Is football back?

If the lockout is indeed over, the Colts will have to tend to their free agents. The ones they tendered and apparently intend to keep are starting halfback Joseph Addai, starting left tackle Charlie Johnson (although he could find himself at guard if the Colts, as expected, find a better option at left tackle), on-again, off-again starting strong safety Melvin Bullitt, starting weakside linebacker Clint Session, starting defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (above) and two defensive tackles of dubious merit named Daniel Muir and Eric Foster. Of course, if the old agreement holds, and it looks like it will, Peyton Manning is a franchise player and not going anywhere.

My take? Addai’s too plodding to be an effective starter, but would be a valuable role player if another quality back was added. Johnson is a good guard who can fake it at left tackle if he has help and should not be let go. Bullitt is a fan favourite, but is also the kind of guy you want to have on the roster but not starting. Session’s hot and cold, but a quality player worth keeping, Johnson makes the Colts’ defense much, much better when he plays, while Muir and Foster and guys who have shown flashes, but have also been dominated for long stretches.

The following were not tendered: ordinary safety Al Afalava, ineffective defensive end or tackle Keyunta Dawson, decent guard Kyle DeVan, horrible safety Aaron Francisco, sluggish linebacker Tyjuan Hagler, slow safety Ken Hamelin, ancient halfback Dom Rhodes, slo-mo halfback Mike Hart, a guy named Mike Richardson, unathletic tight end Gijon Robinson, slow Jamie Silva and always-available Michael Toudouze.

• Still more questions:

1. Can the Watkins kid play LT?

I don’t really know. I mean, he played well there at the collegiate level, but his height (6033) and arm length (34.25) are making those “in the know” project him to guard. To tell you the truth, I think he’d be okay outside but would be better inside. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Albert, even though he played guard in college and tackle in the NFL. Watkins would probably represent an improvement of Charlie Johnson at left tackle once he gets his feet wet, but is not the ideal candidate outside.

2. What about taking him first and that Wisniewski kid 2nd? I’d like to see the Colts toughen up on the OL.

Do you guys remember his dad? Not his uncle, but his dad, Leo, who played nose tackle for some really awful Colts teams. Loved him. He had impeccable hand work and it translated to a remarkable number of sacks for the position (14.5 in 35 career games, 7 in 14 games in 1984). Injuries derailed him. Anyway, the boy, Stefen, is the complete package at center who should also be able to excel at guard in the NFL. The Colts should be delighted if he fell to them in the second round. If they selected both him and Watkins, they would have two very strong and versatile offensive linemen for years to come, although no elite left tackle. And forget Wisniewski there, he’s even shorter than Watkins and has very short 33-inch arms.

3. Also, what about McElroy as a QB in the 6th?

I’m not sold. He has subpar arm strength, a hitch in his delivery and gets the yips under pressure. Heck, the Colts already have Curtis Painter …