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

I was impressed by the Colts defense in the second half.  They really helped stop the run and didn’t give Basanez and Ricard any opportunities to make a big pass.  The secondary was pretty good.  Condren, Silva, and Ratliff all played well when they got in.

Where was Sam Giguere?  I have no idea what is going on with him.  I really like him, and so does Clyde Christiensen.  I hope he makes the practice squad.  I really want to see him get some game action.  Does anyone know what is going on with him?

This just in: We have frickin’ awesome wide receivers.  Every wide receiver on our roster has impressed me at some point.

This QB thing is getting complicated.  First Gray looks awesome.  Now Lorenzen looks awesome.  I doubt Sorgi will make the roster after this awful performance.  That was embarrassing.

Marcus Howard also didn’t play much.  It was easy to tell that there was less of a pass rush without him and Curtis Johnson.

The special teams has gotten a lot better on both sides.  TJ Rushing is looking great, and the coverage team is getting to the returner and not giving him any space.

Tony Ugoh looked especially weak with the fast ends.  That may just be because it’s the preseason, but I would want to see more out of him.

The rookie offensive linemen looked like veterans again today.  Polian has been getting better and better at drafting.

Here are my top 3 players:

(more…)

TJ Rushing: Rushing is the incumbant, but I would not resign him.  Rushing is a consistent returner, but in the return game, I would gladly take someone who returns 3 a year but loses fumbles 3 times a year.  Rushing hasn’t had a turnover problem and never loses yards, but he has returned one kick for a touchdown.  A few years ago, the offense could take the ball from wherever and score a touchdown.  The 2008 offense is not the 2004 offense, and a great returner would be a major boost to the team.  TJ Rushing does not give the team that boost.  Rushing is gone.

Sam Giguere: Here’s my personal favorite.  Giguere is a freak of nature.  He’s one of the most gifted athletes in the 2008 draft class, and he can return kicks.  The French Canadian football star has the skills to be the returner, but can he capitalize on it?  I say yes.  Giguere has been impressing the coaches in minicamp at wide receiver, so he has a chance to make the roster as a wide receiver.  With Giguere already catching the eyes of the staff, he will have to do well at kick returning.  Personally, I think it would be criminal to not keep Giguere on the team.  He has the potential to be a star, whether it is at wide receiver or at kick returner.

Other Undrafted Free Agents: I’m grouping Rudy Burgess, Chad Simpson, and Charles Dillon together because they have the same chance to make the roster.  Zero.  I would prefer for the returner the Colts keep to be able to play a non-special teams position, and none of these guys have the talent to make an NFL roster with their offensive skills.  Nice returners but they have no chance to make the roster.  Sorry.

So I will make this bold statement: Sam Giguere Will Be the Colts Kick And Punt Returner In 2008.