And we’re back…. Sorry for the long layoff.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Colts and a lot has changed. Most of you keep up with the team on a regular basis and there is no need to recap all that has happened over the last six months – needless to say the team has a fresh look and feel.
After sitting through training camp and the first two preseason games it is obvious that this team isn’t as bad as a lot of the ‘top analysts’ predicted it would be. Are the Colts going to the playoffs? Probably not. Will they win more than five games? I think so. The talent on both sides of the ball is much more balanced than its been in the past and the team is primed to fill any deficiencies that may reveal themselves this season with a ton of cap room next offseason. Sit back and enjoy the maturation process this year, next year the Colts will be serious playoff contenders.
Here are my observations by position:
Quarterback
Andrew Luck has been every bit as good as advertised. What I saw in the game last night against the Steelers exceeded my lofty expectations. Three things stood out during the game that told me all that I needed to know about Luck.
Blitz Pickup – Luck hit Fleener on a perfect pass when the Steelers sent more than the Colts could block. He didn’t panic, he stayed in the pocket and immediately made the hot read. This isn’t the typical response of a rookie quarterback in the preseason. Incredible.
The Kid has Amnesia (and that’s a good thing) – Luck made a mistake last night tossing his first interception of the preseason. He tried to throw it across the field, telegraphed the pass and didn’t have enough zip to get away with it. To top it off, he was sacked the first play of the next series. How does he respond? Luck engineers an 80 yard touchdown drive, carving up the Steelers defense.
He’s a Great Teammate – After TY Hilton juggled a pass, leading to a second interception, most rookie quarterbacks would go back to their safety net (Wayne or Fleener). The first play of the next series the Colts ran a designed screen pass for Hilton, showing the confidence they have in him. Was this Luck’s idea? I have no idea, but, if it was, this is the kind of veteran play that we expected to see from guys like Peyton Manning in the past.
Drew Stanton looks to have a strong arm and a very capable backup. I’m not sure that he possesses the ‘been there, done that’ veteran leadership that would be ideal for Luck’s development, but he’s better than the players the Colts started last year trying to fill in for Manning.
Chandler Harnish has been a pleasant surprise. He throws a beautiful ball and seems to have a lot of confidence in the pocket. If he continues to play well it’s possible the Colts would consider keeping three quarterbacks on the roster this year.
Running Back
This is a position that you should circle for 2013. The Colts need someone that can consistently take pressure off of Luck and keep the defense honest. There isn’t anyone on the roster that can be that type of player, at least not yet. The Colts have high hopes for Vick Ballard and Delone Carter but each will need time to develop.
Donald Brown seems to be turning a corner in his development (which has taken awhile) and should be serviceable this season as the #1 running back. He has improved on his pass blocking and is running with the same determination we saw at the end of last season.
Ballard, a punishing runner who is surprisingly agile, is someone that looked solid last night and may steal some carries.
Delone Carter showed flashes of what he is capable of last season but was hampered by fumbilitis (a death sentence for running backs). A rib injury kept him out of the Steelers game and he may lose some ground if Ballard keeps running strong.
Mewelde Moore is a favorite of Colts Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians and may get a job because of his knowledge of the system. So far he hasn’t been all that impressive but he has a decent reputation as a productive back so far in his career. He also missed the Steelers game, giving Ballard a chance to shine.
Darren Evans hasn’t shown anything in the preseason that leads me to believe he has a spot on the roster. Doesn’t show any burst in the hole and isn’t a very good receiver. Long shot at best to make the team.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
After losing Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark (among others) this offseason, I expected this group to be low on talent and depth. Surprisingly, this is one of the deepest positions on the roster. Ryan Grigson did a nice job adding undrafted talent and giving Luck the weapons he needs.
Reggie Wayne seems to have a little more bounce to his step this season. Maybe it’s the new contract, maybe it’s the addition of Luck, but something has inspired Wayne to have a huge season this year. The Colts are moving him around a lot more this year and he should see a lot of action.
Austin Collie looked poised to breakout again this year until he took another hit to the head last night. Early indications aren’t good. I could see the team putting him on the PUP list, making him inactive for the first six games. I’m hoping for the best but reality says that this could be the end for Collie.
The selections of Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener probably left a lot of people scratching their heads on draft night, but they are proving to be valuable assets in the offense. In my opinion, Allen looks to be more NFL ready and should make the most immediate impact. Fleener’s size should make him an ideal redzone target but we haven’t really seen that in the preseason yet.
I really like Griff Whalen and I think there is a roster spot for him. He makes tough catches, runs great routes and seems to be a favorite of the coaches and the quarterbacks.
