Indianapolis Colts News and Notes for 2005/2006

TheGeneral+ · Apr 30, 2005

Draft:

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=242 border=0><TBODY><TR align=middle bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle width=3>RD</TD><TD align=middle width=3>SEL</TD><TD align=left width="100%">NAME - School</TD><TD align=middle width=4>POS</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>1</TD><TD align=middle>29</TD><TD align=left>Marlin Jackson - MICH</TD><TD align=middle>CB</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>2</TD><TD align=middle>60</TD><TD align=left>Kelvin Hayden - ILL</TD><TD align=middle>CB</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>3</TD><TD align=middle>92</TD><TD align=left>Vincent Burns - KY</TD><TD align=middle>DE</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>4</TD><TD align=middle>129</TD><TD align=left>Dylan Gandy - Tex. Tech</TD><TD align=middle>G</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>4</TD><TD align=middle>135</TD><TD align=left>Matt Giordano - CAL</TD><TD align=middle>S</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>5</TD><TD align=middle>148</TD><TD align=left>Jonathan Welsh- WIS
(from DAL thru PHI)</TD><TD align=middle>DE</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>5</TD><TD align=middle>165</TD><TD align=left>Rob Hunt - N. Dakota St.</TD><TD align=middle>C</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>5</TD><TD align=middle>173</TD><TD align=left>Tyjaun Hagler - CIN</TD><TD align=middle>LB</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>6</TD><TD align=middle>202</TD><TD align=left>Dave Rayner - Mich St</TD><TD align=middle>K</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD align=middle>7</TD><TD align=middle>243</TD><TD align=left>Anthony Davis - WIS</TD><TD align=middle>RB</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

2005 Schedule:

2005 PRESEASON <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=schedsubhd> WK </TD><TD class=schedsubhd>DATE </TD><TD class=schedsubhd>OPPONENT </TD><TD class=schedsubhd> </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>1 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>8/6 </TD><TD class=standard>ATLANTA FALCONS , Japan </TD><TD class=schedulectr>4:00 AM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>2 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>8/13 </TD><TD class=standard>BUFFALO BILLS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>7:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>3 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>8/20 </TD><TD class=standard>CHICAGO BEARS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>7:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>4 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>8/27 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Denver Broncos </TD><TD class=schedulectr>7:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>5 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9/2 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Cincinnati Bengals </TD><TD class=schedulectr>6:30 PM </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=black height=1>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2005 REGULAR SEASON
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=schedsubhd> WK </TD><TD class=schedsubhd>DATE </TD><TD class=schedsubhd>OPPONENT </TD><TD class=schedsubhd colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>1 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9/11 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Baltimore Ravens </TD><TD class=schedulectr>7:30 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>2 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9/18 </TD><TD class=standard>JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>3 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9/25 </TD><TD class=standard>CLEVELAND BROWNS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>4 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>10/2 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Tennessee Titans </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>5 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>10/9 </TD><TD class=standard>@ San Francisco 49ers </TD><TD class=schedulectr>3:05 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>6 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>10/17 </TD><TD class=standard>ST. LOUIS RAMS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>8:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>7 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>10/23 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Houston Texans </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>8 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>10/30 </TD><TD class=standard>BYE </TD><TD class=schedulectr>- </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>9 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>11/7 </TD><TD class=standard>@ New England Patriots </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>10 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>11/13 </TD><TD class=standard>HOUSTON TEXANS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>11 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>11/20 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Cincinnati Bengals </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>12 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>11/28 </TD><TD class=standard>PITTSBURGH STEELERS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>9:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>13 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12/4 </TD><TD class=standard>TENNESSEE TITANS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>14 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12/11 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Jacksonville Jaguars </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>15 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12/18 </TD><TD class=standard>SAN DIEGO CHARGERS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR><TR class=grayback vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>16 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>12/24 </TD><TD class=standard>@ Seattle Seahawks </TD><TD class=schedulectr>4:15 PM </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=schedulectr>17 </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1/1 </TD><TD class=standard>ARIZONA CARDINALS </TD><TD class=schedulectr>1:00 PM </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

TheGeneral+ · Apr 30, 2005

Colts.com

Polian Breaks Down Colts 2005 Free Agent Class

INDIANAPOLIS – The early sessions of mini-camp passed with Colts President Bill Polian seeing what he hoped to see.

Actually, he said it was what he didn’t see that mattered.

He didn’t see any rookies overwhelmed.

Or overmatched.

Or simply unable to compete.

And with the Colts gathering their rookies and first-year players for three days of practice at the Union Federal Football Center this weekend, and with no player evaluation scheduled for months, Polian said seeing – or not seeing that – was plenty.

“The one thing you want as a personnel person is to come out here and not see anybody fall on their face,” Polian said late Friday afternoon after the first of three rookie mini-camp practices this weekend. “You don’t want to say, ‘Uh-oh, we made a mistake.’

“That didn’t happen. They all were as advertised, and did what you’d expect them to do athletically. They all were exactly what we thought they were athletically.”

In addition to 10 players selected in last weekend’s NFL Draft, the Colts signed 16 free agents and invited seven more rookies to this weekend’s mini-camp.

The Colts consider rookie free agents an important part of building their roster. Backup running back Dominic Rhodes signed as a rookie free agent in 2001, middle linebacker Gary Brackett and wide receiver Aaron Moorehead http://www.thewirelessguys.com/ signed as rookie free agents in 2003 and defensive end Josh Thomas made the roster that way last season.

The 16 free agents signed contracts Friday.

What follows is Polian’s breakdown of the 16 collegiate free agents:

• Justin Brown, DE, East Central Oklahoma. “He’s 6-2, and in the 265-pound range,” Polian said. “He has real good speed – in the 4.8 area. That’s good. We like that. He showed that (Friday).”

• Cody Campbell, OG, Texas Tech. “He’s the other (Texas Tech) guard along with (Colts fourth-round draft selection Dylan) Gandy, although Gandy played center, too,” Polian said. “He’s a good, solid player. He’s 6-2, 305 pounds. He has some athletic ability.”

• Jerome Dennis, DB, Utah State. “He’s a big corner,” Polian said. “He’s over 6-feet tall and under 4.5. He has good size, in the 190-range, and good speed. We felt really good about getting him.”

• Davon Fowlkes, WR, Appalachian State. “He’s a small receiver – 5-8,” Polian said. “He’s the quickest of all the guys. He’s a sub 4.5 guy, in the 4.45 range, so he’s one of those Marvin Harrison-speed type guys.”

• Nick Hannah, LB, Eastern Oregon. “A linebacker who was linebacker, a standup defensive end – they never really settled on a position there, because he was so dominant at that level of competition,” Polian said. “He is a sub 4.7 guy, and we’ll see what he’s about here. We’ll put him at outside linebacker and see how it goes.”

• Joey Hawkins, TE, Texas Tech. “He’s a 6-foot-9, 240-pound tight end,” Polian said. “He’s an interesting story. (Texas Tech basketball) coach (Bob) Knight called me and said, ‘I’ve got a football player for you here.’ He played three years of football at Texas Tech and went out for basketball. Coach Knight really liked him and respected his work ethic and his toughness. He said, ‘I think this guy will give you a real run for your money.’ Our scout down there in Lubbock (Knight) did a good job. We trust him. So, we signed him. I think it will turn out to be pretty interesting.”

• Tory Humphrey, TE, Central Michigan. “A 4.56 guy,” Polian said. “About 6-2, 245. He has good hands. He distinguished himself at Central Michigan this year. He’s a little shorter than a lot of our tight ends are, so he’s a little bit out of the mold. Nevertheless, he’s a pretty good player.”

