Dallas Clark restructured his contract in order for the Hayden deal to happen. If that was in your math I missed it.

His $8.2 million roster bonus has been restructured to hit the cap over the life of his contract by making it a signing bonus. Accordingly, we should save an additional $6 million, I believe, against this year’s cap.

On a message board:

Well, I’m estimating the numbers right now and we’re roughly at $10mil under in cap space.

Subtract $2.2mil (est.) for rookies under the rule of 51.
Subtract $2.8mil (est.) for a cap cushion for replacing injured players.
Subtract $1mil for minimum salary benefit contracts.
Subtract $1.5mil – $2.2mil for Keiaho’s tender.

That’s $8mil off the $10mil putting us at $2mil under. If we needed to, we could hedge a bit on Keiaho’s offer, min. sal. benefit contracts, and our cap cushion to get under the cap, but that’s going to take up some room if we don’t want to.

I don’t really know much about the cap situation, or who restructed, who didn’t, how this affects what. To be honest, I really don’t care, it’s not worth the headache trying to figure it out. What I do know is, they have more cap space now than they did a week ago. “like duh obviously KR, u r a frekkin genius.” Yes, yes I know.

I want to comment on a few things in the following quote, well because, it just annoys me:

So, knowing all this, it is unlikely the Colts will pursue any of these newly released players. Joey Galloway is intriguing, I agree. But not Bill Polian’s style. The Colts will draft a WR this year, likely in the first round. That might not be popular around here, but it is how Polian works. And while Derrick Brooks can still play, the fact is the Colts do not shell out money for LBers. MIKE backer Gary Brackett is the only one they have locked up. WILL and SAM have been musical chairs for the past 8 years.

What exactly is so intriguing about Joey Galloway? The only thing in his arsenal is the deep pass, which he hasn’t even done very well as of late. He’s a one trick pony, and his stats reflect this.

I agree that the Colts probably will succumb to the temptation of drafting a WR, but it won’t be in the first round. Everyone knows this draft is stacked with WR talent, so really, at pick 27, unless one of the 5 premiere WRs are left, it would be a wasted pick. It just disturbs me that Polian would be so interested in drafting yet another receiver while Gonzo is locked, cocked, and ready to rock in Marvin’s stead. Peyton also has Reggie Wayne on the opposite side of the field. Clark playing in the slot sometimes and off of the line on others. That’s 3 very dangerous weapons at Peyton’s disposal. If you want to toss Addai into the mix as another receiving threat out of the backfield (something the Colts are idiots for not doing more of), then that’s 4 freakin receiving weapons Manning can use at any given time. The only thing drafting a receiver in the first or second round is going to solve is the bench warmer position that will be vacated by either Hall or Garcon since Gonzo is moving into a starter role. Everyone knows the Colts groom receivers for a couple years before they even sniff the starting line-up (2007 being the exception). Roy Hall has been on the team for 3 years now, Garcon for one. They already have a huge edge over anyone the Colts draft, and to be quite honest, I want to see what the hell these guys are capable of.

Like I said before, I do believe Polian is going to draft another receiver, it’s just going to be in the later rounds, and I’m fine with that. I think he’s going to concentrate on linebacker and o-line, with running back in third place.

The other thing I want to address is your statement about how the OLB’s on the defense have been playing musical chairs, and I agree with that, and I also have a major problem with it. I’m basing this off of something yellowsnow told me last night on the phone; Polian’s draft philosophy has been great for years, we’ve all seen what the Colts have accomplished, but for the love of god man, draft some guys who you would be willing to have for the long-term, ala Derrick Brooks. I’m getting tired of seeing a new linebacking corps, a new db corps, a new this, a new that, every 3 freakin years. There’s a cliche quote, that while I hate hearing it because it’s so annoying, is so true and I think Polian should take heed to:

In order to win championships, you have be able to run the ball, and stop the run.

Is there any coincidence that the year the Colts won they did both of these phenominally well? I think not. Peyton has proved that he can pass at will on just about anyone, with just about anyone. So where does everyone continue to get the idea that “When you have a qb like Peyton Manning, you need to get him as many weapons as possible, blah freakedy blah.” There’s only one other team right now with as many offensive weapons as the Colts, and that’s the Patriots. Ironically because they ripped off the Colts offensive philosophy, but that’s an entirely different argument altogether. I can only imagine the time of havoc the Colts would wreak if they had a dominant defense. Their pass defense has always been above average, their run defense, not so much. In fact, it’s been shit for years. Granted there are many variables as to why this is, but still, with the revolving door at DT and LB, it’s no wonder the defense has struggled against the run all these years. Let’s not even get into the RB back situation right now. We’ve been over that ad nauseam. But the fact still remains, the Colts are catered more towards the passing game than any other, and in my opinion, that’s a big mistake going into the future.

That ANY WR drafted will max out at 30 Recs and 450 yards. He could be Larry Fitzgerald’s secret little brother taken in the 1st or Craphonso Thorpe’s love-child taken in the 6th. For 1-2 years all young Colts WRs have a definite ceiling. That includes Reggie and Gonzo who came into this same system as 1st rounders. One is now a pro-bowler and the other is on his way.

Polian doesn’t draft for a 1-2 year window. But anybody thinking that a WR will secure us a SB in the next couple years is probably not on the right track. That doesn’t mean one won’t be picked…. they certainly have that tendency, especially if you include 1st rounder Dallas Clark in the mix as a pass catcher.

I do not know of the DT depth in the draft class, but assume we’ll break trend and pick a DT if an appropriate body is there at #27. If not, but they like the guys who will be there at #50-#80 okay, they may just go for w RB/WR in the 1st, and grab DTs in the 2nd and/or 3rd rounds. Or trade down out of the 1st round entirely to pick up an extra 2nd rounder this year and next, or extra 2nd and 3rd rounders this year. I’d be cool with that if they didn’t have anybody appropriate to pick at #27. Remember the year they traded out of the 1st round and picked Sanders in the 2nd? What were those amateurs thinking?

Re-sing either Tyjaun Haggler or Freddie Kiaho (most likely Kiaho since he is an RFA) and their rookies.

But it would be nice to see Sean Rogers in A Colts uniform.