Colts clean house

[Busted by the Feds 9]

The Polians are out and so is all the front office staff. That means Jim Caldwell and his staff are almost gone too. Wow, how one neck injury changes everything huh ?

[IndyTom 0]

The Polians are out and so is all the front office staff. That means Jim Caldwell and his staff are almost gone too. Wow, how one neck injury changes everything huh ?

 

I bet we go after a coach that wants a little more power than the Polians were willing to relinquish.

[mzf5c5 0]

Rumors were that Jim wanted Bill to fire Chris and he wouldn't, so that lead to both being let go.

 

Hopefully the new GM comes in and cleans house on the coaching staff also. Should be an interesting couple months for Colts and their fans.

[PATSSOX 22]

Havent heard much from the Colts boys this year 'mzf5' and 'kmbryant'

 

Are you hoping they draft Luck or you wanting to still hang onto Manning for another 10 years?? If Green Bay can run Favre out of town then surely Indy can run Manning out of town. Is Luck the next Rodgers

[gocolts 300]

Rumors were that Jim wanted Bill to fire Chris and he wouldn't, so that lead to both being let go.

 

Hopefully the new GM comes in and cleans house on the coaching staff also. Should be an interesting couple months for Colts and their fans.

:thumbsup: I still wont sleep easy until Caldwell is gone. Worst coach ever.

[JT 137]

Havent heard much from the Colts boys this year 'mzf5' and 'kmbryant'

 

Are you hoping they draft Luck or you wanting to still hang onto Manning for another 10 years?? If Green Bay can run Favre out of town then surely Indy can run Manning out of town. Is Luck the next Rodgers

 

I think it's the first step in cutting ties with Manning.

[msudavedawg 5]

I never envisioned the Colts or Irsay letting Manning go out on anything other than his own terms. That seems highly in doubt now. His only option in remaining a Colt is probably to get behind the now inevitable Andrew Luck pick and I don't see him spending the last 5 years in a rebuilding effort if he can still perform at a high level and win somewhere else. I still think the Colts best bet is to trade Luck and use the extra picks to build around Manning while looking to rounds 2-4 or subsequent drafts for their next QB. My money is now on them trading Manning and using the picks to build around Luck. The only problem there is most of the core is old and probably on the way out too so you have a situation where you are trying to replace everything at once. Luck could end up as the next David Carr or Vinny Testaverde, playing on a lot of bad teams and ruining his potential where at best he ends up a servicable QB but nothing special.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

I thought it was interesting that one of Luck's coaches at Stanford is a Polian.

[Kopy 592]

:thumbsup: I still wont sleep easy until Caldwell is gone. Worst coach ever.

Need I remind you of the Wade Phillips Buffalo tenure?

 

Or, dare I even say:

Rich Kotite

[TD Ryan2 316]

I think it's the first step in cutting ties with Manning.

I never envisioned the Colts or Irsay letting Manning go out on anything other than his own terms. That seems highly in doubt now.

 

ESPN was reporting last night that Manning was in a meeting with Bill Polian when Polian was summoned to the owners office and then fired, Manning was "shocked".

 

I despise Bill Poilian. He's an ass hole of a person and used his position on the competition committee to tweak the games/rules to favor Manning and the Colts style of play - he did it for years and now we have the "no touching" "play nice" rules in the NFL that allow passing records to be shattered every year.

 

BUT - Polian is a NE fans version of Belichick - Polian was damn good at what he did and the real reason I hate him is probably that he made the Colts better, that he was a tough S.O.B. who put a winning team on the field and pressed the envelope on all fronts for his Colts to win.

[mzf5c5 0]

Havent heard much from the Colts boys this year 'mzf5' and 'kmbryant'

 

Are you hoping they draft Luck or you wanting to still hang onto Manning for another 10 years?? If Green Bay can run Favre out of town then surely Indy can run Manning out of town. Is Luck the next Rodgers

 

I have posted some, just didn't have much to post about. Couple weeks ago, thought I was going to have to come eat my crow, if the Colts went 0-16. And yes, I would have some and ate it!

 

Truthfully, I would not mind them trading away Luck for draft picks, if people and Manning feel he can play. I like the fact we will get some higher picks for a change, even if it meant, watching this team die slowing. I don't see Indy letting Manning just walk. When if nothing, they could restructure and trade him away. Manning isn't greedy like Farve, Farve wanted out of GB, Manning has said he wants to retire a Colt and stay his entire time here.