• Chris Laskowski, LB, Florida Atlantic. “A 5-11, 212 guy,” Polian said. “He’s in the 4.53-range. He’s an outside linebacker and the star, obviously, of his team. That’s (former University of Miami head coach) Howard Schnellenberger’s team. They’re just breaking into Division I-A. They played a very good schedule and Chris was one of the standouts of the Hula Bowl. So, we like what we see so far. We think maybe he’s a Larry Izzo-type player. We’ll see what he does on special teams during the season. It will be very interesting.

• Blake Lobel, DT, San Diego State. “About 6-2, 265,” Polian said. “He’s very fast and very athletic. He started out there as a linebacker and grew into a defensive tackle, which is sort of in the mold of the kind of guys we like. It will be interesting to see how he does.”

• Lou Lombardo, OT, Maryland. “A very athletic right tackle,” Polian said. “He’s a sub-five flat guy, which is rare for a 300-pound guy. He has very long arms. He was the right tackle at Maryland. We like what we saw on film.”

• Darrell Reid, DE, Minnesota. “I was kidding him (Thursday) night that (Colts Head Coach and Minnesota alumni) Tony (Dungy) requires us to take a Golden Gopher every year,” Polian said. “But he really is a very physical, hard-playing guy. He’s a little above 6-2, so he’s not as tall as you’d like at defensive end, but he’s tall and he’s tough. The hallmark of his play is his toughness.”

• Jason Russell, OG, Central Arkansas. “He’s an offensive guard/tackle,” Polian said. “I think we’re going to try him some at tackle. He has not played at Alabama or places like that, but he’s got talent and (Colts offensive line coach) Howard (Mudd) is a great developer of talent. We thought, ‘Here’s a young guy with athletic ability. We’ll take a chance on him.’”

• Levon Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech. “He’s a very good receiver, a very accomplished receiver,” Polian said. “He ran better than we thought he would. He was in the 4.51-range. He had a productive career at Georgia Tech. One injury set him back – I believe it was a shoulder injury. I saw him early in the year. He’s got good hands, good moves and handles himself pretty well. He has played at a high level of competition.”

• Matt Ulrich, OG, Northwestern. “He was a right guard, and he’s an accomplished football player in the Big 10,” Polian said. “He’s very, very strong – 6-2, 305. Tony said to me earlier, ‘Our offensive linemen are all cut from the same mold. It’s like Howard cloned them.’ But that’s what he wants and that’s what we find for them. Matt’s very athletic. That’s the thing that strikes you about him out here – his strength. It must have been fun watching him and (Northwestern defensive tackle) Luis Castillo (a first-round draft choice by San Diego) go at each other every day. That would be a pretty good matchup.”

• Marcus Williams, RB, Maine. “He’s 235 pounds – 6-1½,” Polian said. “He’s a 4.55, 4.56 guy. He averaged 4.98 yards a carry at Maine. He essentially carried their team and they were a very good team in I-AA. He was very impressive on film and he gives us something we don’t have now, which is a big back who has running skills. He has some shake and bake, he can make you miss and he has good hands.”

• Kerry Wright, WR, Middle Tennessee State. “He can run,” Polian said. “He’s a sub-4.5 guy who has good hands and can play pretty well at that level.”

TheGeneral+ · May 2, 2005

Colts try to stock lineup with big hitters

indystar.com

It's been the buzzword of the Indianapolis Colts' offseason: physical.

Colts president Bill Polian stressed it when discussing the team's latest draft class.

Cornerback Marlin Jackson, the Colts' first-round pick?

"He can be characterized as a very tough, physical corner who tackles well," Polian said. "He knocks 'em down and flat-backs them."

Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, the team's second-rounder?

"He's a hard-charging, hard-hitting, physical, aggressive, run-support guy and an aggressive tackler," Polian said. "You won't know the difference between our first pick and our second pick when it comes to tackling. They both flat-back you, knock you down."

And safety Matt Giordano, a fourth-round selection?

"He impressed us mightily with his run support, his range and his punch and tackling," Polian said. "That's a recurring theme you've heard all weekend."

And it's one that still resonated as the Colts continued preparing for the 2005 season with a three-day rookie minicamp that concluded Sunday morning at the Union Federal Football Center.

Yes, a year ago the Colts possessed the NFL's most electrifying offense, one that led the league in scoring, and an attacking defense that tied for third in sacks (45) and takeaways (36).

And, yes, that combination was potent enough for them to repeat as AFC South champions with a 12-4 record and reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

But when it came to being physical, or physical enough, the Colts too often fell short. A deficiency in that area contributed to the defense ranking 30th in rushing yards allowed per attempt (4.6), and to erratic coverage. The Colts' punt unit yielded a league-worst 13.6 yards per return.

Defensive backs and linebackers form the core of the coverage teams, and obviously play key roles in run support. Fail to get off blocks, defeat blockers or wrap up and stop a ball carrier in his tracks, and minimal gains can be transformed into gashing plays, even touchdowns.

The inability of the Colts to play at the required physical level and be sound tacklers, especially in the secondary, has been evident in recent seasons. Polian said it was glaring in their 20-3 loss to New England in an AFC Divisional playoff game in January.

The Patriots bludgeoned the Colts for 210 rushing yards on 39 attempts. That's 5.4 yards per carry. Corey Dillon finished with 144 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.

Faulty run support from the secondary contributed to Dillon's big day.

"When we came home from Foxboro last year, the thing that gnawed at us most was the tackling in the secondary," Polian said. "That had to get better.

"There were far too many misses."

Coach Tony Dungy made it clear being more physical shouldn't be confused with being tougher.

"I'm a pretty tough guy," he said, "but I wouldn't be very physical out there. Physical is being able to play at high speed, being able to tackle and knock people back when you do tackle them and being able to withstand that type of pounding for 16 weeks.

"There are some guys who are very, very tough and hit well, but they can't hold up for 16 weeks."

Cornerbacks Donald Strickland and Joseph Jefferson and safeties Mike Doss and Bob Sanders are considered physical DBs. But injuries forced them to miss a combined 35 regular-season games in 2004. Cornerback Nick Harper started 14 games, but was bothered by a concussion, back spasms and shoulder and elbow injuries.

The team is confident the additions of Jackson, Hayden, Giordano and other newcomers, coupled with veterans regaining their health, will translate into a more physical approach.

"I think we've got some guys who can be physical because of their size and speed and striking ability, especially . . . Marlin, Kelvin and Matt," Dungy said. "They bring that temperament."

They look the part. Jackson is 6-0, 196 pounds. Hayden is 6-0, 195. Giordano is the runt of the litter at 5-11, 192.

"I think I bring competitiveness and a lot of physicality to the secondary," said Jackson, who had 147 solo tackles and five forced fumbles in 45 games at Michigan. "I'm a guy who can cover as well as hit, a guy who loves to come up and make the big plays, the big hits."

Hayden moved to cornerback as a senior at Illinois after being the team's leading receiver as a junior. He brought the same aggressive, physical approach to the defense that typified his play on offense.

As a receiver, Hayden noted, "I liked to put my hat on somebody and block somebody. It just went over to defense.

"I want to make my presence felt over there. You know, get a receiver to think, 'If I catch it, somebody's coming to hit me.' That's what I want to bring to the table."

TheGeneral+ · May 3, 2005

Change in mini-camp should help young players, Colts Coach Dungy says

tribstar.com

With three mini-camp practices now on the books, Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy feels pretty good about the way the team's rookies and selected second-year players will fare heading into the next phase of the offseason schedule.

Nearly 40 players - 10 draftees, 16 undrafted free agents, seven undrafted players undergoing on-the-job tryouts and several former practice squad performers - took part in the sessions which began Friday afternoon and wrapped up Sunday morning at the Colts' westside Indianapolis complex.

Given an early opportunity to get their feet wet learning Indianapolis' offensive and defensive schemes should come in handy. The practice tempo is expected to be doubled when the Colts conduct a full-squad mini-camp beginning May 16.

"I think that it was a good weekend for the rookies, to really get them a head start on what we do," Dungy said after Sunday's final practice.

