko (Phi)

DT Anthony McFarland

LB Rob Morris

G Jake Scott (Ten)

TE Ben Utecht (Cin)

This was the first time in several years that Indy did not take a major hit in
free agency. It was wise to bring back Rhodes, especially for less than $1
million. Of the players lost, Fletcher and Gandy were the biggest surprises.
Both were expected to have bigger roles in 2008 and both were suddenly given the
ax after the first minicamp. Makes you wonder if the team knows something we
don’t. Morris and McFarland are finished after knee injuries. Scott was solid
for the team, but they couldn’t afford to keep both he and Ryan Lilja.



2008 Draft

Rd Sel Player Position School

2 59

Mike Pollak
G/C Arizona State

3 93

Philip Wheeler
OLB Georgia Tech

4 127

Jacob Tamme
TE Kentucky

5 161

Marcus Howard
LB Georgia

6 196

Tom Santi
TE Virginia

6 201

Steve Justice
C Wake Forest

6 202

Mike Hart
RB Michigan

6 205

Pierre Garcon
WR Mount Union

7 236

Jamey Richard
OL Buffalo

Pollak was an All-Pac 10 center his senior season, but like most Colt
interior linemen, he’ll break in at guard first. He may stay there in the long
haul, considering that Justice, despite being drafted late, is regarded as one
of the preeminent center prospects. Wheeler can play all three linebacker spots,
and his athleticism makes him a great fit for the Cover 2. He’ll start some day.
Tamme is a receiving weapon while Santi can block. Hart was a star in college
but he’ll have to fight just to make this roster.



2008 Indianapolis Colts Preview Report

The system is set up to prevent this.
It’s designed to create parity and equality. This is what the people behind it
champion to the masses. There are 32 teams that operate under a socialistic form
of government that calls itself the NFL (National Football League). A more
accurate title would be the PRPF (People’s Republic of Pro Football).

In the PRPF, revenue a team earns goes into a pot, where it is then
redistributed in a more proportionate fashion. Money a team spends on player
payroll must not exceed $116 million in the year 2008. They call this the salary
cap. In the PRPF, teams that achieve the most success are rewarded with a lower
draft position and harder schedule the following season. Teams that do the best
in the draft eventually are forced to give up the highest number of quality
players in free agency. Otherwise, they’d go over that cap. This is the system.

There is the belief that the key in pro football is to operate within the system
and beat the other 31 teams. It’s not. Rather, the key in pro football is to
beat the system. Beating the other teams happens naturally from there. Some
clubs know this. Few understand it. And even fewer actually do it.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the few. They beat the pro football system the
same way Rockefeller, Carnegie and Mellon beat the free market system: by
perfecting their own system within the system.

For the Colts, it’s about minimizing risk. It all starts at the top with a
stable owner in Jim Irsay. A man of honorable character and
self-assurance, Irsay has thrived by leasing control of this franchise to those
who know football. Mainly, team president Bill Polian.

Polian has one of the sharpest football minds in the world. Best known as the
orchestrater of the Buffalo Bills runner-up teams in the early 90s, he joined
the Colts in ’98. Over time, Indy’s system has been installed.

Polian’s inaugural year in Indianapolis presented a fate-altering decision: use
the first overall pick in the draft on Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning,
or spend it on Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf? Polian later said that,
in his mind, there was never really much question about it. He was four years
ahead of everyone else in this sense.

When Manning joined the Colts, their system’s only human component was put in
place. It remains that way today. The 11^th-year quarterback is the
only person that the Colts are dependent on; the rest of their system is
theory-based.

Polian has an unwavering commitment to the system. So do the people he works
with. Offensively, it centers around flexibility and complexity. Everything runs
through Manning and is overseen by coordinator Tom Moore. The mission is
to figure out exactly what a defense is doing and then go to the playbook and
counter it. You may have noticed that this all takes place at the line of
scrimmage.

The playbook itself is a system, crafted in a fashion that demands speed at the
receiver position, patience and vision from the running back and endurance and
mobility along the offensive line.

Finding the right men to execute it is up to Polian. If you’re a college player
and your skills meet the system’s demands, Polian is willing to look at you. If
your skills don’t meet the demands, then you cease to exist. When Polian looks
at players, he has his staff help filter out the ones incapable of handling the
system’s flexibility and complexity. He also filters out any players with
serious red flags on character. If you are one of the few who make it through,
you have a chance to be drafted.

