In case you haven’t heard, the Colts had to dump 5 players by today.  The sad part is that two of them weren’t cut but placed on the Injured Reserve.

TJ Rushing and Zac Herold both were placed on the IR today.  Rushing hurt his right knee in the Buffalo game, and Zac Herold’s injury cause did not come up on a Google search.  Herold was not going to make the roster, so that’s not a big problem.  However, Rushing was really improving as a returner.  The other players in contention for returning are Pierre Garcon, Courtney Roby, Chad Simpson and Devin Aromashodu.  Here are the stats from this preseason so far:

KR: Returner/# of Returns/Yards/Yards Per Return/Long/TDs

PR

I took out TJ Rushing for both types and Keiwan Ratliff for punt returns, as it is doubtful that he would return anyways.

Right now, I would put my money on Courtney Roby making the roster as the kick returner and Pierre Garcon returns punts.  Roby had a great 66 yard return on Sunday that almost went all the way back for a score.  Pierre Garcon runs out of bounds too much on his kick returns, and I haven’t seen enough of Aromashodu and Simpson to include them.  Garcon is a natural punt returner.  His cutting ability is one of the reasons why he will make the team.

The players that got cut were K/P Adam Crossett, RB Clifton Dawson, and LB Marcus Richardson.  Crossett is not a surprise.  He’s been a good punter and an adequate kicker, but the only way he would play for the Colts during the regular season would be because of injury.  Richardson was a recent addition after Danny Verdun was cut.  Neither of those should shock anyone.  Clifton Dawson did surprise me, however.

Dawson has not been great during the preseason, but if you were to ask me who the three worst players on the active roster were, Dawson would not even be in contention.  I thought that Dan Davis, Sam Giguere, or Antonio Smith would be cut before Dawson.  Dawson isn’t even the worst running back.  That dubious title goes to Kenton Keith.  Maybe he was cut but refused to leave the Colts complex parking lot, and Polian just said, “Ah, screw it.  He can stay.”  In fact, I will just assume that’s what happened.

So with these cuts and injuries, a new roster prediction is necessary.  Here is my full roster prediction:

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi

RB
Joseph Addai
Dominic Rhodes
Mike Hart

H-B
Gijon Robinson

WR
Reggie Wayne
Marvin Harrison
Anthony Gonzalez
Devin Aromashodu
Roy Hall
Pierre Garcon
Courtney Roby (KR)

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme
Tom Santi (injured)

LT
Tony Ugoh
Dan Federkiel

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday (injured)
Steve Justice

RG
Charlie Johnson
Mike Pollak

RT
Ryan Diem

LE
Raheem Brock
Robert Mathis
Josh Thomas

RE
Dwight Freeney
Marcus Howard
Curtis Johnson

NT
Ed Johnson
Collin Ferrell

UT
Keyunta Dawson
Eric Foster
Darrell Reid

SAM
Clint Session
Tyjuan Hagler (injured)

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Philip Wheeler (injured)

WILL
Freddie Keiaho
Jordan Senn

CB
Marlin Jackson
Kelvin Hayden
Tim Jennings
Dante Hughes

FS
Antoine Bethea
Brannon Condren

SS
Bob Sanders
Matt Giordano

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Hunter Smith

LS
Justin Snow

IR
CB Michael Coe
CB/RS TJ Rushing
TE Zac Herold

Practice Squad
RB Chad Simpson
WR Onrea Jones
OL Corey Hilliard
OL Tala Esera
DL Ben Ishola
LB Kyle Shotwell
DB Brandon Foster
DB Jamie Silva

5 To Sign In Case Of Injury
QB Quinn Gray
OL Michael Toudouze
DL Jeff Charleston
LB Ramon Guzman
DB Melvin Bullitt

Order of other 9 cuts
1. Keiwan Ratliff
2. Kenton Keith
3. Victor Worsley
4. Jared Lorenzen
5. Sam Giguere
6. Tyrice Thompson
7. Darren Marquez
8. Joe Bradley
9. Dan Davis

4. Curtis Johnson: Let’s ignore his offsides penalties and chalk those up to rookie mistakes and nerves.  Johnson was phenomenal.  When the Colts signed him, I thought he was going to be a one dimensional pass rusher who at best would be a strong third down pass rush specialist.  However, he’s better than any Colts defensive end at stopping the run then I’ve seen this preseason.  He is definitely a raw prospect, but he could be another Polian gem.

