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2009 Team Report: Indianapolis Colts

Quarterbacks

Starter: Peyton Manning
Backup(s): Jim Sorgi, Curtis Painter [R]

Starting QB: An 11-year veteran, Peyton Manning has thrown at least 26 touchdowns every season he's been in the league and over 4,000 yards in all but two seasons (one of which was his rookie year). Manning is as dependable as they come: he has started 176 consecutive games, and has missed only one snap due to injury in his career. He started slow last season while recovering from a July knee operation, but he played through it and finished strong. While Manning has all the physical tools, his best attribute is his intelligence. The proverbial coach on the field, he is quick to recognize and dissect any look a defense can give him, and he gets the ball to his receivers on time.

Backup QB: Jim Sorgi was the Colts' sixth-round draft pick in 2004. The bulk of his playing time has come at the very end of the regular season (in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008) after the Colts had locked up their playoff seed. While Sorgi has been an adequate (if unneeded) backup to Peyton Manning, the Colts drafted Curtis Painter in the sixth round this year to compete with Sorgi. Painter has good size, a strong arm, and solid mechanics, but he is not much of a threat to run the ball. It may take him a few years before he develops the consistency, accuracy, and touch to beat out Sorgi for the number two job, but he has the long-term potential to do so (and possibly become the heir apparent to Manning).

Running Backs

Starter: Joseph Addai
Backup(s): Donald Brown [R], Mike Hart, Lance Ball, Chad Simpson
Fullback(s):

Starting RB: Joseph Addai is a complete player who excels as both a runner and a receiver. He is also a willing and competent blocker. The Colts have not used Addai the way they used to use Edgerrin James; they have limited Addai to fewer than 265 carries each season while using a rotation of RBs to split the workload. Despite the effort to keep Addai fresh, he missed four games with injuries last season and may never have been at full strength. As a result, the running game suffered; the Colts averaged only 3.4 yards per carry last season as a team (their worst since 1996). The Colts let Dominic Rhodes go this offseason, but that doesn't mean that Addai's share of the workload will increase. First-round pick Donald Brown is expected to fill Rhodes' role (at a minimum), so Addai should be considered a member of a rotation, not a workhorse stud.

Backup RBs: The Colts spent their first-round pick this year on RB Donald Brown out of Connecticut. Brown and Addai should give the Colts a strong one-two punch out of the backfield. Like Addai, Brown is a well-rounded back who can run inside or outside, and is also a fine receiver. Brown is also an intelligent player who should pick up the Colts' offense quickly. While Addai is probably the favorite to get the majority of the carries this season, that's not set in stone. Brown is a tougher north-south runner than Addai, and could get progressively more reps throughout the season. Competing for the third RB spot will be Mike Hart, Lance Ball, and Chad Simpson. Hart tore an ACL last season. The team expects him to be full-go during training camp, but it sometimes takes longer than that for a running back to get up to full speed. If he is healthy, Hart might have a role as the Colts' goal-line back. The Colts like both Ball and Simpson, but the roster is too deep at RB for them to expect much playing time.

Fullback:

Wide Receivers

Starters: Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez
Backups: Austin Collie [R], Roy Hall, Pierre Garcon

Starting WRs: With Marvin Harrison gone, Reggie Wayne is now the veteran leader of the Colts' WR corps. Wayne has been the Colts' leading receiver over the past two years, and should get 130+ targets again in 2009. While he lacks top-end speed, Wayne is an exceptional route-runner with good hands and, most importantly, the complete confidence of Peyton Manning. Wayne caught only six touchdowns last season, which dropped him to No. 14 in the fantasy WR standings after two consecutive seasons in the Top 5. But the eight-year veteran has proven his ability to put up big numbers in the Colts' offense, so a bounce-back season is expected. Across from Wayne will be Anthony Gonzalez, entering his third year. Gonzalez started ten games as a rookie in 2007, when Marvin Harrison was out of the lineup, and had a number of solid outings, including two 100-yard games. In 2008 Gonzalez played out of the slot and became a trusted target on third downs. (On third and fourth downs last season, Gonzalez caught 26 of the 33 balls intended for him -- a remarkable 79% catch rate -- for 364 yards and three touchdowns.) Gonzalez has excellent quickness and hands and, like Wayne, is a dependable route-runner.