 

I know he said he was surprised that Bill was fired, I think it goes to what I said above. Bill wouldn't fire his son, so both had to go. Rumors were that Manning and Chris did not get along.

 

I also believe, Luck and Manning can co-exsist. I have never heard of anything more stupid. Even if Luck is "NFL Ready", sitting a year or two would not be bad. Many QB's did this! And Many have been successful.

 

As far as Caldwell, letting the GM decide the Coaching staff might be worthy of waiting on him getting fired.

[redtodd 7]

Manning isn't greedy like Farve,

 

No? Then why did he negotiate a huge long term contract while knowing he couldn't play? Unless there is a restructure, he will get $50 Mil of it before playing a game. Great way to help the team out.

[mzf5c5 0]

No? Then why did he negotiate a huge long term contract while knowing he couldn't play? Unless there is a restructure, he will get $50 Mil of it before playing a game. Great way to help the team out.

 

Manning told Irsay not to make him the highest paid player. At the time of the signing, I do believe they said their hope was Manning would be out first 6 weeks or less, then be able to play. They took a gamble.

 

The time of the contract was just at a bad time for both. But the Colts weren't just going to let him sit without a contract and let some other team come get him.

 

Also, he deserves that money for what he has done for the Colts. Let's face it, we would not have been as dominating the last 10+ years without him.

[RoadLizard 73]

ESPN was reporting last night that Manning was in a meeting with Bill Polian when Polian was summoned to the owners office and then fired, Manning was "shocked".

 

I despise Bill Poilian. He's an ass hole of a person and used his position on the competition committee to tweak the games/rules to favor Manning and the Colts style of play - he did it for years and now we have the "no touching" "play nice" rules in the NFL that allow passing records to be shattered every year.

 

BUT - Polian is a NE fans version of Belichick - Polian was damn good at what he did and the real reason I hate him is probably that he made the Colts better, that he was a tough S.O.B. who put a winning team on the field and pressed the envelope on all fronts for his Colts to win.

 

Ouch. Like Brady and the Pats offense arent benefitting from these rule changes that allegedly were the master plan of the Evil Dark Lord Bill Polian? C'mon man. If anything, it was a long overdue change. The Pats invented "WR man-handling" and it won them plenty of games. The Rams Super Bowl had the same issue. Its easy to shut down an offense and appear to be a defensive genius when you rape and pillage the other teams WRs.

 

Everywhere Polian has gone hes built some great teams. Maybe its a fluke. I dont think so. Ask the Bills how they've faired since he left. Yuk.

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

ESPN was reporting last night that Manning was in a meeting with Bill Polian when Polian was summoned to the owners office and then fired, Manning was "shocked".

 

I despise Bill Poilian. He's an ass hole of a person and used his position on the competition committee to tweak the games/rules to favor Manning and the Colts style of play - he did it for years and now we have the "no touching" "play nice" rules in the NFL that allow passing records to be shattered every year.

 

BUT - Polian is a NE fans version of Belichick - Polian was damn good at what he did and the real reason I hate him is probably that he made the Colts better, that he was a tough S.O.B. who put a winning team on the field and pressed the envelope on all fronts for his Colts to win.

Was Polian really all that good, beyond drafting Peyton Manning? Sure looked like bare cupboards without Peyton this year.

[kmbryant09 1]

Havent heard much from the Colts boys this year 'mzf5' and 'kmbryant'

 

Are you hoping they draft Luck or you wanting to still hang onto Manning for another 10 years?? If Green Bay can run Favre out of town then surely Indy can run Manning out of town. Is Luck the next Rodgers

Hello there PATSSOX - been busy with the blog writing (probably coming to an end, however), fantasy football, and career changes, but I haven't gone anywhere....

 

In an ideal situation (for me), Peyton Manning is healthy for the next 4 years, and the Colts trade the #1 overall selection to the Browns for #4 pick, ATL's 1st rounder (mid-20's), #36 pick, and next year's 1st and 2nd. Imagine the Colts with a healthy Peyton Manning, a competent Head Coach, and 4 of the top 36 picks in April's draft. But, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team:

 

-Will they take Luck or trade the pick? I'm personally not sold on Luck. He's obviously had a tremendous college career, and no doubt has the tools to play in the NFL. I'm not calling him a system QB, but he's had the great fortune of playing behind one of the most dominant OLine's in recent memory and a top running game. Sure, he doesn't have elite talent at WR, but he had one of the best TE groups in the entire country. If Indy drafted him, he'd be entering nearly an opposite situation - some great skill players, but no OLine/running game to speak of.

