The Depth Chart . . . .

1) Joseph Addai, fourth season, Louisiana State. Started 12 of 12 games and rushed for 544 yards and five touchdowns on 155 carries, the first time in three NFL seasons he didn’t rush for more than 1,000 yards.

2) Donald Brown, rookie, Connecticut. 

 

 

3) Mike Hart, second season, Michigan. Played in five games, rushing two times for nine yards.

4) Chad Simpson, second season, Morgan State. Played in 11 games, rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. . . .  Also returned 15 kickoffs for a 22.9-yard average.

 

 

4) Lance Ball, second season, Maryland. Played in one game, rushing 13 times for 83 yards in a 23-0 victory over Tennessee in the regular-season finale.

 

The front line . . . 

The Colts’ front-line running backs in 2009 could be as good as they have been in the last decade. Edgerrin James made Pro Bowls in 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005, but never in the Peyton Manning era have the Colts had two first-round selections at running back. While Addai’s production was half last season what it had been in his first two seasons, much of the dropoff can be attributed to an offensive line that shifted lineups throughout the season. Addai also missed four games with injuries, but he made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and was a versatile, productive player in his first two seasons. The Colts would like Addai to be more productive, but he is expected to start the season as the starter despite the addition of Brown with the No. 27 overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft. Brown is a dynamic, explosive runner who was the only player in college football to rush for more than 2,000 yards this past season.

 

The depth . . .

This is an area of much speculation this offseason. While the top two positions almost certainly will be held by Addai and Brown, it’s less certain after that. The team loves Hart, but he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury last season, missed the last 11 games and his status for the opening of training camp is uncertain. Colts President Bill Polian said Hart will almost certainly be ready by the start of the regular season, but it often takes backs two seasons to return to full strength following such an injury. Simpson and Ball each impressed last season and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot, but the reality is it will be tough for an undrafted player to make the roster with two first-round selections and a sixth-round selection from 2007 (Hart).

 

The offseason . . .

The Colts drafted Brown with the No. 27 overall selection of the 2009 NFL Draft. He couldn’t be a more appropriate Colts selection. He’s a solid character guy who was a productive player in a big-time conference and there seems little chance he won’t be a productive player in the NFL. The Colts haven’t made any other roster moves at running back this offseason, but the addition of the first-round selection obviously makes the position a huge off-season priority and the development of Brown will be a key minicamp and training camp story.

 

The immediate future . . .

Addai is expected to be the starter this season and his contract runs through the 2010 season, but it will be intriguing to see how this develops. At the least, the Colts have solidified this position for the next three or four years, either by a combination of Addai or with Brown as the feature back three and four years down the road.

 

Overview . . .

The selection of Brown has prompted fans and media to question Addai’s role with the team, with some calling Brown’s addition a wakeup call for Addai. But the reality is while Addai struggled at times last season, those struggles were in part because of a slew of injuries to the offensive line. Addai may not be an elite, perennial Pro Bowl running back, but he is a solid, first-tier runner who also is a solid pass receiver. Addai has been criticized for not producing huge, breakaway runs, and perhaps Brown will add that element, but in the Colts’ offensive system — with teams often playing well off the ball to prevent big pass plays by quarterback Peyton Manning — breakaway runs are rare. Colts President Bill Polian, who said the addition of Brown likely extend Addai’s career and make him a more productive runner, has said the addition of Brown is an indication that two backs are now needed in a productive offense in the NFL and not an indictment on Addai. The Colts almost certainly will feature a combination of Addai as starter and Brown as major contributor, with the major question entering the regular season being who will be the third running back. Hart would seem to have a real chance to hold the third spot, especially since Brown and Addai figure to get most of the carries. That would give Hart a chance to continue getting his knee stronger, but the coaches and front office also like Simpson and Ball and would feel good about any of the three second-year players.

 

 In a sentence . . .

An already solid area became an area of strength with the selection of Brown and while Addai and Brown are clearly the high-equity, high-talent players at the spot, the Colts have confidence in any of the five backs on the roster.