Dwight Freeney is going to remain a member of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Despite the purge of many veterans and a very large contract for this season, Freeney will remain with the team amidst its transition to a hybrid 3-4 defense. His new role will be as the rush linebacker, similar to Terrell Suggs‘ role in Baltimore.
I think Dwight will have a lot of success in this role as a rush linebacker in the 3-4. The benefits to this are that the three defensive lineman in a 3-4 front are generally bigger players whose goal is to occupy space and hold gaps for linebackers to roam free. The new attacking defense will also bring more pressure than before. In past seasons, every opponent knew that Freeney and Mathis would bring the pressure and not much else would come from the Colt defense. This defense will be drastically different. The addition of Cory Redding alongside Freeney will add a player who can also provide pressure on the quarterback.
Coach Chuck Pagano recently stated that in the new defense, Freeney will play the role similar to Terrell Suggs in the Baltimore Ravens‘ defense. I think this is a great move by coach Pagano and one that could lead to a lot of success for the defense. Despite Suggs being slightly taller, the two are similar in build. I think it will take some time to learn the scheme and become comfortable, but fans will still see Freeney primarily rushing the passer from his traditional right side. That won’t change even with the new defense.
For fans, Pagano’s attacking defense is a welcome change after playing such a boring defensive style for so long. I’m excited already to see what the defense can do this upcoming season. It’s also nice to have a familiar face in Dwight Freeney returning for the team. If he can play at a level even close to what Suggs did for the defense in Baltimore, fans are going to be very happy next season. I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with the quick transition of the defense under the new coaching staff.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Little suspense remains for the Indianapolis Colts and their first overall draft pick. It’s widely suspected that Andrew Luck will be chosen to be their next quarterback. The bigger question fans now have is who will be the next player selected with the teams second round draft pick. I see five candidates out there who could be the selection at number 34 overall.
Coby Fleener, TE
Fleener is the popular pick for Indianapolis in the second round. He fills a major need for the team at tight end and also has close connections to the expected new quarterback. Luck and Fleener had great chemistry at Stanford and would be lucky to continue that connection in Indianapolis. It’s certainly possible that a team could select Fleener in the first round, but if he’s there, I see Indianapolis selecting him.
Alameda Ta’amu, DT
Ta’amu would fill a major hole for the team at nose tackle. With the switch to a 3-4 defense, the team will need someone to clog the middle and stuff the run. The signing of Brandon McKinney is nice, but a solid young player is still needed. Ta’amu would give the team a young player they could develop in the middle of the defense. Someone will have to be selected at this position and I think Ta’amu would be a great choice.
Janoris Jenkins, CB
Jenkins is a very good player who may fall in the draft because of concerns of his character. Cornerback is a huge need for the team and one they must improve in the draft. If a player this talented were to fall to the second round, I think it would be very difficult for Indianapolis to pass him up. Jenkins may be able to step in immediately as the best corner on the roster. Jenkins is also coming to Indianapolis for a visit with the team soon.
Reuben Randle, WR
Whichever quarterback is selected first overall is going to need more talent around them at the receiver position. Randle would add a big, fast target that the quarterback could grow with. He still can develop as a player and would get to learn from one of the best in the game, Reggie Wayne.
Andre Branch, OLB
I think it wouldn’t be a surprise to get a good player who would be a natural fit in the new defensive scheme in Indianapolis. Branch would get a season to learn behind Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney and be able to ease his transition to the NFL and to the outside linebacker position. Freeney is likely gone after this season and the new front office may see Branch as the future at outside linebacker. This move would be difficult for fans to understand because the team has several other glaring needs at this time.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blogwww.coltsfansonline.comthat covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
The Indianapolis Colts finally have their nose tackle for their new 3-4 defense. Well, they at least have someone on the roster who can play nose tackle now. After being very active through the first two weeks of free agency, things slowed down in Indianapolis and the team was left without a big body to many the middle of the defense. On April 5 the team helped solve that problem by signing free agent defensive tackle Brandon McKinney.
As a fan of the team, McKinney is the kind of player I have been begging for for years. McKinney stands six-foot-two inches tall and weighs 345 pounds. It’s no secret that the Indianapolis defense has long struggled against the run. Anthony “Booger” McFarland is the last defensive tackle I remember that did a decent job defending against the run. Shortly after coach Pagano was hired, I remember looking at the list of free agent defensive players from Baltimore and noticing McKinnney’s name. A 3-4 defense is not complete without a big body in the middle that can occury defenders and create space for others to work. At this time, McKinney appears to be the best option the team has at that position.