 

-Freeney/Mathis. Mathis is a free agent, but prefers to stay in Indy (if the price is right). Dwight Freeney's cap hit next year is something like $19 million! I could see him re-structuring, most likely signing a 2 year extension that lowers his yearly cap hit, or being released if the Colts go into full-on rebuilding mode. Would love to see Freeney re-negotiate to help make room for Mathis' contract.

 

-Reggie Wayne. He'd be a key factor if the Colts plan on making another SB run in the next few years, but he'll be grossly overpaid. He's nothing more than an elite route runner at this point in his career. He's lost any ability to get behind the secondary, and has lost a bit of his separation skills. If he'd take a 2 or 3 year deal for ~5 million a season, I'd love to see him back; but my guess is some stupid team gives him 4 years/$30million.

 

-Veterans. The status of Gary Brackett (MLB), Jeff Saturday ©, Melvin Bullitt (SS), Ryan Diem (OT/OG), Joseph Addai (RB), and Dallas Clark (TE) are all in doubt. Brackett is 100% gone, so is Diem. Addai should really be let go, but I could see him returning if Peyton is back at QB (Peyton LOVES Addai). Bullitt is a solid player, but apparently has been taking classes at Bob Sanders' school of injuries, so he's probably gone as well. Saturday will consider retirement, but I think his decision will be tied to Manning - he'll be back for 1 or 2 more years if Manning's still playing. Not too sure about Clark - on one hand he was a top5 TE with Manning throwing him the ball. On the other hand, he's been injured the past 2 years, developed a bad habit of drops this season, and really looked AWFUL all season long (slow, disengaged). He's getting old, so he could be gone.

 

Ultimately, the next 4 months will probably be most interesting for Colts fans - more so than any other franchise in the NFL. We could see a ton of turnover - including Peyton Manning - if they decide on a re-building mode. But I'll end with this: it takes most teams 3-4 years to successfully rebuild a roster; I truly believe the Colts can do it in 1, maybe 2 years. Think about it - Peyton Manning, 4 top rookies, an extra 1st and 2nd rounder next year, and (finally) a competent Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. That'd be enough to win the AFC South, and if Manning really is 100%, it'd likely be enough to compete for a SB over the next few years...

[kmbryant09 1]

Was Polian really all that good, beyond drafting Peyton Manning? Sure looked like bare cupboards without Peyton this year.

He was really good, at least until a few years ago.

 

He helped build the Buffalo team that went to 4 straight Super Bowl's. And I believe he also helped the Carolina Panthers to an NFC Championship in their 2nd year in existence (?).

 

He also drafted Peyton Manning, Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, and Reggie Wayne in a matter of 5 or 6 years with his top picks.

 

Unfortunately, he's selected Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh, Donald Brown, and Jerry Hughes with his latest picks. He's completely ignored his offensive line (until it was too late) which probably attributed to Manning's injury. He completely botched the Colts' secondary - having no replacement for Bob Sanders, jettisoned K. Hayden and J. Tryon (2 competent CB's) while keeping a guy like J. Lacey as a starter (not even a decent backup). He's also ignored special teams when they've single-handedly cost the Colts 2 or 3 playoff victories.

 

He deserves a lot of credit for his early-career accomplishments, but this firing was probably 2 years overdue.

[TD Ryan2 316]

Ouch. Like Brady and the Pats offense arent benefitting from these rule changes that allegedly were the master plan of the Evil Dark Lord Bill Polian? C'mon man. If anything, it was a long overdue change. The Pats invented "WR man-handling" and it won them plenty of games. The Rams Super Bowl had the same issue. Its easy to shut down an offense and appear to be a defensive genius when you rape and pillage the other teams WRs.

 

Everywhere Polian has gone hes built some great teams. Maybe its a fluke. I dont think so. Ask the Bills how they've faired since he left. Yuk.

 

The Pats ARE benefitting from these rule changes - their entire philosophy has changed to adapt to the "no touching" NFL rules - NE has become the Colts and pretty much every (winning) team in the NFL has followed too (see GB, NO, even PIT is a passing team now).

 

And I agree, Polian IS that good - he's a Patriot fan's version of Bill Belichick in many ways.

[RoadLizard 73]

The Pats ARE benefitting from these rule changes - their entire philosophy has changed to adapt to the "no touching" NFL rules - NE has become the Colts and pretty much every (winning) team in the NFL has followed too (see GB, NO, even PIT is a passing team now).

 

And I agree, Polian IS that good - he's a Patriot fan's version of Bill Belichick in many ways.

