Indianapolis Colts Football

Last Thoughts On Dwight Freeney

Colts.com regularly features blogs written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by coltsfan05

Since the Colts have cut Dwight Freeney, Colts fans have been in a particularly bad mood about this move. Everybody has been questioning this move and nobody likes this.

Well let me tell you one thing, do you want a man who only gives you 10 tackles and 5 sacks a season? I know I don’t. I’m not saying that Freeney is a horrible player, but lets be honest; he played god awful this year. He just doesn’t fit the system. If a player doesn’t fit the system, why in the world would you keep a player like that?

I’m not taking anything away from Freeney. He was the most explosive DEFENSIVE END, in football. Remember, I said DE. as a Defensive End in a 4-3, along with Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney was the most explosive player of his time. Dwight Freeney is used to putting his hands on the ground and doing one thing, and that is getting after the quarterback. And he was good at it. But you cant make a guy like that stand and cover the pass and play the run. And you certainly cant just keep the defense in a 4-3 because of him.

So what do you do? You have no other choice but to cut the man. Unless play DE in a 3-4 and gain an extra 30-40 lbs, and he did not want to do that. As of right now, anything beats how Dwight Freeney was playing. And Erik Walden is not the best LB in the NFL. But he is a Temporary replacement for him. He is not the long term solution by any means. but all I’m saying is that there wasn’t a legit reason to keep Dwight Freeney. He was getting old, slow and injury prone.

Free Agency So Far…

After an eyebrow raising season in 2012, the Colts were faced with a lot of adversities and holes in the roster. The colts defense was ranked 26th in the league in Total yards, and 21st in points allowed. The revamp of the defense was necessary. Along with an ailing defense, the future face of the franchise, Andrew Luck was sacked close to 40 times. And I’m not going to say how many times he was hurried, hit, knocked down etc. because those numbers are too horrific to say or write.

So there needs to be improvements on the O-Line. Ryan Grigson was faced with challenges last year with a 2-14 team. But now he has a promising team whose potential is sky high. And to keep it that way he needs to fill in the holes on the roster. Grigson has done a great job addressing the problems. He has signed a quality RT in Gosder Cherilus, and a versatile guard in Donald Thomas. The voids he has filled in for the defense has left me speechless. he signed LaRon Landry, an extrodinary talent at the safety position. He signed Erik Walden to replace Dwight Freeney. He added strength and teeth to the D-Line by adding Ricky Jean-Francois. and he has added depth to the secondary by signing Greg Toler. Grigson has not only addressed the problems with the roster, but he took the stress off of getting someone in the draft. Grigson has outdone himself again! The sky is the limit in Indianapolis.

I hope you guys Enjoyed this segment, feel free to comment and express your opinion!
and always colts fans…

Stay Blue and GO COLTS!!!!!!

Colts.com regularly features blogs written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by coltsfan05

PARKS AND REC SHOW TO HAVE COLTS PRESENCE

Colts owner Jim Irsay and players Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne show off their acting skills at Lucas Oil stadium when filming a scene with  “Parks and Recreation” cast members Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari and Jim O’Heir. The episode airs Thursday January 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Watch the preview below.

COLTS ANNOUNCE NEW OFF-SEASON RADIO SHOW

Just found out some breaking information! The Indianapolis Colts are introducing a new off-season radio show, “The Last Word,” to air on 1070 The Fan, Fridays 6-7 p.m. The show will bring you the latest Colts coverage, hosted by Jeffrey Gorman and Matt Taylor, along with the return of long-time Indianapolis radio personality Jimmy “Mad Dog” Matis.

“The Last Word” will report on current horseshoe headlines and address recent hot topics within the sports world. The three Colts hosts will discuss and debate the top NFL off-season stories and aren’t afraid to get loud. The show will feature interviews with local and national sports authorities about the latest sports information. Listeners will also hear predictions of weekend sporting events and reminisce on memorable moments in history with some of sports’ finest.

This should be a great way to end your week!

Yours in Football,

GO PANO PARTNERSHIP OFFERS ONE-OF-A-KIND 360 VIDEO

What’s up Colts Nation? Technology is a beautiful thing and I’ve got some pretty sweet news for all of you! As you may recall from the post-game celebration of our big win over the Lions, there was an awesome and interactive 360 degree video of the locker room.

This technology was developed by a company called Go Pano. According to their website, “GoPano.com is the only place on the web to host, view and share 360 videos. Shoot 360 videos with our lens attachments, like the GoPano micro or the GoPano plus, upload your 360 videos and share a video experience that’s almost as good as being there!”