The addition of McKinney isn’t something fans should get too exited over. He’s never been a great player and never seen consistent playing time at either San Diego or Baltimore. He has played behind some very talented players though and hopefully learned a lot from them. Fans can only hope that McKinney soaked in a lot playing in Baltimore and watching Haloti Ngata and Terrance Cody every day. Maybe this will be a chance for McKinney to finally prove his worth and have a breakout season.
Like the rest of the offseason signings, fans have to like the new general manager Ryan Grigson isn’t afraid to take chances on players in the free agent pool. McKinney is another low risk signing that could pay off for the team. If he doesn’t, the team can go with a younger alternative in his place. If he does, it’s another signing that could go a long way toward helping Pagano build a monster on defense in Indianapolis.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
The Indianapolis Colts will have a special guest in the next couple of weeks when Stanford quarterback and likely 2012 NFL Draft first round draft pick Andrew Luck holds a private workout for his likely future team.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said during a conference call on Monday that Andrew Luck was ready to workout with the team but he would not yet confirm exactly when that workout would occur.
In the meantime Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III will not practice with the team although members of the Colts organization did watch Griffin during his pro day at Baylor University.
While Robert may not practice individually for the Colts Grigson says his teams evaluations are continuing and the Colts have not yet made up their mind about which player they will choose as their No. 1 choice and future leader of the Indianapolis Colts organization.
Whatever decision the Colts make they will not begin negotiating with that No. 1 draft before the 2012 NFL draft.
If Luck goes No. 1 as is expected the Washington Redskins are the likely choice to pick up Robert Griffin III.
The Redskins secured the No. 1 draft pick after the St. Louis Rams who secured No. 1 draft pick QB Sam Brady in 2010 traded the draft pick to the Redskins during a blockbuster trade.
Andrew Luck managed to rack up more than 3,000 yards for 35 touchdowns during his last season of play at Stanford. With those numbers its safe to say Indianapolis is probably not going to deviate from their original No. 1 draft choice.
If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.
The Indianapolis Colts continued with their offseason quest to bolster their offensive line. Three of the five newcomers to be acquired by the team since the start of free agency have come on the offensive line. The latest addition is the signing of free agency center Samson Satele. Satele signed a three year, $10.8 million contract to become what general manager Ryan Grigson described, “the anchor of the offensive line”.
Satele comes to Indianapolis from the Oakland Raiders where he played for the last three seasons. Satele was the starting center each season he played in Oakland. At such a young age, he has a lot of experience as a starter in the NFL.
I think this is a great signing for the Colts. After the left tackle, center is one of the most vital positions on the offensive line. This move secures those two positions for Indianapolis into the future. It’s very important to the success of a young quarterback to have stability on the offensive line. With the additions of Satele and Winston Justice to go along with Anthony Castonzo, Ben Ijalana, and Joe Reitz, the offensive line could be very good in 2012 and beyond. Each of the players listed are under 28 years old and can grow and improve along with the new Colt offense. If the team can develop a strong offensive line, it could go a long way toward turning things around quickly in Indianapolis.
If Satele pans out, this is the kind of move that could prove to be very good for the team moving forward. Peyton Manning was able to have stability by having such a great center in Jeff Saturday for so long. Like many fans, I’ll be sad to see Saturday go, but this is a strong move to bring in a talented young player in his place. Hopefully Luck and Satele can grow together much like Manning and Saturday once did. If they make a connection anywhere close to what Peyton and Jeff had, Indianapolis fans will be lucky.
Overall, I think this is a good move and one that may not appear attractive to fans, but will help win games on Sundays. Satele is a good player at a position of need and is a solid signing by Ryan Grigson and the Colts. This makes yet another quality signing this offseason for the new era Colts.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Source:
Colts sign Satele
If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.
The Indianapolis Colts are making big improvements already this offseason in preparation for the 2012 NFL season. They hired Chuck Pagano as head coach from the Baltimore Ravens and are hoping to bring his Raven-style defense to Indianapolis. They’ve made several strong moves so far in free agency and may be more prepared than many think to make the switch to a 3-4 hybrid defense. With several months left to fill needs in free agency and with the NFL draft approaching, I think Indianapolis could be much better than fans think at this point.
