Indianapolis Colts News and Notes for 2004/2005

[TheGeneral+]

The way Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy sees it, the Colts’ cornerbacks have potential for a productive season next season.

More than enough potential, actually.

At one corner, there could be Joseph Jefferson, a talented, young third-year veteran Dungy believes capable of being a big-time NFL player. At another, there could be Donald Strickland, a second-year player who played effectively as a rookie.

That’s the positive.

What’s unknown is if either player will be available for the position next season, and with the loss of three players at the position in the off-season, Dungy said that makes cornerback a crucial position.

“It’s a tough area right now,” Dungy said recently.

Gone are Walt Harris and David Macklin.

Un-signed is Cliff Crosby.

That leaves Nick Harper, a starter last season until a back injury limited his playing time late in the regular season and in the playoffs, as the only cornerback on the roster with extensive playing experience.

“Nick’s really the only one who played last year,” Dungy said. “We think Strickland can be great out there, and we think Joseph Jefferson can be great if he bounces back. A lot of it will depend on what we can come up with in the draft.

“We’ve got some question marks, but we think we’ve got guys who can do the job.”

The first question – can Jefferson return from injury? – may not be answered until training camp, Dungy said.

Jefferson, a third-round draft choice from Western Kentucky in 2002, played effectively on special teams as a rookie. During mini-camp and training camp last season, he impressed coaches and personnel officials, but throughout last off-season, he was bothered by a lingering pelvis injury.

The injury continued to bother him in training camp. He was inactive through the first nine games, and was on injured reserve thereafter. He underwent surgery in the off-season and is expected to be 100 percent when training camp begins.

“If he comes through and does what we think he’ll be able to do, I think we’ll be OK there,” Dungy said. “If he has another injury-plagued year or he isn’t able to play as well as we know he can, that’s going to make it tougher for us. We’re counting on him to come through.”

Jefferson, 6-feet-1, 207 pounds, is a prototypical cornerback in the Cover 2 Defense – a big defender who can play the run and who has the speed to make big plays against the pass.

“I think he can play real well for us,” Dungy said. “He was on his way last year, and looking at some of the preseason games, there’s a lot of reason to think that if he’s healthy he will play well. He has anticipation and ball skills. I think he’s going to be a turnover guy.

“He’s big, fast and strong, which is what you want in a corner.”

Strickland, a 2003 third-round draft choice from Colorado, missed the first five games with a groin injury he aggravated during last year’s mini-camp. Once Strickland returned, he played as well as any member of the Colts’ secondary, switching from his collegiate position of corner and starting the final eight games of the season at safety.

Which leads to the other major question facing the Colts’ secondary in the preseason: Where will Strickland play next season? Dungy said that’s yet known, and it may not be decided until after the April 24-25 NFL Draft.

“We’re not sure if we’ll be able to move Donald back to cornerback,” Dungy said. “It will depend on what we come up with in the draft. He can play either position, and play them both well. That’s a nice luxury, and he’ll be effective no matter where he lines up.”

Strickland finished with 42 tackles in 11 games, and also had two interceptions, including a late-game interception that led to the tying points in the Colts’ come-from-behind, division-clinching victory over Houston in the season finale.

Harper, who started 13 of 16 games, led the Colts with four interceptions, three of which came in the first two games of the season. He returned an interception 75 yards for a game-clinching touchdown in the Colts’ 33-7 Week 2 victory over Tennessee.

“Corner is probably the position that’s most up in the air,” Dungy said. “A lot will depend on the draft. Right now, everything with Joseph is going positive, and we like what Donald and Nick Harper can do.

“It’s really a situation we have to watch and be flexible depending on what happens.”

http://www.colts.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The story at safety for the Colts this off-season is strikingly similar to that of cornerback.

Each spot must overcome injuries. Each spot must improve next season. Each spot could be addressed in the draft.

And finally, one player – Donald Strickland – is a potential key at each spot.

Strickland, a 2003 third-round draft choice from the University of Colorado, was drafted as a cornerback, but started eight games at safety last season. He played well at the spot, enough so that the Colts are currently undecided where he will play next season.

Possibly, he could play corner.

Or he could play safety.

“I think he’s a guy who’s going to play well wherever you put him,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said recently.

The future of Strickland, and that of the Colts’ safety position, could be affected by next weekend’s NFL Draft, Colts President Bill Polian and Dungy each said recently.

“If we’re able to acquire a safety, Strickland is probably a corner, which is what we saw him as originally,” Polian said. “If we’re not able to acquire a safety, maybe Strickland plays safety, but we’ll see.”

At 5-feet-10, 187 pounds, Strickland is considered small for an NFL safety, but Dungy said he isn’t concerned about his ability to withstand a 16-game NFL season.

“I don’t usually worry about that too much,” Dungy said. “We drafted him as a corner, and we think that’s his ideal spot. He played very well for us at safety. He made a lot of big plays for us at the end of the year. He’s going to be a good player for us.

“It’s just where we’re going to be able to use him. Unfortunately for him right now, that kind of depends on the other guys, their health, and the draft.”

Aside from Strickland, the Colts currently have three safeties on the roster with extensive NFL experience, two of whom – free safety Idrees Bashir and strong safety Mike Doss – started much of last season.

Cory Bird, a 2001 third-round draft choice, recently re-signed with the team while 2001 fifth-round draft choice Jason Doering has not been re-signed.

Concerning Dungy entering the off-season program isn’t so much the ability of the players at safety, but their health.

Strickland, who missed the first five games of last season before starting in the final eight, entered the off-season healthy, but the other three – Bird, Bashir and Doss – were hampered by injuries late last season.

Bashir, a 2001 second-round draft choice, started the first eight games of last season before a shoulder injury kept him out the next seven games. He returned to start in the regular-season finale against Houston and two playoff games, but could not play in the AFC Championship against New England.

Doss, who started 15 regular-season games as a second-round rookie last season, missed the regular-season finale with an ankle injury, an injury that kept him out of the opening game of the playoffs. He returned to start in the final two playoff games, but underwent off-season surgery.

Bird, a key player on special teams, missed four games with injuries last season.

“All three of those guys should be back by training camp, but we’re just a little short in the secondary,” Dungy said. “If everybody’s back and healthy, I think we feel good about where we are, but not being able to say for sure makes you watch that area closely. If they’re all healthy, we’ll be fine. A lot of it is going to play out over the next month with our health and the draft.”

While healthy, Dungy said Doss and Bashir – who entered the season as starters – played well, but he said their inability to practice as a unit hampered their effectiveness at the end of the season. That was the situation at cornerback, too, for the Colts last season.

Injuries at safety are particularly difficult for the Colts because of the importance of the position in the team’s Cover 2 scheme, and Dungy said keeping the position healthy next season is crucial.

“Doss and Bashir played pretty well last season, and again, they kind of got hit by injuries,” Dungy said. “It was a reflection of how each guy was able to practice how they played. It was a pretty good combination and Donald filled in admirably for a guy who really hadn’t played there.

“He’d had very limited practice time, but between those three guys, we’ll get quality play and a chance to make big plays.”

http://www.colts.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Colts won 12 games last season, started 5-0 and didn’t lose their first game until mid-October.

If they’re to do that this season, they’ll have to negotiate a difficult start.

The Colts, the AFC South champions and the AFC runners-up in 2003, will open the 2004 season with road games at defending Super Bowl champion New England and AFC South rival Tennessee, the NFL announced Wednesday afternoon.

The combined 2003 record of the Colts’ first two 2004 opponents?

Twenty-six and six, 29-7 including playoffs.

“They’re big games,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said. “It will give us incentive to come into training camp and understand we’re playing the defending champions and the team we’ve always had to fight it out for in this division. We’re playing them both on the road.