"Now they'll have a couple of weeks to go home, finish school, process a lot of that information and then come back in May hopefully with a jump when they do get together with the veterans."

Dungy was happy with the decision this year to deviate from the way that previous post-draft mini-camps were run. Instead of bringing in everybody, the Colts' coaching staff had an opportunity to get plenty of hands-on work exclusively with the team's first-year players.

"It's pretty overwhelming. I can remember coming in the same way when I was a rookie and wanting to make a good impression. You want to learn," the Colts coach explained.

"Things are a lot different than you learned in college. You want to learn as much as you can and that's what we're trying to do with this process. You want to make it an easy transition for [the rookies]. It's much better this way, the way we did it this year. Not having the veterans in, not trying to go as fast. I think that really helped."

Fowlkes almost a Sycamore - Former Appalachian State wide receiver Davon Fowlkes, who played high school football at Fort Wayne Snider, is glad to be back playing football in his home state.

Fowlkes, a I-AA All-America and first-team All-Southern Conference selection as a senior at ASU, found his way to North Carolina to play college football thanks to a high school teammate who had been recruited to the school to play basketball.

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Among his initial college choices, however, was Indiana State. But, according to Fowlkes, the Sycamores didn't have enough scholarship money to give him a full ride.

"I went to [Appalachian State] because it was free, a full-ride scholarship," the 5-foot-7, 165-pounder said Sunday. "I had a buddy who went down there to play basketball and he told them about me. They ended up offering me a full ride, so I took it.

"I talked to Indiana State, but they didn't have any money. They had a half-scholarship. I also talked to a lot of [Mid-American Conference] schools."

Fowlkes caught 101 passes as a senior at ASU and was among the I-AA national leaders in total receptions, reception yardage and all-purpose yardage. An undrafted college free agent who has been timed at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, he is being looked at as a kick returner and receiver by the Colts.

Just call me Sweet Pea - If you were to address third-round draft choice Vincent Burns by his given first name, he probably won't answer.

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Thanks to his mom, the former University of Kentucky defensive lineman - who stands in at 6-2 and 260-pounds - was known during his collegiate career in Lexington as "Sweet Pea."

"That's just what my mom called me when I was a kid and it stuck. I don't mind it, though. That's what everybody's called me ever since," Burns said Sunday, adding that he kind of prefers it to Vincent.

"I kind of like it. All my coaches always call me that, even in college. So I've kind of gotten used to it."

Both Colts president Bill Polian and Dungy have gotten in on the act during the team's rookie camp.

"If that's what he likes to be called, I don't mind it. He's given me permission to call him Sweet Pea," Dungy joked.

DENIRO · May 4, 2005

i see a 12-4 season

general, if pats beat colts in the regular season and ends with at least 12-4 record...

your going back outside to new england in the snow/cold then back home again for the year:sad3:
only chance you boys have is to have the best record and play in the dome throughout the playoffs

TheGeneral+ · May 4, 2005

That is a popular opinion De Niro.

We will see what transpires. Indy should have no excuses getting ready for the big games. They have to beat the best to be the best. They will be playing in a new stadium come 2006 it appears. All I can say is New England has been the cream of the crop. May be again this year. Hard to knock success.

TheGeneral+ · May 5, 2005

Veteran Running Back Rhodes Eying Larger Role

colts.com

He is willing, able and he said he’s very, very ready.

He said he very much wants a larger role.

Dominic Rhodes also said he knows it’s now up to him to earn it.

Rhodes, the Colts’ backup running back to Edgerrin James since 2001, recently re-signed with the Colts, a deal that kept him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. That assured Indianapolis of having Rhodes available to back up James again next season.

Rhodes’ goal is higher than that.

“That’s my main focus, going in and winning the job,” Rhodes said recently during the team’s off-season conditioning program at the Union Federal Football Center. “That’s just how it is. I’m working on my fifth year. I’m ready to start some things going for myself in this league.

“If I have an opportunity, I’m going to try to take it.”

Since joining the Colts in 2001, Rhodes always has been about taking advantage of opportunities.

He’s been about enthusiasm, too.

And contributing wherever and whenever he can.

Rhodes, a fifth-year veteran, signed with the Colts as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2001. He won the backup running back job in training camp, and started 10 of his 15 games played when James sustained a mid-season knee injury.

Rhodes that season became the first undrafted free agent in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards as a rookie, finishing the season with 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns on 233 carries. He also caught 34 passes for 224 yards.

Since then, times have been tougher for Rhodes.

He sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament during training camp in 2002, and missed the entire season. The next season, 2003, he played sparingly early while recovering from the injury. He played in 11 games and rushed for 157 yards on 37 carries.

This past season, knee fully recovered, he returned to a role he played as a rookie, kick returner, and had one of the Colts’ key plays of the season when he returned a kickoff against San Diego 88 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

He also rushed for 254 yards and a touchdown on 53 carries, and said that’s what he wants to return to again this season:

A running back who can make a serious impact in the offense.

“I’m focused on going in and fighting for the job,” said Rhodes, who has rushed for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns on 323 carries, a 4.7-yard per carry average. “I feel like with me getting a new contract, the way it’s structured, they want to give me the opportunity to fight for the job.

“I’m going in focused on trying to get better every day and hopefully, have a chance at the job.”

James, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, rushed for more than 1,500 yards this past season, and will play this season under a one-year contract.

“With his situation, you don’t know the future,” Rhodes said. “With his situation and my situation, there might be a chance I can start. I’m going into camp, focused on trying to fight for the starting job.

“Hopefully, I can be the man here at some point. I’m getting ready and getting things right.”

Getting things right, Rhodes said, also means showing he can stay healthy through the course of a season, something he said he showed last season, when he played all 16 games for the first time. He previously had played through with a chronic shoulder problem in addition to his 2002 knee injury and recovery.

“I know I’m durable,” Rhodes said. “When I’ve gotten hurt, it’s been fluke stuff. I hurt my knee in training camp when I didn’t get hit. My rookie year I played the whole year and didn’t get hurt. The stuff I went through, though, has matured me. God puts stuff on you for a reason, to see if you can handle adversity. I handled it, came back strong and worked hard.

“I don’t think it’s ever been a case of me not being able to last a season. I’m ready to prove it. Give me the ball. I’m not a back that gets hit a lot. I don’t give people my body to get hit. I feel I can be as durable as anyone else in this league.

“That’s all I’m worried about, just give me the opportunity.”

Rhodes said the attitude he is taking entering the upcoming summer school and mini-camp is just that, to continue improving and continue increasing his opportunities. Which is part of what he said is a new, more mature version of the player who signed as a free agent from Midwestern (Texas) State four years ago.

“I’m a lot more mature,” Rhode said. “I’ve still got my ways and I love to have a lot of fun. I’ve learned the game and I know it’s more of a team game. You have to depend on your teammates a lot. Back when I came here, I was just running the ball. I didn’t know anything. I was just going off my skills.

“Now, my football intelligence has caught up with my football skills. The kid who came here was just a straight football player, and that’s it.”

Moving from being a straight football player to a veteran with savvy and experience was a sometimes-difficult process, he said. He said he learned from players such as James, and former Colts tight end Marcus Pollard, how to approach the game as a professional.

“I’ve gotten a lot of help from guys around here,” he said. “You learn a lot from guys like Marcus.”

Now, Pollard is gone. And Rhodes said what’s striking about the Colts’ off-season program is a lot of other guys are, too. Only 10 players aside from Rhodes remain on the roster from 2001, which Rhodes said means at 26, he is already a veteran.

“It’s crazy, because I still think of myself as that kid who came in at 22 and all these other guys are older than me,” he said. “When we go out and run, no one from 2001 that came in with me is out there running with me. I’m like, ‘Wow, this is something different. Now, you’re one of the older guys.’

“Now, it’s up to me to be the role model and show people how the ropes are, how to do things and how to be a professional.”