What he had been using was the Go Pano Micro, but the folks at Go Pano wanted us to get the full effect of their product. So that’s when they decided to design us a custom piece of hardware for an iPhone 5, that combined the convenience of the micro model with the quality of their plus model. Check out the pictures they sent us below, this thing is awesome!

Now I invite you to watch some of the videos from this past week’s win over the Texans (especially the post-game speech) where we’re using the new mirco/plus version created exclusively for Colts Nation! Check out the videos here and go get a view of the Colts like never before.

Yours in fandom,

While Most Consider Brown a “Bust,” A Closer Look Defies the Opinions of the Majority

Colts.com regularly features blogs written by one of our fans. This post was submitted by divineprodigy

The Colts running game hasn’t given any opposing defenses any nightmares since the haydays of Edgerrin James. Ever since his departure, the team has relied on 90% of the arm and brain power of Peyton Manning, and 10% of “running back by committee.” Enter 4th year RB Donald Brown. According to the critics, Brown has been deemed a “bust” due to the lack of his production since joining the team. These opinions are being made by people who are only looking on the surface of his career. When I look at Brown, I can’t help but be reminded of another RB who’s career didn’t start off well with the team who drafted him either, but went on to be a bell cow for two other NFL franchises he played for: Thomas Jones. Jones was drafted by the Cardinals in 2000. He was even dubbed the top rated RB coming out of college that year. He didn’t play like it for any stretch of his career while in St Louis. After a one year stint with the Bucs that saw his YPC go from 3.7 in St Louis to 4.6 with the Bucs, he landed in Chicago. With the Bears is where his career took off as a RB. For 3 years Jones’ production increased considerably from what it was with the Cardinals (511yds in 2002 for the Cardinals vs 948 yds in 2004 for Chicago). 2 of those three years he rushed for over 1200 yards. In 2007 he went to the Jets. His production with the Jets climbed each year he was there as well with his best year coming in 2009 where he rushed for 1400 yrds.

The point I make with this comparison is one that simply suggests given the right situation with the right team, a player who has been a “bust” for one team can also be a gem for another. Now even though Brown is still with the Colts, in essence its as if he is playing on a different team due to all of the changes that have taken place with the organization: New coaching staff, new players, new scheme. Technically, Donald Brown is on a “new team.” That is why I feel he will have his most productive year in the coming season for the Colts this year. The offensive line will be bigger than the one he has played behind for the majority of his short career. The men coming in to replace what was here before are better than what we had before. Donald Brown as well as all of the other RBs are going to have running lanes that they didn’t have previously. Scheme is more important than overall “talent.” No one exemplified this subtle truth better than former Broncos and current Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan. In Denver, it didn’t matter who Shanahan had in a RB, they all ran for over 1000 yards in a season. He even got that kind of production from a former Post Office worker in Mike Anderson!

That being said, when it comes to assessing what kind of RB Donald Brown will be considering what he had to work with coming into the league vs the potential of what he could be with what he has now, calling him a “bust” based upon those circumstances would be inaccurate. The best approach to take on this would be one that says: “Just wait and see.” Brown has flashed great potential when given the opportunity. The problem is he just hasn’t been given enough of them as well as not having the best of O lines to work with either. Add the season ending neck injury to Manning and you have another year lost due to ineffective play from the QB position. All of that should change this year. With the new additions on offense starting with Andrew Luck, coupled with the improved emphasis not only on the running game, but also the pieces in place to make it all work, I expect a breakout season for Brown that will have his naysayers lining up to get his jersey.

With Colts Interest in Jenkins Still High, Other Options are Available

Colts.com regularly features blogs written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by divineprodigy

The Colts have made it no secret in how much they need a viable starting CB. In order for coach Pagano’s defensive scheme to fire on all cylinders, he needs CBs that can play man coverage. In spite of the huge changes that are taking place within the defense this year, the one area that I am least concerned about is the front seven. Ever since the Colts drafted Freeney and Mathis, I always wondered how effective those two monsters would be if the team had “real” DTs to play with clogging the middle. With the speed both bring off the edge, opposing QBs would counter by either stepping up in the pocket, or doubling them both. With the likes of Kenyatta Dawson, and Eric Foster flanking them in the middle at roughly 260lbs, I couldn’t help but have flashbacks of the old lady in the Wendy’s commercials who went to other burger joints and always asked: “Where’s the beef?” I don’t think QBs who face the Colts this year will have that option with the teams latest additions to the tackle and end positions. Enter DE Corey Redding (6-4 315lbs), DT Josh Chapman (6-1, 316lbs), and NT Brandon Mckinney (6-2, 345lbs) and that adds up to a lot of “Kahuna burgers.” Yes ladies and gentlemen, the days of watching the Colts interior D linemen getting tossed around like rag dolls are over. Have doubts about Freeney being able to be as effective as an OLB vs DE? Think of it this way; As fast as he has been coming out of a 3 point stance, imagine how fast he will be coming out of a standing position with his patented “spin move.” Ditto for Robert Mathis.

