Why was Ed Johnson cut? Simple, because he stinks
by Brad Wells on Oct 14, 2009 6:38 PM EDT
in Colts News
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PrintAs always, John Oehser gives us the goods.
Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell on the release Wednesday of DT Ed Johnson: "It was production. It was a lack thereof."
So, this had nothing to do with any violation of his zero tolerance policy. He wasn't caught with drugs, hookers, or a midget with a camera in a hotel room.
The Colts cut Ed Johnson because he stinks.
When Jim Caldwell was hired, one of the first things he stressed as his theme was accountability. During his open press conferences, he quoted the age old poem from an unknown author:
Excuses are tools of the incompetent
which create monuments
of nothingness
those who specialize in them
are seldom
good in anything.
The coaches and players are all accountable for the work they did, how they carry themselves, and how that translates to the final result on the football field. No excuses. No nonsense. Perform well, or hit the road.
Since his hiring, Caldwell has backed up that theme of accountability with action. We've seen coordinators Ron Meeks and Russ Purnell shown the door, Tony Ugoh benched, and now Ed Johnson cut from the roster.
Yep, I really like Jim Caldwell.
Tip to psvirsky
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I Want To Believe
But the run defense looked sooo much better these last few games. I hope our 2nd rounder is at least have as good as our 3rd…
by DClark#44 on Oct 14, 2009 6:45 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I like the title of your post BBS,
Short and to the point. I’m going to re-watch the Titans game, and see if It’s true.
Thanks for printing that poem, I’m going to write that down and post it in my teenage son’s room!
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
I'm sure he will love you
for that.
Now a proud annoyance on Stampede Blue, 18to88, Indy Football Report, and Phil B's blog.
Man, I need a life...
Random fact of the week from the empty void that is my mind: I'm pretty sure there was a whole lot of swearing when this gem was first produced.
i would think
that it woulnt have been just for that one game it would be fore all the games he has played in. what is wierd is he has been just as productive as antonio johnson so i would think it isn’t his production but mabye his hustle
by TheAngelsColts on Oct 14, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you being sarcastic? Teenagers--sheesh~ LOL
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
For what it's worth
A good place to start is by going over to 18to88.com – someone bothered to document about a dozen plays from the Titans game and see how much Ed Johnson helped. Made me feel better about this move. Good reading
"If you don't [draft me], I promise you I'll come back and kick your ass for the next 15 years."
it's easy to like the coach...
when you are 5-0. if he was making the same moves, holding people accountable and we were 2-3, would you feel the same way?
i like Jim too, just playing devil’s advocate.
thats backwards kind of
normally u want to see the coach make moves when u are doing bad and u would like that he is cause it shows he is trying to change something i think most of the time it is when u are doing well like we are that you dont always like changes being made cause u feel things are going well so u are a little sceptical of change.
by TheAngelsColts on Oct 14, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I think this is so hard for many of us to believe,
because he was so good in 2007. He was one of the main cogs in our defense and we obviously missed him greatly in 2008. To think that he just went the Tony Ugoh route and got complacent is hard to believe, but that’s what appeared to happen.
Ed Johnson is still an idiot for completely throwing his career away. It’s just he’s an idiot for not trying instead of breaking the law.
Now a proud annoyance on Stampede Blue, 18to88, Indy Football Report, and Phil B's blog.
Man, I need a life...
Random fact of the week from the empty void that is my mind: I'm pretty sure there was a whole lot of swearing when this gem was first produced.
Yet again I don’t understand the name calling. Is Adrian Grady an idiot for getting cut? What about Terrance Taylor? Or anyone who has ever been cut for that matter. Do you really think they “threw their careers away” just because they were cut? No, no they didn’t. They just aren’t as good as what people around here think according to the people who run the show in the Colts organization. I highly doubt Ed came into the season thinking he had it all on lockdown and that he could do what he wanted without any repercussions. There’s no doubt in my mind someone in the Colts organization told him this prior to signing him.
The thing is, I never really thought Ed was “great” anyways. The 2007 defense was pretty good yes, but I think the 2009 season is loads better even without Ed. Regardless of what I think, the main problem is that damn hype machine plays some crazy games on people’s minds around here.
Example: Such and such player does pretty well for a bit and then all of the sudden said player is crowned as a perennial Pro-Bowler and future HoFer and is the greatest player in the world (cough Addai). When the reality of the situation is he’s just ok. Ed is the same way. Ed has his moments, but there was nothing he did that warranted such a love fest and to make us all believe that the Colts couldn’t do better without him. Just like with Charlie Johnson filling in at LT. He’s played admirably to date, but there’s no way in hell you or anyone is going to convince me that CJ is the LT of the future. No %$#@ing way. The Colts could do much, much better.
