Colts sign Mewelde Moore, cut David Legree

Things become clearer after minicamp. One of those things, apparently, is that the Colts need help at halfback, especially on third down. It's plenty clear not just because the team signed a halfback, but which one they signed.

When current Colts' offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was running the Pittsburgh attack, his third-down back was Mewelde Moore (5105/209/4.65c4.62pd in 2004), and now he's a Colt. Moore is a pretty skilled all-around back, but he's particularly good at something the other Colts backs are particularly bad at — pass blocking. Their failings at picking up blitzes seems to have struck a nerve with a team that realizes it would be wise to protect its investment in Andrew Luck. We do not need to hear "God damn it, Donald!" in a Virginia accent.

But Moore does more than just block. He can still really run. As the Steelers' short-yardage specialist last year, he ran for 157 yards on just 22 carries for a remarkable 7.14 average. Lest you think that average is skewed by one really long run, his longest was just 21 yards, without it, he would have averaged just 6.48. He's neither big nor fast, he's just hard to take down.

And he'll catch a ball, too. Last season, he caught 11 of 14 passes thrown to him for 104 yards. Those are not outstanding numbers (unless you compare the to the other halfbacks on the Colts roster), but they'll do.

He's an Arians favorite who can keep a quarterback healthy, he can be a short-yardage guy (which the Colts have not had since Craig "Ironhead" Heyward) and he can catch the ball. It would be a huge surprise to me if he did not make the team and contribute a great deal on offense.

To make room, the Colts cut quarterback David Legree. I was kind of rooting for the kid, but five passers might be a bit much. I'd love to see him try the CFL.

More stuff

I'm not at camp, but here are some things I've gleaned from those who were:

Andrew Luck is good, but he's human and a rookie. Some of the enthusiasm surrounding him has died down. Good.

Donnie Avery has all of his speed back, but is running a distinct third behind Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie.

Even though Dwayne Allen is currently the starting tight end, Coby Fleener will be a big part of the offense. He played tight end, H-back, slot receiver, wide receiver and fullback.

Joe Reitz must've pissed somebody off because Seth Olson, who was incredibly bad last year, is starting in his spot.

For some reason, Mookie is still the starting nose tackle.

AJ Edds started inside with Pat Angerer, not Kavell Conner.

New corner Justin King is injured.

Cassius Vaughn, LaVon Brazill, Avery and Quan Cosby are fighting for the kick return job, while Jason Sambrano, Deji Karim and Vaughn are in the running for the punt return job. I'm sure the Colts would love it if Vaughn take both spots, as he is also a valuable defender.

Punter Pat McAfee is kicking field goals. He's said he'd like to take over for Adam Vinatieri when he retires, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

Colts minicamp first day notes

Lots of people are Tweeting and talking about the first day of minicamp, so we at ColtPlay thought we'd boil it all down. Keep in mind that many of the the drills were in shorts and that the coaches have repeatedly said not to read too much into what the depth chart looks like now (although, of course, we will).

Quarterbacks: Everyone is raving about Andrew Luck, but we all knew they would. The players like him because he represents a huge upgrade over last year's passers (and the others currently in camp); and the coaching staff loves him because they have put their money on him as their meal ticket.

In the morning, with the defense at half speed, Luck completed 15 of 16 attempts, throwing mainly to veteran receivers Austin Collie and Reggie Wayne. His only incompletion was a deep throw to rookie tight end Dwayne Allen.

In the afternoon, when things were a bit more real, Luck went 25 of 42 (59.52 percent), with one of his incompletions a spike to stop the clock. He threw no touchdowns or picks, but two of his errant throws were nearly picked off.

When he got a chance, projected No. 2 Drew Stanton did throw for a touchdown, but was also picked off twice. Also intercepted was prospect Trevor Vittatoe.

Halfbacks: Nobody reported much, except that Delone Carter was kept out of the rough stuff while recovering from thumb injury. Donald Brown is that starter, and it was Deji Karim who caught Stanton's touchdown pass.

Receivers: As expected, the starters were Wayne, Donnie Avery and Collie. Luck leaned heavily on Wayne and Collie, while Avery impressed everyone by downing a punt at the one. Looks like he's got his speed back. Could be in for a big year. He played out of the slot frequently. No mention was made of the other receivers. Earlier reports had Jeremy Ross running fourth, but I'd be surprised if that lasts.

