Colts trade for CB Vontae Davis

Wow, Jimmy Irsay really told the truth. The Colts traded a second-round pick to Miami for CB Vontae Davis (5111/203/4.40c in 2009). It actually represents the team's fourth trade for a corner this offseason. But there's a big difference with this one. The other guys they acquired were fringe: Justin King was the worst-rated corner in the NFL least season, Josh Gordy was actually below King on the Ram's depth chart, Cassius Vaughn had lost the third corner job in Denver and DJ Johnson never really saw the field for Philadelphia. Davis, however, has been a solid starter in the NFL.

Don't get me wrong, Davis has not emerged as the Champ Bailey-like star the Dolphins believed he would be after they drafted him in the first round of the 2009 draft (just two picks before the Bill Polian-led Colts selected starting-but-still-iffy HB Donald Brown), but he has been solid and, even better, he has gotten steadily better.

There are no truly weak points to Davis' game. He doesn't have the softest hands around and will drop the odd pick, and some don't think he gives his all in the run game, but that's debatable and I'm on the pro side. He is a very solid tackler in my book. In fact, I think he's an even better overall corner than the Colts' current No. 1, Jerraud Powers. I think that Powers' seniority and popularity with ownership, the coaching staff, players and fans will keep him at No. 1, but Davis will be a hell of a No. 2.

Philosophically, ColtPlay is against trading a draft pick for veteran, especially a high pick like a second rounder, but this deal makes sense. Davis is young, signed for a while and is a far better talent than the Colts could find in the second round next year.

So, as of today, the Colts have two solid starting corners. ColtPlay still has major concerns about the depth, but it's far better place to ponder whether DJ Johnson or Cassius Vaughn will win the No. 3 job than if they will win No. 2.

***

Coltplay is loathe to compare white players with white players simply because so many other media sources do so in a terribly inaccurate way. They will say things like Peyton Hillis is a lot like Danny Woodhead simply because both are white halfbacks even though they have nothing else in common.

Hillis should be likened to Brandon Jacobs and Woodhead to Darren Sproles.

But Coltplay has to break from philosophy (again!) because Griff Whalen could not be more like Danny Amendola. The sure hands, the wrestler's mentality, the sneaky quickness, it's all there. He's not like Wes Welker (who he will be compared to, trust me), whose game is based on the fact that his body is made of jelly, but he is almost exactly like Amendola, and I expect he will have a similar career.

Which, sadly also means injury. Amendola has missed significant time in his NFL career, not because he's not tough and durable, but because that kind of slot play exposes a player to injury. Whalen will probably follow suit. His preseason performance looked to ColtPlay like enough to make the team, but in his efforts, he fractured a foot bone and may be headed to the IR. That means, as you probably know, out for the season.

So if you count him and Austin Collie (concussions) out, that means the Colts have Reggie Wayne and draft Picks TY Hilton and :LaVon Brazill as sure things. You can also include veteran Donnie Avery, if he's healthy, for a roster spot as well. So who's the fifth if not Whalen? Is it Jeremy Ross who catches few but makes those few catches worthwhile/ Is is fan favorite Jabin Sambrano? Is it a waiver wire pick up?

***

Speaking of injuries, the Colts have lost nose tackle Brandon McKinney to an ACL injury. ColtPlay had very high hopes for McKinney when he signed, but he didn't show much and was unable to unseat Mookie Johnson, who was iffy at best, from the starting spot.

This injury actually puts the all-important nose tackle position in a state of crisis. Mookie is marginally competent at best. McKinney, an experienced reserve at worst, is gone. Josh Chapman, a draft pick and future of the position, is nursing his own ACL injury and will probably open the season on the PUP list. That leaves Chigbo Anunoby as the only backup behind the supremely shaky Mookie. I know Colts fans like Anunoby because he's a fun-loving, immensely powerful guy, but there's a lot more to playing nose tackle than being able to lift a Smart car over your head. From what I've seen, Anunoby looks like a strong guy in a football uniform, not a football player.

Colt fans, beware, this is your team's weakest point.

***

And the roster got a bit smaller, here's ColtPlay's look at the cuts:

CB Cameron Chism
CB Antonio Fenelus
CB Terrence Johnson
CB Chris Rucker
Four slower-than-you'd-like corners. Johnson had some experience, but didn't impress. I liked Rucker a lot, but for some reason, the team's new brass did not. Don't be too surprised if he emerges with another team.

S Matt Merletti
S David Caldwell
Merletti is a disappointment because his college play impressed me; Caldwell played last season and did not impress.

LB Mike Balogun
Camp body.