The improved play of the front seven will make the play of the secondary better as well. When talking about the secondary, there is one thing we don’t have to worry about, and the that’s abilities of Antoine Bethea & Jerraud Powers. After those two it’s anyone’s guess what we have as far as the secondary is concerned. That being said, I have compiled a short list of possible players the Colts could look at acquiring via trade from teams that appear to be loaded at the CB position:

1. Cowboys

2. Bears,

3. Eagles

4. Bengals

Of the 4 teams listed above, the Cowboys and Eagles to me, provide the most attractive options at the position. The players I had in mind who I feel would be able to make immediate contributions to the defense would be CB Kurtis Marsh (6-1, 197Ilbs), or Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins (5-10 202Ilbs). The Colts haven’t been shy about their interest in Jenkins, but he isn’t the only attractive option from the “Boys” who I think could be available for a trade. Orlando Scandrick (5-10 191Ilbs) is another good player who the Colts should take a look at on the bargaining table especially since Jones has been adamant about not wanting to let go of Jenkins. From the Bengals I like Jason Allen. He has size, athleticism, and speed to play man cvg. Here are Bios on all three CBs:

1)Jason Allen: “Allen was a first-round draft choice (16th overall) by Miami in 2006. He joined Houston during the 2010 season. He had seven interceptions over 23 total regular season games with Houston, tops on the team for that span and also tied for second among all AFC cornerbacks.

In addition to leading the 2011 Texans in interceptions, Allen was third on the team in passes defensed (11) and tied for second in special teams tackles (eight). He started four games and was 10th on the team in tackles (37).”

2)Orlando Scandrick: “The Dallas Cowboys moved up in the fifth round to grab Orlando Scandrick with the 143rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, and he has since proven to be worth the move as a valuable contributor in the Dallas secondary and special teams units. The former Boise State standout, who left college after only three years, has served as the nickel cornerback since his rookie season. Scandrick briefly rotated starts with Mike Jenkins for the starting cornerback spot opposite Terence Newman at the beginning of the 2009 season before settling back into the nickel cornerback role. He continues his work to be a staple in the defensive back rotation for the Cowboys.”

3) Curtis Marsh: “Former running back who moved to cornerback in 2009. Senior totals included 45/2/13 when he was a full-time starter. Made four starts as a junior and finished the year with 32/1/5.

Pros: Well-sized and athletic defensive back who is still learning the position. Remains disciplined with assignments, displays the ability to drive to the action out of his plant and possesses a burst of closing speed. Fluid pedaling in reverse, quickly changes direction and plays an aggressive brand of football. Fast up the field defending the run, mixes it up with opponents throughout pass routes, and physically defeats them to defend the throw.

Cons: Displays a poor sense of timing. Not consistent with his defensive back mechanics.”

All in all, with the limited options and resources the Colts have at their disposal, these 3 prospects are about as good as it’s going to get for the near future and deserve a serious look. I still believe that Jenkins is still an option in spite of what Jerry Jones has said given the fact that he tried to move Jenkins before the draft. His hard “stance” on not wanting to trade him is nothing more than a ploy to try and coerce any suitors for his services into making a lopsided deal in favor of the Cowboys. I don’t think Grigs and co will fall for that and will in turn just wait and see Jerry’s tune when training camp roles around. The price tag for Jenkins will depend on the amount of interest he generates from other teams for his services. Training camp is right around the corner boys. The clock is ticking.

Fans: Don’t Knock The World Off Its Hinges!

Colts.com regularly features blog written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by WeSpy

As a kid, I read a lot of books and listed to audio versions of them as well. You hardly ever saw me without a book or a tape player. At night, the tape player went under my pillow—and played on. In the tub, the tape player went on the ledge—and played on. In the car on road trips, the tape went into the car player—and played on.

One of my favorite audio series’ was The Sugar Creek Gang, a series of books authored by Paul Hutchens in the early 40′s. Years later, Paul Ramseyer narrated the books onto cassette tapes. I listened to those tapes until they were just about worn completely out. I was also fortunate enough to be able to speak personally with Mr. Ramseyer by telephone as a young boy. I LOVED the series.