 

Actually - I dont care for the overuse of the pass interference calls myself. I enjoy when the DBs and WRs battle it out for the ball.

 

And, as always - The Pats are smart to have made the changes that they did. Its called good coaching and I expect nothing less from Bill B.

[unclemercy 53]

Hello there PATSSOX - been busy with the blog writing (probably coming to an end, however), fantasy football, and career changes, but I haven't gone anywhere....

 

In an ideal situation (for me), Peyton Manning is healthy for the next 4 years, and the Colts trade the #1 overall selection to the Browns for #4 pick, ATL's 1st rounder (mid-20's), #36 pick, and next year's 1st and 2nd. Imagine the Colts with a healthy Peyton Manning, a competent Head Coach, and 4 of the top 36 picks in April's draft. But, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team:

 

-Will they take Luck or trade the pick? I'm personally not sold on Luck. He's obviously had a tremendous college career, and no doubt has the tools to play in the NFL. I'm not calling him a system QB, but he's had the great fortune of playing behind one of the most dominant OLine's in recent memory and a top running game. Sure, he doesn't have elite talent at WR, but he had one of the best TE groups in the entire country. If Indy drafted him, he'd be entering nearly an opposite situation - some great skill players, but no OLine/running game to speak of.

 

-Freeney/Mathis. Mathis is a free agent, but prefers to stay in Indy (if the price is right). Dwight Freeney's cap hit next year is something like $19 million! I could see him re-structuring, most likely signing a 2 year extension that lowers his yearly cap hit, or being released if the Colts go into full-on rebuilding mode. Would love to see Freeney re-negotiate to help make room for Mathis' contract.

 

-Reggie Wayne. He'd be a key factor if the Colts plan on making another SB run in the next few years, but he'll be grossly overpaid. He's nothing more than an elite route runner at this point in his career. He's lost any ability to get behind the secondary, and has lost a bit of his separation skills. If he'd take a 2 or 3 year deal for ~5 million a season, I'd love to see him back; but my guess is some stupid team gives him 4 years/$30million.

 

-Veterans. The status of Gary Brackett (MLB), Jeff Saturday ©, Melvin Bullitt (SS), Ryan Diem (OT/OG), Joseph Addai (RB), and Dallas Clark (TE) are all in doubt. Brackett is 100% gone, so is Diem. Addai should really be let go, but I could see him returning if Peyton is back at QB (Peyton LOVES Addai). Bullitt is a solid player, but apparently has been taking classes at Bob Sanders' school of injuries, so he's probably gone as well. Saturday will consider retirement, but I think his decision will be tied to Manning - he'll be back for 1 or 2 more years if Manning's still playing. Not too sure about Clark - on one hand he was a top5 TE with Manning throwing him the ball. On the other hand, he's been injured the past 2 years, developed a bad habit of drops this season, and really looked AWFUL all season long (slow, disengaged). He's getting old, so he could be gone.

 

Ultimately, the next 4 months will probably be most interesting for Colts fans - more so than any other franchise in the NFL. We could see a ton of turnover - including Peyton Manning - if they decide on a re-building mode. But I'll end with this: it takes most teams 3-4 years to successfully rebuild a roster; I truly believe the Colts can do it in 1, maybe 2 years. Think about it - Peyton Manning, 4 top rookies, an extra 1st and 2nd rounder next year, and (finally) a competent Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. That'd be enough to win the AFC South, and if Manning really is 100%, it'd likely be enough to compete for a SB over the next few years...

 

 

solid post.

 

i have to declare career league keepers by the end of the week. i have peyton on my squad. hold or cut bait?

 

please keep in mind rosters are small and my only other quarterback is tim tebow hallowed be his name.

[kmbryant09 1]

solid post.

 

i have to declare career league keepers by the end of the week. i have peyton on my squad. hold or cut bait?

 

please keep in mind rosters are small and my only other quarterback is tim tebow hallowed be his name.

Tough to say...

 

What are the league requirements - how many can you keep and at what cost?

[RoadLizard 73]

solid post.

 

i have to declare career league keepers by the end of the week. i have peyton on my squad. hold or cut bait?

 

please keep in mind rosters are small and my only other quarterback is tim tebow hallowed be his name.

 

Tell your Commish that having to declare keepers this early is stoopid and needs to be changed immediately. What the frick???

[unclemercy 53]

no penalties. eight man rosters can only retain seven. one round draft.

 

peyton manning

tim tebow

 

marshawn lynch

steven jackson

fred jackson

demarco murray

jamaal charles

 

larry fitz

steve smith

julio jones

 

i have ten players because of two man ir provisions. i had three people on ir and one manning.