3. Brannon Condren: Sure, his two picks were off of deflections, but he made great adjustments to come up with them.  He only was credited with one tackle, but he was hitting hard in the secondary.  He’ll make the roster for sure now.

2. Jamie Silva: This is a bit surprising, but for those of you who got to watch the game, you should understand.  Jamie Silva was all over the place.  On a third down play, he made a ridiculously athletic play to tip the ball away.  Silva was also hitting like Bob Sanders, and he was keeping receivers from getting any space.

1. Kelvin Hayden: Hayden had the only touchdown of the game.  He picked off Matt Ryan and returned it to the house to score the difference maker.  However, one of the most important stats was his 4 tackles, which led the team.  The QBs were playing well, but he was hitting the receivers hard and not giving up any extra yards.

The offense was terrible in this game.  Sure, they got 325 yards, but they were 0 and 5 in the redzone.  I have no idea why they were passing so much in the redzone.  With the inexperienced quarterbacks, it was a bad idea by Moore to not use someone like Mike Hart or Dominic Rhodes to pound it into the endzone.  We should have won this game in a blowout.  Instead, some bad decision making cost the offense some points.

There were way too many penalties in this game.  13 penalties for 94 yards.  That’s also not counting all of the declined offsides.  The defensive line was clearly trying to get a jump, but they looked too jumpy and would go offsides.  It is amazing that with all of the offsides, the Falcons could only score 9 points.

Updated Projected Roster

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi

RB
Joseph Addai
Dominic Rhodes
Mike Hart

H-B
Gijon Robinson

WR
Reggie Wayne
Marvin Harrison
Anthony Gonzalez
Roy Hall
Pierre Garcon

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme
Tom Santi

LT
Tony Ugoh
Michael Toudouze

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday
Steve Justice

RG
Mike Pollak
Charlie Johnson

RT
Ryan Diem
Dan Federkiel

LE
Raheem Brock
Robert Mathis
Curtis Johnson

RE
Dwight Freeney
Marcus Howard
Jeff Charleston

NT
Ed Johnson
Collin Ferrell

UT
Keyunta Dawson
Eric Foster
Darrell Reid

SAM
Clint Session
Tyjuan Hagler

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Philip Wheeler

WILL
Freddie Keiaho
Kyle Shotwell

CB
Marlin Jackson
Kelvin Hayden
Dante Hughes
Tim Jennings
TJ Rushing

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano

SS
Bob Sanders
Brannon Condren

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Hunter Smith

LS
Justin Snow

Practice Squad
RB Chad Simpson
WR Onrea Jones
WR Sam Giguere
DL Ben Ishola
DL Joe Bradley
LB Jordan Senn
DB Jamie Silva
DB Brandon Foster

5 To Keep In Touch With
WR Devin Aromashodu
OL Corey Hilliard
DL Josh Thomas
LB Ramon Guzman
DB Keiwan Ratliff

10. Roy Hall, WR: Hall was very good last night.  He gained a fair amount of yards on the screen pass, and he caught a tough pass after it hit off of his hands.  They didn’t test him on deep plays, so we still don’t know how good his receiver skills are.  However, as a 4th receiver, he’s more than qualified.

9. Eric Foster, DT: Quinn who?  Foster had the Freeney spin and gave the Colts a good pass rush even though it didn’t result in incompletions.  The linebackers were pretty weak.  Foster is a good pass rushing defensive tackle.  This team will get a lot of sacks.

8. Marcus Howard, DE: Sometimes 40 times don’t lie.  Marcus Howard is extremely fast.  He was blowing by the tackles and getting into the backfield.  He was giving Todd Collins hell all night long.  The play that stands out the most for me was his sack when he was being held.  He is small, but he has good strength.  He definitely will get playing time this year.  I don’t consider him a project.  He’s ready to take the league by storm.

7. Brannon Condren, S: I didn’t know much about him.  I knew he was pretty good at special teams, but as a safety, I assumed that he wasn’t a big hitter and more of a ball-hawking safety.  I was wrong.  He was hitting hard last night.  He played like Matt Giordano, which is good for a player that will be a special teamer.

