Minicamp begins for most of the NFL’s teams today, including the Indianapolis Colts (Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Minnesota, New England, the New York Giants and Jets, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Tennessee). Time for teams to start seeing where some of the new blood fits in, if the old blood needs to go, how much guys have forgotten, and just how intense that drive to win is.

For Indianapolis it will likely be to see if there is anyone out there that can help bring a championship caliber team to the big dance in Dallas. For a team that has had the success it has had over the last decade it is easy to say that there is not much wrong with the club, that much is for certain. However, for a team to go down in history with legendary status like the Colts have the potential for being, it will need to find that one or two needles in the haystack.

Many teams throughout the history of the NFL have been good; lots of clubs have had tremendous success in the regular season. Indianapolis has been that team for the last decade; good, but not good enough to make the big dance. Yes, I know that they have made it twice, winning once, which is more than most teams can say. However, with the talent, ability, coaching, and front office that the Colts have their is no reason that they be satisfied with only being good.

So good luck this weekend Colts prospects! Who knows, maybe Tim Hiller, Javarris Mike Newton, Vuna Tuihalamaka, or Andrew Tyshovnytsky could be that piece the team has been searching for!

For the Colts to actually follow through on this early promise they will have to do something different. Last season proved how vital Peyton Manning is to the success of the team. They could have easily been a 5-11 team last season were it not for the heroics of the future Hall of Famer. With the revelation that he had been undergoing some degree of neck pain for some time made his performance all the more impressive.

However, that knowledge paired with the lack of any reliabel running game make the need of the Colts going into the draft next week painfully clear. These guys have to get some offensive line help.

So far this off-season the team has cutting players that were just not getting the job done las season and bringing in some new blood, some heavier guys that should be more effective in the run game. While this is important, the team may want to be more concerned with ensuring that Peyton’s back is covered.

I hate to say it Colt fans, but the man is not invincible; this last injury is proof positive of that. Beck and head injuries have been the undoing of a number of players of late, quarterbacks as well as other positions. Peyton is not getting any younger either. For as long as he has played, his body has to have taken a beating. If it takes too much of one now the star may be entering the broadcast booth sooner than we would like to see him.

With protecting Peyton Manning in mind, the following are a handful of guys that I hope the Colt brain trust is thinking of drafting next Thursday:

Charles Brown, T, USC: This former tight end has great feet, which you need to play in this offense.
Maurkice Pouncey, G-C, Florida: He could take over for Jeff Saturday when he retires but could start at guard until then.
Jason Fox, T, Miami: He suffered a torn ACL last season, which will drive down his stock. But he has talent.

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.