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.
1 comment:
The cornerback situation is going to be ugly unless there is a major pass rush to hide their problems.
I never saw Collie as anything other than a slot receiver. He does not seem to be able to get enough separation due to limited speed to be on the outside. But he is quick and smart and does well in the slot.
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