6. Gijon Robinson, TE: Robinson’s first catch made my jaw drop.  Sorgi was looking to sacrifice him by throwing the ball over his head, but Robinson made the leap and held onto the ball even though a safety clocked him.  He had 3 other catches that resulted in a fair amount of yards.  I see him making the roster as well.

5. Pierre Garcon, WR: Garcon was the most impressive receiver to me.  Whenever a pass was off target, he was able to adjust and get a hand on it.  He was running his routes perfectly.  He impressed me on special teams as well.  On his only kick return, he got it to midfield, and if he would have tried to get pass the kicker, he could have scored.

4. Jamey Richard, C: Sure, he had that bad snap, but he had the bad luck of the Colts being inside their own 10 when he made that snap.  If that was at midfield, Gray would have picked it up and threw it away.  After that, Richard became unstoppable.  He was pancaking defensive tackle, lead blocking for Mike Hart, and giving The Hefty Lefty time to make a crappy throw.  This was a great 7th round pick.

3. Jordan Senn, LB: I haven’t heard people talk about him, but he was great.  It seemed like he was involved on every tackle no matter where the ball was.  He definitely has the speed that the Tampa-2 requires.  Right now, I’d say he is a practice squad player, but that can change very quickly.

2. Quinn Gray, QB: Gray locked up the backup QB spot so far.  It would take a collapse of epic proportions to make him lose the job.  He can scramble.  He’s got a great arm.  When he scrambles, he is able to throw an accurate pass, which gave us around 80 yards that we would have lost if Lorenzen or Sorgi was throwing on the run, which would have been an incompletion or thrown away.  Gray looked better than a few starting QBs in this league.

1. Mike Hart, RB: There isn’t enough to say about this guy.  He proved why 40 times are useless.  He looked faster than any other Colts back out there.  He fought for the extra yards, which is huge for a back that will be used in short yardage situations.  The play where he lost his helmet but still gained another 3 yards showed why he will make this team.  He’s like a stronger and faster James Mungro.

All of these guys minus Senn will make the roster, and all but Gray will be in the rotation.  Here are some players that did not impress.

Jared Lorenzen aka The Hefty Lefty and The Pillsbury Throwboy, QB: Not only does he look like a lineman or competitive eater, he throws like one.  He was double clutching and shotputting his throws.  This guy should stick to the donuts and leave football alone.  He is not an NFL QB.  Plain and simple.  Good thing Eli Manning never got hurt or else the Patriots would have been 19-0.

Clifton Dawson, RB: Mike Hart is better in pads, and Dawson is better on the practice field.  Dawson went down after the first hit, and he didn’t have a reception.  He’s got a Havard degree.  He’ll be better off as a lawyer than a backup running back.

Freddie Keiaho, Victor Worsley, and Brandon Archer: Worsley and Archer aren’t anything special, but the starting WILL linebacker being so bad in pass coverage is concerning.  He needs to improve or else we could see Philip Wheeler or Clint Session playing on the weak side.

So with all of this, here is the updated roster.  I love making these.

QB
#18 Peyton Manning: Obviously.
#5 Quinn Gray: After this game, I am more confindent in our backup QB than ever.

RB
#29 Joseph Addai: Obvious again.
#38 Dominic Rhodes: He had some great runs last night.
#32 Mike Hart: Even though he is a Michigan grad, I can’t get enough of this guy.

WR
#87 Reggie Wayne: Shocker, I know
#88 Marvin Harrison: Duh
#11 Anthony Gonzalez: Not a lot of second year former first round picks get cut
#83 Roy Hall: Amazing potential
#85 Pierre Garcon: Division III needs some love too.
#80 Devin Aromashodu: He played pretty well last night.

TE
#44 Dallas Clark: A few years ago, Austin Croshere wore number 44 for the Pacers.  Indianapolis had two white guys named after cities in Texas wearing number 44.
#47 Gijon Robinson: The stumpy H-back was impressive last night.
#84 Jacob Tamme: Tamme is bigger than I thought he was.  I want to see him get some throws from Gray and Sorgi, not BBQ (Bad & Bulky Quarterback, not Big & Beautiful).
#86 Tom Santi: Santi should make the roster even though he is hurt.