 

this squad is a product of an autodraft.

[donkeyboy22 0]

I was always a Polian backer until this year. I realize how many players on the Colts are not as good as I / we thought.. When you dont have #18 to pull your asses out of the fire every Sunday it makes some people look a lot better than they are. What has BP been doing for the last number of years other than surrounding #18 with mediocre talent? How many rings should we have if there was more talent around Manning? I was off the Polian bandwagon since about week 5 so I'm not sad ro see him, or moreso his son, go. Not a caldwell guy either......he brings nothing to the table from a fans point of view.

 

That being said, I hope we're not now in the unenvious position of saying "we got rid of those guys....now what do we do"? 'Id like to think Irsay has some sort of gameplan....it will be interesting.

 

This may be a huge couple of months for Colts fans. It will suck but I envision cutting ties with a number of players who have been here a long time and meant a lot to the Colts and the city. Change sucks but it's inevitable.

[mzf5c5 0]

 

That being said, I hope we're not now in the unenvious position of saying "we got rid of those guys....now what do we do"? 'Id like to think Irsay has some sort of gameplan....it will be interesting.

 

 

After watching his press conference yesterday, I do believe he has a mission and a game plan. He may be out there some days, but he was very professional and serious yesterday, when discussing the Polians and answering other questions about the Colts future. I was impressed.

[PATSSOX 22]

Hello there PATSSOX - been busy with the blog writing (probably coming to an end, however), fantasy football, and career changes, but I haven't gone anywhere....

 

In an ideal situation (for me), Peyton Manning is healthy for the next 4 years, and the Colts trade the #1 overall selection to the Browns for #4 pick, ATL's 1st rounder (mid-20's), #36 pick, and next year's 1st and 2nd. Imagine the Colts with a healthy Peyton Manning, a competent Head Coach, and 4 of the top 36 picks in April's draft. But, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team:

 

-Will they take Luck or trade the pick? I'm personally not sold on Luck. He's obviously had a tremendous college career, and no doubt has the tools to play in the NFL. I'm not calling him a system QB, but he's had the great fortune of playing behind one of the most dominant OLine's in recent memory and a top running game. Sure, he doesn't have elite talent at WR, but he had one of the best TE groups in the entire country. If Indy drafted him, he'd be entering nearly an opposite situation - some great skill players, but no OLine/running game to speak of.

 

Ultimately, the next 4 months will probably be most interesting for Colts fans - more so than any other franchise in the NFL. We could see a ton of turnover - including Peyton Manning - if they decide on a re-building mode. But I'll end with this: it takes most teams 3-4 years to successfully rebuild a roster; I truly believe the Colts can do it in 1, maybe 2 years. Think about it - Peyton Manning, 4 top rookies, an extra 1st and 2nd rounder next year, and (finally) a competent Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. That'd be enough to win the AFC South, and if Manning really is 100%, it'd likely be enough to compete for a SB over the next few years...

 

If i was a Colt fan id want them to draft Luck and keep Manning ensuring good teams for present and future. If Manning still has another 5 years left in tank at same level the figure that out what to do with Luck at that time. But i want my team winning and winning for long time. Guess us Colts and Patriots fans have been spoiled for along time since being awful for so long.

[kmbryant09 1]

If i was a Colt fan id want them to draft Luck and keep Manning ensuring good teams for present and future. If Manning still has another 5 years left in tank at same level the figure that out what to do with Luck at that time. But i want my team winning and winning for long time. Guess us Colts and Patriots fans have been spoiled for along time since being awful for so long.

If Peyton Manning is going to be healthy, I don't see a realistic reason to draft Andrew Luck. At one point this season, I was sure that Manning was done, at least in a Colts' uniform, but now I'm starting to believe that he'll be back for the next few years - and here's why:

 

-Peyton Manning has actually been throwing/practicing. 2 weeks ago, he started throwing passes, and has reportedly thrown 25-30 yard passes with the usual Manning-zip, according to his teammates.

 

-Manning's presence on the sideline. Especially the last few weeks, you could see how badly he wanted his team to win. Did he want the Colts to play themselves out of the Luck-sweepstakes? Did he want his friends to win a few games? Did he want to help Caldwell retain his job? I don't know - but you can tell how loyal he is to the Colts.