Anyways, back to the main point. Insulting big Ed for getting cut is completely absurd and unjustified. You can’t fault a guy for trying and falling short. He just didn’t have what it takes and that’s that.
Hit em with your groin!
not the same
Grady and Taylor were never good enough. Ed was good enough to start for a year and a quarter. He regressed.
I agree that that doesn’t make him an idiot, necessarily, but it isn’t at all the same as those other guys.
What I don’t get is why he was still starting all along and didn’t get demoted.
A few things real fast.
I’m not so sure Grady and Taylor were never good enough. I think they were merely victims of circumstance more than anything. Too much depth ahead of them and their inexperience cost them in the end.
As for Ed being a starter for an entire year; he had no choice. There was literally no one else there to play.
Hit em with your groin!
They didn't come anywhere near expectations
And in fact ended up still being beaten out by this Gill guy that none of us ever heard of.
Don’t you think that if either of them had any talent whatsoever they’d be on a roster right now? Grady couldn’t even make the RAMS.
I don’t understand the love affair people have with these two. They were big DTs and we didn’t have those last year, but come on. They couldn’t hack it.
As for Ed being a starter? Well, yeah, they did have a choice. They could’ve put Muir or Foster out there.
Starter means less on the D Line, at least, because it’s a rotation. But still. It’s strange.
1) If you want Hype Machine, go to a Toronto Maple Leafs board… oy vei.
2) I don’t believe Ed Johnson was all that hyped. I believe he’s better than you give him credit for, but I don’t think he’s a pro-bowler or HOFer (But they didn’t/don’t need him to be)
3) Does someone really believe Charlie JOhnson is the LT of the Future? I think he’s an admirable stop-gap, but no way is he the future (I hope??). I wish we had a Clady to play LT and could concentrate on Ugoh, Pollak, DeVan, and Johnson at RG/RT till we got an absolute beastly OL.
I think CJ could be a competent LT for a while or the RT of the future.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 14, 2009 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Agree
He is solid. I’m not overhyping him, he’s a solid player and I’m glad we have him.
Ugoh was overhyped, definitely not CJ
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
the stamping continues
Even though he was signed after Jim Caldwell was hired and had already started making his moves, its just another stamp his team. the film doesnt lie and evidently they felt he was not progressing along as much the staff felt he should have been. Obviously he was one that was "dogging’ it and it sends a message to the team. I expect to see John Gill come off the practice squad and Terrance Taylor or Adrian Grady signed to the squad.
sean smither
im not so sure that we would sign either
they seem like they are willing to just have it be foster and moala along with muir getting some time
by TheAngelsColts on Oct 14, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
While I’m still skeptical of this move, Caldwell has made enough good decisions so far for me to trust in his judgement. Muir was arguably playing better than Big Ed anyway, so I don’t anticipate there being any sort of defensive drop-off going into the rest of the season. At least for now…
True
It comes back to cut vs demoted. Obviously they needed to open a roster spot for Stover, but I am surprised that they cut a starting DT on a team that has traditionally lacked in the DT department.
They could have easily cut Simpson or Hart again and no one would have cared.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to say I'm surprised.
I mean, the guy started, what 21 out of 22 games? Is he better than say, Chad Simpson? He must have been a LOT worse than what we (i.e. me) sees in games. Of course, if he loafs in practice and Simpson does not, I suppose I can see why he was cut. Still, I’m surprised.
Next poll
Which team will be the first to bring him in for a look-see?
How can you not love a team that does this?
I assume she meant AFTER the Titans
The Titans would be a given, no? He’s probably got a lease signed on a Nashville apartment already, a short drive to Nick Harper’s hospital room and near David Thornton.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Chargers also need a DT
A Steelers 3-4 DE went down recently, they could give him a look too.
I hope someone gives him a chance. I like him and hope it turns out for the best.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
PATS or TITANS
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
by BlueMark1821 on Oct 14, 2009 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Kuharsky suggested SD and someone else, maybe (probably) the Titans
"If you don't [draft me], I promise you I'll come back and kick your ass for the next 15 years."
gosh
that would be awesome if he could go to the chargers. Would be awesome to lose to them again, courtesy one of our own.
No way
- no way they lose to the Chargers, regardless of who they acquire. They’re fucked.