WR Quan Cosby
Cosby has NFL skills. Run him out there at receiver and he'll give you 40 catches. Make him your return man and he will give you a 20.0 average. And he will never do better than that. He's not what a rebuilding team needs. He's the kind of guy you call when you're 6-6 and a receiver or return man gets injured.

HB Alvester Alexander
He has size and speed, but is not an NFL player.\

G Jason Foster
A severely undersized Rhode Island left tackle treying to make it at guard.

P Brian Stahovich.
Did anyone really think a punter other than Pat McAfee would make this team?

Colts trade for CB Josh Gordy

I guess the important thing now for the Colts and fans is the Austin Collie situation. As always, ColtPlay is on the side of common sense when it comes to medical issues and I think Collie should throw it in. If he does, the Colts hope Donnie Avery can take his spot outside. There is a serious talent/experience shortage in the receiving corps if Avery cant step up. If Collie does not retire, we'll all cringe every time he goes down.

Next on the agenda has to be the trade for Josh Gordy (5105/195/4.40pd). Obviously I like the move, Gordy's not truly special in any way, but is a pretty competent corner, and an upgrade over much of the depth chart. But the fact that they felt a need to go get him indicates how very dissatisfied they were with the other corners on the roster. Aside from starter Jerraud Powers, they are a pretty unimpressive group. It looks like free agent signee Justin King will start on the other side. But neither DJ Johnson and Cassius Vaughn (both trade acquisitions) have stepped up, and the veterans prompted the emergency in the first place. Chris Rucker, who ColtPlay had high hopes for, remains mired at the far right of the depth chart. Vaughn, in particular, has been a disappointment.

And now a few observations from the second preseason game:

* It's pretty easy to walk all over the Rams, but a motivated Steelers team is a whole 'nother thing.

* Vick Ballard's numbers were not good, buy his hard running and quick starts made me think he's still well ahead of Delone Carter on the depth chart.

* The draft picks at receiver (TY Hilton and LaVon Brazill) came down to Earth a little, but I think both are pretty much what I expected, very talented but with a lot to learn about the pro game. I had wondered why Griff Whalen had such an enviable spot on the depth chart, but saw him look very smooth, quick and tough when he finally played. If he can stay healthy, he could very well turn out to have a long career as a slot guy.

* The offensive line looked bad, but they often do in preseason, especially when there are new starters. That said, I was shocked to see Seth Olsen stand out. My previous viewings of his work indicated that he had little or no NFL future. Maybe the new coaching staff has made a new player out of him.

* Mookie Johnson is not the nose tackle the team needs. It's annoying that Brandon McKinney has not mounted more of a push for the starting job. It's clear that the team sees Josh Chapman as the future at the position, but he won't be healthy for a while.

* Mario Addison impressed me quite a lot. Jerrell Freeman did not. 

* The less said about the DBs, the better.

Colts sign ILB MIke Balogun

The Colts added more ILB depth (at least for camp) when they signed Mike Balogan (6000/240/4.80pd in 2010). It's hard to have much faith in a guy who's played for seven teams in two leagues over the last two seasons, but you never know. From what I've seen, he's a typical short-area throwback Mike type who is not a natural in coverage.

To make room for him, the Colts put corner/returner prospect Buddy Jackson on the injured/waived list.

Colts sign HB Alvester Alexander, put Scott Lutrus on IR

Because of minor injuries to HBs Mewelde Moore and Vick Ballard, the Colts have filled the empty roster spot that opened when ILB Scott Lutrus went on IR with HB Alvester Alexander (5103/209/4.39pd).

Alexander is a fast little halfback who is stronger than his size would suggest and has a fine ability to catch the ball. Still, he's not very creative with the ball in his hands and lacks the vision and wiggle to be special. He has some limited kick return experience.

In all likelihood, he is just a camp body; but the team will look at him closely as a practice squad guy and/or injury replacement.

Colts post second depth chart

I guess the big news is that they listed former CFL star Jerrell Freeman as the starter at WLB (4-3).WILB (3-4). Although Freeman did play well in the first preseason game, I still have my doubts. Moises Fokou is listed as his backup (he was last in line at SOLB on the last depth chart), but I think that's mainly because Fokou is still fairly new to the system.

Let's take a look:

QB 12 Andrew Luck, 5 Drew Stanton, 8 Chandler Harnish
No surprises here

HB 31 Donald Brown, 26 Mewelde Moore, 33 Vick Ballard, 34 Delone Carter, 32 Darren Evans, 39 Deji Karim
Or here. I think the first three are locks and the last two are in trouble unless Karim just destroys on kickoffs.