“We’ll know at the end of Week 2 how good a football team we are.”

The New England game, announced by the NFL several weeks ago, will be a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game, and will be one of four nationally televised games for the Colts next season.

The Colts will play the Patriots (14-2 last season) in Foxboro, Mass., on Thursday, September 9, an 8 p.m. nationally televised game that will open the NFL season. The Patriots beat the Colts 38-34 in Indianapolis last season and 24-14 in the title game in New England.

The Colts’ other nationally-televised games: a Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings (9-7) on November 8; a Sunday night, ESPN game against Baltimore December 9; and a Thanksgiving Day game against Detroit on November 25.

“From a fan standpoint, the four national games are an interesting thing,” Colts President Bill Polian said. “It’s always nice to be on television. The players like that, as well.”

Said Dungy, “That tells us what the league thinks about us. We’ve got to be ready to live up to that and come out ready to play.”

The Monday night game will be the first in Indianapolis since the 2000 season. The game against the Lions is the Colts’ first Thanksgiving Day appearance since 1965.

Three of the first four games are on the road, with the Colts visiting New England September 9 and Tennessee – which tied the Colts for first in the AFC South last season – September 19. They play host to the Green Bay Packers (10-6) September 26 and visit Jacksonville (5-11) October 3.

“We kind of like that,” Dungy said. “That will give us incentive to come into camp and get ourselves ready and know if we can go on the road early and win those games we’ve got home games coming up late in the year.”

After Jacksonville, the Colts play host to the Oakland Raiders (4-12) October 10 before a bye week, then follow that with a home game against Jacksonville October 24 and a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) October 31.

The Colts beat the Chiefs, 38-31, in an AFC Divisional Playoff game at Kansas City this past January.

After Kansas City, the Colts play host to the Vikings and the Texans (November 14), then follow that with a pair of road games – at Chicago (7-9) November 21 and at Detroit (5-11) on Thanksgiving Day.

“From a coaching standpoint, I think the schedule turned out really as nicely as we could have it,” Dungy said. “There’s very little disruption in our schedule. We have the Thursday Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit, which puts in a short week, but the chance to play in that type of traditional game is something we’ll relish.

“Other than that, our schedule doesn’t get disrupted that much.”

Indianapolis closes with three of five games at home. The Colts play host to Tennessee December 5 before visiting Houston December 12. After that, they play the Ravens (10-6) on Sunday night and San Diego (4-12) at home December 26.

“Last year, any number of people wrote and called the radio show and I ran into a number of people who said, ‘I’m home for the holidays, my family’s here in Indianapolis and I had the opportunity to see the Colts play,’’’ Polian said. “So, I’m glad we’re home during that period of time when people who are visiting Indianapolis or visiting relatives can come see us play.”

The Colts close the season at Denver (10-6) January 2. That game, like Green Bay on September 26, is scheduled to be the second part of a Sunday doubleheader on CBS.

“You play who they tell you to play when they tell you to play them,” Polian said. “I’ve never really paid much attention to so-called advantages or disadvantages that have to do with the schedule. You’ve got to play somebody.

“We’ll show up and we’ll be on time. That’s the way we’ve always approached it.”

http://www.colts.com/

 

[TheGeneral+]

Starting offensive tackle Ryan Diem and offensive guard Rick DeMulling have signed one-year offers for $1.368 million each with the Indianapolis Colts, leaving the team with two unsigned restricted free agents.

Diem, a fourth-round draft selection out of Northern Illinois in 2001, started eight of 15 games as a rookie and all 16 games in 2002 at right guard. He moved to right tackle last season and started 13 of 16 games.

"He wants to be in Indy, there's no doubt about it," his agent, Cliff Brady, said Tuesday. "He's certainly happy to get another year, and hopefully the Colts will want to re-sign him to a long-term deal. If they don't, there won't be a shortage of teams coming after him."

Diem will become an unrestricted free agent next year.

If he had signed with another team this year, the Colts could have matched any offer or received a first-round draft pick in compensation.

"There were teams that showed interest this year, but not at the first-round level," Brady said. "There was a team willing to give up a two (a second-round pick) for him, but the Colts didn't want to do it."

DeMulling, a seventh-round selection from Idaho in 2001, played sparingly as a rookie, but started 14 games in 2002 and all 16 regular-season games and three playoff games last season at left guard. He signed the offer with the Colts last week, but the team did not confirm the signing until Tuesday.

Starting cornerback Nick Harper and backup running back Dominic Rhodes still have not re-signed with Indianapolis.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Picks could include eventual successor to James or Harrison.

One of the objectives of the Indianapolis Colts during this weekend's NFL draft is to address some immediate needs, deficiencies created by recent personnel decisions and defections.

Another is to prepare for what has yet to occur. That might involve seeking an eventual replacement for running back Edgerrin James, one of several high-profile Colts who can become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2004 season.

James still is young (25) and motivated. He holds franchise rushing records for a game (219 yards), season (1,709) and career (6,172). In 2003, his fifth year with the Colts, he averaged 4.1 yards per attempt and rushed for 1,259 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games.

On the down side, James is running on a reconstructed left knee, and could have more than 1,800 career rushing attempts by the end of '04. At some point, a workhorse running back begins to wear down or lose a half-step.

In an NFL driven by the salary cap and liberalized free agency, maintaining team chemistry and a stable roster are year-to-year endeavors. Losing valued players is inevitable, replacing them imperative.

"You learn to live with it," Colts coach Tony Dungy said.

High atop a list of players who can become unrestricted free agents at the end of the upcoming season are James and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Also on the list are four other starters: offensive right tackle Ryan Diem, left guard Rick DeMulling, free safety Idrees Bashir and middle linebacker Rob Morris.

"You'd like to think in a perfect world . . . that something will happen and you'll get all of those guys back," Dungy said. "But you know the likelihood of that is not very good.

"You've got to be ready. You've got to have guys in the mix or you have to have plans to draft a guy. I think Bill (Polian, team president) does a great job of that."

Polian couldn't be reached for comment for this story. Dungy would not discuss specifics regarding possible future personnel decisions. Options include:

• Signing Harrison and James to long-term contracts. Barring an injury in '04, each likely will command top dollar as a free agent.

• Signing Harrison to a long-term contract and slapping James with the "franchise" tag, or vice versa.

• Retaining Harrison, either with a long-term deal or the franchise tag, and allowing James to test his value on the market, or vice versa.

In the wake of the long-term financial commitment made to quarterback Peyton Manning in March -- seven years, $98 million -- it's difficult to imagine the Colts having the resources to keep their "Triplets" together past 2004.

The team might believe it's more prudent to invest further in its career receiving leader than its rushing leader. Harrison is 32 but showing no signs of slowing down. Over the past five seasons, all of which landed him in the Pro Bowl, Harrison has averaged 113 receptions, 1,519 yards and 12 touchdowns.

If the Colts are looking for James' successor, they might find him in this weekend's draft, perhaps in the second or third round.

Dungy wanted no part of that hypothesis.

"That is Bill's job," he said. "There are people who are (both) head coach and GM, and I wouldn't want to do that. That's too much for me to think about.

"We talk about those kind of things all the time: 'This could happen two years from now. This could happen if we do this.' Those certainly go into your decision making.

"With me, it's a 20-minute conversation. With Bill, it's putting it all together."

It's dealing with the short term while never losing sight of the bigger picture.

Planning ahead enabled the team to deal with the anticipated loss of guard Steve McKinney after the 2001 season. Its 2001 draft class included DeMulling, who has started 30 of the past 32 regular-season games at left guard, and Diem, who on Monday signed the one-year, $1.368 million contract the team issued him as a restricted free agent.