Rhodes smiled as he said it. How to be a professional. He said he knew it was a long way from the sort of things he would have said three or four years ago, but he said that’s what’s important to know about him – that he is a long way from what he once was.

And still a long way from where he wants to be.

“‘I’ve had some good times here and some bad times,” he said. “I use this phrase, ‘I have no future, I have no past, my goal is to make my present last.’ I’m in the now. That’s what I like to do, live for what I’m doing now.

“In that way, I’m the same guy from four years ago. I’m a guy who wants to get out there, play with his teammates and be happy when he’s out there on the field.

“Just give me an opportunity. I want to take full advantage and make things happen.”

TheGeneral+ · May 8, 2005

floridatoday.com

[font=Times New Roman, serif]Five things about the Indianapolis Colts' recent draft[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, serif]

BY KEN BRADLEY
FLORIDA TODAY [/font][font=Times New Roman, serif]The NFL Draft was an important one for the Indianapolis Colts, one of the team's closest to dethroning the New England Patriots in the AFC. Mike Chappell, who covers the Colts for the Indianapolis Star, lists five things -- good and bad -- about the Colts' recent draft.

It was good because:

1. It delivered a physical cornerback to the roster (Marlin Jackson).

2. It produced a player who should upgrade kickoffs, which has been a problem (Dave Rayner).

It was bad because:

3. It did not address a problem area, middle linebacker.

4. The second-round pick was used on a cornerback (Kelvin Hayden) who played only one year at the position in college.

5. The third-round pick added another undersized defensive tackle (268-pound Vincent Burns).

[/font]

HinesWard86 · May 8, 2005

Honestly, I don't think the Colts will ever win a Super Bowl with Manning at the helm. He seems like football's prime candidate for the Ewing Theory. General, I've been looking for someone to take me up on this prop ever since my roommate backed out of it. Will Peyton Manning ever win a Super Bowl? We could do odds however you liked, I just want some free $$$. Last playoffs, it seemed like I was the only one on the Patriots against the Colts, and I will fade the Colts until they get a REAL defense. Every Super Bowl champion in recent memory has had some semblance of a defense. Even the 1999 Rams had the 12th best defense in football that year. I don't mean any disrespect or animosity, just wanna have a little fun. Whatta say, General?

TheGeneral+ · May 8, 2005

Thanks for the feedback Hines. I am not interested in the bet, but if you play offshore, I would not be afraid to call any bookie and ask for odds. Many of them would likely oblige you in some manner. I am not getting to excited about Indy winning a superbowl either yet. But, I am not not unsure that the Colts have the best offense Ever in history of the NFL right now. That will certainly offset some of the Defensive needs. It is tough as a fan to watch the Horse score 30 ppg and still get beat. I'll just root for them and take what comes. They are definately a fun team to observe.

BTW, just for the record, we also have a policy against posters betting with each other, because it has caused problems in the past because of stiffs.

Best of luck to you & Take care.

HinesWard86 · May 8, 2005

Oh alright, did not know that posters couldn't have bets against each other General. I did not know that an offshore site would give me odds on this as well. In regards to football however, the Colts are definitely an exciting team to watch for most people but they just don't get my goat. I'm a huge defensive fan and love the grind it out games Pittsburgh plays (that game against Jacksonville was a thing of beauty). I do have to say that I am more than a bit worried when Pittsburgh has to go into the RCA Dome this year, Pittsburgh's weakness is corners, and that's what Indianapolis can best exploit. Should be a fun game to watch though, I believe Peter King listed it as one of the top 5 games that he can't wait to see next year.

TheGeneral+ · May 14, 2005

Colts getting new turf for RCA Dome

tsn.ca

The Indianapolis Colts have picked a new synthetic turf to replace one of the NFL's worst playing fields.

The Montreal-based company FieldTurf will provide the replacement surface for the RCA Dome's eight-year-old AstroTurf for the upcoming season, Colts president Bill Polian said Thursday.

The team has had a FieldTurf surface at its indoor practice facility for the last two seasons.

The RCA Dome and Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis were the only two stadiums last season that had AstroTurf, which has less padding, more awkward seams and, many believe, increases the chances for injury than the newer artificial surfaces that look and feel more like grass.

"Our experience is that our players are comfortable on FieldTurf," Polian said.
On Tuesday, the Rams announced they would replace their AstroTurf to FieldTurf for the 2005 season, then go with a new, long-term convertible system that can be picked up in parts and moved easily to accommodate functions when the team isn't playing.

Indianapolis and St. Louis were voted the league's worst fields in a survey of about 1,500 players by the NFL Players' Association released in February.

TheGeneral+ · May 18, 2005

Getting Started

.colts.com

The regular season is the fun stuff, Peyton Manning figures.

Training camp? Preseason?

Not as fun, and things are busier then. There’s more pressure, more preparation. Pads are often on and because it’s August, it’s hot, so there’s a limit to how much serious improvement can be made.

That’s what makes the coming weeks so important, Manning said.

Because the coming weeks are the team’s voluntary summer school sessions, and Manning – the Colts’ five-time Pro Bowl quarterback – believes as Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy believes, that these four weeks in May and June very much determine success in the fall.

“This is really when you define your team,” Manning said Monday, the first day of the Colts’ summer-school session – 14 days of on-field, full-squad work to take place during the next month at the Union Federal Football Center.

“This is when you go through the little things that are going to come up during the course of the season. If you just wait until July and August and start working on these things, you’re not going to have much of a passing game, or much timing.

“We’ve always established our timing and become a better football team now.”

The Colts, a playoff team five of the past six seasons and the two-time defending AFC South champions, historically have high participation during summer school, and Monday’s attendance was no different.

“This, to me, is the first time you can have your whole group together,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said. “You can work on some things and get it going. You come to training camp, and these times determine what kind of team you’re going to have.

“We’ve always been good in the off-season program and we’ve always been good in training camp. I would expect that to continue.”

Said Manning, “Since Coach Dungy has been here, he has really encouraged that. Obviously, we cannot make it mandatory, but he points it out very simply, ‘If you want to win, you need to be here.’

“Everybody on this team wants to win, so we’ve always gotten good participation.”

Of the Colts’ veterans, only running back Edgerrin James and kicker Mike Vanderjagt did not attend the first day of summer school.

Summer school is scheduled to run through Thursday, June 9. A three-day mini-camp – mandatory for all veterans and rookies – is scheduled to begin Friday.

“I have actually not talked to him, but we anticipate him being here (Friday),” Dungy said of James, who in March signed a contract making him the team’s franchise player under NFL rules. “It’s the first thing on the agenda that’s mandatory, so we expect everyone to be here for it.

“You can’t let it be (a distraction). Whether guys are here and injured, whether they’re not here, you’ve got a certain amount of work to get done. You’ve got to get it done and we will.”

Manning, the Associated Press National Football League Most Valuable Player each of the past two seasons, said he was pleased with the participation level.

“There are only two guys, and one of them (James) is in somewhat of a contract issue,” Manning said. “The other one is the best kicker in the league, so that’s pretty doggone good participation.

“I think it really jumps out when you see a (wide receiver) Marvin Harrison here, (wide receiver) Reggie Wayne or a (center) Jeff Saturday. The rookies go, ‘Hey, if these guys are here, this is important and it must be a big deal.’ It is voluntary, but it says the kind of team we are.

“This is our job and we want to win.”

The Colts’ off-season workout program began in early April. Since then, coaches have spent certain weeks working with players by positions. That has included some on-field work, but the summer-school sessions and this weekend’s mini-camp are the only time the team works as a full squad from the end of the season until training camp.

“This is truly the entire team, with the rookies included, with the uniforms on,” Manning said. “It just gives you a good feeling. These guys are here to work, they’re here to get better, and they’re looking forward to the season opener.”

Said Dungy, “Every year is different – how you focus and how you work really determines what kind of team you’re going to be. I told the guys today, ‘The leaders, the veteran guys, have to lead. They have to set the tempo and show our guys how we do things.