The additions to two former Baltimore players, Cory Redding and Tom Zbikowski should provide a big boost. Both will likely step in as starters and play major roles in helping others learn and feel comfortable in the new defensive scheme. Redding is one of the better 3-4 defense ends in the game and Zbikowski fills a major need at safety alongside Antoine Bethea.
The biggest remaining need is at nose tackle. Nose tackle is one of the most important positions in a 3-4 and is one where Indianapolis is currently lacking. The closest fit to this position on the current roster is Antonio Johnson. At just 310 pounds, he isn’t the ideal fit at nose tackle. There are several options in both free agency and the NFL draft. with the addition of someone at nose tackle, Indianapolis will have a strong defensive line in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. Fili Moala could fit in very good as a 3-4 defense end opposite Redding and Drake Nevis should be a disruptive force wherever he plays in the new defense.
I think this scheme is perfect for the personnel because it will instantly give Indianapolis one of, if not the best, linebacking groups in the NFL. Robert Mathis recently stated that he would play the SAM linebacker spot and Dwight Freeney would play the rush linebacker position. The Colts’ two inside linebackers, Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner, should continue to improve and will likely be very good in a system where plays are funneled toward the linebackers.
I think fans who think Indianapolis could be in for a down year may be pleasantly surprised. This defense already has the makings of being very good in 2012. Only time will tell, but I think fans may be pleased with the success the team has on the field next season.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team atwww.coltsfansonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Peyton Manning is on his way to becoming the new starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, according to a report by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.
Citing multiple sources, the report today says Manning has instructed his agent, Tom Condon, to intensify contract negotiations with the Broncos. If a deal is completed, ESPN is reporting, the Broncos will try to trade quarterback Tim Tebow, who led the team to a playoff victory last season.
The report calls a contract between Manning and the Broncos a “formality” at this point, saying the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and the Broncos’ vice president of football operations, John Elway, already discussed a five-year, $95-million deal during a March 9 meeting in Denver and that Elway told Manning he was ready to finalize a contract “fair to both sides” during a workout in Durham, N.C., on March 16
The contract is expected to include language to protect the team in case Manning can’t perform due to his prior neck surgeries, but the quarterback has already passed a physical administered by Broncos doctors.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, the deal between Manning and the Broncos will end a frantic couple of weeks that saw numerous teams vying for the services of the four-time league MVP.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports.
RELATED:
Peyton Manning works out for Broncos
Courtship of Peyton Manning by NFL teams has other quarterbacks scrambling
Plenty of stars available for NFL teams via free agency besides Peyton Manning
The Indianapolis Colts appear determined to improve their offensive line this offseason. The team is attempting to turn things around and enter a new era with soon to be quarterback Andrew Luck. One of the most important factors in Luck’s development will be the success of the offensive line. Indianapolis added to the offensive line on March 15 by signing free agent guard/center Mike McGlynn.
McGlynn previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. Fans should know that this appears to be another instance of general manager Ryan Grigson bringing in players he’s familiar with from his days in Philadelphia. These players also bring much needed experience to one of the teams biggest needs.
I think fans should see this as a good sign. Veteran players are going to be more ready to play immediately than rookies, and Andrew Luck will need to be protected. Houston Texans fans can identify with the importance of an offensive line to the success of a young quarterback. David Carr’s failure was often tied to the inadequacies of their offensive line. Indianapolis is clearly looking to prevent this with their new franchise quarterback.
Another trend fans can see is that the team is clearly getting bigger along the line. McGlynn weighs 315 pounds and newly acquired Winston Justice weighs in at 320 pounds. This is also signifies that the team is moving towards a more run-heavy offense. I think this is a good sign for the team. Andrew Luck will develop better with a strong rushing game. The move to sign McGlynn is the type of low-risk, high reward signing that often fares well in free agency.
There is still a long way to go before the Colts’ roster is shaped for the 2012 season. The additions of McGlynn and Justice should help the offensive line and should have fans more excited about the team. These players may not pan out, but if they do, Indianapolis is in a much better position than they were last week on the offensive line. As a fan, I like the start of the offseason for the Colts’ new regime.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team at www.coltsfansonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Peyton Manning was cut by the Indianapolis Colts after a 14-year stint with the franchise that included a Super Bowl win and four National Football League MVP awards for the quarterback, the team said on Wednesday.