Tight ends: Allen is running with the first team, which is no surprise because he`s more polished than Fleener, but Fleener also looked good. UDFA Dominique Jones surprised some by having some first-team reps at H-back, but since he`s the only tight end with pro experience, albeit in lesser leagues, it makes sense.

Offensive line: With Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana still out, the line looked like, from left, Jeff Linkenbach, Seth Olsen, Samson Satele, Mike `Big Greezy`McGlynn and Winston Justice. Castonzo will return to oust Linkenbach, and Ijalana will compete at guard. The real surprise was to see Olsen out there instead of Joe Reitz or someone else. Olsen was atrocious last season.

Defensive line: Drake Nevis and Josh Chapman were out and the line was, from left, Corey Redding, Antonio Johnson and Fili Moala. I`m sure Nevis will bump Moala to the bench, and that other candidates will emerge at nose tackle.

Linebackers: Not much news, except that Pat Angerer got his mitt on a pass, and that Dwight Freeney`s image is being widely used in promotional material. That leads many, including me, to think the rumors of him being traded are just hot air.

Defensive backs: Newly arrived corner Justin King picked off Stanton, as did reserve safety Jermale Hines. Rookie corner Antonio Fenelus intercepted Vittatoe. Starting safety Tom Zbikowski and starting corner Kevin Thomas each got their hands on Luck passes, but did not come down with them. Rookie Buddy Jackson did not participate.

Special teams: Pat McAfee kicked a field goal.

Who's who at corner

Everybody’s talking about the Colts corners. Critics and fans (even Bill Polian) are berating them, they’re defending themselves and everybody and his brother is reporting that the Colts are interested in Mike “Possum” Jenkins or some other free agent or potentially tradeable corner. While they haven’t acquired Jenkins, and are not likely to at this point, they have traded for one corner, former Bronco Cassius Vaughn, signed two NFL veterans, Korey Lindsey and Justin King, and added three undrafted rookies to add more competition to the holdovers.

Since there have been so many changes, let’s take a look at what the Colts have right now.

The sure starter

25 Jerraud Powers CB 5091/188/4.51c4.43pd in 2009
Powers does not look like a true No. 1 corner, but certainly stands out as the best the Colts have by a very wide margin, and can stand up well if the team provides a decent pass rush.

The specialist

20 Cassius Vaughn CB 5010/192/4.42pd in 2010
Vaughn is a lightning-quick athlete who has started in the NFL and done okay for himself. Although the Colts may be forced to play him outside if nobody else emerges, Vaughn is far better suited to covering slot receivers, and should be able to take on that role (as well as the team’s primary kick returner) if he can stay healthy.

The young veterans

21 Kevin Thomas CB 6000/192/4.41c4.45pd in 2010
Thomas actually does look like a No. 1 starter, but has not played like it. The biggest problem with him has been injuries, which have wiped out two of his last three seasons. Playing essentially as a rookie last season, he was beaten early and often. It’s likely that he will be better for the experience, but there are no guarantees.

36 Chris Rucker CB 6004/195/4.54pd in 2011
Neither the athlete Thomas is nor the natural Powers is, Rucker actually graded out better in coverage than Thomas when he was thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie last season. Both he and the Colts will probably be better off if he’s not starting, but if nobody else takes command of the spot or injuries hit, he could be the guy they run out there play after play.

23 Terrence Johnson CB 5093/190/4.56pd in 2010
A set of injuries forced the Colts to give undrafted Johnson a lot of reps last season, with predictably dreary results. The team is giving him the same benefit of the doubt as they did Thomas and Rucker, and he’ll get a chance to show he’s gotten better. Notably, he played much better in the slot than outside.

37 Brandon King CB 5092/182/4.45e in 2009
While injuries and ineffectiveness ensured that the Colts played all kinds of flotsam and jetsam at corner last year, King remained an afterthought, logging just 19 snaps on defense. And he was terrible on just about all of them. Since he couldn’t get on the field in last year’s rush for warm bodies at the position, the thought of him earning major playing time this season is surprising at best and chilling at worst.