“The young guys have to follow. When the leaders lead properly and the new guys follow properly, you’ve got a chance to have a good team. I think we will.”

Also Monday, All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney – the NFL’s sacks leader last season – was one of several players not practicing because of lingering injuries. Others included defensive end Robert Mathis, linebacker David Thornton, offensive tackle Tarik Glenn, cornerback Nick Harper and tight end Dallas Clark.

“We’ve got some injury situations, some guys who are on specific rehab who can’t do everything and some guys who can’t do anything,” Dungy said. “But we’ll work through that.

“The guys who were healthy and ready to go work well.”

Freeney recently underwent what he on Monday called minor surgery to correct a “small labrum tear” in his shoulder. He said he will be ready by training camp, which is scheduled to open July 27 at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute.

“Everything was good,” Freeney said. “It corrected a few problems I had toward the end of the year. Nothing major – just so I can be stronger than I was last year.”

Several Colts players were at new positions Monday. Eric Hill moved from wide receiver to cornerback and Thomas Houchin moved from defensive end to linebacker.

“You see a little thing you can work with,” Dungy said. “Usually, it’s the other position coaches. They’ve seen them in a drill, or worked against them, or seen something and said, ‘This guy has something that may work.’ Now’s the time to try it.”

Dungy also said the team has not yet ruled out re-signing middle linebacker Rob Morris.

Morris, the Colts’ 2000 first-round draft choice, became an unrestricted free agent after last season, and has yet to re-sign with another team. Third-year veteran Gary Brackett, who has started one game in two seasons, is the only middle linebacker on the roster with NFL experience.

“We’re comfortable with (Gary),” Dungy said. “We don’t have another experienced guy there, so we’re kicking it around and talking about it. We’re probably going to go through this weekend and see what happens. Only having one experienced middle linebacker is not ideal.

“We haven’t totally decided yet, but the door (on Morris) is not shut.”

Also Monday, the Colts signed two free agents -- linebacker Mikal Baaqee from Virginia Tech and wide receiver Montiese Culton from Tulsa.

TheGeneral+ · May 21, 2005

James doesn't want to participate in minni camp with Indy. Big Deal.

THE SAFETIES

Bob Sanders

Second NFL season

5-8, 206

Iowa

Acquired: Second round, 2004

Played in six regular-season games as a rookie, starting four . . . also started two playoff games . . . finished the season with 39 tackles, a pass defensed and two fumble recoveries . . . had two double-digit tackle games . . . had 17 tackles in the playoffs.

Mike Doss

Third NFL season

5-10, 207

Ohio State

Acquired: Second round, 2003

Started nine of 10 games in is his second season after starting 15 of 15 games as a rookie . . . had 49 tackles last season with a pass defensed, three forced fumbles and two interceptions . . . had 150 tackles, a sack, four passes defensed and seven forced fumbles in two seasons . . . has four interceptions in two seasons . . . had 11 tackles in the Colts’ victory over Baltimore last December.

Gerome Sapp

Third NFL season

6-1, 216

Notre Dame

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Played in 13 games after signing with the Colts after the second game of last season . . . a solid special teams player and reliable backup safety last season . . . finished the season with 20 tackles on defense and 16 on special teams.

Waine Bacon

Second NFL season

5-10, 191

Alabama

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Played 11 games last season for the Colts after spending first four games of the season on the practice squad . . . finished with five tackles on defense and 10 on special teams.

Matt Giordano

Rookie

5-11, 192

California

Acquired: Fourth round, 2005

A hard-hitting safety acquired with the 135th overall selection of the draft . . . had 111 career tackles at Cal, 73 solo, four tackles for losses, one sack, two FF, one FR, six passes defensed and two interceptions.

Brandon Lynch

First NFL season

5-11, 192

Middle Tennessee State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Recently signed as a free agent . . . was with the Tennessee Titans in training camp last season.

Jerome Dennis

Rookie

6-1, 192

Utah State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a rookie free agent after the draft . . . was sixth on Utah State with 48 tackles last season.

Daryl Dixon

First NFL season

5-10, 193

Florida

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent this past off-season.

TheGeneral+ · May 23, 2005

New Colts Cornerbacks Get Immediate Difficult Challenge

colts.com

No sooner had Kelvin Hayden been drafted into the NFL than thoughts of one of his idols came to mind.

Marvin Harrison.

I’ll be playing on the same team as Marvin Harrison.

That’s reality, but so is this:

Hayden, a cornerback from the University of Illinois, is not only on the same team as Harrison, he and fellow Colts rookie cornerback Marlin Jackson are facing off against the six-time Pro Bowl selection in practice.

Not only that, they’re facing Reggie Wayne.

And Brandon Stokley, too.

“As I was told, this is the best group of wide receivers in the NFL,” Hayden said during the Colts’ mandatory three-day mini-camp, which continued Sunday at the Union Federal Football Center.

Those words came from veteran cornerback Joseph Jefferson, who told Hayden something else, too.

“He said, ‘If you do well against those guys, you’ve got nothing to worry about in the games,’’’ Hayden said.

Jackson, the Colts’ first-round selection, received the same advice from teammates – that once a cornerback faced the Colts’ trio of 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown wide receivers, he was unlikely to face a tougher challenge during the regular season.

“That’s how I look at it,” said Jackson, who played collegiately at the University of Michigan. “I figure if I get beat, or if I make the play, I know I’m getting better just by lining up and playing against them. I know the next time I’ll be better.”

The Colts’ receivers last season became the third trio from the same team in NFL history to each catch passes for more than 1,000 yards in a season. No other team in NFL history ever had three receivers catch 10 or more touchdowns in one season.

Harrison caught 86 passes for 1,113 yards and 15 touchdowns, Wayne caught 77 passes for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns and Stokley caught 68 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I was waiting for the veterans to get here, to go up against those guys,” said Jackson, who started 39 of 45 career games at Michigan and had nine interceptions in four seasons starting. “It was great, going against these guys, to be part of the program and get better every day going against them.”

Jackson and Hayden each attended the Colts’ rookie mini-camp in late April and early May, then returned early this past week for the start of summer school. They worked against the Colts’ first-team offense at times during three summer-school practices last week, then during five mini-camp practices Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Wayne and Stokley each said it was too early to judge the rookie corners, but Stokley said, “You can see a little bit. They’re a physical group. The two young guys they brought in are physical. I can tell a difference from three days of summer school with our defense. I think they’re going to be a real physical group this year.”

Said Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, “You can tell these guys are good athletes. People always ask, ‘How did we do in the draft?’ I always say, ‘Check back with me in a couple of years,’ but it looks like we’ve got some guys with some high energy and some enthusiasm.

“They fly around to the ball. It helps once the pads get on (in training camp). These guys are still learning, but it’s a group of excited players and that kind of helps.”

Hayden, a wide receiver until switching to corner as an Illinois senior season, cited Harrison as his favorite player in the 2004 Illinois media guide, and said this week he has always admired Harrison because, “He’s not the rah-rah type. You don’t see him out there jumping around making a scene for ESPN. He’s out there doing his job and he does it well.”

Hayden, like Jackson, said he believes he has fared well against the first-team receivers when given the opportunity, but said playing against Harrison in practice the first time was “kind of surreal.”

“You have to kind put it out of your mind and say, ‘Hey, it’s football,’’’ Hayden said. “You’re out there to make plays.’ That’s what I believe I can do. I think I did all right against them, but it’s still early to tell.

“I want to improve every day. If you improve every day, you’ll be all right.”

Jackson said although he broke up a slant playing against Harrison, the Colts’ all-time receptions leader beat him on a curl pattern, and he also said it was easy to see what makes Harrison perennially one of the NFL’s best.