The main character was a boy named Bill Collins, and his mother is the character who gave me the inspiration for the topic for this week’s fan written blog. When Bill would be having a hard time and exclaiming about this thing or that thing that had frustrated him, Mrs. Collins would say, “Well for the land’s sake, Bill, don’t knock the world off its hinges!”

As I’ve scanned the forum and the web for the past little while since the release of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was announced, it seemed to me that a lot of fans are doing just what Bill’s mom warned against—They’re knocking the world off its hinges! In reality, the Indianapolis Colts have many bright days ahead, and while no one should ever forget just what Peyton Manning meant to this city, we must also look on the positive side of things and see that the famed trio of pessimism, gloom, and doom do no one any good.

With that in mind, here are 10 reasons not to ‘knock the world off its hinges’.

1. We Have The #1 Pick In The 2012 Draft
2. We have 4 Picks In The First Hundred Players
3. We Have The Best Quarterback Prospect Since Peyton/Elway Available To Us (According To Multiple Analysts)
4. We Have A Coaching Staff With Experience In The Playoffs In 36 Games (HC, OC, DC)
5. We Have A Coaching Staff With Experience in The Super Bowl in 4 Games (HC, OC, DC)
6. We Have 8 Players With Pro Bowl Experience
7. We Have 14 Players With Super Bowl Experience (As A Starter)
8. We Are Well Under The Salary Cap ($29.5 Million and $25.3 Have Been Put Forward*)
9. We Only Have Four Playoff Teams on the 2012 Schedule
10. We Have The Best 12th Man In Sports

So, Colts fans, the future is bright. The Colts are still a great team. And after reading these positive thoughts, please don’t be like the pessimist who smelled flowers and looked around for the casket…

Stick with your team, your players, your coaches, your Front Office, and your owner. And don’t knock the world off its hinges.

*$29.58—Colts—Minus Collins, Minus Manning, Minus Brackett, Plus Mathis
*$25.38—Colts—Minus Collins, Minus Manning, Minus Brackett, Plus Mathis, Plus Luck (At Minimum Rookie Salary)
*Please Keep In Mind That This Does Not Include The Players Presently Unsigned, Only Current Roster Players
*A Very Special Thanks To UndecidedFrog For His Assistance With The Salary Cap Numbers.

Misguided Fans, in Their Effort to Save Peyton, Disrespects Andrew Luck

Every week Colts.com features a blog written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by UndecidedFrog

A website is selling t-shirts that proudly states:

“Who needs Luck when we have Manning” in bold white lettering on a Colts-Blue background.

I was wondering if this is the message that Indianapolis Colts fans want to send to a highly-rated draft QB prospect that the team is considering as a candidate for their number 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. How should Andrew Luck react to such a sentiment? Should he make himself available to be drafted by a team whose fans feel that he is not needed? Should he consider providing the Colts with an Eli-Manning-like statement similar to how one highly-rated Stanford QB once did? How could any of this be in the best interests of the Colts?

Maybe a better question to ask these Colts fans is: Why do you think that Peyton Manning’s nerve can be regenerated faster/better by disrespecting a draft prospect being considered by the Colts? If the Colts end up drafting Mr. Luck, is this the kind of welcome reception that the Colts fans would be proud to provide?

Peyton Manning’s nerve will or will not regenerate to the point where he can throw like the pre-injury Peyton Manning. Drafting Andrew Luck will have nothing to do with that.

I think it is time to stop the histrionics. We should recognize that our emotions are running away from us, and that cooler heads need to prevail. Otherwise the resultant damage may be incalculable. Shame on us.

THE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS QUARTERBACK DEBATE

Every week Colts.com features a blog written by one of our fans. This week’s blog was submitted by CPearison45

With the 2012 NFL Draft a little over three months away, there has been much discussion on how the Indianapolis Colts should handle their first overall pick. Some fans have shown their support to draft Andrew Luck, the starting quarterback from Stanford University. He was coached and mentored by Jim “Captain Comeback” Harbaugh during his first two years at Stanford and is possibly the most-hyped quarterback since John Elway (who most Colts fans know was drafted #1 overall in 1983 by the Baltimore Colts, only to see him traded away to the Broncos after he refused to play for Robert Irsay).