Resigned to the fact they would lose starting linebacker Mike Peterson to free agency during the 2003 offseason, the Colts drafted a possible replacement -- David Thornton -- in the fourth round in 2002. Thornton stepped in when Peterson left and led the team with 158 tackles.

The team expected to lose another starting linebacker, Marcus Washington, this year. He signed with Washington. It remains to be seen if it will be able to similarly compensate for his free agent departure through this weekend's draft, the 2003 draft (Keyon Whiteside, Cato June) or the second phase of veteran free agency.

"You have to be ready for whatever happens," Dungy said. "You have to have guys who are ready to step up. We feel pretty good that we'll have that."

Free agents in waiting

The Indianapolis Colts' selections in this weekend's NFL draft might be influenced by current Colts players who can become unrestricted free agents after the 2004 season. That list includes:


Marvin Harrison - WR Franchise's career receptions leader will turn 33 before start of 2005 season.

Edgerrin James - RB Leading rusher in club history has carried the ball 1,494 times and suffered a major knee injury during first five seasons.

Ryan Diem - OT Young (24) mainstay on effective offensive line.

Rick DeMulling - G Entering third season as left-side starter.

Rob Morris - LB 3-year starter who needs a breakout season in 2004.

Idrees Bashir - S Has started 38 games at free safety the past three seasons.

Nick Harper - CB 13-game starter in 2003 and expected to challenge for starting role in 2004.

Dominic Rhodes - RB Solid backup who has battled knee and shoulder injuries.

Jim Nelson - LB Versatile, experienced member of linebacker corps.

Troy Walters - WR Provides reliable depth on offense and is an option in return game.

Cory Bird - S Occasional starter on defense and major contributor on special teams.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/139957-9815-038.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Heading into the NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts would seem to be driven by the same mind-set that guided them into last year's talent search: Give the defense a boost.

In 2003, the defense ranked No. 11 in total yards allowed and No. 18 in points allowed, and tied for 12th in creating takeaways. Over the past two months, it has lost Walt Harris and David Macklin, the starting cornerbacks in the AFC Championship game, starting strong-side linebacker Marcus Washington and Chad Bratzke, an invaluable and experienced lineman.

So, different year, same objectives?

"It should be, but you never know," coach Tony Dungy said. "We went in with that thought in mind last year."

But when the draft's first round reached the Colts at the No. 24 slot, acquiring defensive help was put on hold. They snatched Iowa tight end Dallas Clark.

"How can you pass him up?" president Bill Polian asked.

That's the dilemma with residing in the bottom third of the first round. Often, the best player available isn't necessarily the player who addresses what is perceived to be a glaring need.

By anyone's estimation, the Colts' most immediate concerns are defensive. A linebacker to replace Washington. A cornerback or safety. A defensive lineman who can generate plays that make a difference.

Most draft analysts have affixed three linebackers with first-round grades: the Miami (Fla.) tandem of Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams and Auburn's Karlos Dansby.

"If a great linebacker fell to us, terrific. All your prayers are answered," said Polian, who described this year's draft as one of the weakest he's seen in several years. "But that's probably not going to happen. And I'm not going to manufacture a player to fill what is a perceived need."

In personnel jargon, that's called "reaching" for a player.

Reach too far for a player who doesn't carry an evaluation grade commensurate with where you're picking, and you're apt to get burned.

"It would be ideal for a real good defensive player to be there," Dungy said. "We would jump up and down and be happy.

"As much as you're need-driven and you have to replace your needs in the draft, you still have to look at good players. You can't ever discount the fact 'big-play guys' help you win."

Dungy admitted the time he spent as Dennis Green's defensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings helped shape his approach to the draft and to all personnel matters.

"One thing I learned from Dennis Green is you can pass up a great player as long as you get another great player," Dungy said. "Don't pass a great player for an average player.

"If you get enough good players, they're going to play for you and they're going to help you win."

It's difficult to argue with the positive impact created by the six Polian-directed drafts. Twenty-five of the 44 picks remain on the roster. At least 14 likely will be in the starting lineup Sept. 9 at New England. And lest anyone thinks the Colts routinely ignore their defense on draft day, consider that 29 of the 44 picks have been defensive players, including 11 with a pick in the first three rounds.

Since 1998, the Colts have had a pick in the top 11 three times, and maximized each with quarterback Peyton Manning (No. 1 overall in '98), running back Edgerrin James (No. 4 overall in '99) and defensive end Dwight Freeney (No. 11 in '02). All three have been to the Pro Bowl.

In three of the past four drafts, the Colts have had to wait deep into the first round. They took linebacker Rob Morris with the 28th overall pick in 2000, traded back from No. 22 to No. 30 the next year and grabbed wide receiver Reggie Wayne, and got Clark with the 24th overall pick last year.

There will be more waiting today. It could be longer than expected if the Colts, dissatisfied with their options when they're on the clock at No. 29, decide to trade down. That might enable them to recoup the fourth-round pick they sent to Houston during last year's draft.

"I could see lots of scenarios where we move back," Polian said, "and we've been in contact with people letting them know that."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/140894-7247-038.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts trade pick to atlanta

2nd Sanders, Bob SS Iowa
2nd Hartsock, Ben TE Ohio St
3rd Gardner, Gilbert OLB Purdue
4th Pope, Kendyll OLB Florida St
4th David, Jason CB Washington State
5th Scott, Jake OT Idaho
6th Hutchins, Von CB Mississippi
6th Sorgi, Jim QB Wisconsin
7th Kimball, David K Penn State

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Colts buttressed their nine-player draft class by signing 22 players who failed to get a call during the NFL's two-day selection marathon.

The list includes Matt Griebel, a starting center for Indiana State, and Ran Carthon, the starting running back at Florida and son of former NFL standout and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon.

Historically, several undrafted college players earn a spot on the Colts' 53-man active roster. Last year, that list included linebacker Gary Brackett, wide receiver Aaron Moorehead, safety Anthony Floyd and fullback Tom Lopienski.

According to team president Bill Polian, "four to five should make it. We'll see."

Carthon, he added, was a highly pursued prospect as soon as the draft ended. Fourteen teams vied for his services.

"We paid pretty handsomely to get him," Polian said without elaborating.

Griebel, a 6-2, 306-pounder, was a two-year regular on the Sycamores' offensive line.

Also signed were wide receivers Chris Bernard of Kentucky, Eric Hill of Colorado State, Skyler Fulton of Arizona State and Romar Crenshaw of Southeast Oklahoma; running backs Carey Davis of Illinois and Daniel Davis of Kansas State; Minnesota tight end Ben Utecht; Utah State guard Trevor Hutton and Kentucky offensive tackle Antonio Hall.

Defensive players included nose tackles Jeremy Caudill of Kentucky, Bryan Save of Colorado State and Derek Kennard of Nevada-Reno; defensive ends Nautyn McKay-Loesher of Alabama, Josh Thomas of Syracuse and Thomas Houchin of Kansas State; defensive backs Daryl Dixon of Florida, Stanford Samuels of Florida State, Louis Ayeni of Northwestern and Eli Ward of Minnesota, and Louisiana Tech linebacker Antonio Crow.

Utecht might need surgery to repair a hernia, which could force him to miss the 2004 season. Even so, the Colts believe he is worth the wait.

A kicker, not a challenger

The Colts' decision to draft Penn State place-kicker David Kimball in the seventh round ended a long drought. The last time they drafted a place-kicker was in 1988 when they chose Syracuse's Tim Vesling in the 12th round.

Before anyone jumped to an erroneous conclusion, it should be stressed that Kimball is being brought in to handle kick-off duties. He isn't even a remote threat to incumbent place-kicker Mike Vanderjagt.