Manning, 35, missed the entire 2011 NFL season after neck surgery last September and was due a $28 million bonus if the club had decided to keep him.
“We’re here to announce the conclusion of Peyton’s playing career with the Colts,” team owner Jim Irsay said during an emotional news conference at the Colts’ practice facility in Indianapolis.
“We’re here very much as well to honour all the incredible memories and incredible things that he’s done for the franchise.”
Manning, who turned the Colts into a perennial contender and broke all of the franchise’s major career passing records, also struggled to choke back tears.
“I have been a Colt for almost all of my adult life, but I guess in life and in sports we all know that nothing lasts forever,” said Manning.
“I haven’t thought yet about where I’ll play but I have thought a lot about where I’ve been, and I’ve truly been blessed to play here an blessed to be in the NFL.”
Doctors have cleared Manning, who broke all of the team’s major career quarterbacking records and never missed a start before last season, to resume his career.
Manning, who will become perhaps the most sought after free agent ever in the NFL, stressed how much playing for the Colts had meant to him, but said he was eager to get back to playing.
“I’m throwing it pretty well,” he said. “I still have some progress to make, but I’ve been working pretty hard. I’m enjoying being back out there.
”Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do.“
Irsay said severing ties with Manning was extremely difficult but that circumstances conspired to make a parting of the ways something that made sense to both parties since the Colts were in the early stages of a rebuilding process.
Following the season, the Colts set the stage for launching a new era by firing Vice Chairman Bill Polian, General Manager Chris Polian and head coach Jim Caldwell.
The Colts, who had a league-worst 2-14 record during Manning’s absence, have the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, where Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is widely pegged as the top choice.
Manning led Indianapolis to the playoffs 11 times, won two AFC championships and was named Super Bowl MVP in the Colts’ victory over the Chicago Bears in 2007.
Peyton Manning will be dropped by the Indianapolis Colts after 14 seasons with the NFL club that included a Super Bowl title in 2007, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Citing unnamed sources close to the team, the US-based sports television network reported that Manning and Colts coach Jim Irsay would speak at a news conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday to announce the decision.
The Colts have until Thursday to pay Manning, who missed all of last season after three neck operations to fuse vertebrae, a $28 million bonus and pick up the remaining four years on his NFL contract.
Declining the option means Manning will be a free agent and able to make his own deal with any club, an option the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player is expected to pursue, according to the report.
Doctors have cleared Manning to return to the NFL and resume his career although some sources were concerned about his arm strength as nerves regenerated following the most recent operation last September.
Manning had not missed a start for the Colts until last season, but his absence played a major role in the team finishing a league-worst 2-14 and obtaining the first pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
That gives the Colts an opportunity to look to the future and they are expected to take US collegiate gridiron star quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford with the top selection in the draft.
Manning took the Colts to the playoffs 11 times and took Indianapolis to two Super Bowls, losing the most recent to New Orleans at Miami in 2010.
The March 8 option bonus that Peyton Manning is due by the Indianapolis Colts is getting closer and closer. There have been varying reports nearly every day since the season ended in regard to Manning’s health. On March 2 a video surfaced on Youtube that showed Manning working out and throwing the ball at Duke University.
I always felt that if and when Manning were healthy, a video would surface online to prove it. The video released shows Manning throwing the ball deep, to his left and to the corners of the field. While it is only 27 seconds and shot with an amateur video camera, it seems to indicate that Manning has made significant progress in his rehab. Also, after watching him for years, there is no doubt that the player throwing the ball in the video is Peyton Manning.
It’s also been reported that Manning is working out with current and former teammates Austin Collie,Dallas Clark, and Brandon Stokley. It’s starting to appear more and more likely that Manning is on track to play in 2012.
Showing that Manning is healthy makes this decision even more difficult. Only days remain until Indianapolis must make a decision one way or the other. Owner Jim Irsay always said that if Manning was healthy, he would return to the team. Now the ball is in Irsay’s court. Either way, it’s time for a decision. One way or another, the team must know and the fans must know.