Other people’s problems

42 Korey Lindsey CB 5101/194/4.56pd in 2011
A likeable kid with lots of good traits, but doesn’t seem to have the wheels to stay employed in the NFL.

49 Justin King CB 5107/192/4.31c in 2008
You all know the story, great-looking prospect finally get a chance to play and gets hammered, but that performance was mitigated by the series on injuries he played through. More than anyone, King is a gamble. He may be as atrocious as he looked last season, or could be as good as many thought he would be before it.

The kids

29 Antonio Fenelus CB 5082/190/4.68c4.50pd in 2012
An effective, if not very polished corner, at Wisconsin, Fenelus’ forty time at the Combine cost him a lot of money.

39 Cameron Chism CB 5103/190/4.55pd in 2012
Chism was an effective college corner who may just be too small and too slow to make it in the NFL.

40 Buddy Jackson CB 6001/187/4.37pd in 2012
A long shot at corner, he didn’t start at the position in college, he’s a development project who would need to win the kick return job to stick.

In conclusion

Barring a major acquisition, injury or some other bolt from the blue, I think four of the five (or perhaps six) spots are taken with Powers, Thomas, Rucker and Vaughn. Johnson may seem the natural fifth, but I think that, all other things being equal (or even close to it), the Grigson regime will go with their guy, rather than a Polian holdover. Although a case could be made by an of the six other guys currently in camp, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Colts fifth corner in 2012 comes to them from the waiver wire.

Bonus: There are lots of stats with corners and all of them are compromises at best. But here’s one I think you’ll like. By dividing number of snaps play by the number of times he was thrown at last year, I’ve come up with the respect ratio, or how frequently opposing quarterbacks decided to test them. The higher the number the better:

Powers 804/59 13.63
Rucker 323/25 12.92
Thomas 437/38 11.50
Johnson 284/27 10.52
Lacey 709/68 10.43 no longer with Colts
Tryon 51/5 10.20 no longer with ColtsJ King 677/68 9.96 with the Rams
Vaughn 237/29 8.17 with the Broncos
B King 19/5 3.80

Looks about right, especially when you consider Vaughn shared his snaps with Champ Bailey, Chris Harris and Brian Dawkins, not the nobodies the Colts and Rams threw out there.

Rejoice, Colts sign CB Justin King.

Well, Colts fans, you got your new corner, but it's not who you thought it would be. Instead of trading for Mike "Possum" Jenkins, they signed Justin King (5107/192/4.31c in 2008).

The interesting thing about that is that, while I pointed out that Jenkins is coming off a season in which he looked average, King is coming off a season in which he looked atrocious. In fact, Profootballfocus.com rated him the worst of the 198 players who played at least one snap at corner last season. Thrown into the starting lineup after injuries decimated the Rams' secondary, King had it all — touchdowns over his head, huge cushions, missed tackles, penalties, you name it. You know those incumbent Colts corners you're worried about? King made them look like Darrell Green and Lester Hayes.

So why sign him? Well, he had a pretty darn good career at Penn State, tests through the roof, played fairly well before last season in which he was beset by ankle, groin and shoulder injuries. The Colts are gambling little, just a few bucks to see if they can get more out of a healthy King than the Rams did with a banged up one. He could win a spot, if he's healthy.

Colts cut C Jake Kirkpatrick, roster spot open for now

I'm not at all surprised the Colts cut C Jake Kirkpatrick. Not that he's a bad player or anything; he could probably play in the NFL. But there were four centers on the roster (and one guard who can play center in a pinch), and the other three were all signed by the Grigson regime, while Kirkpatrick was sort of a holdover from the Polian days. He was also the smallest of the group, and the team is trying to get bigger up front.

Of course, Kirkpatrick's departure leaves an open roster spot. The usual wags are expecting it will be filled by a corner — yes, Mike "Possum" Jenkins has been mentioned. Indeed, the fact that the Colts have not yet announced who'll take the spot supports the Jenkins theory. Teams usually get someone in right away unless there are problems like trade compensation or contract details. Both would give some strength to the Jenkins theory, because the Cowboys have been posturing about retaining him and will probably only be traded if he and his new team can iron out a long-term contract extension.