- no way they pick up Ed. It doesn’t make sense. He’s not a 3-4 type player unless he just magically knows how to play two gaps. Which I highly doubt.
at this point
I think the Chargers are almost forced to pull a patriots and switch to 4-3. They clearly don’t have anyone to replace uhm, I’m forgetting his name, Jamaal… Williams? They can either play a 3-4 with undersized linemen or switch to a 4-3 and play their LBs at DE occassionally.
kind of counterintutive to switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 after losing a DT
though they could probably pull it off (that it would improve the D would be a stretch). DEs inside to DT. Two DEs and a SAM from Merriman, Phillips and English and the MLBs are the MIKE and WILL.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 15, 2009 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions
they didnt lose a DT
they lost a NT.. Not trying to be obtuse, but they don’t have anyone that is 400lbs, can play a 2-gap, and get any penetration. I know that they are a 3-4 team, but they don’t have anyone on the roster than can play the NT position. You can move the DEs to DT, LBs to DE… i mean, it sounds sorta ‘maddenish’, but they cannot stop the run to save their lives. If you bring in Johnson, you have 1/2 of a run stopping DT rotation. I dunno. Personally i hope they don’t fix it and go 2-14.
should have said DL
I knew what you were getting at, and it could work, it just seems odd. Like the Pats switch was because of a lack of LBs and wealth of D linemen, the Chargers would be putting more defensive linemen onto the field after they lost one, it’s counter-intuitive, but makes since in that they don’t have the 2 gap NT like you said.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 15, 2009 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Panthers.
Since Meeks has taken the DT curse with him, they have noone.
"It's the greatest job in the world until Peyton comes off the field and you think his thumb might be broken and there's three minutes left in the AFC Championship Game and you're down by three to New England and you haven't taken a snap all year. Yeah, it's a great job until that point." - Jim Sorgi
by gizzardfanny on Oct 15, 2009 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Something does stink
I think I read somewhere on this site that Ed Johnson was the DT drawing double teams from the opposition.
If that’s true, I find it rather amazing that Ed Johnson would be cut for poor play.
someone said they
thought that mabye he was but were not sure. but im interested to now who will get the major reps after johnson and next to foster will it be moala/muir?? who is the better choice do u think although it is all kinda hard to say as moala hasnt played at all this regular season yet
by TheAngelsColts on Oct 14, 2009 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I want Foster
He’s been awesome this year, and I was leading his bandwagon this preseason.
"Brett Favre was a man who thought he was retired, but he knew it wouldn't last."
no i def. do also and think he should be the starter
but i was wondering if they use him as they are now then the other two or one of them well get some playing so which one but im def. on for foste4r
by TheAngelsColts on Oct 14, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions
But
then we are back in the same boat as we were last year. Foster is a little bigger, but IMO having that size up front is a major reason why we were doing so much better this year against the run. For that reason, I think Muir should start along Antonio with Foster coming in on passing situations. If Muir sucks, then we can say I told you so and good luck with Foster and (hopefully) an ever-improving Moala.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
not last game
he only drew double teams a few times. What surprised me was how often both Johnsons were blocked by just one man on the same play. And it was reasonably effective.
Ed didn’t get completely dominated like he did in the Miami game, but he wasn’t winning many battles either. He just took up space and was slow in pursuit. Taking up space has some value, but it’s relatively easy to replace that.
Miami
If the Miami game is the measuring stick, then every single defensive player should have been cut.
Ed got pushed around, but a few stops on 3rd down earlier in the game (Jennings, Hayden) could have prevented some of that. Peyton was on fire and that game could have turned out like the Titans game if he had a couple more chances early in the game. I think Ed is the scapegoat for that but the entire defense was playing bad all night. Ed wasn’t the one going offsides all night; he was one of many that missed some crucial tackles, and he wasn’t the one that sat back and let Ginn catch a 5-7 yard out route on every 3rd and 4-6.
I don’t watch the same film as the coaches, and I obviously trust their judgement, but his numbers are comparable with Muir, Antonio and Foster and he has played 4 games to their 5.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions
well yeah
that’s why I’ve been considering it a separate instance. It was Ed’s first game back and their OL was dominant. He and everyone else were all getting blown back on those plays. I never made him a scapegoat for that and I don’t think anyone else did either. Even if he was the worst guy on the field he had a legit excuse – first game in a year.
Numbers barely matter for DTs though. A DT could tie up two blockers on every play and leave a LB free to make a tackle, not register a single one, but still be one of the most valuable players in the game. I don’t put too much stock in the number of tackles he has.
Me either
Bottom line is that I think the waiving has to do with off the field issues more than production on the field. I just don’t see how they can leave him in as a starter for 4 games, defense plays well in 3 out of 4 (everyone played bad vs Miami) and is an NFL leader in most major stats, but all of a sudden the coaches realize that Ed “sucked” and needed to be released. Makes no sense.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
Ths thing that gets me is that this was an all or nothing integer decision
no half measures, no backup spot in the rotation, he went from a starter to unemployed in the blink of an eye. It’s like you come home from work one day and find your dog crapped on the rug—so you drive him to a state park four hours away and abandon him. No doghouse in the backyard, no obedience school.
