Who’s in your five?
Here’s who’s in mine — or, at least, here are my views on five Indianapolis Colts topics from the past week with an emphasis on the team’s minicamp . . .
1) You’ve got to admit, they’re getting bigger . . . or do you?
There has been tons of talk this week about the Colts’ change of philosophy on the defensive front.
Maybe, but I’m not so sure it’s a drastic change.
Yes, the Colts drafted Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor, a pair of 300-plus pound defensive tackles last weekend, and Taylor’s addition gives the team a true nose tackle it hasn’t had in some time. Given the state of the roster, they were needed additions, but another side of this issue is that the Colts haven’t exactly wanted to be running 260-to-280 pound tackles onto the field in recent seasons.
But as Colts President Bill Polian noted shortly after the 2009 NFL Draft, the Colts have been better defensively in recent seasons when they have had a dominant, 300-pound tackle in the middle, and he pointed to the 2005 season with Corey Simon in the middle and the 2006 postseason with Anthony “Booger” McFarland as examples. He also could have mentioned the 2007 season, when Ed Johnson and Quinn Pitcock — each of whom weighed just over 300 pounds — helped man the middle.
And that leads to my first point in this version of My Five — that I’m not sure how huge a philosophical shift last weekend marked. The Colts never have been against big people in the middle. They just wanted big guys who could move, and weren’t willing to sacrifice the second attribute for the former.
The Colts as of last August liked very much their defensive interior situation. Pitcock had potential and Johnson had shown as a rookie he had the chance to possibly be a Pro Bowl level player. Pitcock retired unexpectedly before the 2008 season and Johnson was released in September after a marijuana arrest, but their not being on the team last season was a result of decisions on their own part not a philosophical decision on the Colt’s part to be small up front.
I really saw this past season’s ultra-light defensive front as more of an abberation than a defensive philosophy.
Really, if any player seems a departure it’s Taylor rather than Moala. Moala on Friday reminded me a bit of former Colts defensive tackles Larry Tripplett and Josh Williams — big, lean athletic guys — whereas Taylor was stockier and more of a plugger.
Will the change work? Can the Tampa 2 style work with big guys in the middle rather than ultra-quick players? It appears 2009 will be the season fans will find out if they really wanted what they said they wanted all along.
2) All still quiet on the Marvin front . . .
It has been three months since the Colts released wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
You still see occasional stories mentioning him as a possibility of returning to the Colts, but I don’t see it. They have Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez, and just drafted Austin Collie. They also are wanting to see the value of Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon.
And I know beyond Wayne and Gonzalez that list probably doesn’t excite anyone, but no matter the excitement level of the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 receivers, it remains true that the Harrison era ended in late February in Indianapolis. The cord has been cut and the soliloquy has been read. There’s little benefit to bringing him back, and really, it’s just time to move on.
3) No risk, high reward . . .
Good move by the Colts signing Penn State linebacker Tyrell Sales.
I say this because although Sales has had off-field incidents at Penn State, there’s little to be lost and much to be gained by taking a chance on a college kid with some mistakes in his past. The Colts gambled similarly with DT Ed Johnson in 2007, and they squeezed a solid year from him. Because Sales is a free agent, he costs the Colts nothing if they release him and if he is good, he’s a huge reward for almost no risk.
“He took responsibility for his actions and certainly began to try to rectify those things in his past,” Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s the most important thing, is that they do show some accountability, then make a move toward improving those aspects of their lives where they have a little difficulty. He has shown that he’s willing to do that and we ancticipate he will.”
This is the kind of move that will draw criticism and scrutinity. There will be comparisons made to Johnson and if it doesn’t work, there will be criticism. But in the NFL, there’s a huge difference between taking a chance in the first round and in collegiate free agency. On this one, they’ll give Sales a fresh start and see what happens from there, and in this case, that’s fine.
4) Tough situation gets tougher . . .
The drafting of rookie running back Donald Brown gave the Colts added depth at running back, and made what is expected to be a solid running back competition a little more urgent for the participants.
With Joseph Addai the likely starter and Brown likely to contribute constantly, the trio of second-year running backs Mike Hart, Chad Simpson and Lance Ball — each of whom Colts personnel officials and coaches like — could be competing with each other for a final roster spot. The guess here is Hart has the edge, not only because he was a draft selection, but because the Colts loved the extra element he brought in terms of pass protection and receiving out of the backfield. The only question mark with Hart is he’s less than a year removed from an ACL injury, so he may not be at maximum effectivness this season, but he showed early last season he may be worth a year’s wait.
5) Mr. Personality.
Here’s hoping Pat McAfee continues to be honest and forthright.
Saw the former West Virginia punter in action in an interview situation on Friday. It has been said McAfee is a bit “out there” with some of his comments, but he’s a punter and if he can perform, the team won’t pull him in too much. He was intriguing Friday, talking about his one professional wrestling match, among other topics. He was engaging, confident and quick-witted, which is an intruiging, entertaining combination.
It’s not always a combination the Colts encourage, but if a guy can play and isn’t mean-spirited in his comments, there’s no harm in a little color. Former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt — with whom McAfee already has been lumped because of their West Virginia connections — crossed the mean-spirited line and created unnecessary headaches with his 2003 comments regarding Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning, but I’d say give McAfee the benefit of the doubt that he won’t seek that path. If he does, then compare him to Vanderjagt and worry about him being a distraction, but not yet,.