LaVon Brazill looks solid.
TY Hilton looks decent but will need to show more to justify his draft position.
I heard great things about Jabin Sambrano during mini camp and throughout training camp but that hasn’t been evident in the two preseason games.
Offensive Line
This group has the chance to be solid. To this point, they’ve struggled and appear to be a weakness but I’m not giving up on them yet. There is some talent and size on the line and, like most things, they just need time to develop some chemistry and consistency. I think that this will be another area that is addressed during the 2013 offseason.
I like Samson Satele and Anthony Constanzo a lot. Not sold on Winston Justice or Mike McGlynn yet but I have a lot of hope. Everyone else on the line is a fringe player and not likely to make a huge impact for the team this year. Depth will be a concern as they try to protect the franchise (Luck) during his first season.
Defensive Line/Linebackers
I won’t spend a lot of time here because the jury is still out. Cory Redding, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis haven’t played much which makes it tough to know how the starting unit will play together. Freeney hasn’t look very explosive in the new system to this point and that is a bit concerning. The Colts ‘starting’ defense hasn’t allowed many points during the first two games which bodes will for the new group.
Jerry Hughes (I can’t believe I’m writing this), Jerrell Freeman and Mario Addison look to be quality players that will add depth in the new scheme.
No one has really taken over at nose tackle and the team seemed to have a major problem stopping the run last night. The loss of Pat Angerer will hurt early this season but could reveal talent and give the team some additional depth.
I expect a lot of uneven performances this season. One week this unit may look dominant, but then get run over and embarrassed the next. Look for the Colts to invest in a quality nose tackle next offseason and another linebacker if the Dwight Freeney experiment doesn’t work (and I don’t think it will).
Secondary
This is the position that lacks the most depth. Jerraud Powers looks like he will benefit from the aggressive scheme and Justin King looked decent last night. The staring safeties, Antoine Bethea and Tom Zbikowski, look like they will be very solid (especially Bethea) and shouldn’t be a cause for any real concern. After those four there isn’t much to speak of.
Cassius Vaughn and Cam Chism haven’t revealed themselves to be anything beyond career backups. Joe Lefeged made a decent hit last night but, other than that, hasn’t been heard of throughout the first two games.
As with several of the other positions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Colts try to sign a top knotch corner this offseason or trade for one before the season starts.
Special Teams
Adam Vinatieri looks stronger than he has in years past. Last night he made a 53 yard field goal that probably goes in from 65 yards or more.
Pat McAfee is as solid as ever. Interested to see if the field goal kicking experiment works and the Colts let him kick after Vinatieri hangs up the cleats for good.
The team was a mixed bag last night. Jeremy Ross whiffed on a blocking assignment resulting in a blocked punt. At the end of the game the special teams unit blocked the game winning field goal (though it still had enough to limp over the crossbar). The return game continues to be sub-par (even with the focus the team placed on it this offseason) and kick coverage continues to be mediocre at best.
All told, I think the Colts have a chance to really turn some heads this year. After the dust has settled a bit, I think most Colts fans realize that Jim Irsay made the right calls for the future of the franchise. As one of my favorite tweeter’s said last night: “Whether it’s Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, Edgerrin James or Peyton Manning, when the Colts have cut ties with someone there’s usually a reason… and they’re usually right.”
I will have my 2012 Season predictions up at the end of the preseason so be on the lookout for that.
Colts Football Insider 
Paul K.
August 20, 2012
Hello Nick, you are right on with your comments. I was impressed with the defense last night, as well as the poise of Luck after the interception. I feel bad for Collie after the hit by Taylor which looked like a late one to me. I was impressed with Whalen who could replace Collie in the slot, he makes the tough catches in traffic. The linebackers like Hughes, Brown, Harvey, Addison and Lloyd should make the roster. Ballard looked good running North to South and Brown is the fastest runner in the backfield. The colts have to trade for another shut-down corner to go with Powers, that would help the defense a lot. I believe this team will surprise a lot of people this year. P.S. I would trade Freeney for a corner, linebacker, or draft pick (3) round. He does not fit into this system, he seems slow and not reacting to the play quickly. Do you think I am wrong?
nickragsdale
August 20, 2012
I agree with your thoughts on Freeney but finding a trade partner will be tough. He only has the one year left on his deal and the cap hit is 16-19 million. Any team that would take him would need to have a lot of cap space (there aren’t many that fit the bill) and deal with the possibility that Freeney may not stick around after this season. I don’t see too many takers.
The team can afford Freeney this year and it will probably end up being a one year experiment. I don’t see any chance that he returns next year.