"I have felt, and Mike disagrees, that Mike doesn't kick off well enough," Polian said. "We felt like if we could get a guy who could create field position for us, that was as good as drafting a defensive player.

"We drafted him because we felt we could not have gotten him as a free agent."

Secondary concerns

The draft represented the latest attempt by the Colts to build a reliable secondary. After selecting Iowa safety Bob Sanders on Saturday, they chose cornerbacks Jason David of Washington State and Von Hutchins of Mississippi on Sunday.

Since 1998, when Polian began overseeing the Colts' drafts, the team has selected 15 defensive backs -- seven safeties and eight corners. The Colts have drafted 11 in the past three years.

Who replaces Washington?

The Colts' three-day minicamp opens Friday with a workout at Ball State University, and a hot question on Sunday was who would be situated at strong-side linebacker. That position is up in the air because of the free-agent loss of Marcus Washington.

"You're way ahead of me," coach Tony Dungy said. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/141309-8580-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Colts traded out of the first round and picked up extra picks to address the losses on the defensive side of the ball in free agency. They lost their best outside linebacker and two cornerbacks in the offseason.

With their first selection the Colts took strong safety Bob Sanders after selecting strong safety Mike Doss in round two last year. Doss had a successful rookie season, especially against the run where his presence was like that of an extra linebacker. Sanders can also bring the pain. Despite his 5-foot-8 frame, Sanders is a big hitter and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him and Doss on the field at the same time.

Sanders brings a winning attitude and something the Colts don't have this side of Dwight Freeney: the ability to make plays. In his brief time with the Colts, Tony Dungy has preached the importance of generating more turnovers. Sanders will deliver on that edict. He set a school record with 13 forced fumbles in his career. Sanders was the second safety taken in the draft. To get him, the Colts moved out of the first round, down nine positions to the 44th pick. In return they received a higher third-round selection and an additional fourth-round pick.

The Colts, however, got heads scratching with their next pick -- Ohio State TE Ben Hartsock. The reasoning was sound, as the Colts are at their most explosive when they can use their two tight end sets. Quarterback Peyton Manning excelled when he had Ken Dilger and Marcus Pollard on the field at the same time. Last year the Colts were limited in what they could do when Pollard and 2003 first-rounder Dallas Clark were injured because so much of the playbook involves two-TE sets. However, it remains to be seen if Hartsock, a blue-collar blocking tight end with limited receiving ability, will be the right choice.

Wanting a third quality tight end makes sense, but the Colts could have signed veteran O.J. Santiago in free agency. He's an excellent blocker and a capable receiver. Also, Jason Dunn, a superb blocker, was available in free agency from Kansas City. Signing either veteran would have been inexpensive and allowed the Colts to use the pick on another position. Cornerback Derrick Strait would have been an excellent choice with the 68th pick.

With the 69th selection, the Colts stayed close to home snaring Purdue outside linebacker Gilbert Gardner. In round four they took Florida State outside linebacker Kendyll Pope. Both are excellent tacklers. Pope plays better in pass coverage than Gardner, but both will be given a chance to win Marcus Washington's old spot. Currently, 2003 rookie free agent Gary Brackett is penciled in to start in place of the departed Washington.

2004 Draft Picks: (2nd round-44th overall) SS-Bob Sanders, Iowa; (3-68) TE- Ben Hartsock, Ohio State; (3-69) OLB-Gilbert Gardner, Purdue; (4-107) LB- Kendyll Pope, Florida State; (4-125) CB-Jason David, Washington State; (5-141) OT-Jake Scott, Idaho; (6-173) CB-Von Hutchins, Mississippi; (6-193) QB-Jim Sorgi, Wisconsin; (7-229) K-Dave Kimball, Penn State.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Dallas Clark remembers the feeling, and he can certainly relate to that look on the kids’ faces.

The kids are the Colts’ rookies.

And the look? Somewhere between confusion and just plain being lost.

“You look at the rookies coming in now, and you know what they’re feeling,” the Colts’ second-year tight end said Friday, the first day of the Colts’ three-day mini-camp, to be held Friday at Ball State University in Muncie and Saturday and Sunday at the Union Federal Football Center.

The Colts opened mini-camp with an open practice at Ball State Friday night in front of 10,152 at Ball State’s stadium.

“I was surprised when we came up in the buses – we had trouble getting to the stadium,” Dungy said. “I thought we’d have a crow, but not like this. It was a fantastic reception. I think all the players were pleased with the whole response.

“It was good to get up here, make some friends and kind of show them what we’re all about.”

Mini-camp’s primary purpose, Dungy said this week, is to begin removing that confusion from the players who have joined the roster during the past week.

The Colts selected nine players in last weekend’s NFL Draft, after which they signed 23 collegiate free agents. That’s 32 players new to the team, 32 players who must learn the offense and defense, learn their way around the Colts’ facility – and relearn some of football’s smallest details.

“I like the way our new guys attacked things today,” Dungy said. “We’ve got some team speed, especially on defense. That was evident. Our veteran guys on offense came back the way they should, so it was a good day overall.”

While part of Friday was spent in meetings, and part was spent busing to Muncie, another part was spent practicing how to huddle.

“I guess some teams, that’s why they have rookie mini-camps,” Manning said. “Some teams tell the veterans ‘Hey, go lift weights,’ but not here. We’re right in there. But it’s also a time for you to try to hone in on some other detail.

“You can always learn more and try to grow more.”

The Colts practiced for about two hours at Ball State Friday, with all veterans – including running back Edgerrin James and the team’s four Pro Bowl selections from last season, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, kicker Mike Vanderjagt, Manning and defensive end Dwight Freeney – attending and participating.

“I always look forward to minicamp,” Manning said. “I always look forward to seeing the new guys and seeing the new faces. It wasn’t long ago that I was in my first mini-camp.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for these guys. Some teams have just the rookies mini-camp. I’m glad Coach Dungy doesn’t do that, because everybody’s here and these guys deserve our best. If I’m throwing to a rookie wide receiver, he deserves my best effort to throw him an accurate pass and give him the best opportunity to make the team.”



Bob Sanders, a safety from Iowa and the team’s second-round selection in last weekend’s NFL Draft, attended, but missed practice with a foot injury expected to keep him out until training camp. Safeties Mike Doss, Idrees Bashir and Cory Bird also are out of practice this weekend recovering from injuries sustained last season, and defensive end Brad Scioli and running back Dominic Rhodes are limited.

At linebacker, David Thornton – a starter on the weak side and the team’s leading tackler last season – has been moved to the strong side, with second-year linebacker Cato June in the starting lineup Friday night on the weak side.

“We’re kind of tempted to go that route and put him in (ex-Colts linebacker) Marcus (Washington)’s spot,” Dungy said. “We’ve got some guys who can play back in the (weak side) spot – Gilbert Gardner, Kendyll Pope, Gary Brackett. We’re kind of looking at that and trying to see how we can use everyone the best we can.

“We’ve kind of tweaked it a little but and we think David’s going to play well over there.”

Also, veteran offensive tackle Tarik Glenn missed practice for personal reasons.

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2030

 

[TheGeneral+]

Tony Dungy has seen the best of quarterback Peyton Manning.

Now, the Indianapolis Colts coach wants to see it again. And again.

"Last year, he was at an MVP level," Dungy said of Manning, who shared the 2003 award with Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair. "So you say: Can you be like Joe Montana now and have five or six of those years in a row?

"That's the level we can win a championship with. That's the level that very few guys have ever played at before. How many times can we do that in the next six years?"

Manning has been the team's cornerstone since being selected first overall in the 1998 draft. He's been the heartbeat of the offense, the face of the franchise.

That was reinforced by a wave of green in March. Manning signed the most lucrative contract in NFL history, a seven-year, $98 million package that included a league-record $34.5 signing bonus.