LT
#67 Tony Ugoh: Underrated tackle.
#76 Dan Federkiel: The only Canuck on the team on this roster prediction.

LG
#65 Ryan Lilja: Underrated guard.
#53 Steve Justice: I didn’t notice him last night.

C
#63 Jeff Saturday: The Indy Star did a piece on future Colts Hall of Famers, and Saturday wasn’t mentioned even though players like Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney were.  Saturday has been just as dominant as any current modern-era centers.
#61 Jamey Richard: Richard was great last night.  He’s very, very fast, and the bad snap was a major fluke.

RG
#78 Mike Pollak: Pollak played well last night.
#74 Charlie Johnson: A “Meh”-worthy performance last night.  Didn’t see anything great out of him.

RT
#71 Ryan Diem: Often goes unnoticed, but I notice when he isn’t playing.
#75 Michael Toudouze: We’ve got some depth at offensive line.  Toudouze is good for a backup right tackle.

LE
#79 Raheem Brock: He had some good pass rushing last night.  He will play UT on passing situations.
#98 Robert Mathis: I prefer him as a pass rush specialist.  His best seasons were behind Brock.
#60 Curtis Johnson: Johnson surprised me last night with some good run defense.

RE
#93 Dwight Freeney: If you don’t double team him, he will get a sack.  It’s as simple as that.
#92 Marcus Howard: I shall call him “Mini-Freeney”.
#90 Jeff Charleston: Josh Thomas is still as slow as hell.

NT
#99 Ed Johnson: Big Eddy didn’t see too many snaps last night, but he is the best run-stopping player on this team.
#95 Darrell Reid: Special teamer who may see some time at defensive tackle this season.

UT
#96 Keyunta Dawson: The last couple of drafts have been absolutely amazing.  In Polian We Trust.
#68 Eric Foster: He’s been the MVP of training camp so far.  Let’s see if he can carry that momentum into September.

SLB
#55 Clint Session: I don’t like him being hurt.  Being a Colts linebacker, you will probably get hurt and not get resigned.
#56 Tyjuan Hagler: Hagler’s injury may have cost him a starting job.

MLB
#58 Gary Brackett: He’ll make the Pro Bowl this year.  The snub will motivate him.
#50 Philip Wheeler: Knees are slightly behind the Patriots as the Colts biggest enemy.

WLB
#54 Freddie Keiaho: He better improve at pass coverage.
#52 Ramon Guzman: Special teamer.

CB
#28 Marlin Jackson: He can hit and cover well.  Speed isn’t a big factor in the Tampa-2.
#26 Kelvin Hayden: See Marlin Jackson.
#20 Dante Hughes: He dropped because of his 40 time.  40 times are so frickin’ overrated!
#23 Tim Jennings: Jennings has done well enough in training camp to keep this job.
#34 TJ Rushing: Garcon and him will make a great returning duo.

FS
#41 Antoine Bethea: He could make the Pro Bowl the old fashion way (not by being an alternate) this year.
#42 Brannon Condren: He won me over.

SS
#21 Bob Sanders: Bob Sanders likes his New England Patriots the same way he likes his ice.  Crushed.
#43 Matt Giordano: He hits so hard his hair fell out.  Or at least that’s what John Madden says.

K
#4 Adam Vinatieri: One for the thumb.

P
#17 Hunter Smith: Being the Colts punter is the easiest job you can have.

LS
#48 Justin Snow: Long snapper needs to become an official position.

Reserve PUP/IR: #25 Michael Coe: Another knee injury…

Practice Squad
RB Chad Simpson
WR Sam Giguere
WR Onrea Jones
OL Darren Marquez
DL Collin Ferrell
LB Jordan Senn
LB Kyle Shotwell
DB Jamie Silva

10 to Keep In Touch With
QB Jim Sorgi
RB Kenton Keith
WR Courtney Roby
OL Corey Hilliard
DL Josh Thomas
DL Joe Bradley
LB Brandon Archer
LB Victor Worsley
DB Melvin Bullitt
DB Keiwan Ratliff