The Colts have continued making some moves this off-season and at least one of them has to make you wonder if their may be change in the air in Indy.

Change has already been in the air defensively. DB Marlin Jackson was let go; he already has found a new home in Philadelphia. Raheem Brockis not expected to be back with the team next season, but his future is still up in the air. Luckily, Irsay was smart enough to at least hold onto the defensive leader of the team in Gary Brackett.

Everybody’s favorite backup QB Jim Sorgibecame unemployed last week. That can’ come as too much of a surprise. When he did play he was barely an effective place holder for Manning. However, in his defense, when you play behind a guy like Peyton Manning you don’t get many opportunities to work on your game either. It would be nice to see the guy catch on and do well somewhere- good luck, Jim.

He was not unemployed for long though as he is now set to back up Peyton’s little brother in New York.

The move that could come as  a sign that change may be in the air is the release of starting offensive guard Ryan Lilja. claimed off of waiver in ‘04, Lilja has been a mainstay on the line having started 67 games in his time with the team.

According to his agent the team has expressed a desire to go bigger. That can only mean one thing- they must finally be getting serious about developing a running game. What will be interesting is how well a new, larger offensive line will be able to protect Peyton. Passing has been the team’s bread and butter, but the lack of an effective running game has kept the Colts from becoming the latest, greatest dynasty.

What the Colts will have to watch out for is losing that bread and butter in their effort to get a running attack. Good run blocking lines are generally not as strong at pass blocking. Now that we know Peyton is not made of steel, the need for protecting him will be vital to the team’s continued success. Perhaps that is also why Sorgi no longer has a job with the Colts; the team wants a backup that can take over if necessary.

As the draft approaches and free agency continnues it will be interesting to see what move the Colts will make next.

Apparently Peyton has been hurting for quite some time. Going four years with a neck issue, regardless of how minor, was sure taking a big chance. Good thing he has the offensive line like he does. If Manning had been sacked like some guys, 50+ times a year relative to the 65 over the las four years, who knows if he would have been so durable.

Besides Peyton getting his surgery done it appears as if the Colts have been busy in other ways. Super Bowl veteran Marlin Jackson is no longer with the team; Raheem Brock does not expect to be back; until this morning it was not clear that stand out linebacker Gary Brackett would be back.

I find it interesting that the Colts are not more concerned about hanging on to some of there better players. One of the reasons Dwight Freeney is as good as he is is Raheem Brock. Teams must account for both; double team one and the other run’s free. Use just one person to block them and you risk both running free.

As for Jackson, a former first round pick, the Colts better hope that Bethea and Bullitt and Bethea can get it done with Hayden and Powers next season. While the secondary looked better his year than they had in years, largely without Jackson, when healthy he made a pretty good defender- and cheap.

Then again there is a reason why Bill Polian has the reputation that he does. I’m sure he will have a master plan up his sleeve to handle all the issues the Colts may have; a least I hope he does.

Little premature on calling an end to he combine. For shame! And with the best guys still to come today (the D-line) and defensive backs tomorrow. Sorry guys!

Anyway…

With all the running backs getting cut these days one has to wonder whether the Colts should consider picking one up. Addai has been good, but not great; maybe they did not give him more of a role in the offense last season because they did not think he could handle it. Brown is young and still developing. One of the guys out on the market could provide the Colts with the offensive thrust they need to win the big one.

Brian Westbrook and LaDanian Tomlinson made a big splash about a week ago when they were cut. Both have vowed to play again. LT wanted nothing more than to win the Super Bowl in San Diego. Going to perennial contender and rival Indianapolis could be the way to go. However, Westbrook could be the better fit. During his time in Philly he was known for being just as dangerous a receiving threat han he was a running threat.

Surprisingly, Thomas Jones was let go by the Jets after having his best season to date. Of the three mentioned, he might be the most durable and reliable player although his style of game is far different than anything the Colts have tried in recent years.

Another intriguinng possibility could be Darren Sproles. It appears as if San Diego is okay with letting him go as well. A little small to be a full time player, splitting carries with Addai might give Indy a dangerous two headed rushing threat.

If there is any hole in the Colt’s game it is he rushing attack. It just doeas not exist. As a former defenive line player myself, I know how much easier it is when you just have to rush the passer. In there Super Bowl year, the two headed beast of Joseph Addai and Dominc Rhodes had the Colts rushing game ranked 18th in the NFL; this year they were 31st.

As the combine comes to a close whether or not any one actually helped or hurt their draft status. The tests are not really indicative of how well a player can or cannot play at the next level. Just because he can bench 225 a bunch of times, run a fast 40, or jump real high does not translate into quality football.

The combine does provide two valuable tools however. It reminds us how dumb football executives can be. How on earth can anyone not see the value in a player like Myron Rolle? Questioning his commitment because he took the opportunity to study at Oxford instead of play football an extra year is absurd. If anything, executives should be chomping at the bit to sign this guy. He will easily be the smartest player on any team, hands down. His work habits will never come into question. Plus, being away from the game for a year insures that he is in top physical health. To wonder about his commitment because he chose to exercise all his options in life is just plain stupid.

It was also good to see the NFLready to take steps towards protecting players from head injuries. Every player that worked out at the combine was given a baseline brain activity test. Now in the future when whether or not the player has a concussion or has brain damage from one these test can be referred back to. These test will go a long way to deciding whether or not a player is ready to return to the field after suffering an injury.

