My Farewell From the Bleacher Report…Sort of

I wanted to take the time to let you all know that I have been honored by Eric Hartz at ColtPower.com with the opportunity to serve as one of the sites analysts for the coming season.  It’s an opportunity I am looking forward to and which I think I will thoroughly enjoy.

Although I am frustrated with the way the NFL Correspondent competition was handled, I would to thank Bleacher Report for providing this platform.  I would also like to thank many of you for your support and kind words. 

I hope to see some of you over on Colt Power from time to time.  I do enjoy the conversation and the feedback my stories spark.  If there’s anything I write for, it’s that: seeing other people respond to my humble ideas on the Colts. 

This is not an attempt to “steal” any of the Bleacher Report faithful.  Frankly, I don’t think it would happen (you wouldn’t visit another site and stop visiting this one).  Colts fans yearn to know more and many of you probably visit multiple sites for your Colts news as is.

So, thank you again to all who supported me, and to some who I know will continue to do so.  I look forward to seeing some/many of you on Colt Power from time to time to say hello.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

2009 Indianapolis Colts: Players with Something To Prove

The Colts have a lot to be excited about in 2009. The defensive line has received a lot of attention, the secondary is proven, they are sporting a pair of Pro Bowl pass rushers, Peyton Manning is healthy, they have two first round draft picks at running back, and starting left guard Ryan Lilja is nearing a return. The team looks full on talent and deeper at many positions than it has been in a long time.

Even more encouraging is that so many players will be entering the season with added motivation. Players tend to play best when they feel a need to distinguish themselves.

The best example of this intangible in action is the 2006 Colts defense, who was responsible for most NFL analysts predicting the team’s early playoff exit. The defense included corner backs Nick Harper and Jason David who were in contract years. Safety Bob Sanders missed much of the year to injury. Rob Morris, who had long been removed from the starting roster, took over for Gilbert Gardner at strong side linebacker. Suffice it to say, the defense had a lot to prove as the team entered the playoffs.

The result? The defense was outstanding and the team won its first championship in over thirty years.

Like the 2006 Colts defense, this team is filled with players who are under a lot of pressure to step up their game. Watch for these players to push the Colts to play with greater intensity in the coming season.

2009 Colts: Stumbling Out of the Gates

The Colts are undergoing the biggest coaching staff shake-up the team has faced in a decade.

The impact of these changes is Indy’s biggest question mark entering a season which otherwise would be met with a great deal of optimism.

If it wasn’t enough that the Colts were entering a season with a new head coach, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator, NFL pension changes have led two long-time Colts coaches to retire, Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore and Offensive Line Coach Howard Mudd.

A loophole in NFL pension and contract rules has allowed retiring coaches to accept their full pension in one lump sum, only to return to the team as paid consultants. 

Questions about the role played by a “paid consultant” are now front-and-center in the ongoing uncertainty about Moore and Mudd’s future with the team.

It is understandable and, to a degree, acceptable that Colts fans would be in the dark on some of the NFL’s small-print rules and regulations. What is disconcerting is that a team in transition would be further burdened with a breakdown in communication in-house.

Peyton Manning is not known for making negative public statements about the Colts franchise or front-office.  To the contrary, Manning is the face of the franchise and is often very careful to present a unified front to media and fans on the condition of his team.

All the more reason to be concerned when Manning refers to confusion about Moore and Mudd’s future roles with the team by saying:

“It’s not a situation that I’m just thrilled about. I think the communication has been pretty poor, in my opinion … I’m not sure everybody’s on the same page in this building.”

Colts President Bill Polian responded to Manning’s public remarks explaining the reason for the lack of in-house communication when he said:

“We’re confused, too. The people that are supposed to have answers still don’t have answers. Whether we can bring them back, when we can bring them back, remains to be seen.”

Even if the Colts brass is unsure about Moore and Mudd’s future, there is no excuse for players heading into summer training activities to not be given the most up-to-date information regarding who, or in what capacity their coaches will be leading them in the coming season.

Someone in the front office dropped the ball by not at least assuring players that the issue was in-hand and that any new information will be brought to their attention as soon as it can be confirmed. Instead, the Colts front office appears disjointed, chaotic, and in complete disarray.

Head Coach Jim Caldwell is facing his first major road bump.

It would be relatively easy for Colts fans to have confidence in their team’s new leader if he was handed the reins to his new team free of conflict or controversy.

In the face of this summer’s coaching shake-up and on-going uncertainty, Caldwell will be presented with his first opportunity to show that he is really ready to take on his new responsibility.

No horse race is won right out of the gate.  Accordingly, Colts fans nor players should go into a state of panic just yet.

It will be up to Caldwell to bring his team together, solidify his coaching staff, and alleviate the concerns of his players. Only then will the Colts be able to hit their stride.

Will Jim Caldwell’s Promotion Signal the End of the Colts’ Success?