WR 87 Reggie Wayne, 15 LaVon Brazill, 84 Griff Whalen,10 Jeremy Ross,14 Quan Cosby
WR 17 Austin Collie, 11 Donnie Avery, 13 T.Y. Hilton, 85 Jabin Sambrano, 7 Kris Adams, 16 Jarred Fayson

Hmmm, I wouldn't get used to that lofty spot Mr. Avery. For a guy so far down the depth chart, Cosby got a lot of reps in the first preseason game.

TE 80 Coby Fleener, 86 Kyle Miller, 81 Andre Smith
H-B/FB 83 Dwayne Allen, 46 Dominique Jones
No changes here, but I think Jones made a strong case to make the team.

LT 74 Anthony Castonzo, 66 George Foster, 65 Ty Nsekhe
LG 76 Joe Reitz, 73 Seth Olsen, 68 Jason Foster
C 64 Samson Satele, 62 A.Q. Shipley, 60 Zane Taylor
RG 75 Mike McGlynn, 67 Mike Tepper, 61 Hayworth Hicks
RT 69 Winston Justice, 72 Jeff Linkenbach, 78 Steven Baker, 79 Justin Anderson
The big change here is that the competition at left guard is over, Reitz has won the job and Linkenbach has been exiled to backup right tackle. That's displaced Tepper to backup guard, which I think makes both positions stronger.

LDE 90 Cory Redding, 91 Ricardo Mathews, 68 James Aiono
NT/LDT 99 Antonio Johnson, 96 Brandon McKinney, 78 Chigbo Anunoby, 61 Josh Chapman
RDE/RDT 95 Fili Moala, 94 Drake Nevis, 65 Jason Shirley
Mookie surprised me with some great play on the nose. I thought he'd only been given the spot through seniority, but he really looks like a starter there.

SOLB 98 Robert Mathis, 92 Jerry Hughes, 58 Tim Fugger
SILB/MLB 53 Kavell Conner, 49 Greg Lloyd, 54 Mario Harvey
WILB/WOLB 50 Jerrell Freeman, 45 Moise Fokou, 59 Larry Lumpkin, 51 Pat Angerer
WOLB/RDE 93 Dwight Freeney, 97 Mario Addison, 57 Jerry Brown, 55 Justin Hickman
Ooooh, things do not look good for your Mr. Hickman.

LCB 21 Justin King, 42 Korey Lindsey, 37 Brandon King, 29 Antonio Fenelus, 39 Camerson Chism
RCB 25 Jerraud Powers, 43 D.J. Johnson, 20 Cassius Vaughn, 23 Terrence Johnson, 36 Chris Rucker, 40 Buddy Jackson
I don't see why Vaughn's been dropped to the third team, it could just be because they want to see new faces in there. And, yay, Rucker's pick moved him out of 11th place into 10th.

SS 28 Tom Zibkowski, 26 Jermale Hines, 30 David Caldwell, 47 Latarrius Thomas
FS 41 Antoine Bethea, 35 Joe Lefeged, 38 Mike Newton, 27 Matt Merletti
No changes here.

P 1 Pat McAfee, 3 Brian Stahovich
PK 4 Adam Vinatieri, 1 Pat McAfee
H 1 Pat McAfee
LS 48 Justin Snow, 45 Matt Overton
KR 15 LaVon Brazill, 13 T.Y. Hilton, 39 Deji Karim, 35 Joe Lefeged, 26 Mewelde Moore, 20 Cassius Vaughn, 28 Tom Zibkowski
PR 15 LaVon Brazill, 13 T.Y. Hilton, 84 Griff Whalen, 28 Tom Zibkowski
Or here

With Angerer out, someone has to step up

The Colts say Pat Angerer is out for about six weeks with a fractured foot. That will take him into the regular season. In the same game, reserve inside linebacker Scott Lutrus tore his ACL and is out for the season. Earlier, the Colts also lost AJ Edds for season.

It would be impossible for the Colts to replace Angerer's talent and football-readiness in-house, but there are plenty of candidates to fill his shoes in the short-term.

Moise Fokou
The only candidate with NFL starting experience, Fokou has other good attributes including a quick first step and ability to diagnoses very quickly. The knocks against him are that he lacks bulk and strength, and that he's not instinctive in coverage.

Greg Lloyd
Lloyd's sort of the opposite of Fokou. He lacks his teammate's quickness and diagnositic ability, but he's bigger, strong and — to my eye at least — better in coverage. 

Jerrell Freeman
This former small-school strong safety went to the CFL, where he was all-everything. But he's much smaller than you'd like to see. He has lots of good qualities but I just don't think he can stand up to teh wrestling matches he'd see play after play in the NFL.