The investment was the byproduct of a productive past -- a 54-42 record as a starter in the regular season, four playoff and four Pro Bowl appearances in the past five seasons -- but more for potential.

The Colts are three months removed from a 24-14 loss to New England in the AFC Championship game.

It was an abrupt end to an otherwise banner season for the team and its quarterback.

So, what's next? Is there another level for Manning after completing a franchise-record 67 percent of his passes, suffering a career-low 10 interceptions and passing for at least 4,000 yards for an NFL-record fifth straight season?

"I hope so," said Manning, who is laying the groundwork during the Colts' three-day minicamp, which concludes with two practices today. "I feel I certainly can (improve).

"(Offensive coordinator) Tom Moore just talks about getting better. There's always another level you can take it to: completing a few more passes, trying to get it into the end zone a few more times.

"But it's more than just me."

The objective is collective, not individual, in nature.

With the Colts' defense an area of concern in the aftermath of several significant departures and, to this point, no veteran additions, the offense must maintain its high level of play. In 2003, it ranked No. 3 in the NFL in total offense (367.1 yards per game), No. 1 in passing yards (261.2) and tied for second in scoring (447 points).

The offense also remained efficient in converting third downs (41.9 percent, No. 6 in the league), although it picked up a first down on just 15-of-26 third-and-1 situations.

Manning and position coach Jim Caldwell have spent a portion of the offseason analyzing every aspect of the '03 offense. An area that caught their attention was work inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

"Red zone was one thing that really jumped out," Manning said. "We were down there a bunch and didn't turn it over. But we'd get stopped on third down and (kick) a field goal."

The Colts' 62 red-zone possessions were second most in the league, and they came away with 296 points, third most behind Kansas City (324) and St. Louis (318). But they scored only 32 touchdowns, a 51.6 percentage that ranked No. 14 in the league.

While Dungy agreed more red-zone TDs would be nice, he isn't one to turn his back on points, no matter how they're generated. He recalled the Colts' 29-27 win at Tennessee that served as a catalyst to securing the AFC South title.

The Colts penetrated the Titans' 20-yard line four times in the first half and settled for a Mike Vanderjagt field goal each time.

"In a way," Dungy said, "you're a little frustrated. But we end up winning the game by two points. You take any of those field-goal drives and say we've got to get a touchdown and end up turning the ball over, and you lose by one point."

The key is to take points by whatever means possible, and take chances when the situation warrants. That is a Dungy-delivered message that has found receptive ears.

In 2003, Manning "did what he always does in terms of putting us in the right plays and getting us to execute our offense," Dungy said. "But there were very, very few poor decisions.

"We protected the ball very well but still were very explosive."

That isn't likely to change. Manning insisted he and complacency remain strangers.

"There never is any complacency whatsoever," he said. "You just try to raise the bar a little higher."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/143031-4391-038.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

What, Edgerrin James worry about an uncertain future? Not a chance.

"Just like last year, I'll be ballin'," the Indianapolis Colts' marquee running back said during a break in the team's minicamp, which ended Sunday afternoon.

Unlike last year, though, James is heading into what might be his final season with a team that made him the fourth overall pick in the 1999 draft. He can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season.

"As far as my contract goes, yeah, it could be," conceded James. "But that's a non-issue for me because I can play football and ain't too many people who can do it all like me. I can play in any offense, anywhere.

"I don't worry about stuff like that."

James drove home his point by referring to his grandmother, Annie Lee. She's been a guiding light in his life, a source of strength and inspiration.

"When people talk to my grandma about death, she says, 'I'm ready,' " James said, smiling. "Some people don't look at it that way.

"Well, she's ready. I'm ready."

Ready for whatever. Perhaps it's a long-term contract with the Colts. Perhaps it's being the team's "franchise player," which will keep him in Indy another year. Perhaps it's the team's career rushing leader and two-time league rushing champion testing his worth on the open market.

The Colts locked up quarterback Peyton Manning for the long haul, signing him in March to a seven-year, $98 million contract. But they will face numerous offense-related personnel decisions at the end of the 2004 season.

Along with James, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Troy Walters, starting right tackle Ryan Diem, starting left guard Rick DeMulling and running back Dominic Rhodes can become unrestricted free agents after this season. Tight end Marcus Pollard's salary-cap number mushrooms from $2.9 million this year to $4.8 million in '05. Wide receiver Brandon Stokley is due a $5 million roster bonus and $2 million base salary next year.

After '04, it would appear management will have a difficult time keeping one of the NFL's most productive offenses intact. Owner Jim Irsay, while not addressing specific players, argued the point.

"You worry about it a year at a time," he said, "but I do think that it's a team we can keep together and sustain success."

Again, James won't allow himself to become distracted in May or during the regular season by what might occur next February or March. Besides, he noted, if a team wants a player badly enough, "they find a way to keep you.

"It can be done," said James, who, at 25, remains one of the team's younger talents. "It's a matter of what they want to do."

As for his preference, it's to remain the tireless legs of the Colts' diverse offense. James opts to spend as much of his offseason as possible in south Florida, but Indy remains an ideal locale when it comes to football.

"This is a cool place to play," he said. "I've been around (the offense) and know everything about it. I love the owner. I love the way coach (Tony) Dungy is. That's way too real. It's perfect.

"But one thing about it, I'm not married to a team. It's the NFL. Look at coach Dungy. He did nothing wrong in Tampa, and they still got rid of him. You can be a league MVP and you still don't know. It's all according to what people want to do."

By his performance in '04, James either will make it very difficult for the Colts not to re-sign him or establish himself as one of the top free agents on the '05 open market.

He already holds Colts franchise records for rushing yards in a career (6,172), a season (1,709) and a game (219). Despite missing three games a year ago with broken bones in his lower back, James rushed for 1,259 yards and 11 touchdowns.

"I thought he ran well all season," Manning said. "But he set the standard so high his first and second years, where do you go from there?

"We really have high expectations for him, especially with this being the third year after the (knee injury)."

James said the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that forced him to miss the final 10 games of 2001 is a nonissue.

"I've never felt this good in the offseason," he said. "I'm going to play. I'm going to give you my all.

"That's why I don't worry about football. Football will take care of itself."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/143291-5866-038.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

He was gone as quickly as he appeared, disappearing from the Colts’ 2003 season in early November.

For the first eight games, Brad Pyatt helped improve the Colts’ special teams.

For the last eight games, he sat.

Pyatt, who emerged last season as one of the AFC’s top kick and punt returners as a free-agent rookie, was among the league leaders in both categories before sustaining a neck injury November 2 in Miami. He was put on injured reserve later that week and missed the rest of the regular season.

Six months later, Pyatt said while the injury was frustrating, he’s healthy now.

And another thing:

He said he’ll be back next season, and he believes he’ll be better than before.

“If anything, it helped me,” Pyatt said during the Colts’ recent three-day mini-camp, which concluded Sunday at the Union Federal Football Center. “I got a lot of playing time, then I actually got to sit back and watch. I got to see what I was actually doing.”

What Pyatt did last season was become one of the Colts’ most exciting players and a player with a future – all that just a few months after not being selected in the NFL’s supplemental draft.

Pyatt, who played his final collegiate season at Northern Colorado after transferring from the University of Kentucky, signed with the Colts as a free agent on July 16, 2003. He made the team with an impressive training camp and preseason, then started the season as the Colts’ primary punt and kick returner.

He played the first eight games in that role, returning 19 kickoffs for 544 yards – a 28.6-yard-per-return average – and returning 12 punts for 110 yards, an average of 9.2 yards per return.