Even Ugoh didn’t get that bum’s rush.
I still wonder if they’re being totally open….
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Someone had to go to free up room for Stover. I just don’t understand why Ed, a starter on an ever-improving defense, is the one. Simpson or Hart seem more logical to me.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it's disciplinary
Because it’s so unprecedented for a starter on a 5-0 team to be released like that. The obvious question is why not just bench him if he’s slacking off? If Lacey or Powers were to start due to being better corners, would Hayden and Jackson be released?
But to Caldwell’s (and the organization’s) credit, they’re not disclosing what Ed’s infraction was, hence giving him a chance to hook up elsewhere if some team is willing to take a gamble. Or cynically speaking, they’re being secretive to avoid legal problems.
Either way, it’s a damn shame. Best luck to him except when and if he plays against the Colts.
It's not like even have an open roster space
With Stover being signed.
"Brett Favre was a man who thought he was retired, but he knew it wouldn't last."
You don’t think Chad Simpon is expendable? If Gonzo or the Glass Safety come back sometime soon, Silva or Baskett would be expendable (although Baskett might be too skilled to simply cut), probably cant cut Jennings because the secondary can’t stay healthy.
If its purely performance based (which I don’t buy) value based our 4th DT is worth more than our 4th string RB, imo…
well if they believe in Moala Ed is #5
not counting Brock and Dawson who can shift inside.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 14, 2009 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
it's odd
the only thought I’ve had is that with his history it’s unlikely another team would take him (no one would touch him with a 10 foot pole last year) so they might think he’s the guy that’d be the easiest to get back.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 14, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions
that's very possible
that said, declining performance is one thing, but declining effort is something that isn’t looked at kindly. If they thought he could learn a quick lesson and improve, they’d have just demoted him instead of cutting him.
but...
Simpson and Silva have both been cut and no claimed before, so I don’t know. I dont know, this irritates me anyhow. If having a 2nd kicker for the entire year was going to happen, we should have just kept Andrus.
Agree 100%
with the Andrus comment.
What’s lost in all of this talk about declining performance and who is better than Big Ed is how much better our run D is this year than years past. Why cut a guy that is obviously one of the reasons why our run defense and overall defense is better than it was before?
It doesn’t make sense to me.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Disagree with the Andrus comment.
Even if Andrus is more accurate overall than Stover, no one knows yet what will happen to Andrus’ accuracy will go when he’s kicking a game winner, possibly even in the playoffs. Stover is proven. The Colts don’t need a superstar kicker, they just need someone who they know won’t Vandershank under pressure.
You never know till you know, ya know? Vinny is on his last contract with the Colts, if we have to hold 2 spots for a PK, id like to hold a spot for the young guy that might be able to stick around for a while in the future. So right now, here’s what the Colts will be holding INSTEAD of a depth DT: 2 QBs that will hopefully never see the light of day, an extra kicker, a fourth RB that has been removed from the return game.
So let me turn this around: If Ed Johsnon stinks SO fucking bad that he needed to be cut instead of a 3rd QB, 4th RB, a kicker, or Tim Jennings, then a coach needs to be fired for starting him 4 games in a row.
by SpazMo on Oct 14, 2009 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Sorgi is the next Montana (I like Painter more so I am personally demoting Sorgi)
Simpson is the next Hester
Jennings is the next Bailey
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
And, don't forget
that, although Vinatieri is Mr. Clutch when it counts, none of those clutch kicks would have been necessary if he had made the easy ones earlier in the game.
The kick in the tuck rule game was pretty awesome though.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
/Raiders fan at that time
How can you not love a team that does this?
refer to my sig for my thoughts on that
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 15, 2009 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions
well, obviously
they’d have kept Andrus if they knew this was going to happen. AV was supposedly OK, so they let Andrus go get a job somewhere else.
Silva
This guy has a lot of potential, at least I thought. He was a 1st team AP All-American at Boston College and went undrafted. I wonder what his deal is?
Lack of Production
“It was production. It was a lack thereof.”
So I am assuming we should soon be cutting Chad Simpson as well? Obviously this cut wasn’t made 100% due to production, or else Simpson would have been cut (oh wait, he was) and NOT resigned long ago. The return game is the worst aspect of this team right now. Catching a kickoff on the 3-5 and only getting to the 20 is not acceptable.
If the coaches really mean it, that it is due to production only, then Simpson should be released and we need to find someone else that can do a little better in the return game.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
Ugoh stinks too
and he hasnt been cut….
Sorry, just wanted to bash him again
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
and Sorgi
“What is it exactly that you DO here?”
There is no point for Sorgi to be on this team either. He has no future as a starting QB, and it has been established that if Sorgi was leading this team we would be fighting to win 4 games.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I mean
Sorgi really can’t even hold for McAfee if it was an emergency?