Mario HarveyUnlike the better-known options, Harvey is big, fast AND strong. But that's where his resume kind of peters out. He hasn't show much understanding or feel for the game, and seems like a special-teamer at this point.

Larry Lumpkin Lumpkin has some qualities that make him an interesting long-range prospect, but I think depending on this rawest of rookies for a major role, even temporarily, would be a huge mistake.

Some wags have been throwing around the idea of the Colts re-signing veteran Gary Brackett, but I don't see it. He'd be as new to the system as everyone else was months ago, and signing him would increase ties to the old Polian regime — something Grigson is loathe to do.

The Colts will, of course scan the waiver wires, but depth, not a starter. Until Angerer can come back, it looks like the job is Fokou's to lose unless someone like Freeman plays well enough to force him to the bench.

Colts beat Rams 38-3

Okay, I’m a total Andrew Luck believer now. Not that I was ever a doubter, I just didn’t realize exactly how far along in his development he was. His pocket presence is phenomenal, but what really stuck out was his accuracy. Yeah, he went 10 for 16 (62.5 percent), but I saw three obvious drops. His receivers are showing great potential, but aren’t at his level yet.

You could make the case that Luck’s first pass (a 63-yard score to Donald Brown) was really just a five-yard dump that Brown stretched, but that’s how football goes, and even if Brown were downed after he caught the ball, Luck still would have had an incredibly encouraging debut.

And don’t think Luck wasn’t being tested. While I realize the Ram’s secondary is not that impressive, their pass rush can be fierce, and he was having to be creative to keep from being sacked repeatedly.

Jerry Hughes had two sacks, that’s twice as many as his career total. I’m not entirely sold, obvious, after seeing his lack of instincts and maturity in his first two seasons, but it is very encouraging. Heck, he even looked like he knew what he was doing in coverage.

Yeah, Delone Carter had a very nice leap for a one-yard touchdown run, but I was much more impressed with Dominique Jones picking up a key first down with a rumble from the fullback position. In truth the backs (aside from Vick Ballard, and I’ll get to hm) didn’t show much when it came to running the ball except that they could get a tough yard here or there when they had to. Expect that to be a trend. Although the Colts would love to establish the run to keep defenses from focusing on Luck, I don’t think they have the horses in the backfield nor the big guys up front to do so. Think about it, would you rather have the ball in the hands of Reggie Wayne or Austin Collie or Brown?

Quan Cosby had some catches today, but he’s a long shot to make the roster, especially after that ugly drop. I think he is around as a low-upside, high-downside insurance policy against the youngsters not working out. But they appear to be working out. LaVon Brazill also had a drop, but was particularly impressive overall, and is making a strong bid for the third receiver spot.

Ballard, long a ColtPlay favorite, showed a great deal more initial quickness than I had expected from him. Yeah, it was against the Rams’ second team, but he’s not expected to be any better than the Colts’ second team. It will be interesting to see how his duel with Carter works out. I think Darren Evans really put himself in jeopardy with that fumble.

It’s clear the Rams were showing a great deal of disrespect for Justin King, who played horribly for them last year. But I think he stood up fairly well. He doesn’t look great, but adequate was better than I expected.

Jerrell Freeman stepped up and looked quite good inside. I’m not sure I’d depend on that all season, though.

Joe Reitz started over Jeff Linkenbach. My guess is Link starts Game 2, but if he doesn’t, the job is probably Reitz’s to lose. I also liked seeing Reitz go out on a pattern, something ColtPlay suggested earlier this week.

The DNPs were Donnie Avery, Jarred Fayson, Justin Hickman, Scott Lutrus, Tim Fugger, Josh Chapman, Justin Anderson, Griff Whalen and Cory Redding. No surprises.

I knew the depth chart was a lie; Moise Fokou played inside as expected. But with injuries to Pat Angerer and Scott Lutrus (and, of course, with AJ Edds out for the season), that could have been out of necessity.

I liked what I saw from Mario Addison and Fokou, but the other prospect linebackers were kind of invisible.

Drew Stanton looked sharp throwing, but lacks a starter’s ability to sense and escape the rush. Still, he represents a big upgrade over previous Colts backup quarterbacks. Chandler Harnish looked even better, but the Rams were so dispirited by then, the Colts were just playing catch.

Anyone surprised by Pat McAfee kicking field goals shouldn’t be, he has mentioned a few times that he fully expects to be the Colts’ kicker after Adam Vinatieri retires.

Only three penalties. That’s a great sign.