Backup WRs: Austin Collie was the Colts' fourth-round draft pick this season. He has good height and was super productive at BYU, averaging 118 receiving yards per game in 2008. Collie will compete for reps out of the slot position for the Colts. Roy Hall, the Colts' fifth-round pick in 2007, has an outstanding size-speed combination, but at this point he's all potential. He's been set back by injuries during his first two years in the league and has only one career reception. But at 6'2, 229, he makes an enticing redzone target. Pierre Garcon was the Colts' sixth-round draft pick last season. He is a speedy player who will compete for playing time in the slot, but probably has a better chance at seeing action returning kicks and punts.

Tight Ends

Starters: Dallas Clark
Backups: Jacob Tamme, Gijon Robinson

Drafted in 2003, Dallas Clark shared TE duties with Marcus Pollard in his first two seasons before taking over as the starter in 2005. After being slowed by injury in 2006, Clark had somewhat of a breakout season in 2007, catching 58 passes for 616 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing as the No. 5 fantasy tight end -- his first season in the top ten. He then outdid his 2007 performance in 2008, catching 77 passes for 848 yards and finishing as the No. 3 fantasy tight end. Jacob Tamme was the team's fourth-round draft pick last season; he is a much better receiver than blocker, but saw very little playing time as a rookie. Gijon Robinson spent the 2007 season on the Colts' practice squad, but was called up to active duty last season. Used as an H-back, Robinson saw action in nearly every game last season and played fairly well, albeit in limited duty.

Place Kicker

Adam Vinatieri : During his first year with the Colts in 2006, Adam Vinatieri went 25 of 28 (89.3 percent) on field goals, for the second highest percentage of his career. In 2007 he made 23 of 29 (79.3 percent) for his second worst percentage of this decade. Last year wasn't much better at 80.0 percent (20 of 25). Nonetheless, Vinatieri kept his streak alive of scoring at least 100 points every year. It didn't look promising after he had only 37 points in the first half of the season, but he had 66 points in the second half. The last time the Colts failed to score 100 kicking points was way back in 1994. During that stretch they have scored as many as 157 in a year. Cary Blanchard, Mike Vanderjagt, and now Vinatieri have benefited from a steady supply of scoring opportunities. After ten years in the league, Vinatieri's career averages are 82.1 percent on field goals and 114.6 points scored per year. Vinatieri underwent hip surgery in early June, but is expected to be ready for the regular season.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Chad Simpson, Pierre Garcon, T.J. Rushing, Austin Collie, Brett McDermott, Donald Brown

The Colts tried quite a few different players on kickoff returns last year, several of which were released. Those that remain along with several rookies will compete for the role this year. RB Chad Simpson managed to produce the highest average on the team last year, at 22.9 yards on 15 returns. WR Pierre Garcon logged the most returns with 22 (21.6 avg.). CB T.J. Rushing served as the return specialist most of 2007. On kickoffs he averaged 23.0 yards on 31 returns. The rookie with the best shot is probably fourth round draft pick WR Austin Collie, who averaged 26.1 yards on 49 kickoff returns at BYU. Undrafted WR Brett McDermott averaged 26.4 yards on kickoff returns during his junior year at Holy Cross and scored once. First round draft pick RB Donald Brown had limited kickoff return experience at Connecticut, averaging 23.3 yards on nine returns.