Come on, buddy. Let’s work on expanding that skill set.
Sorgi’s gameday checklist:
1. Put on Peyton Manning underwear
2. Remember to put shoes on correct foot (R goes on Right foot)
3. Don’t forget clipboard!!
4. Bring 2 sharpened #2 pencils
5. Bring backup mechanical pencil in case #2s go down.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
by AceOfSpades on Oct 14, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions
cruel but funny
you could have worked in the collegiate strangling incident vs OSU in there somewhere…. After a big pileup an Ohio State LB was dragged off ol’ Sorg, his hands around his throat.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Do you really still believe that though?
Sorgi and backups beat Titan starters (minus Collins) last year. He’s not incompetent.
Not saying he’d take the team to 11-5 like Cassel did last year or anything, but calling them a 4-12 team without Peyton is a bit of an insult to everyone else on the team. Especially with the defensive improvement this year, I get the feeling that they could still win the South. (Though that’s largely because the other teams have 4 wins between them.)
I actually like Sorg and he gets a good salary for a reason
I suspect he’s more instrumental than we may ever realize in 18’s prep and game-day play-calling, scout team stuff in practice, etc.
Ultimate team sport—no matter how good 18 is, he has 12 in his ear 60 minutes a game. 12 may not be offering Yoda-like advice every chance, but if he sees one thing in the sky-photos that helps 18 regcognize a D look and take advantage, that’s huge. He probably knows the O as well as anybody not named Moore or Manning. It could even be a case of how much damage he could do if he went elsewhere—we HAVE to keep him now!
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Sorgi
is the next Steve Young…
Seriously, he maybe knows the offense quite well (he should) but then it all comes to skills, and there, he just sucks. It looks like he is paid to remind Peyton of certain details he may have missed (NONE) and so that #18 has someone to yell at when he messes it (almost NEVER)
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
by BlueMark1821 on Oct 15, 2009 1:57 AM EDT up reply actions
4?
that many?
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
by BlueMark1821 on Oct 15, 2009 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions
well there's still a fallback position for him
OTs that don’t cut it can play guard (See Gallery, Robert). DTs are pretty much stuck unless they were already a conversion project like Keyunta Dawson.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 14, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
and in Ugoh's case
after all they did to get him, maybe they are trying to adapt him somehow. They could experiment with him, but they had training camp for that.
I don’t agree that they waste time trying to help him turn into what everybody (myself included) expected but I can understand it. At this point I really don’t expect much from Tony Ugoh, but hopefully he does turn into a nice G. If not, then I will continue bashing him until he’s cut
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
by BlueMark1821 on Oct 15, 2009 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions
So then...
In training camp Ed is good enough to earn a starting job, yet once the games count he slacks off so dramatically that the team has no alternative but to cut him.
As Spazmo says, does that pass the smell test? Just speculation, but I think it was easy for the team to drop Ed the first time since the cops busted him. This time if he committed an infraction (BIG IF), it may have been a teammate, team official, or coach who found him out. And so to avoid being accussed of entrapment or other legal consequences, they charged him with lack of hustle.
It’s the same clarity the team uses when they talk about injured players and how long they’re going to be out.
speculate all you want...
it’s not true.
Just rewatch the last few games. He didn’t do much of anything except take up space. If you combine that with even a slight lack of effort in practice, that’s a problem. Maybe if it was someone else with a clean history – Ugoh, for instance – they’d have demoted him and found a way to cut someone else. But he does have a history. Plus he’s probably going to be way easier to slip through to resign in a few weeks than someone else, because of that history. Nobody picked him up last time, and there are plenty of other teams out there without the same moral compass as the Colts (not to mention he never ended up convicted, as far as I know).
Slip through to resign in a few weeks?
Are you saying there’s going to be a third time around with the Colts for Ed? Kindly elaborate.
What’s going to be the next reason they let him go, halitosis?
anything is possible
At some point they won’t still be using 6 roster spots for special teamers plus 4 RBs. In that case, maybe they’ll pick him back up.
But no, I’m not saying there will be. Just that now that we know it’s simply a cut and not a rules violation, it’s possible. We’ve seen it before.
Don't understand
how all he did was take up space, but the defensive numbers are getting better and better every week. All the other players played that much better to pick up the slack for the terrible Ed Johnson waste of space and no one does anything about it until Stover is needed? Meanwhile, Chad Simpson is still terrible and is a true waste of a roster spot vs expected production in the return game.