 

-Bill Polian is gone. Many people believed that Bill and Peyton haven't been getting along, despite Manning's recent comments. I think it started with Bill's decision to throw away a perfect season, that can never sit well with an organization, especially with a play who wants to win so badly like Manning. It continued this season as Polian tried to keep Manning's injury status a secret as Manning & Irsay released information to the public. Also, Bill Polian was in the process of handing the job over to his son, Chris Polian - and had made it clear that he'd love to leave Chris with a franchise QB (Luck). A Polian is also on staff at Stanford. It could very well be that Irsay simply had to chose between Manning and the Polians.

 

-Irsay's loyalty to Manning. He's made it well known how loyal he is to Peyton, and how much he means to this franchise. I'm really starting to believe that if Manning can play in 2012, Irsay will do everything in his power to make sure he's still in Indy.

 

The problem is, I just don't see how you can pay Manning $35 million this season ($28 million bonus, and $7.5 million salary) and pay Luck ~$15 million (from bonuses and salary). Let's be honest, with Peyton Manning under center, the Colts can compete. With teams like Atlanta (new coach, QB, other pieces), Houston (new defense), and Cincy (new QB and WR) proving that you can turn around a franchise in just a season or two, I think Indy may chose to follow suit. Passing on Luck probably hurts the franchise long-term, but not as much as people think. They'd still have building blocks, it just wouldn't be a franchise QB 5 years from now. They could turn Luck into a stud LT (think Joe Thomas), a starting Safety/Cornerback, a stud DT, and 2 more role players - and still have an immediate chance to win a few SB's with Peyton Manning under center.

[TD Ryan2 316]

kmbryant

[mzf5c5 0]

If Peyton Manning is going to be healthy, I don't see a realistic reason to draft Andrew Luck. At one point this season, I was sure that Manning was done, at least in a Colts' uniform, but now I'm starting to believe that he'll be back for the next few years - and here's why:

 

-Peyton Manning has actually been throwing/practicing. 2 weeks ago, he started throwing passes, and has reportedly thrown 25-30 yard passes with the usual Manning-zip, according to his teammates.

 

-Manning's presence on the sideline. Especially the last few weeks, you could see how badly he wanted his team to win. Did he want the Colts to play themselves out of the Luck-sweepstakes? Did he want his friends to win a few games? Did he want to help Caldwell retain his job? I don't know - but you can tell how loyal he is to the Colts.

 

-Bill Polian is gone. Many people believed that Bill and Peyton haven't been getting along, despite Manning's recent comments. I think it started with Bill's decision to throw away a perfect season, that can never sit well with an organization, especially with a play who wants to win so badly like Manning. It continued this season as Polian tried to keep Manning's injury status a secret as Manning & Irsay released information to the public. Also, Bill Polian was in the process of handing the job over to his son, Chris Polian - and had made it clear that he'd love to leave Chris with a franchise QB (Luck). A Polian is also on staff at Stanford. It could very well be that Irsay simply had to chose between Manning and the Polians.

 

-Irsay's loyalty to Manning. He's made it well known how loyal he is to Peyton, and how much he means to this franchise. I'm really starting to believe that if Manning can play in 2012, Irsay will do everything in his power to make sure he's still in Indy.

 

The problem is, I just don't see how you can pay Manning $35 million this season ($28 million bonus, and $7.5 million salary) and pay Luck ~$15 million (from bonuses and salary). Let's be honest, with Peyton Manning under center, the Colts can compete. With teams like Atlanta (new coach, QB, other pieces), Houston (new defense), and Cincy (new QB and WR) proving that you can turn around a franchise in just a season or two, I think Indy may chose to follow suit. Passing on Luck probably hurts the franchise long-term, but not as much as people think. They'd still have building blocks, it just wouldn't be a franchise QB 5 years from now. They could turn Luck into a stud LT (think Joe Thomas), a starting Safety/Cornerback, a stud DT, and 2 more role players - and still have an immediate chance to win a few SB's with Peyton Manning under center.

 

Really good stuff. Most of what I believe, or at least would not mind happening. We also have Freeney sitting at 19 million, I think you mentioned earlier, I knew this as well. Irsay mentioned our salary cap issues also, which I am not sure who you blame for that? Maybe the Polians as well?

 

I was at least happy to see Chris was willing to pick up some free agents, two of them that actually played well for us. Sims and Anderson. But some many stories started coming out about Chris was a reason Howard left and so many others wanted out because of him.

 

Would Luck get that much? I don't remember what the rookie salary cap was set at. I see Manning willing to restructure because he got paid so much this year and didn't play. I truely believe that bothered him.