Punt Returners: T.J. Rushing, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie

Although T.J. Rushing's strength at Stanford was kickoff returns, he has fared better on punts in the NFL (19 returns, 13.1 avg. 1 TD in 2007). He ended 2007 as the 14th ranked fantasy returner. Pierre Garcon returned a punt for a score in the Texas vs. the Nation All-star game in 2008. He went five yards on his lone punt return for the Colts last year. Austin Collie amasses 11 yards on punt returns during his college career. The Colts have ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in fantasy returns for the last four years, including last place in 2005 and 31st last year.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Tony Ugoh, LG Ryan Lilja, C Jeff Saturday, RG Mike Pollak, RT Ryan Diem
Key Backups: T Charlie Johnson, G Jamey Richard, T Dan Federkeil

The Colts offensive line was devastated by injuries last season. Veteran left guard Ryan Lilja missed the entire season with a knee injury and both LT Tony Ugoh and C Jeff Saturday battled injuries during the year. When healthy, the Colts offensive line is much better than they performed last season, and they should be much stronger in 2009.

Team Defense

The Colts finished 2008 with the seven rated scoring defense and were No. 6 against the pass. On the other side of that coin was their 24th ranked run defense and middle of the pack numbers in sacks and takeaways. They addressed the rush defense by adding a pair of 300+ pound tackles in the draft. Second-round pick Fili Moala is a high motor guy capable of dominating between the tackles. He should challenge for a starting job or at least see time in the rotation right away. Fourth rounder Terrence Taylor is a fireplug who will likely contribute on short yardage. The other change aimed at stopping the run will be the insertion of 240-pound second-year pro Phillip Wheeler at SLB. Beyond Moala, Wheeler and the return from injury of corner Marlin Jackson, the lineup remains the same. Four defensive scores helped the Colts to finish among the Top 12 fantasy defenses last year, but they lacked consistency. They seem destined for a similar finish in 2009.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Dwight Freeney, DE Robert Mathis, DT Fili Moala [R], DT Keyunta Dawson
Backups: DE/DT Raheem Brock, DE Marcus Howard, DT Eric Foster, DE Curtis Johnson, DT Terrance Taylor [R]

Starting DL: The Indianapolis Colts defensive line is bookcased by two for the league's most formidable pass rushers. The first is veteran Dwight Freeney, who broke the double digit sack barrier last year for the first time since 2005. More importantly, he ended the season strong, recording 9.5 sacks in his last eight games, including their playoff loss. While he still doesn't gather enough tackles to be a DE1, he remains a lightning quick pass rusher who can be very disruptive in opponents' backfields. On the other end of the line is Robert Mathis. Mathis returned to fantasy dominance last year, with 11 sacks and 48 total tackles. And perhaps the most important statistic for this game changing player is his number of forced or recovered fumbles. Last year, Mathis forced five fumbles, giving him an electrifying 30 for his career, and added three recovered fumbles. The cries of Mathis being too undersized are now a distant memory. At defensive tackle, the Colts looked toward the draft for their future at the position and selected Fili Moala in the second round. The USC standout can control the gap and can also disrupt the pocket. Look for him to start right away. Next to Moala will likely be Keyunta Dawson. Dawson is entering his third year in the league and started 14 games last year. The former seventh round draft pick is not a tremendous talent who may be in danger of being displaced in the starting lineup by Eric Foster.

Backup DL: Raheem Brock has long been an underrated player on the Colts line. He started at end last year, with Mathis coming in more for passing downs. Brock can also play at tackle but prefers to play on the outside. Brock is an extremely important cog in their defensive schemes. Josh Thomas provided steady support at end, but as of this writing has not been signed. Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson are entering their second year and both defensive ends seemed to develop nicely towards the end of the year. DT Eric Foster was somewhat of a surprise, in a good way, for the team last year as they suffered some adversity with depth. It would not be a surprise to have Foster start opening day. Rookie Terrance Taylor is the kind of quick, athletic lineman the team has coveted in recent years, but was somewhat of a disappointment in his senior year at Michigan. A fourth round draft choice, the Colts remain high on him.