As a fan of the team, I really just want to know the resolution and move on. My first choice would surely be to have a healthy Peyton Manning return to the team and be their quarterback in 2012 and beyond. If the decision is to release Manning amidst health concerns and move forward with Andrew Luck, fans need to know and the team needs to make the move. Whatever the resolution is, it’s time for the answer to be made. It’s been drug on long enough. With or without Peyton, there are holes on this team that need to be addressed this offseason. It’s time for the team to start providing answers and building the football team for the future.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team at www.coltsfansonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Sources:
Video clip shows Colts QB Peyton Manning in action
Peyton Manning throwing at Duke Friday March 2, 2012
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.
The Indianapolis Colts are clearly in rebuilding mode. With that being said, the team still has enough talent across the team to win football games in 2012. They have a lot of key decisions to make on several of their own free agents this offseason. None may be bigger than unrestricted free agent Robert Mathis.
NFL free agency doesn’t begin until early March but teams can now officially use the franchise tag for their premiere players. There’s been speculation about whether Indianapolis will utilize the franchise tag this offseason.
Many are discussing that the team is looking to rid themselves of older players and attempt for an infusion of young players on the roster. Mathis will soon turn 31 years old but I think he still has a lot of quality football remaining. His first few years in the NFL he was primarily used as a situational pass rusher and wasn’t an every down player. Mathis has also never sustained a serious injury in his nine year career. He’s played at least 13 games in each of his nine seasons.
In 2011, Mathis had another Pro Bowl year and finished with 43 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
At six-foot-two inches and 245 pounds, Mathis has the size and skill set to play very well as a rush outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. Looking at the top outside linebackers in the NFL, Mathis is very similar in size to each of them. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is a similar size at six feet tall and 242 pounds. Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens is six-foot-three inches tall and 260 pounds. Lastly, Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Clay Matthews is six-foot-three inches tall and 255 pounds. If there’s one thing Mathis isn’t lacking, it’s size.
I think with so much change taking place, Mathis is the most vital player to bring back to the team. I even think he should be placed with the franchise tag if the team cannot work out a longterm deal. The franchise tag would pay him a salary around $9.5 million this season and ensure his return to Indianapolis. This could also give the team a full year long evaluation of how Mathis adapts and fits in Chuck Pagano’s system.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team that can be found at www.coltsfansonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
Sources:
Colts 2011 team stats
Robert Mathis career stats
Lower numbers could lead to record franchise tag designations
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
Less than 24 hours after a season-ending loss at Jacksonville gave Indianapolis the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, Irsay fired the team’s vice chairman and general manager and decided to keep coach Jim Caldwell at least until he finds a replacement for the father-and-son team.
“It was a very tough decision for me,” the Colts owner said Monday. “I had a chance to talk to them both, I had a chance to express to them, and Bill in particular. You know how hard it was and the appreciation the franchise has for all that has been done by Bill, and obviously, him and I go back 30 years. So this is difficult, this is the tough part of this business.”
For more than a decade, the Polians and Irsays seemed to operate in lock step.
Irsay sided with Polian after the 2001 season when the then team president and coach Jim Mora clashed. He thought enough of Chris Polian to begin the transition from father to son and he repeatedly supported Polian publicly even when fans were unhappy with Polian’s decisions and reactions.
But after 13 straight losses, a 2-14 record without Peyton Manning and the second-fewest wins in the franchise’s Indianapolis era, Irsay had no choice.
“I’m grateful for all the support the fans have shown us in good times and bad,” Polian said in a statement issued by the team. “Indianapolis has been a wonderful place to live and work. Most of all, I would like to thank the players, coaches and staff who have played the pivotal role in this magnificent journey. I will miss them all.”
Nobody ever doubted how much influence the elder Polian had on the game or the Colts.
He helped create the league’s salary cap structure and was a longtime member of the league’s rule-making competition committee.
He was the architect of four Super Bowl teams in Buffalo, the rapid ascension of Carolina’s expansion team and the Colts’ resurgence. Six times, he was named NFL executive of the year by The Sporting News. He drafted the Colts’ career leaders in passing (Manning), rushing (Edgerrin James) and sacks (Dwight Freeney), and the No. 2 receiver in franchise history (Reggie Wayne). His teams won two Grey Cups in the Canadian Football League, played in eight NFL championship games and five Super Bowls, and the 10-game improvement from 1998 to 1999 set a league record. In 2006, Polian finally got his elusive Super Bowl ring.