“He makes everything look the same, so it’s hard to tell which way he’s going,” Jackson said. “The more you go against a receiver, the more you know what they do. Right now, I’m in that situation. You just can’t get down if you get beat. If you win, you take it the right way. If you lose, you take it the right way. No matter what, you’re just getting better.

“I’m a confident guy. I feel like I can play in the league, but if I can play against these guys, I really, really feel like I can play in the league and do very well.”

In other Colts news, the three-day mini-camp ended Sunday afternoon, with Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy saying pleased with the weekend.

“This was a really, really good camp for us,” Dungy said. “We got some things done. It gave us as a coaching staff a first-hand look at our young guys, to see how they work. It’s an encouraging group. They work hard.

“Our veterans set a great tempo. It was very, very encouraging.”

Also, rookie middle linebacker Tyjuan Hagler – a fifth-round draft selection from Cincinnati – is out with a sports hernia injury. Dungy said the injury typically keeps a player out at least 8-to-12 weeks. Second-year outside linebacker Kendyll Pope worked some at middle linebacker during mini-camp. Third-year veteran Gary Brackett is the starter at the position.

“It’s going to be a while,” Dungy said of Hagler.

The Colts resume summer school Tuesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

TheGeneral+ · May 25, 2005

Colts understand Edge's angst but won't excuse holdout

sportsline.com

Running back Edgerrin James wants a long-term contract the Indianapolis Colts aren't willing to give, so he failed to report for last weekend's minicamp and hasn't notified anyone that I know of that he intends to report on time for training camp.

Pardon Colts' owner Jim Irsay if he's not overly concerned.
It's not only that James missed a minicamp once before, staying away from the 2002 session while he rehabilitated a surgically repaired knee; it's that he signed a one-year, $8.1 million tender in mid-March as the team's franchise player and is obligated to report -- whether it's sooner or later.

Irsay expects it to be sooner.

"He's going to be ready to go," said Irsay, here for the spring owners' meetings. "He knows he's getting paid a tremendous amount of money. He's missed minicamps before, and we were disappointed he wasn't there. But I'm encouraged that come training camp, when it comes time to go, he's going to be fine. For $9 million I don't know who wouldn't be there."

I don't, either, but then I don't know why Terrell Owens isn't satisfied with a $49 million deal he signed voluntarily a year ago. But he isn't, and he, too, boycotted a three-day Eagles minicamp earlier this month.

Philadelphia isn't sure where Owens stands or whether he shows up for camp ... or for the season. It just knows he's signed to a contract owner Jeff Lurie insisted the team will not renegotiate and he awaits Owens' next move.

The Colts' situation is slightly different. While they wait on James, the club believes -- no, it believes strongly -- its career rushing leader will be there for the start of the season.

That's not good enough for Irsay. He wants to make sure James is there for the start of training camp on July 27 and plays in preseason games. The Colts have five of them this year, starting with the opener against Atlanta in Tokyo on Aug. 6.

"If I'm going to commit nine million dollars, we need a great year out of him," said Irsay, who has spoken to James in the offseason. "So I'm hopeful he's going to be there and ready to go."

And if he's not? Irsay declined to discuss the possibility.

"He needs to be in at the beginning," he said. "He's certainly not excused from going to Tokyo. We need him there for the entire training camp. We stand on really solid ground, and I feel he needs to be there so we're not dealing with hypotheticals or five-day letters (as warning).

"This is an enormous amount of money, and if you're willing to pay someone this kind of money, you not only want him to be there but to be ready to go full tilt. As an owner that's something that's critical to me. The bottom line is that we've been very fair."

After designating James their franchise player, the Colts allowed him to seek a deal with another club. In fact, the team let it be known that it would accept less than a first-round draft pick for the guy. But there were no takers, as there were no takers for Shaun Alexander in Seattle, and now James finds himself in an awkward situation -- seeking a long-term deal from a team that won't deliver it.

"None of this is personal," said Irsay. "You come to the realization we want you back for another year, but we have defensive concerns in going forward -- so we didn't want to do a long-term contract. We've let him talk to other teams, so it's not like we've been inflexible. He's a pragmatic guy, and he realizes if someone in the market would've stepped up and given him a huge deal we wouldn't have stood in the way. And that didn't happen.

"We're close, and I love the guy. He's one of my favorites of all-time, but this is hard. You try to make sure he focuses. But every player has to know the owner is doing what he thinks is best to win, and if we thought doing a long-term contract was in our best interests to win in the next few years we would have done it."

TheGeneral+ · May 25, 2005

I have said for a long while, we do not need James. I would really like to see him go asap. The horse will do fine without him on the offensive side. As a bettor, I would certainly not change my wager over the fact that James was or was not playing.

TheGeneral+ · May 31, 2005

The Running Backs

Not everything about Anthony Davis is a certainty.

He is a bit small by NFL standards.

He has had injury issues, too.

But this much is certain when it comes to Davis, and it’s one of the first things he mentions when discussing his status as a Colts rookie running back trying to make an impact on one of the NFL’s best offenses:

He doesn’t quit.

Never has, he says. And never will.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be here,” Davis said during a recent Colts’ summer school practice session, which continued Tuesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

One other thing certain about Davis:

The “injury issues” stuff?

He’s heard it often in the last two seasons – too often, he said. It’s the subject of nearly every interview he does, and nearly every story written about him, and while he understands and expects the questions, he said the issue doesn’t define him as a player, and doesn’t show what he can do on the field.

“They’re part of the game,” he said.

Davis (5-feet-7, 200 pounds), a seventh-round draft selection from the University of Wisconsin, is one of the more intriguing members of the Colts’ recent draft class.

And while injuries are one reason, his history of production is the other.

Because while Davis missed much of 2003 and part of 2004, he also finished his career as the Badgers’ second all-time leading rusher behind former Heisman Trophy-winner Ron Dayne. He averaged 1,500 yards rushing a season as a freshman and sophomore, and shortly after this past April’s NFL draft, Colts President Bill Polian called his style an ideal fit with Indianapolis’ offense.

“We really liked him,” Polian said at the time. “He fits our style perfectly in terms of what we want our running back to do: catch the ball, get on the corner on the stretch play, hit the stretch play and go 100 miles an hour and run through tackles.”

Polian compared Davis to former Buffalo Bills All-Pro running back Thurman Thomas, a player Polian drafted who helped Buffalo to four Super Bowls in the early 1990s.

“When he’s been healthy,” Polian said, “he’s been dynamite. He doesn’t have quite as much shake and bake as Thurman, but boy, does he run hard and boy, does he hit the hole.

“We understand it’s a risk because of the injuries, but at some point in time, I think you have to take a flyer on talent and production. This is a player who – when he’s been healthy – has really produced.”

Davis, as a freshman, led the Big 10 in rushing and finished fifth in the nation, rushing for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns on 291 carries. As a sophomore, he again led the Big 10 with 1,555 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 300 carries.

“Explosion is definitely a big part of my game,” Davis said.

He missed five full games and parts of four others in 2003 with nagging ankle problems, rushing for 682 yards and seven touchdowns on 116 carries.

“I had some momentum going into the last couple of seasons,” he said. “There were a few injuries that kind of slowed my momentum a little bit, but that’s part of the game.”

As a senior, he sustained a fractured orbital socket and a thigh bruise, missing three games but still rushing for a team-high 973 yards and 11 touchdowns on 201 carries.

He finished his career with 4,676 yards and 42 touchdowns on 908 carries, second only to Dayne on the school’s all-time rushing yards list and second only to Billy Marek on the school’s all-time touchdowns list. He also caught 22 passes for 198 yards.

“He’s a productive guy,’ Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said. “He knows how to play the game and he knows how to make yards. In this offense, where we spread people out and give the backs room, I think he’s going to excel.”

And, for now, that’s Davis’ focus – to learn what he can during summer school so he can begin excelling in training camp. He said the Colts’ offense is complex, but not overwhelmingly so, and he said learning to run the offense’s sophisticated pass routes has been an adjustment.