Linebackers

Starters: MLB Gary Brackett, LB Freddy Keiaho, LB Clint Session
Backups: LB Tyjuan Hagler, LB Philip Wheeler, LB Adam Seward

Starting LBs: Gary Brackett remains a force in the middle for the Colts and a mainstay for that unit. Consistency has been his forte, although a fibula injury caused him to miss the last four regular season games as well as their playoff game last season. When healthy, Brackett is a top 15 fantasy performer who piles up tackles. Clint Session came on strong last year, his third in the league, and played mostly on the strong side. It was previously thought that Session would start on the weak side this year, but the re-signing of Freddy Keiaho might put a halt to that. Still, Session had nearly 100 total tackles from the strong side and merits consideration and a fantasy roster. With Freddy Keiaho back with the team, he likely takes back the reins on the weak side, although there remains talk that Keiaho plays a supporting role. As a starter on the weak side, Keiaho, like many of his predecessors at the position, was a valuable fantasy performer. Despite playing in only 14 games, Keiaho was close to a top 15 LB in most leagues.

Backup LBs: Tyjuan Hagler has struggled at time with injuries, but the team has liked enough of what they saw when healthy to re-sign the former fifth round draft pick. His versatility to play all three linebacker positions is perhaps his biggest asset and he adds much needed depth to the unit. Philip Wheeler returns for his second season and for a moment many thought he would begin the year as the starter on the strong side, but with Keiaho back on the squad, look for the Colts to continue to develop in hopes of playing a larger role this season. He was relegated mostly to special teams play last year. Adam Seward comes over from the Carolina Panthers where he played mostly on special teams. Like Hagler, Seward is versatile enough to play all three positions, but only injuries would likely cause him to play much this year.

Defensive Backs

Starters: S Bob Sanders, S Antoine Bethea, CB Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden
Backups: CB Tim Jennings, S Melvin Bullitt, S Matt Giordano, CB Jerraud Powers [R]

Starting DBs: When healthy, which a far from a given, S Bob Sanders is one of the league's best defensive players and has a tremendous positive impact for the Colts. In 2007, he was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. But he missed ten games last year and has missed almost half of his games due to injury while in the league. When the stars are aligned for him (i.e. when not decimated by injury), Sanders hits like a linebacker and makes plays all over the field. The team badly needs him healthy to be their best. Joining Sanders at safety is Antoine Bethea. Bethea has been a model of consistency for the team since being drafted in 2006. With Sanders out due to injury, Bethea led the team in tackles and while not spectacular in many areas, his great instincts have made Bethea one of the defense's most valuable players. Kelvin Hayden is one of the league's better young cornerbacks and is just hitting his prime. Hayden also missed time last year due to injury, but when healthy he has proven to be an excellent fantasy corner. Marlin Jackson has improved steadily in his four years, but a knee injury caused him to miss over half of last season. If he can stay from the injury bug, Jackson is a big-hitting corner who can be a big asset on your fantasy squad.

Backup DBs: Melvin Bullitt, undrafted out of Texas A&M, has been an underrated player for the team and excelled when Sanders was down last year. He not only had 72 total tackles, but he led the team with four interceptions. With Sanders' injury history, Bullitt is a must-have for the Colts and while he is not in the same class as Sanders, Bullitt could be starting for several other teams in the league. Matt Giordano also re-signed with the team and adds more important depth. Although he has played mostly as a backup and on special teams, Giordano is a talented young player who is arguably one of the league's best number four safeties. Tim Jennings started when Marlin Jackson was hurt last year, and while he didn't overly impress with his play, he put up some solid fantasy numbers. Jerraud Powers is a very raw talent that the team selected in this year's third round, and while it's highly unlikely he plays a big role this year, he should contribute on special teams and adds much needed depth. He is definitely being groomed for the starters role in the future.

Last modified: 2009-06-05 13:33:35