So nice to see Chris Rucker get that pick. They’ve treated him fairly shabbily, so he deserves something.

Keep your eye on these Colts prospects

While everyone else is talking about Cassius Vaughn and LaVon Brazill, ColtPlay's been on board with those guys for a while. Instead, we here at ColtPlay (as usual) want to take things a bit deeper and look at a few guys who might make the roster, but may not actually be on your radar.

Jermale Hines: A late-season pickup last season, Hines didn't play on defense, but did look pretty good on specials. He's not stopwatch fast, but plays well in zone coverage and, more important, is a sure tackler and impact hitter. My feeling is that the Colts are looking for someone more in the mold of starter Tom Zbikowski in their backup strong safety, and that's why Hines has crept ahead of erstwhile starter David Caldwell on the depth chart.

Dominique Jones and/or Kyle Miller: A lot has been made about the Colts bringing Andre Smith in to be their blocking tight end, but I'm not sold. I think the concept is as out of date as a Reese McCall jersey. These days (and in the current system), tight ends are receivers who block as an afterthought. When you do need a blocker, you can always bring in an extra offensive lineman. Heck, Joe Reitz has better hands than Smith anyway.

After a productive D2 career, Jones bounced around the Arena and Indoor leagues, and produced at a variety of positions. That could prove very valuable as the Colts are expecting their tight ends to also play slot, wide and even fullback. Jones has experience at all of those positions.

Miller doesn't have that kind of versatility, but he does have great potential as a receiver. Though slow, he is fluid and nifty and blessed with soft hands. On the same Mount Union teams that produced Pierre Garçon and Cecil Shorts III, he caught 87 passes for 1,259 yards and 16 touchdowns, going 62-872-7 as a senior.

Not only are Jones and Miller better pass catchers than Smith, neither is all that bad a blocker, and Miller can also provide insurance at long snapper.

Steven Baker: There's a reason why Baker fetched the biggest signing bonus of all the 2012 undrafted free agents and why he's ahead of seventh-round pick Justin Anderson at right tackle — he's a freak of nature. Almost 6'8 with long arms, Baker can fly for a man his size with a 4.91 forty. He's got quick feet, is fluid and is in great condition — despite starting at tackle his final two seasons, Baker still played special teams.

But there's a catch, actually a couple of them. Years as a shot putter, basketball center and defensive lineman have slowed his development as a tackle. And, despite his gargantuan size, he does not play very strong at the point of attack.

It would take a while, but Baker could well develop into a starting-quality tackle. If the Colts want to make that gamble, they'll have to put him on the 53-man roster because he will not last on the practise squad.

Jason Shirley: Shirley has the talent to be a frequent Pro Bowler, but problems with alcohol, concentration, conditioning and overall dedication have held him back. After disappointing stints with the Bengals and Seahawks, he was signed by the Panthers — desperate for defensive tackle because their already talent-challenged corps had bee struck by a spate of injuries — late last season. He played well, if not dominantly, with three sacks and two quarterback hurries in just four games. But the Panthers cut him, and the Colts signed him.

He's in a great spot in Indy if he has his head screwed on right. Capable of playing 3-4 end or 4-3 tackle (and even the nose in a pinch), Shirley is not facing overwhelming competition. Of course Cory Redding has one spot nailed down, and Fili Moala and Drake Nevis are battling to start at the other. But after that, it's Shirley against James Aiono, who is big but could not get much playing time in college, and Ricardo Matthews, a Polian pick who plays at about 50 pounds lighter than the new regime would prefer.

More depth chart thoughts

Yesterday, I was surprised to see Griff Whalen so far up the Colts' depth chart at wide receiver. Not to dis Whalen, but he hadn't seen the field until today, while guys like Jabin Sambrano and Kris Adams had been putting in reps and showing off some big plays. It's likely that his rapport with Andrew Luck has helped him, as has the team's need for a nifty third-down slot specialist. Even so, I think it's unfair for a rookie (an undrafted one yet!) to be put in the sixth spot without him taking even a single practice rep.

Unless they play like demons, things do not look good for Jeremy Ross, Quan Cosby and Jarred Fayson, all of whom were signed by the Polian regime. Now that the top spots at both receiver and returner are beginning to become obvious, they seem out of it.

Instead, look for a heated battle between Donnie Avery, Whalen, Sambrano and Adams for the final spot or two. Obviously, Avery is the most ready to contribute right now, but at 28 with an ACL injury in his past, his upside is limited. Adams has kicked around the league for a while, liked by all but unable to stick anywhere. Sambrano is a tiny lightning bug who was unstoppable in the Big Sky, so he might actually be Whalen's biggest threat aside from, of course, Avery.