Colts sign WR Kris Adams after OLB Kevin Eagan walks out

I remember having high hopes for small-college prospect Kevin Eagan, but that ended when he told the Colts he was leaving the team and giving up football. They agreed to his request and cut him.

To replace him, they signed WR Kris Adams (6034/194/4.43pd in 2011). Undrafted coming out of UTEP despite going 47-1,070-14 receiving as a senior, Adams was signed by the Bears and also spent time with Minnesota and St. Louis.

The favorite target of current Colts QB prospect Trevor Vittatoe, Adams is a hard working kid of high character who has decent hands and great natural speed. But that's where the good news ends. He's not tough, doesn't win battles both at the chuck and struggles for the ball, is a rudimentary route runner, offers little after the catch, is not much of a blocker and had almost no kick return experience. If he makes the team it will be because he was so stunning a deep threat, they just couldn't cut him.

Luck's chances, McGlynn's got friends in high places

A lot of people have been predicting big things from Andrew Luck and the Colts this season. Many of them are buoyed by the performances of Cam Newton and Andy Dalton last year, and use their success as evidence Luck will thrive as a rookie. Well, we at ColtPlay hate to rain on anyone’s parade, but I think it’s time for a reality check. Newton, despite all his heroics, led a much more talented team than Luck’s to a 6-10 record. And while it’s true Dalton led the Bengals to the playoffs, he’s the first rookie quarterback since 1978 to have 20 touchdown passes and eight wins. The statistical norm for rookie quarterbacks indicates a far lower number of wins in his first year. Here’s a look at every first-round quarterback’s rookie win-loss record since 1983. An asterisk indicates a No. 1 pick.