Luck has had a profound college career and has chosen to forego his senior season to declare for the NFL Draft. His career statistics have been impressive: 9,430 yards, 82 Touchdowns, 22 Interceptions. He has had 1,064 passing attempts with 713 completions for an overall completion record of 67%. He has also had 163 rushing attempts for 957 yards (5.9 yards per carry) with 7 Rushing TDs, and averages 25.2 yards per game.

Andrew Luck was decorated with many awards his junior year while leading the Stanford to an 11-2 record. These awards include; First Team All-America, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Heisman Trophy Runner-Up, Davey O’Brien Award Finalist, Manning Award Finalist, Academic All-America of the Year, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All Pac-12, First Team Pac-12 All Academic Team, and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, October 17, 2011.

Many football fans and insiders believe Luck is a shoo-in for the #1 overall pick. He has a very high intelligence level and has proven he can comprehend a pro playbook. He is the embodiment of an NFL-caliber quarterback with very high accuracy, great technique, and is fundamentally sound. He’s a relatively good sized quarterback too, standing at 6’-4” and roughly 235 pounds.

There has also been criticism of Luck, some saying he’s highly overrated. A lot of talk has been about his poor arm strength and the inability to throw the long ball. However, this can be countered by the fact that his receiving corps at Stanford is one of the slowest corps in all of college. His non-threat of the deep ball could possibly be attributed to his receivers simply not being able to shake the DBs. It is also said that Luck only throws downfield when it is off a play action, with more of his passes coming off of small 5-yard completions. This leads many to believe that his success is only from a product of a dominating run game at Stanford. Could he still have this success with the Colts with their current run game offense which is one of the lowest in the league? Others question Luck’s ability to make his teammates play to their full potential. Can he be the elite quarterback that will rally his team to perform in all circumstances?

So there are pros and cons for the Colts to draft Andrew Luck first overall in this year’s draft. So that leaves the question, if there are disadvantages of drafting Luck, then who would the number two option be? That turns this discussion to Robert Griffin III.

RG3 has also had a very prolific college career at Baylor University. His career statistics: 10,366 yards, 78 Touchdowns, 17 Interceptions. He had 1,182 passing attempts with 790 completions for a 66.8% completion percentage (awfully close to that of Mr. Luck). He has also rushed for 2,273 yards on 528 attempts (a 4.3 yards per carry average), with 33 Rushing Touchdowns and 56.83 yards per game.

RG3 won the prestigious Heisman Trophy Award in 2011 and the Davey O’Brien Award.

There are numerous positives surrounding Robert Griffin III and his ability to become an elite NFL quarterback. He has great arm strength that will keep the opposing team’s secondary on their toes with the possibility of a deep ball on every play. He is extremely accurate in the pocket and while scrambling and is one of the most mobile quarterbacks we’ve seen. He’s extremely polished in his quarterbacking style. This style complements the slow move of the NFL quarterback from the traditional pocket passer (e.g. Manning, Brady) to the mobile, rushing quarterback (e.g. Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers). Griffin represents a dual-threat quarterback and could end up being the face of the new era. Many speculate he could have a better rookie season than Cam Newton just had, depending on where he ends up. Even former Colts coach Tony Dungy mentioned on the Sunday Night Football telecast the idea of drafting Griffin over Luck.

Of course, there are negatives about Griffin also. RG3 is smaller than Andrew Luck, at 6’-2” and roughly 220 pounds. He’s also receiving the stereotypical criticisms about his scrambling and questions on whether or not he’ll be able to utilize the NFL playbook. There has also been speculation that his decision making is not where it should be and he cannot aptly read defenses nor command the line of scrimmage as need be for an elite quarterback.

There are obvious reasons to draft either quarterback this year, but in the end, what it will all boil down to is whether Peyton Manning is healthy or not. If it is determined that the Colts will not retain Peyton any further, than most would say that Luck is the obvious choice. He has the Manning-esque qualities that led us to amazing success during the 2000s. If this happens, than anything Luck can bring to team is a step up from the quarterback showing we watched this past season. If Peyton is healthy, drafting Luck could be a potentially horrible decision. Why? Because Luck is not the type of quarterback that will want to sit behind anyone, he does not want to be Aaron Rodgers. We could possibly see another John Elway or even Eli Manning situation where the newly-drafted quarterback refuses to sign with that team. Griffin would be the obvious choice to draft if Peyton is indeed healthy and able to play next season. Griffin is a very good quarterback already, but he would be more inclined to be mentored by Peyton and to sit and learn for a few seasons. After the dismal season we just concluded, it definitely goes to show that we’re in desperate need for a well-groomed success for when Peyton does retire, and I believe Griffin is that successor.