Get ready for a halfback-by-committee approach this season, but also steady yourself for the fact that Donald Brown will be chairman. He is, to put it quite simply, the Colts' best halfback. That's not to say he's a complete back, just the best overall. Besides, if he's a Polian pick and the new regime still has him listed as a starter at this point, they believe he's their man.

A note about Brown that has been bothering me. ColtPlay, like pretty well everybody else, reported that Brown played much better last season when he was accompanied by a fullback. That's not actually true, but rather a result of faulty logic. Since Brown played much better in the later part of the 2011 season, and the Colts used a fullback more frequently later in that season, we all assumed that the fullback helped Brown. But after re-examining both video and tracking numbers, I've realized Brown was only marginally a better rusher with another back in the field, and did not enjoy a boost bigger than the statistical norm. Still, the Colts have made it clear than Dwayne Allen will play fullback when necessary. 

I can't see why there's any question about Mewelde Moore at this point. He was outstanding in a limited role in Bruce Arians' offense last season for the Steelers, and should do the same now that Arians runs the Colts' attack. Sure he's another year older,but he was never fast, and does not have that many career carries. I don't see a dropoff at this point.

After them, it's the battle of the big backs, as Delone Carter and Vick Ballard slug it out. Some people rave about Carter, but I have yet to understand why. Still, that doesn't mean that Ballard is a clear favorite, either. I don't care about his forty, but I get really leery about big backs with a slow first step. I call it Ron Dayne syndrome. Big backs can smash forward in college ball because, well, they are big. But in the NFL, virtually all the defenders are big and strong, and it gets a lot harder to knock them down without a full head of steam. 

I read that Joe Reitz is taking first-team reps again at right guard. I don't think that means he's won the job so much that it's an ongoing competition. In fact, I think Link will win the competition because Reitz has yet to get any kind of handle on proper run blocking. But no matter who wins, it'll be a sore spot.

Another player many observers seem to like a lot more than I do is Kavell Conner. Sure he played well against the run in 2011, but was an atrocity in coverage and didn't play a snap inside, which is where he is now listed as a started. I really thought AJ Edds had a chance to unseat him before he was felled by an ACL injury. The next in line is former CFL standout Jerrell Freeman, but he lacks the necessary bulk. Forget the 234 pounds the Colts list him at, he plays closer to 220.

The interesting possibility inside is Mario Harvey. He runs like the wind and was very, very productive at Marshall, but is only 5'11, and the intricacies of the pro game (especially coverage) seem to elude him.

Like Freeman, Justin Hickman was a CFL standout, but he has definite NFL size. In his first two seasons, he had just seven sacks, but burst out for an all-star season with 13 in his third. He has lost of burst, but his pass-rush moves are rudimentary, and his other skills (run stopping, coverage) are, at best, uncertain. It's not out of the question that he could refine his game as a backup to Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (both masters of the art), but when has that ever happened before?

Which brings me to my ridiculous conclusion, let's look at what the Colts will be looking at in the 2013 draft. Obviously, a starting-quality corner is at the top of the list, followed by guard, inside linebacker, halfback (which could be a much bigger priority if Brown craps out) and pass-rusher to eventually replace Freeney.

Since the Colts are likely to have a Top 10 pick, they'll have their pick of corners. Right now I'm nuts about North Carolina State's David Amerson.

Colts release first depth chart

You gotta feel sorry for Chris Rucker. After a pretty good career at Michigan State, he made a mistake by leaving a fender bender, which got him arrested. He was disappointed to see himself drafted in the sixth round. He was surely delighted, though, when he learned the team who called was the Colts, who everyone knew had major problems at cornerback, his position.

He gets a chance to play as a rookie, and, although he was not great, he played hard and showed some potential.

Then the management team changes and he finds himself listed as the eleventh of eleven corners on the Colts first unofficial camp depth chart. He probably wonders which Eagles' special teamer he'll be traded for this week.

Unlike minicamp depth charts, camp depth charts give a fairly strong idea of where the Colts expect a  player to play, and where they stand in the pecking order. There's no point this far along, in getting reps at a position you're not going to play.

Normally at this point, the rookies still take a backseat to veterans, but not so on this depth chart. In fact, any connection with the old regime looks like a black mark on your name.

Here are ColtPlay's observations and comments:

QB: Andrew Luck, Drew Stanton, Chandler Harnish
This has been pretty obvious since the last pick of the draft. Harnish is not ready for the No. 2 role, and his only problem making the team would be if the Colts think they can get by with two quarterbacks.  