If you’re a skill position player, Polian drafts you in Round One. This is where
he found Manning, receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and
Anthony Gonzalez, tight end Dallas Clark and running back Joseph
Addai. If you work along the offensive line, you’re usually drafted on the
second day. If you’re really talented, Polian might take you in the second
round, as he did left tackle Tony Ugoh and guard/center Mike Pollak.
But for the most part, you’re going to be drafted late. And you’ll likely be
allowed to leave after your first contract expires. When it comes to paying
high-priced second contracts, Polian’s system is like fantasy football: it
prioritizes the skill players.

It wasn’t until a few years after Tony Dungy arrived before the defensive
system became fine-tuned. Dungy brought along his own system from Tampa Bay,
called the Cover 2. It’s a zone-based scheme built around speed. This
attribute––speed––serves as the first filter when Polian and company evaluate
defensive personnel. If you don’t have it, you’ll never be a Colt.

From there it’s simple, really. The Colts evaluate all the speedy players, then
decide which ones along the front seven tend to make the most plays, and which
ones in the secondary tend to give up the fewest. From that pool, they draft.


If you play in Indy’s defensive system, you’ll be coached well. And you’ll
probably succeed. But there is an underlining cruelty that comes with it: lack
of appreciation. Unless you have Hall of Fame potential, the Colts aren’t going
to break the bank to keep you around. You could even be a Pro Bowler––they’ll
still show you the door. That’s what happens when the franchise’s main system
ranks the offensive system higher than the defensive system, and the bigger
system hovering over the main system enforces a salary cap law. Get it?

It’s worse if you’re a linebacker or cornerback because, in Dungy’s Cover 2, the
demands on your position are relatively simple, which makes you extremely
replaceable. When you leave the Colts, they’ll hardly notice because they
already drafted your replacement a few years ago. It’s like getting dumped and
seeing your ex immediately start dating someone else. This year, for the first
time since 2003, the Colts return all 11 starters on defense. That’s merely a
coincidence.

Hold onto your questions about Indy’s system. In fact, forget them. The system
is impermeable. And the Colts know it. Any concerns you voice will only draw a
nonchalant response along the lines of 'doesn’t matter.' Go ahead, try to press
the issue:

What about injuries? There have been lots. All are survivable as long as
No. 18 is not the victim.

Chemistry concerns? Taken care of by the filters.

Bad draft picks? Again, the filters.

It seems like the defensive system often results in poor run defense for the
Colts. Is that true? Yep. In fact, it was the worst in the league in the ’06
Super Bowl season. It always seems to correct itself in the right moments
though.

Okay…what if coaches leave? Few ever do.

What about Dungy? Yeah, he’ll be gone soon––probably next year. But his
replacement (Jim Caldwell) is already here. And Dungy’s system will stay,
too.

Does the system survive in a small market? Oh now you’re just reaching.
This team has national appeal. Besides, haven’t you seen the new $675 million
Lucas Oil Stadium? You don’t think that will help the bottom line?

Okay, so why only one Super Bowl in this system? Ah! Good question. No
answer. Perhaps that’s why football fans stay intrigued.

Offense

Never before has the Colts offense
entered a season with its biggest question mark being wide receiver Marvin
Harrison. Peyton Manning’s career-long favorite target is coming off
a forgettable 2007 in which he missed 11 games with a ruptured bursa sac (sounds
gross, but it actually just means 'sore knee.') Harrison’s offseason wasn’t much
better. He spent most of his hours rehabilitating the knee, and in May he was
questioned in a Philadelphia shooting that took place outside a bar that he
owns. (The gun used in the shooting was registered to Harrison. He has not been
charged.)

Such distractions are foreign for the taciturn veteran. The legal issues are
likely to sort themselves out. The knee is another concern. Harrison turns 36 in
August and plays a style of football that is utterly dependent on his ability to
cut and change directions. Should he not be ready to contribute, you’ll see
second-year pro Anthony Gonzalez take over outside.

Gonzalez is tailor-made for this offense and is poised to inherit a starting job
in the near future. The Colts, however, would rather not have to rush him into
the No. 2 spot. Such a scenario would be problematic because of the gaping hole
it would leave in the slot. Indy’s depth at wide receiver and tight end is
unusually thin this season. Third-year pro Devin Aromashodu, second-year
pro Roy Hall and sixth-round rookie Pierre Garcon are the
bottom-feeder wideouts likely to make the 53-man roster.

In the past, the No. 2 tight end has helped fill a void in the passing game when
starter Dallas Clark flexes out into the slot. But when Clark stands up
this year, the tight end spot will be manned not by veterans Bryan Fletcher and
Ben Utecht, but by rookies Jacob Tamme (fourth round) and Tom Santi
(sixth round). Tamme is a converted wide receiver, while Santi is a de facto
fullback.