"Melissa, it's Ace. I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the mayor!"
not drinkin the kool-aid
i for one am calling BS on this. I refuse to believe big ed was cut for lack of performance. something we may never know is why he was cut. i mean if polian is cutting for lack of performance we have a laundry list of d-bags on our roster who only fit into a scheme and could never make it on any other 53 man roster. Sorgi, Simpson,Silva, Jennings, Keiho, Pollak, i have a few more but the biggest flop has to be mr. Glass. (sanders)…..Lack of performance?…….this waste of space has been paid more than every other Colt other than 18, and has only completed one season out of four. i for one have just lost a little respect for polian, and i find this quite disturbing that they are trying to fool us as fans………F-ING FEDERKEIL IS STILL ON THE ROSTER…..WTF?
You had me until Bob....
Please consider: Bob did all the heavy lifting (and absorbed the most punishment) being the defensive enforcer under the previous coaching regime. But now if more players like Sessions step up as hitters, then pehaps there won’t be such a physical toll on Bob and he’ll play for longer stretches.
And I agree with you insofar as Ed was released for something other than his performance. Although it’s merely supposition on my part.
Ed wasn't necessarily bad, but he wasn't amazing either.
We will be fine without him, and we will finally see what Moala is made of.
Foster may not have the size, but he comes to play.
Mookie has been much more impressive than Ed.
Muir has shown something as well.
"Peyton Manning feels no pressure, he applies it"
Let's think here
We had depth at DT, and our DT’s don’t seem to be injury prone.
We don’t have depth on the O-line. It may be a weak area, but we can’t go cutting what backups we have.
"Peyton Manning feels no pressure, he applies it"
You seem smart.
Did you watch the game and notice that Federkeil came in and played left tackle the other night? He’s a jack of all trades backup lineman that has always stepped up and played well when asked to.
Every other player you listed except for Sorgi is at a position that lacks depth. DT for once has some, so to make room for another player they cut a guy from a position of strength.
I'm confused by your definition of a completed season
Sanders has seasons with 6, 14, 4, 15 and 6 regular season games played. Does 14 games not count, but 15? He’s never missed a playoff game, so he’s ended each season healthy enough to play.
Also Sanders makes less money than several other players.This year he’s 7th on the list of cap hits behind Peyton, Freeney, Wayne, Mathis, Clark and Hayden (with Diem, Brock and Saturday rounding out the top 10).
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 15, 2009 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
i would count that as 0...
anyhow, Im not the above, even though he called him mr. glass and ive called him the glass safety, just wanted to clear that up.
if Sanders didnt go to Iowa, would you feel different? The guy played in the playoffs last year, sure. How did that help the D? Again, I don’t know how we quantify this. Each time he’s been out, the defense has put up the same yards as the time he’s been in. Whats that mean? i don’ know. The Colts have won a SB with him as safety. They’ve also had one and dones with him as safety. Of the top 10 players, Sanders leads the list in ‘money per games played’, right? Other than maybe Peyton, only because of the sheer size of Peyton’s contract? Freeney is out there with a torn quad, for cripes sake. Peyton played on one leg. I remember Dungy taking a veiled slap at him last year or the year before, saying something like, ‘some people have to learn the difference between hurt and injured’…
I don't think I'm that big of a homer for Clark, so Sanders could be as awesome as I think he is
but examining your own biases isn’t an easy thing to do.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Oct 15, 2009 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I still don't buy it..
Ok ya this makes sense, we CUT him while our defense (especially run defense) has been playing better than even the superbowl winning playoff run? BS I say! You just sit Ugoh but CUT a starter? Get out of town. Wouldn’t it make far more sense to simply put him backup or suspend him if he had an attitude problem (which it doesn’t seem like the case)? This is fishy and I don’t buy this production crap.
+1
There are easily 5 players in our team that deserve to go before Ed. We are all pretty smart fans, watch games closely and know when someone sucks (aka. Pollock). Big Ed may not have performed well but he has performed well enough to deserve a spot on this team. Why do we need 3 qb’s? If P goes down, Sorgi is not going to save the season, I’d much rather start Painter to get him experience. What about rb’s? How many yards do hart and Simpson have? Less than 20…. Yet they are more valuable than Ed. Bull$hit.
Hope it works out fine. Just don’t want to lose to sproles again.
DID SOMEONE SAY CHAMPIONSHIP
by BROWNdude on Oct 15, 2009 8:28 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I kind of agree
But when you consider cutting someone, you also have to consider the alternatives in-house or outside. I still think the suddenness and severity is fishy, but we do have Fili to step up and based on what they are saying, they think he is ready. Okay, then….
They might look at cutting Pollack, but who would replace him and produce adequately? And despite Simpson’s and Hart’s lack of production, we need at least 3 RBs on the team as backup, ST players, in case of emergency, etc. Remember what happened when the entire receiving corps (except Reggie) pulled up lame in SD two years ago? Craphonso was no world-beater, but without him, Manning would have been throwing to himself because Reggie would have been quadruple-teamed.
