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.

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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?

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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.

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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?