The cornerstone for all that success in Indy, though, was Manning, and the inability to find an adequate backup proved Polian’s undoing.
Manning missed the entire season with a neck injury after signing a five-year, $90 million deal in July. The Sept. 8 procedure was his third neck surgery in 19 months, and the Colts went through three different quarterbacks before getting their first win.
Players also became increasingly dismayed by the comments Polian made on his weekly radio show. The most vocal critic was Manning, probably the only person in the organization with more leverage than the team’s vice chairman.
A young Indianapolis Colts fan tries to cheer up his team against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Didn’t work. The Falcons defeated the Colts 31-7. (GETTY IMAGES)
Report an error
TORONTO -
Who knew that Peyton Manning’s pain in the neck was contagious? It’s turned into an injury that took down the big players in the Indianapolis Colts’ front office.
It’s been hardly a secret for the past decade that Manning’s brilliance as a quarterback was central to the Colts’ steady string of successes, including a Super Bowl title.
Nobody realized, though, how quickly the house of cards constructed by vice-chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the club GM, would fall apart without Manning. Both were dismissed Monday.
“It’s a new era,” said owner Jim Irsay during a late-afternoon press conference.
“We’re moving into exciting times by my estimation. The search for a GM begins immediately. We have not talked to any teams or potential GMs yet. This is not like ’97 where we replaced the GM in matter of hours. It will be a matter of time, possibly a couple of weeks.”
After a season without Manning, who has had three neck surgeries in the last year, produced two victories and a chance at the Next Big Thing — Andrew Luck — Irsay came to the conclusion that maybe it was time for some new blood in the Colts’ executive suite.
“It was time,” said Irsay. “It was the right decision to make. Fourteen years is a long time in this league. It’s an intuitive decision. A lot goes into it.”
And, once Irsay gets rolling on this franchise renewal process, the broom could get even broader. He said Monday that head coach Jim Caldwell’s status is still under review.
So, less than 24 hours after the Colts put the capper on a 2-14 season with a loss in Jacksonville, Irsay sent the Polians packing, with the potential for vets like Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem and Robert Mathis, (all free agents) to follow in the not-too-distant future.
You might even be able to add Manning’s name to that list. The Colts have to decide whether to pick up Manning’s $28-million option in March and if this turns into a total rebuild, then what would Irsay want with a 36-year-old superstar quarterback with health concerns?
That becomes especially problematic if he has Luck waiting in the wings to be the centrepiece of the next generation of Colt excellence.
As far as Bill Polian is concerned, he was the architect of many moves in the late ’90s and into the new century that created the framework around which Manning could work his magic. His hiring of Tony Dungy was a coup, along with the trading of Marshall Faulk and the subsequent draft of Edgerrin James. The Colts won at least 10 games in every season but one from 1999 through 2010.
Unfortunately, the last five Indianapolis drafts have not produced many impact players as the core of the team got older. Still, Polian can be proud of his record that has earned him NFL Executive of the Year honours six times.
He built Super Bowl teams in both Buffalo and Indianapiolis, with a stop in Carolina in between where he constructed a team that went to the NFC title game.
The Colts were a broken franchise when Polian arrived in 1997 but he ended up with the No. 1 draft pick that he used to select Manning, an immediate star, over Ryan Leaf, a massive bust.
It is difficult to predict how the Manning/Luck situation is going to play out. If Irsay, or his new GM, is able to confidently judge that Manning is going to be able to stand the rigors of regular NFL play again, then there is no reason why Luck couldn’t take a backup role for a season or two before growing into the role as Manning fades into the sunset.
Manning has suggested that he could work with a young quarterback.
“I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning told reporters on Sunday. “I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”
The elephant in the room is not so much Luck but the $28 million that must be paid to Manning early in March as part of his contract. There has been talk of a renegotiation — but not by Manning.
The alternative would be to cut Manning but it would be a very sad way to part company with somebody who was, and remains, an Indianapolis icon.
The futures of Wayne, Saturday and Mathis, as well as several other high-priced veterans, probably rest with Manning.
If he is back and ready to play, then the expectation will be there to contend. But if he’s not in the picture, then many of those veterans will not be there, either, as the rebuild begins.
