Feb 23, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano talks about the status of Peyton Manning (not pictured) at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

After projecting the potential starting lineup of the 2012 Colts offense last week, this week I will look at the defensive side of the ball.  Change will be the staple of the Colts’ defense this season with new defensive-minded head coach Chuck Pagano, moving the Colts away from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4.  The Tampa 2 defense is a thing of the past in the Circle City. All I can say is hallelujah!

Without further ado, the potential 2012 Colts defense, starting with the defensive line:

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Moala was convicted but managed to avoid jail time.

For the second time in three weeks, alcohol has led to some problems for a Colts player.   On July 17, Jerry Hughes was arrested for public intoxication in Dallas just as the NFL news mill was warming up.   Now that we’ve already slammed down most of the juicy morsels from free agency and the new CBA, DT Fili Moala has been convicted of drunk driving while speeding through downtown Indianapolis last September.  Moala avoided jail time but received 180 days probation and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.    The good news for Colts fans is that this is the first bad news we’ve had in a few days after a ho-hum start to the official off-season gave way to a flurry of roster moves with the potential to help the team quite a bit this season.

Now, if the Colts can stop acting like the old Pacers, we can really get down to the business of crafting a memorable season.