The loss of a future Hall of Fame head coach like Tony Dungy is certain to have an impact on a team’s success, right?

If you ask Redskins fans who witnessed the transition from Joe Gibbs to Richard Petitbon in 1993, you would get a resounding “yes!”  Petitbon took over after Gibbs retired and led the ‘Skins to a dismal 4-12 finish.  He was abruptly fired.

Head Coach Jim Caldwell and Petitbon have a number of noteworthy similarities. 

Both spent years developing teams and won Super Bowls under their predecessors.

Both were entering their first head coaching jobs in the NFL.

The similarities end there.  Tony Dungy has left Caldwell with a group of players much better prepared to carry on the team’s success than Petitbon’s Redksins.

Petitbon led a 1993 Redskins team that included quarterback Mark Rypien, rookie running back Reggie Brooks, and aging wide receiver Art Monk.

Compare those players to the ones available for Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, two former assistant coaches who were recently promoted to head coaching roles and continued winning.

Former Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher left Tomlin quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Willie Parker, wide receiver Hines Ward, with linebacker James Harrison leading one of the league’s toughest defenses. 

Harbaugh drafted quarterback Joe Flacco, as no other quarterback on the Ravens roster had proven successful, and was handed one of the best defenses in the league, led by linebacker Ray Lewis.

Jim Caldwell inherits a future Hall of Fame quarterback in his prime, Peyton Manning. 

The Colts have two first-round talents at running back, Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. 

Two first-rounders lead the Colts receiving corps, including 3-time Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne and first-year starter Anthony Gonzalez.  The Colts also have one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL, Dallas Clark.

Last year the Colts boasted the stingiest pass defense in the league, allowing only six passing touchdowns.  The Colts defense also returns 2007 defensive MVP Bob Sanders, and Pro Bowl pass-rushing bookends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. 

Add all of this to the fact that the Colts have worked hard to improve at defensive tackle and one can argue that, of the former assistant coaches mentioned above, Jim Caldwell has inherited the most well-rounded core of players.

Caldwell is also the only coach I have mentioned, other than Petitbon, that has had the luxury of coaching for nearly a decade under his predecessor.

Caldwell has coached football for 32 years, including eight years as head coach for Wake Forest, and eight years as a quarterbacks coach under Dungy.  He also served as Assistant Head Coach for the Colts in 2008. 

If history is any indication of what to expect from the Caldwell-led Colts in 2009 and beyond, do not be surprised if the Colts performance reflects that of the San Francisco 49ers after Bill Walsh retired, or the Dallas Cowboys after Jimmy Johnson retired.  They achieved records of 14-2 and 12-4 respectively.

The Colts will not suffer the same demise as the Washington Redskins in the 90s.

I think Richard Petitbon would have given anything to inherit the talent of a Tony Dungy-led team.  If he did, things would have turned out differently. 

If you don’t believe me, just ask Jon Gruden.

Interview Questions for Joseph Addai

Q. Last year had to be a little frustrating for you.  You missed four weeks and had limited carries in a few other contests. 

How do injuries affect you mentally as you prepare for a new season?

Q. One thing that has many Colts fans concerned is the head injuries you suffered last year.  In the Hall of Fame game you had to leave early, and again in the season opener against Chicago. 

Did you suffer minor concussions?  If so, have doctors suggested that there is any risk of recurring problems?

Q. You were also hampered by a hamstring injury against Baltimore.  It is my understanding that those kinds of injuries can stick around, particularly if there is pressure to get back to speed quickly. 

With the team off to a slow start and pressure to win out the remainder of the season, do you think you were ever able to get back to 100 percent?

Q. Obviously, the 2009 season gives you the opportunity to put last year behind you. 

Do you feel that you have something to prove this year?

Q. In 2006, you set an NFL record as the only running back in league history to not start a game, but manage to rush for over 1,000 yards.  That year, you and Dominic Rhodes split carries and both looked really fresh heading into the postseason. 

Do you feel the addition of Donald Brown will help you stay fresh this year?

Q. Heading into your fourth season in the NFL, what specific aspect of your game would you like to improve most?

Q. Do you have any statistical goals you would like to reach this year?

Q. What has been your impression of Donald Brown? Have you had the chance to speak with him?

Q. Has Brown picked your brain for advice?  If not, what’s the best piece of advice you think you could offer him?

Q. How do you feel the injuries on the offensive line affected the team’s ability to run the ball effectively in 2008?

Q. Do you feel confident that the line will be better prepared to open running lanes this year, with the development of so many rookies?

Q. Maurice Jones-Drew came out of your draft class and is getting his first shot to carry the load for the Jaguars. 

Do you have a friendly competition with him for who can gain the most yards or score the most touchdowns each year?

Q. If you had one piece of advice for Jones-Drew as he enters his new “feature back” role, what would it be?

Q. Who will run for more yards in the 2009 season opener against the Jags, you or Jones-Drew?

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