RB: Donald Brown, Mewelde Moore, Vick Ballard, Delone Carter, Darren Evans, Deji Karim
Brown is the established starter (if not a star, by any means), and Moore is the third-down guy. Unlike many Colts fans, I'm not a big Carter guy, and am not surprised to see him looking up at Ballard. I would be surprised to see Evans or Karim knock him off the roster, though.

SE: Reggie Wayne, LaVon Brazill, Griff Whalen, Jeremy Ross, Quan Cosby
FL: Austin Collie, Donnie Avery, T.Y. Hilton, Jabin Sambrano, Kris Adams, Jarred Fayson
The top five have been pretty clear in camp, although Hilton's a bit farther back than Brazill due to injury. Avery could be in danger if the Colts think they have a younger option, and my eyes are on Sambrano and perhaps Adams. I was shocked to see Whalen listed so high, but I guess being Luck's friend has its benefits.
Note: The Colts list both positions as "WR." 

TE: Coby Fleener, Kyle Miller, Andre Smith
H-B/FB: Dwayne Allen, Dominique Jones
The surprise here is to see Miller listed ahead of Smith, who's much better known. In fact, many sites reported that Miller was in camp as a long-snapping prospect. Still, ColtPlay noticed he caught a lot of passes at Mount Union (including 62 as a senior), and has some speed. Allen should thrive in his new position, which will include a lot of time at fullback, blocking and even carrying the ball. Jones, who played all over the field in the Arena league, seems like an appropriate backup.
Note: The Colts list Allen's position as "F," as though they wanted to call him a fullback, but couldn't quite make the commitment.

LT: Anthony Castonzo, George Foster, Ty Nsekhe
LG: Jeff Linkenbach, Joe Reitz, Jason Foster
C: Samson Satele, A.Q. Shipley, Zane Taylor
RG: Mike McGlynn, Seth Olsen, Hayworth Hicks
RT: Winston Justice, Mike Tepper, Steven Baker, Justin Anderson
Let's go inside-out. The centers have aligned pretty much the way I expected, with Shipley likely to make Taylor expendable. I'm a little surprised at just how weak the guard position is. Grigson favorite McGlynn is nailed in at his spot, and it looks like Link will hold off Reitz on the other side. If Olsen makes the team, they are in serious trouble and neither Foster nor Hicks are that inspiring. Unless they move one of the tackle prospects over, they'll probably scan the waiver wires for prospects. The starting tackles are set and I think old George Foster makes the team as the swing backup. After that, it's a bit of a mess, but it was a mild surprise to see seventh-round pick Justin Anderson at the back of the pack. I'd love to see Baker make it, because I don't see him lasting on the practise squad.
 
LDE: Cory Redding, Ricardo Matthews, James Aiono
NT: Antonio Johnson, Brandon McKinney, Chigbo Anunoby, Josh Chapman
RDE/DT: Fili Moala, Drake Nevis, Jason Shirley
The big surprise here is to see Moala ahead of Nevis, but everything I've heard out of camp about him has been positive. Mookie's still the top nose, which I think is more of an indictmant of McKinney than an endorsement of him. Chapman makes the team, for sure, but he's still hurting.

SOLB: Robert Mathis, Jerry Hughes, Tim Fugger, Moise Fokou
SILB/MLB: Kavell Conner, Mario Harvey, Scott Lutrus, Greg Lloyd
WILB/WOLB: Pat Angerer, Jerrell Freeman, Larry Lumpkin
WOLB/RDE: Dwight Freeney, Justin Hickman, Mario Addison, Jerry Brown
No real surprises here, although both Fokou and Lloyd could move ahead soon. Keep your eyes on former CFL standouts Freeman and, especially, Hickman. Fugger's on the PUP, but should stick.
Note: The Colts list Freeney's position as "rush."

LCB: Cassius Vaughn, Justin King, Brandon King, Cameron Chism, Buddy Jackson
RCB: Jerraud Powers, Korey Lindsey, Terrence Johnson, D.J. Johnson, Antonio Fenelus, Chris Rucker
Ah, the much-debated position. It looks for now that the NFL veterans (at least those whose experience came with other teams), hold the upper hand. But word is that Lindsey is getting his butt handed to him deep regularly in camp, so who knows.

SS: Tom Zbikowski, Jermale Hines, David Caldwell, Latarrius Thomas
FS: Antoine Bethea, Joe Lefeged, Mike Newton, Matt Merletti
The only things I noticed here was that Hines moved ahead of Caldwell (which is good), and that Merletti has yet to make any kind of a splash (which is not).