[Vikings4ever 568]

Really good stuff. Most of what I believe, or at least would not mind happening. We also have Freeney sitting at 19 million, I think you mentioned earlier, I knew this as well. Irsay mentioned our salary cap issues also, which I am not sure who you blame for that? Maybe the Polians as well?

 

I was at least happy to see Chris was willing to pick up some free agents, two of them that actually played well for us. Sims and Anderson. But some many stories started coming out about Chris was a reason Howard left and so many others wanted out because of him.

 

Would Luck get that much? I don't remember what the rookie salary cap was set at. I see Manning willing to restructure because he got paid so much this year and didn't play. I truely believe that bothered him.

Newton signed for 4 years, 22 million, all of it guarenteed.

[kmbryant09 1]

Really good stuff. Most of what I believe, or at least would not mind happening. We also have Freeney sitting at 19 million, I think you mentioned earlier, I knew this as well. Irsay mentioned our salary cap issues also, which I am not sure who you blame for that? Maybe the Polians as well?

 

I was at least happy to see Chris was willing to pick up some free agents, two of them that actually played well for us. Sims and Anderson. But some many stories started coming out about Chris was a reason Howard left and so many others wanted out because of him.

 

Would Luck get that much? I don't remember what the rookie salary cap was set at. I see Manning willing to restructure because he got paid so much this year and didn't play. I truely believe that bothered him.

Yeah, hopefully the new GM/Head Coach are willing to sign Free Agents - anything would be an upgrade over the Polian regime.

 

As for Luck's salary, I'm not too sure. I was aware of Newton's cap-friendly numbers, but heard on NFL Network that Lucks Year 1 cap-hit would be around $15 million because of the bonus structure....I could be wrong.

 

But I agree, hopefully Manning (and Freeney) re-structure their contracts. That, coupled with the departures of Brackett/Addai/Clark/Bullitt/Diem - and I could actually see the Colts making a splash in Free Agency...Secondary???

[kmbryant09 1]

kmbryant

Good to see ya TD Ryan, sorry for the long departure....

 

What are your thoughts about the Colts??

 

I'm like a 50/50 Manning/Colts fan, so I feel I'm a bit biased towards retaining Manning. But if healthy, can you really ditch the (potentially) greatest QB of all-time for an unproven 22 year old??

[shovelheadt 71]

Here's a unique option that I've not heard mentioned. Let's say Manning ends up with a clean bill of health. I think we're all in agreement that the Colts have multiple holes to fill.

 

- Trade Manning

- Trade the pick

- Sign someone like Flynn

 

You talk about getting healthy REAL quick. They'd have studs in every position, and the money to pay them.

[MedStudent 56]

I don't see the colts trading manning. They can't ttrade him before the 28 million dollar bonus is due. So if they trade him after that bonus, they will get hit with a massive salary cap hit. Probably better off to use that money on free agents and cut manning. And what motivation would manning have to push back the bonus date so that the colts could trade him? Manning would rather have it so his future team would not have to give up a lot to acquire him.

 

 

[TD Ryan2 316]

Good to see ya TD Ryan, sorry for the long departure....

 

What are your thoughts about the Colts??

I think it suxor having them suxor so bad.

Wanna' know why the AFC seems so week?

Wanna' know why a flawed Pats team still should roll thru?

Wanna' know why it seems so odd/weird this year?

It's partly the lockout.

BUT it's partly NO Manning/vColts too.

Unless Brady sees Rodgers or Brees in the SB, there are no great QB battles.

 

What are my thoughts? I want Manning to play as a Colt ONLY if he's truly healthy. I don't want some reduced/gimp version back and I don't want a truly healthy version wearing different laundry either.

Either way, IND will miss Bill Polian. Every successful organization has a hard ass guy that makes few friends but gets results - usually he's in operations or finance - but he's the "yin" to some happy/likeable/CEO's "yang" (i.e. Peyton Manning).

[Frozenbeernuts 2,331]

I was always a Polian backer until this year. I realize how many players on the Colts are not as good as I / we thought.. When you dont have #18 to pull your asses out of the fire every Sunday it makes some people look a lot better than they are. What has BP been doing for the last number of years other than surrounding #18 with mediocre talent? How many rings should we have if there was more talent around Manning? I was off the Polian bandwagon since about week 5 so I'm not sad ro see him, or moreso his son, go. Not a caldwell guy either......he brings nothing to the table from a fans point of view.

 

That being said, I hope we're not now in the unenvious position of saying "we got rid of those guys....now what do we do"? 'Id like to think Irsay has some sort of gameplan....it will be interesting.