He had a 38-yard kickoff return in the Colts’ victory over Tennessee in early September and a 50-yarder against New Orleans two weeks later, but his biggest play of the season came during the Colts’ dramatic, 38-35 victory over Tampa Bay October 6.

With the Colts trailing 35-14 with less than four minutes remaining, Pyatt returned a kickoff 90 yards. The play set up a touchdown, and helped the Colts to one of the largest comebacks in NFL history.

A month later, against the Miami Dolphins, Pyatt sustained a neck injury.

He didn’t play again.

“I got thrown in the fire, and once you get in there, you’re just playing,” Pyatt said. “Once I stepped back, I got to see what I was doing. The game kind of slowed down. The first eight games were real fast for me, and as the season ended, I started to catch more things that I didn’t see. Physically, I’m back in shape now, so I didn’t think it hurt me there, either.

“The first week it was real frustrating, but then I just stepped back and saw how lucky I was to be playing. I got to sit back and didn’t have to hit the rookie wall. I feel like I got a full season in.

“I’ve never played 12 games my whole career – college, nothing. I felt like I had a full season in.”

Pyatt, who participated in last week’s mini-camp, said he will participate in the team’s upcoming summer-school program, and will be 100 percent for training camp.

His goal for the next few months:

To not only improve as a returner, but to continue his development as a wide receiver.

Pyatt, although primarily a returner last season, improved as a receiver at the same time and before he was injured, he had earned more playing time at the position. He had one reception for two yards against Houston the week before his injury, and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said he had improved enough to be a factor in the offense.

“Things were starting to pick up,” Pyatt said. “I started getting a little more offense each week. But at the same time, I was encouraged. This year, I know they’re actually looking for me as a receiver, too.

“My goal was to be a receiver in the NFL. It so happened that the way in was as a returner. Right now, my job is a returner first, but I also want to be a receiver.”

During last weekend’s mini-camp, when Dungy and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning discussed the receiving corps, they included Pyatt in a group that developed last season into one of the deepest, most productive units in the AFC.

“As a receiver, my whole game needs to improve,” Pyatt said. “My routes need to improve – my hands, my knowledge of the game. This is one of the best, if not the best, group of wide receivers in the league. I’ve got hard duty ahead of me, but it is great to have these guys, because you can watch and learn from there.

“Hopefully, no one ahead of me gets hurt. You don’t want that, but if something does happen, I want to be ready to step in.”

http://www.colts.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Donald Strickland got word about his immediate football future on the first day of the recent NFL Draft.

Strickland, drafted as a cornerback last off-season, played free safety throughout the second half of last season. He played well there and Colts officials and coaches were undecided on Strickland’s future:

Corner or safety? The drafting of safety Bob Sanders made it official.

Back to corner, back to where he had been in college.

Back to where he wanted to be?

Sort of, but not exactly, because although Sanders said recently he is not displeased to move to corner, neither would he have been unhappy playing safety.

Wherever he plays, that’s where he’ll play, he figures.

“It didn’t really matter,” Strickland said during the team’s recent mini-camp at the Union Federal Football Center. “I was happy with any situation. I was comfortable at free safety and I feel comfortable at corner.”

Strickland, the Colts’ third-round selection in the 2003 NFL Draft, played cornerback at the University of Colorado. A groin injury kept him out the first five games last season, but when he returned, free safety Idrees Bashir was out with a shoulder injury.

Strickland started the last eight games of the regular season and three playoff games at safety, registering 42 tackles, two passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

“We like his energy, his urgency, his suddenness – his attitude for the game,” Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks said. “He’s a player.”

After last season, the Colts terminated the contract of starting cornerback Walt Harris and allowed David Macklin – who started the last seven games of last season, including the playoffs – to sign with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent.

That left holes at cornerback, but the team remained undecided on whether to move Strickland from a position he played effectively half of his rookie season.

Drafting Sanders, Colts President Bill Polian said after the draft, then essentially became the drafting of two players: Sanders to play safety and Strickland to play corner.

“I think Donald’s going to play well out there,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said.

“That’s what we drafted him as, as a corner,” Meeks said. “He would have been satisfied playing safety or corner. He’s that type of person, but we feel like the additions we made on our football team, it’s best to move him back to corner.

“That’s why we drafted him where we did – we thought he was going to be a corner for this football team. Now, he has the opportunity to get back there, compete there.

“If what he did at safety is an indication, there are going to be a lot of positive plays.”

Strickland said knowing he will play corner next season is a benefit. He said he will spend the off-season and training camp honing his one-on-one coverage skills, an area he didn’t focus on as much last season while playing safety.

“I think I can do both pretty well, especially in this defense,” Strickland said. “They like physical corners and I like being physical. I’ll be able to work on more man coverage and one on ones. That was a concern last year, because when they moved me to safety, I didn’t get the time to practice one on ones on our receivers.

“That will allow me to be a better corner, getting the one-on-one work I need.”

He said there is one more positive to the move: the possibility of increasing his career longevity. Strickland, at 5-feet-10, 187 pounds, is smaller than most NFL safeties. Although Dungy and Polian each said they believed Strickland capable of withstanding the punishment a safety endures during an NFL season, Strickland said he felt the effects late last season.

“Over a long period, being able to play corner could prolong my career because of my size,” he said. “I look at it as a good situation. It was a little rough toward the end of the year. I was banged up my first year and I was throwing my body around a lot. It kind of added up a little bit. It was a little bit of a concern, but going into this year, I knew what to expect. I was going to prepare my body better by lifting, so I could have done it.

“Instinctually, I’m more of a safety, but with my size limitations, corner makes sense. It gives me flexibility and shows my versatility.

“I think it will be a good thing for my career and I’m excited about it.”

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2038

 

[TheGeneral+]

Former First-Rounder Clark Ready for Second Season

INDIANAPOLIS – Things were just getting fun. He was fitting into the offense. He was contributing. The playoff chase was getting interesting.

And then Dallas Clark’s season ended.

Just like that. One moment, he was catching a pass against the New England Patriots. The next, he was in the air. And the next, the Colts’ rookie tight end/fullback was landing awkwardly on his leg, sustaining a season-ending leg injury in the Colts’ late-November loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Clark spent the next few months rehabilitating.

There was talk he could play in the Super Bowl had the Colts made it that far.

They didn’t, and Clark’s rookie season ended after 10 games.

“It was real hard, but it was a good learning experience for me,” Clark said during the Colts’ recent three-day mini-camp at the Union Federal Football Center.

Clark, the Colts’ first-round draft choice last off-season, said he learned more than just how difficult it can be to make it through an entire season.

He learned the intricacies of the Colts’ complex offense, and learned about functioning with NFL co-Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said Clark learned about blocking in the NFL, and said the Colts learned Clark likely will be better in that area than they originally anticipated.

Mostly, Manning said, the Colts learned what sort of player Clark can be.

“Dallas is going to be a key part this year,” the Colts’ four-time Pro Bowl quarterback said.

Clark, who played collegiately at the University of Iowa, was developing into a key part last season before he was injured. He caught at least one pass in every game he played, and against New Orleans in late September, he caught an 11-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown.

In mid-November, during a home game against the New York Jets, he caught five passes for a season-high 100 yards, including a 27-yard reception.

Clark, who started each of the 10 games in which he played, finished the season with 29 receptions for 340 yards and a touchdown, averaging 11.7 yards per reception.

“I was starting to get a good rhythm going with the offensive schemes, and I was figuring out how and where I fit in,” Clark said.

Then, against the Patriots November 30, Clark injured his lower right leg. The Colts considered putting him on injured reserve, but kept him on the roster, hoping he could recover in time to play in the Super Bowl if they qualified.

He was scheduled to return to practice the week after the AFC Championship Game, which the Colts lost to New England, 24-14.