But he also said he remains confident that the uncertainties are things others – particularly, the media – focus on unnecessarily. What Davis said he is about is production. He had a lot of it in college, he said, and he believes he can have more in the NFL.

“I definitely feel I belong at this level,” Davis said. “I feel I can play. I can definitely play at a higher level. It’s a matter of me learning and adjusting to the system. There’s a lot to understand, but I will, and once I do, I think I can be productive.”

THE RUNNING BACKS

Edgerrin James

Seventh NFL season

6-0, 214

Miami

Acquired: First round, 1999 (No. 4 overall)

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards four times in six NFL season and has rushed for more than 1,500 yards three times . . . made the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2000 last season, when he rushed for 1,548 yards and nine touchdowns . . . is playing under a one-year contract after being named the team’s franchise player this past off-season . . . has rushed for 7,720 yards and 51 touchdowns on 1,828 carries in six NFL seasons . . . has rushed for at least nine touchdowns in four of six NFL seasons.

Dominic Rhodes

Fifth NFL season

5-9, 203

Midwestern State

Acquired: Free agent, 2001

Has been the Colts’ top backup to Edgerrin James three of the past four seasons, with the lone exception being the 2002 season, which he missed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament . . . started 10 games as a rookie, filling in for the injured James and rushed for 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns on 233 carries . . . became only undrafted player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards as a rookie . . . after missing 2002, returned to play in 11 games in 2003 and all 16 games this past season . . . has rushed for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns on 323 career carries in four NFL seasons . . . also is a solid kickoff returner, having returned two career kickoffs for touchdowns.

James Mungro

Fourth NFL season

5-9, 214

Syracuse

Acquired: Waivers, 2002 (Detroit)

A valuable member of the Colts’ backfield the past three seasons, he has filled in capably when needed . . . emerged as a reliable receiver in the red zone last season, catching seven passes for 36 yards and three touchdowns . . . rushed for 336 yards and eight touchdowns on 97 carries as a rookie . . . has rushed for 415 yards and 10 touchdowns on 126 carries in three NFL seasons.

Anthony Davis

Rookie

5-7, 200

Wisconsin

Acquired: Seventh round, 2005

A four-year starter in college, he was productive when healthy – particularly early in his career . . . he rushed for 4,676 yards and 42 touchdowns on 908 carries, the second-most yards in school history behind former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne . . . rushed for 3,001 yards during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Ran Carthon

Second NFL season

6-0, 218

Florida

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Originally signed with the Colts as a free agent after the 2004 NFL Draft . . . spent several weeks on Dallas’ practice squad, and spent seven weeks on the Colts’ active roster before being waived in November . . . finished the season on the Colts’ practice squad.

J.T. Wall

First NFL season

6-0, 250

Georgia

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with the Colts as a free agent early this off-season, Wall is the lone true “blocking” fullback on the roster . . . a seventh-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004, he spent part of last season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

Marcus Williams

Rookie

5-10, 230

Maine

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent immediately after the 2005 NFL Draft . . . he rushed for 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns on 217 carries as a senior . . . two-time selection as Maine’s Most Valuable Player.

TheGeneral+ · May 31, 2005

The Defensive Tackles

Colts.com

When setting goals, Montae Reagor sets first things first, but keeps a firm eye on the second, too.

His first goal? Win a Super Bowl.

His second?

Make the Pro Bowl.

The way Reagor sees it, if he does what he can to help the Colts accomplish the first, he should put himself in solid position for the second.

“That’s the key, helping this team get to the playoffs and helping this team win a championship,” Reagor, now preparing for his third season with the Colts, said during the team’s summer-school session, which continued Wednesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

“After that, it’s, ‘Go to the Pro Bowl.’ If I keep getting better, it will happen.”

Reagor, who signed with the Colts as a free agent before the 2003 season, didn’t make the Pro Bowl last season, but he did have the best season of his career – and also was instrumental in the Colts’ overall improvement on the defensive line.

Reagor, who played his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, played in 12 of 13 games in his first season with the Colts, then started 16 of 16 games last season, emerging as a veteran leader on a young defensive line.

He set a career-high with five sacks, and also had 28 quarterback pressures.

His sacks total was best among the team’s defensive tackles, and his pressures were the second-most on the team to All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney.

“I have a lot of work to do,” said Reagor, who finished seventh on the team with 60 tackles and also had three passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

“I have to continue to improve. I’m very critical of myself. There are a lot of plays I left out on the field, just like with my conditioning: I think I can be in better shape, and I could have made a lot more plays.

“I just want to stay productive and play at a high level at all costs.”

The Colts’ coaches are far less critical of the seven-year veteran, with Head Coach Tony Dungy saying throughout last season Reagor was one of the major reasons Indianapolis emerged as one of the NFL’s top pass-rushing lines.

Reagor, the most-experienced player on the Colts’ line, shared the responsibility of making the team’s defensive line calls with veteran end Chad Bratzke during 2003. When Bratzke retired after that season, Reagor took over the role.

“It went well,” Reagor said. “I felt I handled it well. Chad and I were partners doing it when he was here. I took the role last year, and loved it. I got the game plan down, and (Colts defensive line coach) John (Teerlinck) and I talked every day. I gave him a feel for what I liked through film study. I’m glad he trusts me enough, and the coaches trust me enough, to give me the freedom to make those calls.

‘I think the majority of the time I put the line in good opportunities to make plays.”

Last season, the Colts’ defensive line had 41 sacks, and the team finished tied for third in the NFL with 45. Colts defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney combined for 26.5 sacks, more than any other end tandem in the NFL.

“You’ve got to know when Robert’s in the game, and when we have different combinations,” Reagor said. “That’s really the challenge, knowing the formations and knowing the tendencies. I’ve got to know when we have four bigs, or when we have all the speed guys. It’s a combination of them both, knowing when we have the big men and when we have our speed rushers out there on the field.

“You have to study. It’s really a game-plan within the game plan. You have to be quick to make the decisions. Teams change their protections during games. They change their blocking schemes during the game, and you have to be able to decipher that. We’re always on the sideline after each series, talking about what we’re going to do next. It’s a week-to-week game, and something I enjoy doing.

“It’s a challenge, and I think it’s making me a better player.”

Still, while Reagor said he was happy with his performance as a leader on the line last season, he said he is just as certain there is room to improve – not only for the team, but himself, too.

That’s his goal for this season, he said – to improve.

And to get the reward that goes along with it.

“There’s another step to be made,” he said. “I left plays on the field. I have a lot more to produce and a lot more to come. I’m going to be more productive. My goal is to be more efficient in everything I do in the pass rush and the run game. My goal is to improve on what I did last year. I will and that’s a guarantee. I’m guaranteeing improvement in all phases of my game.

“I feel this is the year I keep on blossoming. I feel the best is yet to come. My goal is to try to help this team win and do what I can to be a leader. I’ve got to make the Pro Bowl this year.

“First, I want to win a championship, then I want to go to the Pro Bowl.”

THE DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Montae Reagor

Seventh NFL season

6-3, 285

Texas Tech

Acquired: Unrestricted Free Agent, 2003 (Denver)

Had a career-high five sacks last season . . . was second on the team to defensive end Dwight Freeney with 28 quarterback pressures . . . was seventh on the Colts, first among defensive linemen, with 60 tackles, 48 solos . . . started 16 of 16 games for the first time in six NFL seasons.

Josh Williams

Sixth NFL season

6-3, 285

Michigan

Acquired: Fourth round, 2000

A solid run defender who started 15 of 16 games last season . . . has remained healthy since an injury shortened 2002 season, playing all 32 games over the last two seasons . . . had 45 tackles, 40 solos, last season . . . also had three quarterback pressures, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries last season.