 

This may be a huge couple of months for Colts fans. It will suck but I envision cutting ties with a number of players who have been here a long time and meant a lot to the Colts and the city. Change sucks but it's inevitable.

I never understood why their defense was so bad. Their offense was so elite for almost every year manning was there. Why the hell didnt they keep drafting defensive talent when there was little need to upgrade at wr? I think it was more polean's son drafting the questionable talent. If you are bill and you saw your son doing this and allowed him to screw up a franchise just because he is "your son" then i want no part of him.

 

Got to love when people bring family in who suck at their job but keep them in a position of power just because they dont have the heart to do the right thing.

[kmbryant09 1]

I think it suxor having them suxor so bad.

Wanna' know why the AFC seems so week?

Wanna' know why a flawed Pats team still should roll thru?

Wanna' know why it seems so odd/weird this year?

It's partly the lockout.

BUT it's partly NO Manning/vColts too.

Unless Brady sees Rodgers or Brees in the SB, there are no great QB battles.

 

What are my thoughts? I want Manning to play as a Colt ONLY if he's truly healthy. I don't want some reduced/gimp version back and I don't want a truly healthy version wearing different laundry either.

Either way, IND will miss Bill Polian. Every successful organization has a hard ass guy that makes few friends but gets results - usually he's in operations or finance - but he's the "yin" to some happy/likeable/CEO's "yang" (i.e. Peyton Manning).

Yeah, agreed about the lack of Brady/Manning games...And I can't help but be a little bitter that the 1 season Manning misses happens to be the year of the QB...4 of the top 6 passing yard seasons happened this year...

 

As for Bill Polian, I'd agree with your statement 4 years ago. He was never liked, but did get results (Manning, Edge, Wayne, Clark, Sanders, Freeney, 2 SB appearances, 1 SB win, 4,287 straight 10+ win seasons), but he lost his fastball. He royally screwed up the last 4 drafts, refused to make any splash into free agency, and failed to address an aging/declining offensive line. His time was up.

 

I never understood why their defense was so bad. Their offense was so elite for almost every year manning was there. Why the hell didnt they keep drafting defensive talent when there was little need to upgrade at wr? I think it was more polean's son drafting the questionable talent. If you are bill and you saw your son doing this and allowed him to screw up a franchise just because he is "your son" then i want no part of him.

 

Got to love when people bring family in who suck at their job but keep them in a position of power just because they dont have the heart to do the right thing.

Bill Polian thought that the Cover-2 defense put the emphasis on the scheme, not the players. Bill didn't think his team needed a 350 pound DT to stop the run. He didn't think his team needed big, physical, play-making LBers. He didn't think he needed elite talent in the secondary. He wanted a fast MLB, and a good-hitting safety. It's mind-boggling.

[mzf5c5 0]

Yeah, hopefully the new GM/Head Coach are willing to sign Free Agents - anything would be an upgrade over the Polian regime.

 

As for Luck's salary, I'm not too sure. I was aware of Newton's cap-friendly numbers, but heard on NFL Network that Lucks Year 1 cap-hit would be around $15 million because of the bonus structure....I could be wrong.

 

But I agree, hopefully Manning (and Freeney) re-structure their contracts. That, coupled with the departures of Brackett/Addai/Clark/Bullitt/Diem - and I could actually see the Colts making a splash in Free Agency...Secondary???

 

If we trade away anything, I hope we use those pics on secondary help!!! I don't know who might be available in FA for that, last year had soooo many options and we took none of them. We let go Hayden and Tryon and you saw how bad our secondary was this year. I still say Bethea is one of the most underrated safeties in the league. I read somewhere even if Brackett leaves, he only frees up like 700k and most of his salary will still count against the cap. I would love to see us keep him and move him outside. Angerer, Conner, Wheeler, Sims and Bracket would be 5 nice LBer's.

 

I will follow Manning anywhere he goes, but I truely hope he stays a Colt.

[unclemercy 53]

Tell your Commish that having to declare keepers this early is stoopid and needs to be changed immediately. What the frick???

 

 

yes i have already said as much. then i punched him in his face in front of his ugly family but keepers are still due by the end of the week.

[msudavedawg 5]

I never understood why their defense was so bad.

 

They were designed around Manning and the Offense putting up a sick amount of points. Either you put the opposing team into such a big hole that they were forced to throw and then Freeny and Mathis just teed of on them or you won it in a shootout, which Manning was very good at doing.

 

It backfired if teams got ahead because they could just run the ball, wear down the undersized Indy D and control the clock.