“As a coach, when you know you don’t have someone you try to put it out of your mind,” Dungy said. “We did that, but when you see some of the plays he was making, we missed him. He’ll be so much better this year, having a year to be accustomed to the offense.

“I would expect him to really blossom this year.”

Clark participated in the team’s recent mini-camp at full speed, and is scheduled to do the same in the team’s upcoming summer-school sessions.

“It’s awesome,” Clark said of his leg. “They’ve taken fabulous care with me and helped me out the whole way through.

“From surgery to rehab, it’s been awesome. I’m excited.”

Clark said during the mini-camp he expects to improve next season if for no other reason than he’s not a rookie anymore. He spent last season learning the offense, which for a Colts’ offensive player, can be a long, difficult task.

“You know what they’re going through and how much of a headache they have,” Clark said of this season’s rookies. “It’s a complicated offense to learn. It makes you take a little sigh of relief that you don’t have to go through that again. It’s a graduation thing, to move on. You know you don’t have to go through it again.

“It was tough, getting hurt when I did, because I was at that point where I was feeling good about what I was doing. And it was just getting to a point where it was starting to get fun, with the playoffs. That was the first time I’d been able to experience the playoff kind of atmosphere.

“That’s kind of what you play for. Right then, to have it cut short like that with the injury was hard, but I’m 100 percent now, and I’m ready to get going again for next year.”

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2039

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning threw to Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James plowed up the middle Monday and Dwight Freeney chased a towel lying in the backfield to simulate a quarterback.

It was an almost picture perfectstart to the Indianapolis Colts' 14-day voluntary summer school that runs through early June, except that practice was moved indoors because of rain.

"We're encouraging everybody to be here the 14 days and, for the most part, I think we'll have most of our key guys here most of the time," coach Tony Dungy said.

Unlike past seasons, there were only a few key absences and most were expected. Even James, who skipped the voluntary workouts in 2001 and 2002, attended.

The missing players included Pro Bowl kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who will try to extend his NFL record 41 consecutive field goals next season, and punter Hunter Smith. Dungy said special teams coach Russ Purnell scheduled them to arrive later.

Cornerback Joseph Jefferson was excused Monday after doctors induced his wife into labor.

Third-round pick Ben Hartsock, a tight end from Ohio State, was not around because players from schools with classes still in session are not permitted to attend voluntary workouts. Starting safety Mike Doss, another Ohio State alum, ran into the same problem last year. On Monday, Doss took part in a few drills, but is being monitored carefully after having minor offseason surgery on his ankle.

The most notable among the missing were two starters - left tackle Tarik Glenn and wide receiver Reggie Wayne. Glenn was excused to deal with some personal matters, Dungy said. Glenn also missed April's three-day mandatory mini-camp for personal issues. But Wayne's absence came as a shock.

"From what I understand, Reggie is in transit," Dungy said. "Usually, he travels with Edgerrin, so that was a little bit of a surprise."

Dungy said he expected Wayne to be in town later this week, perhaps by today.


Moving ahead
Just how important are the summer workouts?

Dungy believes that if the Colts are to take the next step after losing in last year's AFC championship game, that progress must be made now.

"This is a big, big part of it," Dungy said. "We try to structure it so a lot of things get done in the summer."

Dungy liked what he saw Monday.

He said the Colts' attitude was good and that the rookies remembered some of the things they got in their first NFL crash course during last month's three-day mini-camp.


Change of pace
Last year's first-round pick, tight end Dallas Clark, said Monday that he was more at ease coming into summer school this season.

The reason: He understands the offense better and is spending more time fine-tuning things than trying to learn them.

"It's like night and day," he said. "Last year, there weren't enough hours in the day. You were falling asleep with your head in a notebook. It was just really hard. Now, you can relax a little bit."

Clark isn't taking much time off, though.

At last month's mini-camp, Manning, the league's co-MVP, said he wanted to work on improving his timing with Clark, who is coming back from a broken right leg that ended his season Nov. 30.

Clark is receptive to the concept because he envisions having an even larger impact in the Colts' offense next season.

"It's just routes and being out there," he said. "We're trying to get the rhythm we had late last year back. It comes with being in the offense, running plays."


Punts
Running back Dominic Rhodes was not at practice Monday and another running back, Brian Allen, did not work out. Allen injured his right ankle sometime during the offseason. . . . Another missing player was running back Daniel Davis, not a good sign for a player trying to earn a job as a rookie free agent. "I don't know what happened to him," Dungy said.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/sports/8693843.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

Almost imperceptibly, the change happened. Whereas once the Colts’ uniform featured a deep, royal blue there was still blue . . .

But it wasn’t quite the same.

That’s no longer true.

On Friday, the Colts unveiled a series of uniform changes at a press conference at Galyan’s at Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis. Among the changes were a return to black shoes and striped, horizontal socks and a change to a gray face mask.

But most notable was a change in uniform color.

A subtle change, but an important one, Colts President Bill Polian said Friday.

“”The changes in the jersey came about because over the years – long predating (Head Coach) Tony Dungy’s and my time with the team, the manufacturer had gone further and further away from the original color,” Polian said at Galyan’s Friday morning.

“We ended up with a color somewhere between the original and the San Diego Chargers’ original.”

The Colts’ original scheme featured a deep blue and the Chargers’ original scheme was a pale – almost sky – blue.

The blue in the Colts’ color schemes in recent years wasn’t pale, but it was far lighter than originally designed, Polian said.

Pete Ward, the Colts’ Senior Executive Vice President, worked with officials from the league office to identify the proper colors.

“He had the manufacturers put together a jersey and uniform that more approximates the original, and in fact, that is right in sync with the original,” Polian said.

Colts linebacker David Thornton, the team’s leading tackler last season, modeled the new uniform, and Indianapolis resident Rupert Boneham – who recently won $1 million on the television reality show “Survivor” – also attended the unveiling.

“It’s exciting for us,” Dungy said. “I’m kind of an old school guy, so I was very, very happy to go along with this. They asked me what my thoughts were on it. I think it brings us a little bit back closer to our roots. We’re excited about that.”

The Colts in recent seasons had worn white shoes, and the face masks had been blue since the mid-1990s.

“I can see the difference in what we’re wearing and what we had worn,” Dungy said. “It will be a little bit of an adjustment for people, but I think it gets us back closer to what we originally wore.

“I guess my feeling was, ‘As long as we have the same players, we can change uniforms.’ I think we’ll set a new standard, new tradition and it’s something we can be excited about.

“Hopefully, the look will be sharp and the play will be just as sharp.”

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2045

 

[TheGeneral+]

The only difference is it may be the most important off-season of his football career. Aside from that, everything’s normal for Cato June.

Not that he wants to think of it that way.

Not that he’s trying to make a big thing of what’s going on right now.

“Basically, I’m approaching it like every off-season,” June said recently.

In that sense, June said this off-season isn’t dramatically different than last off-season. The difference is this off-season, June is no longer a rookie. This off-season, June – a 2003 sixth-round draft choice from the University of Michigan – isn’t trying to learn about the NFL with a hope of making an impact on special teams.

This off-season, he’s the Colts’ starting outside linebacker.

And while he doesn’t have a lock on the job, he’s the starter during mini-camp and summer school, and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said recently he believes June is capable of filling the position permanently.

“He’s making that jump that a lot of second-year guys do,” Dungy said during the team’s voluntary off-season summer school sessions, which continue this week at the Union Federal Football Center.

“He’s playing with a lot more confidence and having more fun. I think he’s more relaxed.”

June, 24, didn’t relax much last off-season. Not only was he a rookie, he was playing a new position.

The Colts drafted June, who played safety at Michigan, with the idea of moving him to linebacker in the attacking, speed-oriented, one-gap style of defense utilized by Dungy and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.