“We have to admit, this is a tough game, a violent game, a collision game,” said John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach, former television analyst and now a consultant to the NFL. “How do we make it safer? We have to educate players and coaches and trainers, equipment is another way and rules changes are another way. But it can’t be just any one of those things. It has to be all of them together.”(Yahoo)

Think what you will about the tests that players endure at the NFL combine and their value to actually figuring out who can make it in the NFL, but having it here in Indianapolis has to be slightly beneficial to the Colts. I don’t know how, but I’m sure it must be.

I am sure that every team has a full slate of scouts and coaches in attendance ready to poke and prod as players see how fast they can cover 40 yards, how many times they can press 225 pounds, how high they can jump, how far they can jump, and a quickness test (3 cone drill). If there are any rules as to how many representatives each team can have it would not be surprise me (but it is also something I do not know).

Anyway…

For now the players will get treated like large slabs of meat as they get the once over by a group of medical professionals it doesn’t pay to give a few million to someone that may already be broken. A slate of intelligence and personality questions will be asked. I imagine the whole scene will look a lot like the part in Armageddon where all of Bruce Willis’s crew is getting a psychiatric evaluation. When it comes to increasing your chances at a big pay day in the NFL I am sure that these players would be willing to put themselves through it all again if it would mean playing on Sunday.

Workouts will  not begin till Saturday with the offensive line going first.

For a team that has done so well for the last decade it is not an easy thing to figure what they need to look for in the coming draft or free agency. Someday soon they will need to look for the next guy to take over behind center; Peyton Manning can’t play forever (although he does have a good 4-6 years left at least). A better running attack would take a lot of the pressure off of Manning to win every game. However, Addai ran well at points throughout the season as did Donald Brown, so one has to wonder if the running game could be better if the Colts would just give it a chance.

A lot of players in key positions are fairly young. Reggie Wayne is the elder statesman of the wide receiver corps (9 years) with tight end Dallas Clark (7 years) next in pass catcher seniority. Both have many good years left and the new guys, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, looked pretty good this past season.

A vastly improved defense is pretty young as well. So with a young team that plays well in most facets of the game what do you look for in order to improve?

The Colts may need to be prepared to lose Gary Brackett who is an unrestricted free agent this year (although very unlikely). Brackett is without  a doubt the heart and soul of the defense and a player the club can’t afford to lose (good thing they will not).

One spot that should be addressed soon is the one guy that will always touch the ball every single offensive play- center. Jeff Saturday is one of the best in the game without question. The man is also an eleven year veteran. For a NFL offensive lineman the typical career is only about 4 years long. Those guys take a tremendous beating on their bodies yet this guy has managed to maintain a level of excellence for sometime.  I and every other Colt fan do not want to see the guy go, but the team needs to be prepared for the injury that may be the end or retirement.

Whomever Polian and Caldwell think the Colts need, they’ll be sure and get a good look at a lot of guys starting this wednesday when the NFL Scouting Combine comes to Indianapolis.

Indianapolis has always been about doing things the right way, not cutting corners or throats in order to get the job done. Even when the end result is not what they want, the Colts hold there heads high, take pride in what they have accomplished and prepare to move on.

As a final gesture to the 2009 season that ended in heartbreak in Miami, the Colts went on a six stop “Thank You” tour around Indiana to do one last thing- thank the people that make it all possible, the fans. Yesterdy was the end to the week long journey that saw the Colts visit Louisville on Monday, Evansville and Terre Haute on Tuesday, and Mishawaka and Fort Wayne on Wednesday with the final stop Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday.

Fans got the opportunity to meet several players as well as the Colt mascot. They could also see the Lamar Hunt Trophy which the Colts earned for winning the AFC championship.

Doing so is not necessary at all and something that I have not heard about many- or any- teams doing. In a league where prices continue to rise to go see a game, jerseys and other fan gear cost an arm and a leg, and players whine about not making $5 million instead of $4 million, it is refreshing to see a team that takes the time to get in touch with the people. Without the fans, there would be no team.

Thank you Colts for having the class to take the time out to go on this mini-tour; thank you for saying thank you.

After the loss to the Saints in the Super Bowl, like , many fans, I just had to take a step back for a while. When you are so good all season long only to fall short of the prize in the end- well, it sucks. Oh well. Time to move on. Who’s looking forward to next season besides me?

However, before I move completely on I have to tell you guys about something that I just read. I’m probably just behind, but I could not help but comment after reading this story.

Prior to the Super Bowl a school in Louisiana had given it’s students permission to where Saints gear in place of their usual uniform. Not surprising, right? Well, one student decided he would wear his Colts jersey instead. He was subsequently sent home from school.

Now if the story was just that, I would see nothing wrong with that. The principal had allowed one exception to the school’s dress code, and the student took it upon himself to wear something else. You break a rule, you suffer the consequences. However, it was the way that the principal handled it when he told the student,”If you like Indiana so much, why don’t you go back?”

Wow. I am all for team pride, but that is pushing it. As a education professional he should have known better. The situation has since been cleared up and the student is back at school, but the damage is done.

Sports are fun. I love playing and watching all kinds of sports myself. While I am a fan of many teams, I make no judgements on anyone based on their team favorite. In the end it is all a game, whether the participants are getting paid millions or just having fun. Education professionals should know better than to take a game so seriously that a comment like that is said. Who cares what team anyone supports; just be glad that the kid has something that he believes in.

Anyway…so when is the Hall of Fame game?