Keep all this in perspective. There isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t
take Indy’s insecure receiving depth if it meant having Reggie Wayne and
Dallas Clark in the starting lineup. The 29-year-old Wayne has evolved
into Manning’s preferred target. He’s coming off a season in which he caught 104
balls for 1,510 yards and 10 scores, despite facing more double teams than he’d
ever seen before. Aside from occasionally cutting off a route, Wayne is
exquisite. Clark is nearly as valuable. While his numbers pale in comparison, he
is an everydown X-factor. Tom Moore does a masterful job of using the
tight end in ways that constantly command a defense’s attention.

The Colts will continue to work out of a single-back offense in 2008, and with
the return of Dominic Rhodes, they’ll likely return to the two-man
rotation that helped guide them to a Lombardi Trophy two years ago. Playing
behind Joseph Addai, Rhodes won’t see nearly as many touches as he did
when he was the starter in ’06. Addai is a great enough weapon to warrant 20
touches a game, but with Rhodes, Kenton Keith (who struggles in pass pro
but runs with good power) and maybe even sixth-round rookie Mike Hart,
there is no reason for the third-year star to shoulder a heavy load before
January.

The front five masterfully allows Manning and the offense to function. Much of
the credit belongs to offensive line coach Howard Mudd. Mudd’s genius is
what permits Polian to get away with using predominantly late-round picks on
O-linemen.

Two of Indy’s five starting linemen were actually 'no-round picks.' Ten years
ago, center Jeff Saturday came into the league as a rookie free agent out
of North Carolina. He has since gone to two Pro Bowls. Left guard Ryan Lilja
was undrafted out of Kansas State back in ’04. He was recently given a
well-deserved five-year, $20 million contract.

The investment in Lilja came at the expense of starting guard Jake Scott, who
signed with division foe Tennessee. It was thought that Dylan Gandy would
replace Scott, but Gandy was abruptly released after the team’s first minicamp.
This leaves third-year veteran Charlie Johnson competing with
second-round draft pick Mike Pollak for the starting duties. No doubt the
Colts would like to see Pollak earn the job, but they won’t hesitate to go with
the ex-tackle Johnson.

On the outsides, second-year player Tony Ugoh is a star in the making. At
6’5', 301 pounds, Ugoh has an athletic frame with long arms that give him an
edge in all facets as a blocker. He improved his technique as a rookie and
started to show confidence late in the season. Mudd has worked closely with his
pupil and should have a Pro Bowler in Ugoh by 2010.

Right tackle Ryan Diem is less heralded but more dominant. At 6’6', 320
he’s difficult for defenders to see around, which means if he doesn’t get beat
off the first step, the battle is his.

Defense

Would you believe this group gave up the
fewest points in football last season? And, despite its bend-but-don’t-break
mentality, it surrendered the third fewest yards. Here’s the kicker: the Colts
did all this despite having a depleted pass-rush that registered only 28 sacks
(tied for 26^th most in the NFL).

Those familiar with Dungy and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks know that
this Cover 2 scheme is predicated on pressuring the quarterback. Colts defensive
linemen have long been instructed to play the pass first and the run second.
Sometimes they’re even told to play pass, play pass once more, and then, if
there’s time left over, go ahead and play run.

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are two of the paramount
pass-rushers in the game. Both are coming off injury-marred ’07 campaigns.
Mathis missed time with a knee sprain. Freeney was lost in Week 10 with a
more-alarming Lisfranc injury. Freeney had just 3.5 sacks at that point, after a
ho-hum 5.5-sack total in 2006. However, his statistics always come with a grain
a salt, considering the amount of attention opposing offensive lines direct to
him.

Backup ends Jeff Thomas and Jeff Charleston are both try-hard guys
who can fill in when either starter is out. The Colts are also shifting
second-year pro Keyunta Dawson back to his original defensive end spot,
giving them three good options off the bench.

Inside, Meeks will use a four-man rotation featuring starters Ed Johnson
and Raheem Brock, and backups Quinn Pitcock and Darrell Reid.
Johnson is a promising talent who became the team’s lottery prize when Anthony
McFarland went down last August with a torn ACL. The Colts discovered that the
undrafted kid from Penn State had an unusually quick first step for someone
weighing nearly 300 pounds. They also saw in Johnson the type of motor and
agility that their system covets.

If Johnson continues to develop, the Colts will have a very formidable front
line. Brock is a tenured veteran who makes plays when he has to. Pitcock, a
third-round pick a year ago, is a starter in waiting, thanks to upper-body
strength that amplifies his leverage at the point of attack. Reid is
underwhelming but capable of filling in while other guys catch their breath.