So maybe they DID consider about 4 guys to cut to open up a spot for Stover, they looked at the guys who could replace them with the least amount of disruption and the least risk in case of starter injury, and concluded it was Ed.
I still find it fishy, however.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
I think Simpson
is the most replaceable. Unless Hart is hurt and will be after the Bye, they have 3RBs and Rushing is only doing STs, and if he were to get hurt in that capacity, I believe Garcon has return experience, and if push comes to shove, its not like the Colts are explosive in the return game anyhow, just put someone back there that can fair catch the ball.
Phil B. confirms that Moala's in the rotation
Link.
Not that this is any surprise. What else were they going to do?
I call BS on the whole friggin thing!
“Lack of production”
???
Any observant Colts fan can throw that BS out the window right now. We’ve got and have perpetually maintained a stable of non-producers…so “lack of production” is *&@#$%(%$$.
ANYONE on the planet (concerned with production alone) keeps him on the roster and just demotes him. You dont cut him.
This was a stupid move. I’ve almost always backed Polian’s plays but this one here….if the reason is “Lack of production”…from a guy who has been out of the game for a year…and a guy you were starting….nah, I dont back this one.
One of two things…either they’re lying or they suddenly bumped their heads?
Regardless, bad move all around.
- Brian
yea
its amazing, all we’ve heard from fans about the Colts are, ‘they arent honest about anything, they lie about the injury report, don’t believe anything they say!’ Then, for 5 weeks, we see people with missing limbs walk around saying, ’I’m day-to-day.’ And everyone laughs. Then Caldwell says, ‘Ed Johnson was a starter that was cut for lack of production’ and everyone immediately says….
I trust Caldwell. Why would the Colts lie? Whats in it for them? I trust them with my life. Im going to let Polian babysit for me saturday.
what a quick turnaround, guys!
Oh totally
Caldwell is a sketchy mysterious man who deserves to be burned at the stake for this one. How dare he cut someone on the team without justifying it to fans first? Who does such a horrendous thing?! I think he should be fired immediately! To cut a mediocre tackle who wasn’t cutting it and was the weakest of all the starters is unforgiveable.
rofl
You’re a funny, angry man.
Ready to make a bet yet? If not, get off my nuts, dude.
Second, I didn’t say anywhere that Caldwell should be burned at the stake. I didn’t say he should be fired immediately. For future reference, I don’t think making stupid exaggerations makes you sound smarter.
Btw, for all of your football accumen, I don’t seem to recall any posts of yours from weeks 2 to 5 calling Johnson a weak tackler or saying he was the worst of the starters. I’m going to go ahead and say that you’re full of shit, and just blindly going with whatever the colts decide… for whatever reason (most likely the fact that, like most fans, you’re very emotionally invested in your team and you don’t want to imagine that they would get worse just when they are looking good)
I don’t think its out of whack to suggest there is something more than meets the eye here. And I think to just bullishly reject that out of hand is being ignorant and pig-headed.
Crap! Polian's sitting for you on Saturday?
Damn, my kids don’t like Shula and Marv Levy smells funny…. but I need a sitter! Good thing I have Scott Pioli on speed dial.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Pioli used to babysit for me
but he kept calling Belichick and double checking every decision. Was too much of a headache. The only problem now is, whenever I send my kid to his room, he smashes the table and says, ‘I wish dad would break his f’n leg!"
Yep bad move all around
I mean TERRIBLE. Why on earth wouldn’t a team want to keep a player they will no longer use on the roster? It just doesn’t make sense. I mean, aside from the fact he was getting blown up on the field and is clearly overweight, what is the reasoning for not letting him stand on the sidelines? Even if Fili Moala is now healthy and was drafted to be a starter, that’s regardless. Ed Johnson should be on this team because….he has been on the field the first five games I guess? Screw his lack of production. It’s a bad BAD move to upgrade at a position that will help the team. I mean, seriously….the other D-linemen will FREAK when they notice Ed not next to them or on his back after the play. It will be chaos I say!
This is Caldwell and Polian’s WORST move yet. First they inexplicably fire Ron Meeks and Russ Purnell, then amazingly decide to start Charlie Johnson at LT?! Now this?! What are these guys thinking trying to improve the team?! I guess the dominoes continue to fall….
1) Show us a play where Ed Johnson got blown up. Atleast name a play where it happened. Please. Go ahead, we’ll wait. (If you’re ref: the 18to88 post, come up with something original, because I’ve already discovered the person that made that post was just making stuff up)
2) Fili Moala isn’t the starter. He may have been drafted to be the starter. But he’s not the starter right now. Muir and Johnson will be the starters with Foster and Moala rotating in.