K: Adam Vinatieri, Pat McAfee
P: Pat McAfee, Brain Stahovich
LS: Justin Snow, Matt Overton
No surprises here, although the long-snapper battle will be one to watch.

KR: LaVon Brazill, T.Y. Hilton, Joe Lefeged, Cassius Vaughn, Deji Karim, Mewelde Moore, Tom Zbikowski
PR: LaVon Brazill, T.Y. Hilton, Griff Whalen, Tom Zbikowski
Since all the top competitors here are likely to make the team, it makes sense to see the best guys at each spot rather than a single return specialist who does both.

Still more camp stuff

It's a tough time to be a cornerback drafted or signed by the Polians if your name isn't Jerraud Powers. According to reports out of camp, the top three corners after Powers are Justin King, Cassius Vaughn and DJ Johnson, all off who were acquired by the Grigson regime this offseason. That means that Chris Rucker, Terrence Johnson and Brandon King may all be joining Kevin Thomas as ex-Colts. Keep an eye on Korey Lindsey, who is receiving plenty of offseason snaps, to make a strong bid for a roster spot.

I know lots of Colts fans are dreading seeing King as a starter after what they saw when he was with the Rams last year, but he was playing hurt and this is a system that is better tailored to his abilities. I like Vaughn better as an overall prospect, but he's much better suited to a slot role. DJ Johnson is no great shakes, but the fact that he's running with the second team should show how little esteem the new coaching staff has for the holdovers.

Lots of other jobs are still open as well.

Andrew Luck seems to love Austin Collie. He's a natural slot guy, but the Colts have been playing him outside. I think the rationale is to get the best eleven guys on the field at once and they like the idea of having Reggie Wayne, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener in on every snap they can. Since Collie is clearly ahead of the other receiving candidates, they are putting him in the only position they have left.

While TY Hilton seems more occupied by his return duties, fellow draft pick LaVon Brazill and free-agent signee Donnie Avery have been impressing coaches.

I think that Wayne, Collie and the two draft picks have locked up spots. Avery could well win one as well, but would have to be head and shoulders above the younger options like Jabin Sambrano and Jeremy Ross to do so.

The O-line appears to be set in four of five spots with former right tackle Jeff Linkenbach and incumbent Joe Reitz slugging it out at left guard. Even though he's running second at this point, I really think Reitz (who is still learning the trade after going from basketball to tight end to tackle to guard in a short span) will win it outright.

Aside from the cornerback issues, the defense appears set, especially now Edds is not there to challenge Kavell Conner.

It will be interesting to watch how the halfbacks stack up.

More camp stuff

Wow, did we miss anything here at ColtPlay? Ah, our job is not to report the news but to comment on it, so let’s go.

Ben Ijalana tears his ACL, goes to IR (if he clears waivers) and sign Ty Nsekhe

It’s sad, but after everything I saw last season and in the offseason, we here at ColtPlay didn’t put a lot of stock in Ijalana’s chances. A second-round pick last year, he was beaten out for starting spots by Jeff Linkenbach, Ryan Diem and Mike Pollak before a season-ending injury. Then, in the offseason, fans and commentators talked him up as a potential starter, but the Colts were ominously silent as far as he was concerned. They didn’t seem to expect much.

And now he’s out for the season again. It’s unlikely he’ll ever recover enough to make a contribution in the NFL. Sad.

I don’t know much about Nsekhe (6080/325/5.40e in 2009) except that he’s huge, played for three teams in the Arena League, was a college DT at Texas State and goes by T.Y. Nsekhe on his Facebook page. I expect he’s a long shot.

AJ Edds also tore his ACL and is out for the season

This sucks because I totally expected him to compete for a starting spot. Lots of Colts fans loooove Kavell Conner. Don’t count ColtPlay among them.

Kevin Thomas is demoted from the starting lineup, then traded to Philadelphia to linebackers Moise Fokou and Greg Lloyd

ColtPlay was kind of leery about Thomas right from the start, and was not truly surprised he did not win the starting role. It’s not just his injury history, it’s also the fact that he really didn’t play all that well. I’m not sure how Fokou (6011/233/4.65c in 2009) and Lloyd (6011/246/4.80c in 2011) fit in with the Colts, but ColtPlay feels a lot less bad about the Edds injury. Fokou played poorly last year, but was totally miscast in Philly’s scheme (which looked a lot like the Colts old scheme). He could earn a backup spot on the outside, especially if he shows he can rush the passer. Lloyd is not a big-time prospect, but not bad for a throw-in.

More disturbing is the fact that Justin King is starting in his place. That’s a horrifying indictment of the other corners on the Colts roster.