“We had success with guys like that in Tampa,” Dungy said. “(Former Buccaneers linebacker) Jeff Gooch was almost the exact same situation, a safety in college. (All-Pro linebacker Derrick) Brooks, who kind of defined the position – I think half the scouts thought he was going to be a strong safety when he came out.

“There’s a prototype for that type of guy and I think he can function well.”

So far, the results have been favorable. Dungy recently called June “one of our most improved players,” and has said several times publicly he believes the defense will be fine if June enters the season as the starter.

“I have an opportunity to go out and make an impact on the team,” June said. “I have a position to fill. I’m here to do a job and that’s what I’m focused on doing, trying to get a job done and fill a position. I’m not trying to do anything extra. I’m not trying to be too much.

“I’m just trying to do what I’m supposed to be doing – make plays in this defense.”

June, a three-year player at Michigan, started 26 of 36 games for the Wolverines. Most of his playing time there came at safety, but he did play linebacker in nickel, or passing situations.

June, who had 138 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions at Michigan, said he knew upon being drafted by the Colts he would move to linebacker. The Colts’ defense emphasizes speed and the ability to pursue the ball, and June said while he said he believes he has made a successful transition, it wasn’t always an easy one.

“The hardest thing is to put away old habits,” he said. “I had a way of thinking as a safety, and now it’s time to think as a linebacker. There are different things, different reads and different movements. Those habits, sometimes, are hard to break. You’re comfortable doing one thing. Now, it’s time to change those habits and do another thing.

“It’s different and it has been difficult. I learned a lot last season. I got to do the look squad every day against one of the best offenses in the NFL. That definitely helped me and now, it’s a building phase. I have to build on what I’ve learned and move forward.

“I don’t want to stay the same. I want to move forward every day. I want to get better and better.”

June said although he is doing that, and although he is starting, he doesn’t believe he has secured a starting job. The Colts drafted Gilbert Gardner from Purdue University in the second round of this past April’s NFL Draft. Gardner worked at weak-side backer during mini-camp and is currently working with the second team.

“It’s preliminary,” June said. “We’re not even at training camp yet, so I’m not even looking at it like that. I’m just going out and trying to work to get better. When training camp comes, there will be a lot more evaluation going on.

“This is like a preliminary. Not the finals. There’s nothing etched in stone. Things change in a heartbeat around here, so I’m going out, trying to practice and make myself better. I’m definitely up to the challenge. Challenge is always fun and it’s always good.

“I’m ready to play and it’s time to make some plays.”

June, after making the team in training camp last season, played 11 games exclusively on special teams and was inactive for five games. On special teams, he made nine tackles, which ranked fifth among the team’s rookies.

“I don’t know that it would have been overwhelming to have been in this position last year,” June said. “It would have been similar in a way, but it would have been a lot more difficult, because a lot had been expected of that position. It was good to have the year to go through and get a lot of learning done.

“Now, the learning phase is pretty much over. It’s time to have some production.”

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2046

 

[TheGeneral+]

After Frustrating Draft Weekend, Utecht Happy to be in NFL

INDIANAPOLIS – All during the NFL Draft, Ben Utecht waited. He had a feeling what was going to happen, but he hoped for the best.

The best didn’t happen.

The phone didn’t ring. Not until after the draft, anyway.

“It was definitely a frustrating weekend for me and my family,” Utecht said during the Colts’ summer school sessions, which continue this week at the Union Federal Football Center in Indianapolis.

Utecht, once projected as an early-round selection, not only didn’t get selected on the first day of last month’s NFL Draft, he didn’t get selected at all. Instead, the former University of Minnesota tight end signed with the Colts as a free agent.

Which hurt, at first.

And then it became motivation.

And that’s how Utecht said he looks at it now – as a starting point to his NFL career. Utecht is with the Colts, participating in summer-school meetings and rehabilitating from post-draft surgery to repair a groin injury that kept him from being drafted.

The injury likely will keep him out of training camp.

And it could cost him his entire rookie season.

But Utecht is convinced it won’t cost him his NFL career, just as Colts officials and coaches believe Utecht’s draft day loss could be the team’s gain.

“I talked to him a little bit before the draft – and right after the draft – that our offense is really tailor-made for what he does,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said. “He’s a tight end who can get up the seam and catch the ball. He’s kind of a converted wide receiver, very similar to (Colts veteran tight end) Marcus Pollard in a lot of ways.

“I think it’s going to be a real good offense for him.”

Utecht, 22, started four seasons at the University of Minnesota, and as a senior, he was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, given annually to the nation’s top tight end.

In four seasons, he caught 83 passes for 1,211 yards and 15 touchdowns, catching 18 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns as a senior. Early that season, however, Utecht sustained a groin injury that hampered him throughout the season.

He played with the injury much of the season, starting nine of the team’s first 10 games before missing the final two regular-season games and the Gophers’ Sun Bowl victory over Oregon.

The injury not only cost him the last few games of his senior season, it likely cost him being selected on the first day of the draft in late April.

“The last two years, it’s been pretty much me and Kellen Winslow,” Utecht said, referring to the former University of Miami tight end who was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in late April. “Because of the injuries, some of these other players jumped up there. It’s difficult, but it’s to my benefit, because I’m going to get better and teams aren’t going to be ready for me.

“I’m going to come out and do what I can to help this team. I’m excited about that.”

Utecht, who caught 37 passes for 480 yards and a team-high six touchdowns as a junior after being a second-team All-Big 10 selection as a sophomore, rested the injury through the early spring, then underwent surgery immediately after signing with the Colts.

“When you miss having that fun and enjoying things, being out there and being productive, I think you do have that determination to take the extra steps,” Dungy said.

Utecht and team officials said the surgery was successful. While he missed the team’s mini-camp in early May and will not participate in summer school, Dungy said there is a chance he can play next season.

Utecht said the initial plan is for him to be on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would enable him to be placed on the roster during the season if he is physically able. And while Utecht said the earliest he could be ready is mid-August, he said he has hope, which is better than no hope at all.

“I’m so determined right now, it’s crazy,” Utecht said. “The draft was tough to deal with that, when you’re supposed to be a first-day guy. Every team red-flagged me just because I had to battle an injury. Luckily, I have a team that’s willing to work with me for a year and trusts in my ability. It gives me motivation and determination.

“I know how good I am and how good I can be. I think I can be that sleeper. I believe I’ll help this team out.”

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2048

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts Will Train in Terre Haute for Sixth Consecutive Season
INDIANAPOLIS – As has been the case the last five seasons, the Colts will hold training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

And as has been the case since the arrival of head coach Tony Dungy in 2002, they will open it later than nearly every other NFL team.

This season, it will open even later than usual.

The Colts, last season’s AFC South champions and the AFC runners-up, will open their 52nd season by opening training camp at Rose-Hulman Sunday, August 1, the first time in franchise history camp has opened in August.

The full squad reports August 1 and begins practice the following day.

The Colts will train at Rose-Hulman until Friday, August 20, when they establish operations at the Union Federal Football Center.

All practices in Terre Haute are free and open to the public.

The training camp schedule:

Sunday, August 1 Players report by 2:00 p.m.

Monday, August 2 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 3 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Wednesday, August 4 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 5 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Friday, August 6 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 7 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 8 NO PRACTICE

Monday, August 9 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Tuesday, August 10 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 11 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Thursday, August 12 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Friday, August 13 NO PRACTICE

Saturday, August 14 Colts at San Diego Chargers, 9:00 p.m. (EST)

Sunday, August 15 NO PRACTICE

Monday, August 16 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Tuesday, August 17 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 18 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)

Thursday, August 19 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Friday, August 20 9:30 a.m., BREAK CAMP