The entire linebacking core is undersized––think Vern Troyer––but faster than
sound. Their responsibility is to run to the ball before blockers can get a hand
on them. Middle man Gary Brackett is the most productive of the bunch,
though outside stud Freddy Keiaho is the most fearsome. Keiaho has great
play recognition and is dominant when untouched. He doesn’t have Brackett’s
intuition in pass defense (Brackett led the team with four picks last season)
but he’s good enough to play in the nickel packages.

If there is a weak link, it’s Tyjuan Hagler. Unquestionably gifted enough
to start, the third-year vet must continue to build his knowledge in this
system. Backup Clint Session was extremely impressive in limited action
as a rookie last season and is chomping at the bit to crack the starting 11. So
is third-round pick Philip Wheeler, a versatile prospect out of Georgia
Tech who will inherit a starting job when Keiaho and Brackett become free agents
after next season.

Regardless of what the linebackers do, no player is as important to Indy’s run
defense as strong safety Bob Sanders. The 2007 NFL Defensive Player of
the Year is coming off his first injury-free season as a pro. At 5’8', 206
pounds, bumps and bruises––even the occasional break––are inevitable for
Sanders, given his reckless style of play. But it’s imperative that he make that
style of play available to the team by staying on the field. Without Sanders,
the gorgeous Colts D becomes a girl with no makeup on.

Sanders is good in coverage, though Indy relies more on free safety Antoine
Bethea in this sense. Bethea, while not a playmaker, has the necessary speed
to handle his help coverage duties. Still, the onus is on the cornerbacks to be
physical and adept in their individual responsibilities. This is especially true
for Kelvin Hayden, who starts on the left side where Sanders often
blitzes from. Hayden has a good feel for breaking on the ball, which is why
offenses must be judicious with the number of hook and out-patterns they show
him. The way to go after Hayden is to overpower him with physical receivers.

The opposite is true when attacking right cornerback Marlin Jackson. The
former first-round pick is an aggressive defender who explodes into the point of
attack. He doesn’t have the fast feet of an elite cover corner, but he’s very
comfortable operating in zone.

Jackson is a wonderful tackler, having played safety early in his career. The
Colts spend an awful lot of time in nickel. In these situations, Jackson slides
into the slot, where he can be more active against the run. Third-year pro
Tim Jennings then mans the outside. Bethea tends to cheat his coverage
toward Jennings, especially deep downfield. Jennings, though, deserves some
credit for discouraging quarterbacks from throwing to his side.

The depth is alright in the defensive backfield. Matt Giordano can
perform at both safety positions. Cornerback Dante Hughes has only played
special teams thus far, but he was a third-round pick a year ago. Michael Coe
has seen minor action.

Special Teams

You may have heard that kicker Adam
Vinatieri is clutch. Vinatieri was, however, 0-3 on field goals longer than
40 yards last season. Hunter Smith continues to enjoy the chillest job in
football: punting for the Colts offense.

T.J. Rushing is the return specialist. He handled his duties well last
season, averaging 23.0 yards on kickoffs and 13.1 on punts (including a 90-yard
touchdown). The Colts coverage units as a whole need work. Last season, Indy
finished last in defending punt returns and 29^th in defending kick
returns.

Bottom Line

It’s a given that this team will be a contender in late
January. The Colts are one of the few teams in football that can use the regular
season as a tune-up for the playoffs. Ultimately, their success may hinge on how
well the offense can handle aggressive 3-4 fronts (which they’ll see from AFC
powers New England, San Diego, Cleveland and Pittsburgh).

Myth Buster

Left tackle Tony Ugoh is a liability

Ugoh was phenomenal last season considering he wasn’t expected to be thrown
to the wolves right away. Indy gave him very little tight end help early in the
year and entrusted him with Manning’s blindside on Day One.

The area where the second-rounder did struggle at times was in run-blocking.
Ugoh took a little while to fully understand the timing of the Colts’ stretch
handoff, and he initially looked uncomfortable in space. However, this changed
as the year wore on.

Heading into this season, Ugoh remains an extremely gifted athlete under the
auspices of an extremely gifted O-line coach (Howard Mudd). He’ll only continue
to improve.

Open Thought

Lucas Oil Stadium is a lavish venue, but we seem to have struck the nadir of
the stadium naming rights craze. These days, anything with the word 'oil' in it
makes everyone uneasy. It’s impossible to say the word and not feel your morale
drop. Exacerbating the 'oil' issue with the stadium is the name Lucas in front
of it. It’s too personal of a name––it only seems to add to the sting. You can
just hear the people now saying, Wait, wait, wait. Who is Lucas? What is this
oil he has? Is he to blame for high gas prices?