3) Read the quotes from Freeney and Brock and tell me they won’t miss him.
4) Again, with the baseless statements. How, exactly, can you say this is an upgrade? Go ahead, give us any piece of insight you have on this. Anything will do. Just one piece, one grain of insight that shows you know its an upgrade.
Thanks!
Check the Dolphins game
If you noticed the Dolphins game, Ed Johnson constantly had his back to the RB all the time because of being blown up by the Dolphins O-line. Yeah, it was his first game back but let us stop making excuses for him. He was flat out terrible.
Besides, Muir played UT next to Mookie in game 1 against the Jags, and was quick off the snap as well. Muir and Foster, both have played real well. So, the starter spot has been clear for a while, Muir has outplayed Ed Johnson in the spot next to Mookie. The only question is rotational depth. I do not think, for a minute, that they would have made this move if they did not think Moala was ready. And based on the latest roster move, all indications are that he is ready for the rotation.
One has to understand that you cannot have a glut of DTs like you can with DEs and LBs and DBs because there can be only so many DTs that you can use on special teams.
If there is an injury to a DT, yeah, that is when Ed Johnson’s rotational contribution will be missed, but by no means should we have any illusions that his starter role was the biggest reason for our run D. It was Mookie primarily at the NT spot and mostly Muir and Foster that have been outplaying Ed Johnson. Ed Johnson was good in flashes but took a lot of plays off. Again, you will not realize this unless you rewind the tape and watch the film. That is all I can say.
Now that we know they like Moala’s progress and they like John Gill, another 300 lb DT that is on the PS as well.
It is kinda like Addai, he had underperformed for a year and a half that people are slow to give him praise. The reverse of it is true, Ed Johnson had vowed us in our DT depleted squad when he played in 2007. So, people continue to make excuses for him instead of seeing what he is worth now, no more than a rotational player at DT, not starter caliber by any means. The coaches had to make sure they saw enough game production (or lack of) before they made the decision. Let us not forget EJ did play in that MJD/Fred Taylor 208-yard-rushing game against the Jags in 2008.
i have tl;dr syndrome (not being sarcastic)
but just going over the first point you bring up… so by your logic, he should have been cut after the dolphins game, because he clearly got better after that.
Also, every other player on defense should be looking for a job after the dolphins game, since no one was all that good.
The Colts don’t have a glut of DTs. They have the same DTs (except for Moala) that they had last year. What they do have is a ‘glut’ of RBs, kickers, and QBs.
I have watched the ‘film’ (actually, no i havent, and neither have you. None of us have. We’ve watched TV productions of games, not game tape. We also haven’t seen the Colts gameplan, just so that we can all stop talking like we’re part of an NFL team, cuz, ya know, you, me, we, we aren’t). But I have rewatched the Arizona, Seattle, and Tennessee game. I can safely disagree that Mookie looks like a world beater and Ed looks like shit.
As for like Moala’s progress: they liked him so much that he was inactive for 5 weeks. Not even a sniff. He was progressing so much that he couldn’t unseat the underperforming Ed Johnson for even a snap. Even when the Colts had 10 people injured and could have easily activated FM, he went inactive. In other news, Bill Polian thinks that Tony Ugoh is as good as D’brickashaw Ferguson, but Charlie Johnson is even better.
Moala is ready to start
Check this out:
I suppose the flipside is that we've all been wondering about Moala all along
He was a high draft pick, came highly touted from one of the best and most pro-ready programs in the country. Back in the spring I had assumed he’d start day-one.
We were probably all a little surprised that he hasn’t played a snap yet. Some would no doubt be bandying about the word “bust.” (Is this some kind of bust? Yes, maam, they’re very impressive…) I suppose mentally I saw on-field success the past 5 weeks and saw Moala not contributing and figured… he had work to do.
Maybe he IS as ready as we all assumed back in April. Which makes is a little weird that he was not even active for five weeks—about as odd as cutting a starter rather than benching him. And the Freeney and Brock comments were not along the lines of “Fili has been working hard and he’s ready to go.” No, they were more along the WTF? line of reasoning….
I guess we’ll see in the next few weeks. I was super-psyched about Moala months ago and now am willing to get pumped for him again.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Phil B analyzes Ed
Here it is:
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/2009/10/analyzing_ed.html
The line that stood out to me:
The hunch is that we will have to wait a while before the rest of the story comes out. As another blogger suggested to me, if Johnson signs somewhere else, then maybe it was just performance. But if he doesn’t get a sniff, then it’s reasonable to surmise the guy had another off-field issue, was possibly going to get suspended again, and enough is enough.
I'm gonna go ahead and trust the management here
If we go back to giving up 200 yards on the ground, then I might question the decision.
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