2011

*Cam Newton Panthers Auburn 6-10

Jake Locker Titans Washington 0-0

Blaine Gabbert Jaguars Missouri 4-10

Christian Ponder Vikings Florida State 2-8

2010

*Sam Bradford Rams Oklahoma 7-9

Tim Tebow Broncos Florida 1-2

2009

*Matthew Stafford Lions Georgia 2-8

Mark Sanchez Jets USC 8-7

Josh Freeman Buccaneers Kansas State 3-6

2008

Matt Ryan Falcons Boston College 11-5

Joe Flacco Ravens Delaware 11-5

2007

*JaMarcus Russell Raiders Louisiana State 0-1

Brady Quinn Browns Notre Dame 0-0

2006

Vince Young Titans Texas 8-5

Matt Leinart Cardinals USC 4-7

Jay Cutler Broncos Vanderbilt 2-3

2005

*Alex D. Smith 49ers Utah 2-5

2004

*Eli Manning Chargers Mississippi 1-6

Philip Rivers Giants North Carolina State 0-0

Ben Roethlisberger Steelers Miami (OH) 13-0

J.P. Losman Bills Tulane 0-0

2003

*Carson Palmer Bengals USC 6-7

Byron Leftwich Jaguars Marshall 5-8

Kyle Boller Ravens California 5-4

Rex Grossman Bears Florida 2-1

2002

*David Carr Texans Fresno State 4-12

Joey Harrington Lions Oregon 3-9

Patrick Ramsey Redskins Tulane 2-3

2001

*Michael Vick Falcons Virginia Tech 1-1

2000

Chad Pennington Jets Marshall 0-0

1999

*Tim Couch Browns Kentucky 2-12

Donovan McNabb Eagles Syracuse 2-4

Akili Smith Bengals Oregon 1-3

Daunte Culpepper Vikings Central Florida 0-0

Cade McNown Bears UCLA 2-4

1998

*Peyton Manning Colts Tennessee 3-13

Ryan Leaf Chargers Washington State 3-6

1997

Jim Druckenmiller 49ers Virginia Tech 1-0

1995

Steve McNair Oilers Alcorn State 2-0

Kerry Collins Panthers Penn State 7-6

1994

Heath Shuler Redskins Tennessee 1-7

Trent Dilfer Buccaneers Fresno State 0-2

1993

* Drew Bledsoe Patriots Washington State 5-7

Rick Mirer Seahawks Notre Dame 6-10

1992 supplemental

Dave Brown Giants Duke 0-0

1992

David Klingler Bengals Houston 1-3

Tommy Maddox Broncos UCLA 0-4

1991

Dan McGwire Seahawks San Diego State 1-0

Todd Marinovich Raiders USC 0-1

1990

*Jeff George Colts Illinois 5-7

Andre Ware Lions Houston 0-1

1989 supplemental

Steve Walsh Cowboys Miami 1-4

Timm Rosenbach Cardinals Washington State 0-1

1989

 *Troy Aikman Cowboys UCLA 0-11

1987

*Vinny Testaverde Buccaneers Miami 0-4

Kelly Stouffer Cardinals Colorado State 3-3

Chris Miller Falcons Oregon 0-2

Jim Harbaugh Bears Michigan 0-0

1986

Jim Everett Oilers Purdue 3-2

Chuck Long Lions Iowa 0-2

1985 supplemental

Bernie Kosar Browns Miami 4-6

1984 USFL

*Steve Young Buccaneers Brigham Young 1-4

Wayne Peace Bengals Florida 0-0

Ken Hobart Jets Idaho 0-0

1983

*John Elway Colts Stanford 4-6

Todd Blackledge Chiefs Penn State 0-0

Jim Kelly Bills Miami 4-12 (in 1986, sent three seasons in USFL)

Tony Eason Patriots Illinois 2-2

Ken O’Brien Jets California-Davis 1-4

Dan Marino Dolphins Pittsburgh 7-2

With a few rare exceptions, first-round quarterbacks had dismal records in their rookie seasons. Particularly hard hit were the No. 1 picks. Combined, they have a 49-123 (.285) record, good enough for an average of 4-11-1 over a 16-game season. Of course, some of the top picks were absolute dogs, like JaMarcus Russell and Tim Couch, but even the greats, like Peyton Manning (3-13), Troy Aikman (0-11) and John Elway (4-6), took their lumps as rookies. There’s a reason for that. Teams bad enough to earn the No. 1 pick (or in Elway’s case, desperate enough to trade for it) usually have a lot more wrong with them than just their quarterback. Those teams almost always are also in the first year of a new coach and/or management team.

So let’s look at the 2012 Colts: Undistinguished halfbacks, a young group of receivers, an offensive line with as many as four new starters, an unknown quantity on the defensive line, a linebacking squad made up primarily of guys who were defensive ends just months ago and perhaps the worst secondary in the NFL. They have a new GM, and a new coaching staff who are hoping to implement radical changes to both offense and defense.

In my opinion, Luck would have to be absolutely spectacular to for the Colts to win even five games in 2012.

In other news, it appears as though GM Ryan Grigson is still playing favorites with his guys. In the Indy Star, there’s an article in which they talk about free agent signee Mike McGlynn as not just a starter, but a leader and, in fact, compared him to the much-respected Hall of Fame-bound Jeff Saturday. No beef with McGlynn, but he’s never been considered a top talent at guard and was the No. 3 guy in Cincinnati last season and was made expendable because of the development of some recent draft picks.

But at least the line is coming into shape. Anthony Castonzo is set at left tackle because he’s the only guy on the roster who could play at an NFL-level there and finding a replacement for him would be not just costly, but perhaps fruitless. Three other starters — McGlynn at right guard, Winston Justice at right tackle and center Samson Satele — were brought in this offseason by Grigson. The other spot will be an open competition between basket ball center-turn-tight end-turned-tackle-turned-guard Joe Reitz (who started ay nine games at the spot last season and graded out decently if not well) and 2011 second-round draft pick Ben Ijalana. Despite very high hopes after the draft, Ijalana failed to win a job in training camp and entered the season as the top backup at tackle. The only action he saw was in Game 4 against the Buccaneers, when he went in after Castonzo was knocked out. He played okay for 37 snaps before he too was injured. But his injury was an ACL tear that put him on injured reserve. So to beat out Reitz, Ijalana would have to recover his health and learn to play guard. Or maybe he’s too much of a Polian guy.

*After Ijalana went down, Jeff Linkenbach shifted over to left tackle, where he was beaten like a rug, and Mike Tepper filled in fairly well at right tackle.