Larry Tripplett

Fourth NFL season

6-2, 295

Washington

Acquired: Second round, 2002

A solid veteran who has played in all 32 games the last two seasons . . . started all 16 games in 2003 and has started 26 of 45 games in three-year NFL career . . . had two forced fumbles, six quarterback pressures and a blocked field goal last season.

Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns

Rookie

6-2, 260

Kentucky

Acquired: Third round, 2005

A rookie with good pass-rushing skills selected on the first day of the draft . . . a three-year starter at Kentucky after transferring from Northern Arizona . . . had 37 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks in college career . . . also had five forced fumbles in college.

Jason Stewart

First NFL season

6-1, 285

Fresno State

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Spent much of last season on the Colts’ practice squad.

Blake Lobel

Rookie

6-3, 265

San Diego State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts just after the 2005 NFL Draft.

TheGeneral+ · May 31, 2005

The Defensive Ends

Colts.com

Josh Thomas had heard the stories.

They were the same stories any NFL player who sustains a torn anterior cruciate ligament hears upon being injured – stories about the lengthy rehabilitation, about the frustration often involved with the process, about the difficulty returning.

Thomas heard them, and now he knows they’re all true.

Truer, even, than he originally imagined.

But the Colts’ second-year defensive end also is just as sure of something else, he said recently:

That despite a difficult rehabilitation process, and despite some uncertain and disheartening times in the last few months, he believes he’ll be ready to play next season.

And after the last six months, he said that’s all he can ask.

“It’s real tough,” Thomas said during the Colts’ summer-school session, which continued Thursday at the Union Federal Football Center.

“You hear about it. A lot of the veterans came and told me about this or that. You hear one thing, but it’s different when you experience it. People say you’ve got to be patient, and that there are a lot of up and down days. I found out that’s true. It’s all true.”

The ironic part about the difficulty of Thomas’ recent months is the few preceding it had gone so well.

Thomas (6-feet-5, 271 pounds), who originally signed with the Colts as a rookie free agent from Syracuse University shortly after the 2004 NFL Draft, immediately impressed Colts coaches and personnel officials last spring during mini-camp and summer school.

By training camp, he was routinely working among the top seven or eight players in the Colts’ defensive line rotation, and after a solid preseason, Thomas made the roster as an undrafted rookie.

He played in 11 games, and by mid-season, was a key member of the Colts’ defensive line rotation. He had 18 tackles, 11 solo, and also had a sack and a forced fumble, but in Indianapolis’ Thanksgiving Day victory over Detroit, he sustained what he first believed was a relatively minor knee injury.

“When it first happened, I didn’t think it was an ACL,” he said. “At first, they said three-to-four weeks. The next morning when they said six-to-eight months, I said, ‘It can’t be that bad. It doesn’t feel like it should be that bad.’

“After surgery, that’s when you realize you’ve got to make up all the time getting back from the surgery.”

Thomas said he hasn’t been alone during his rehabilitation. In addition to the Colts’ trainers, coaches and strength and conditioning staff, he said his teammates – particularly those who have been through similar situations – have helped him through the process.

“Dominic still checks in with me every day,” Thomas said, referring to Colts running back Dominic Rhodes, who missed the 2002 season with a torn ACL.

“The team’s been great,” he added. “You hear stories about ‘Out-of-site, out-of-mind,’ especially in the NFL, but it hasn’t been like that. Everyone called me – all the coaches – as soon as the surgery was done, saying, ‘Are you all right? You’ll get back.’ It’s a family around here.

“Not once was I like, ‘Gosh, I’m not going to play here.’ Everybody’s been real helpful.”

Thomas said his rehabilitation, for the most part, has gone well. Like any rehab, he said, there have been good and bad days, but he thus far has experienced few setbacks and little of the tendonitis often associated with an ACL rehab.

“It reacted differently day to day at times,” he said. “It tests your patience and your will, but overall, it’s going well. We’ve made a lot or progress. I think right now, we’re on track.

“They’re saying as soon as training camp starts, I should be doing one-a-days. At this point, it feels like I should be doing that.”

And that’s the time he’s anticipating, he said, when he can stop being the guy rehabilitating a serious knee injury and again be the former undrafted rookie developing into a crucial part of one of the NFL’s better pass-rushing lines.

That’s what he was for a few months last season, and Thomas said he remains confident it’s what he can be again.

“Last season gave me confidence that if I’m healthy, I know I can play this game,” Thomas said. “Now, I’m kind of battling that thing of, ‘How confident am I in my knee?’ In that sense, it’s kind of the same deal as last year. I’m working hard, and it’s not going to come easy. I’ll battle through it, but I do have confidence that when I’m 100 percent, I can play in this league.

“Now, I’m working to get back to that point.”

THE DEFENSIVE ENDS

Dwight Freeney

Fourth NFL season

6-1, 268

Syracuse

Acquired: First round, 2002 (11th overall)

A two-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2004 Associated Press All-Pro selection . . . led the NFL last season with a franchise-record 16 sacks . . . had 40 sacks in the first three seasons, the third highest total over such a span in NFL history . . . started 16 of 16 games last season for the first time in three seasons . . . led team with 47 quarterback pressures . . . has forced 17 fumbles in three seasons, including four last season.

Raheem Brock

Fourth NFL season

6-4, 274

Temple

Acquired: Free agent, 2002

Registered a career-high 6.5 sacks last season . . . started 16 of 16 games at end, and excelled as a pass rusher while moving inside in passing situations later in the season . . . also had 17 quarterback pressures last season, tying him for fourth on the team . . . has started every game for the Colts the past two seasons . . . had a career-high 58 tackles, including 49 solos, last season.

Robert Mathis

Third NFL season

6-2, 235

Alabama A&M

Acquired: Fifth round, 2003

Had a breakout year in his second NFL season, registering 10.5 sacks and emerging as an impact player on defense . . . sack total tied him for third in the AFC . . . Mathis and right end Dwight Freeney combined for 26.5 sacks, the highest total by a tandem in the NFL . . . had 17 quarterback pressures, tying him for fourth on the Colts.

Josh Thomas

Second NFL season

6-5, 271

Syracuse

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Made the roster last season as an undrafted free agent . . . had 18 tackles, 11 solo, before sustaining a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in the 11th game of the season . . . also had four quarterback pressures, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Jonathan Welsh

Rookie

6-4, 228

Wisconsin

Acquired: Fifth round, 2005

A speed pass rusher acquired on the second day of the 2005 NFL Draft . . . started 25 of 46 games as a two-year starter in college . . . had 13 sacks in four seasons.

Nick Rogers

Fourth NFL season

6-2, 250

Georgia Tech

Acquired: Waivers, 2004 (Green Bay)

Played in 11 games in 2004, including one for the Colts . . . had five tackles, including four solo, in the season finale against Denver . . . played in 10 games for the Green Bay Packers in 2004 before being waived . . . played for Minnesota in 2002 and 2003 before playing with Green Bay and Indianapolis last season.

Nathaniel Adibi

First NFL season

6-3, 249

Virginia Tech

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

A fifth-round draft selection by Pittsburgh in 2004, he signed as a free agent with the Colts on January 21, 2005 . . . spent time on Jacksonville and Pittsburgh practice squads last season.

Justin Brown

Rookie

6-2, 260

E. Central Oklahoma

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as an undrafted free agent just after the 2005 NFL Draft . . . had 23.5 sacks while starting 39 of 41 games in college.

Darrell Reid

Rookie

6-2, 288

Minnesota

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as an undrafted free agent just after the 2005 NFL Draft . . . had 16 sacks while starting 48 career games in college.

Josh Mallard

Second NFL season

6-2, 259

Georgia

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent early this off-season and is currently allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe . . . originally a seventh round selection in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Colts . . . has 12 tackles and a blocked punt in eight games for Amsterdam this season.

Javor Mills

Third NFL season

6-5, 273

Auburn

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent early this off-season and is currently allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe . . . has five tackles and a half a sack in eight games for Cologne this season.