Colts Depth Chart on Fringe Players

by shake n bake on Sep 2, 2009 11:21 AM EDT in Colts Analysis

While it's obvious that there are things going on in the Colts roster plans not reflected in the depth chart, I still think there is information to be gleaned from it. What does the depth chart say about the fringe players?

RB: Mike Hart is listed 3rd, with Simpson (4th) ahead of Ball (5th). Walter Mendenhall is not listed.

WR: Pierre Garcon and Brett McDermott are listed as the backups to Wayne and Gonzo. Collie sits behind Garcon (likely because the Colts don't plan on using Collie on the outside), Taj Smith behind McDermott. John Matthews and Sam Giguere are 4th string.

TE: Gijon Robinson is the starting H-Back and Clark's backup. Jacob Tamme is ahead of Santi in both spots.

OL: Ugoh is listed as the #2 LT, Tom Pestock as the 2nd RT. On the interior the 2nd string is Richard, Justice, Federkeil. Toudouze, Thomas and DeVan are listed as 3rd string.

DE: Brock is listed as Freeney's backup rather than Mathis'. Dawson is listed as the #2 LE. Marcus Howard and Josh Thomas are 3rd string.

DT: Johnson & Johnson starting backed up by Muir and Moala. Taylor and Foster 3rd string with Grady and GIll at the end of the chart.

LB: Hagler, Keiaho, Senn still second string. Humber listed as a (3rd string) WILL, Tauilili as MIKE.

CB: Hughes and Jennings are 2nd string, Powers and Rushing 3rd. Lacey and Graham are 4th string.

S: Silva and Giordano 2nd string while Bob is still on the PUP. Travis Key is the 3rd string FS

RS: Rushing listed as 1st punt returner with Garcon behind him, Simpson as the top KR with Rushing backing up.

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Comments

Do these depth charts...

ever mean anything really after the first stringers? Curious? Anyway, looking at the rundown there are players (Grady over Taylor) who are lower who have outperformed players above them. By everybodys admission, Keiaho has been outplayed by virtually every LB…even Seward who was cut…so I don’t know what gives. Confusing to say the least.

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by TRDean on Sep 2, 2009 2:14 PM EDT reply actions

Oh yea,

Josh Thomas even being back drives me crazy. To me he is like a bad penny. I know a team is getting better and better when marginally good players don’t make the team like they have in the past. I like Josh, but don’t think (hope) he doesn’t make the team.

by TRDean on Sep 2, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Lot of people are down on Dawson

but I would rather see him in at DE than Thomas. Sure Dawson doesn’t do much by way of pressure on the QB, but has Thomas EVER gotten a sack by using his cheetah-like quickness?

"Put him on the board. Houshmazilli....got it. CHAMPIONSHIP!"

by AceOfSpades on Sep 2, 2009 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Depth Charts

Agree. After the obvious, they really don’t mean much. The one we see is surely not the one the team uses. If I were a team, I wouldn’t publicly tip my hand as to who may be available on cut down day among the fringe guys. Better depth means good players are going to be waived. Why do other teams’ work for them work for them? They probably have a pretty good idea of the coming cuts, but don’t make it obvious.

by GonzoBlue on Sep 2, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

i hate freddie keiaho. he’s a decent enough wrap-up tackler but he is an unmitigated disaster in pass coverage. it absolutely baffles the mind that the coaches would continue to use him as brackett’s back-up when he has shown no ability to do the one thing that makes brackett a noteworthy player in this defense.

by saintnixon on Sep 2, 2009 3:48 PM EDT reply actions

preach on

he is steadily getting worse and worse as the years go by. I don’t even like him as a WILL backup but at least he is a better fit there. Hopefully the Colts won’t have to worry about a backup for Brackett, but if he is injured again this season we are in trouble if Freddy K is in there at MIKE. Really we will be in trouble even if Tauiliili is in there because he has so little experience.

If Brackett went down, we would have to get really creative and switch up to a hybrid 3-4 or something crazy unless we found gold on the free agency market. Otherwise we would get torched in the passing game by every TE in the league.

"Put him on the board. Houshmazilli....got it. CHAMPIONSHIP!"

by AceOfSpades on Sep 2, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions

You mean like what happened

against the Chargers in the playoffs? Antonio Gates, meet Brackett-less defense. Defense, Antonio Gates.

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 don't want this guy to get anywhere near me.

by Cassieper on Sep 2, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

exactly like that

opponents’ game plans would look like this:
“hey [insert name of opposing team’s tight end here], run an 8 yard curl route straight up the seam. you’ll be open every time. trust us.”
the end.

by saintnixon on Sep 2, 2009 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions

So

Is Collie only going to be used occasionally in 3 down receiver packages? By that I mean even when the Colts go 3 wide will Garcon still be used quite a bit? (I ask because I’m trying to decide who to use my last rookie spot on for my fantasy team, Collie or Deon Butler on the Seahawks).

by Brendan Scolari on Sep 3, 2009 2:04 AM EDT reply actions

I think Collie will play when they go 3 wide (3rd and mid-longs and two minute drill)

and Garcon will play if Gonzo or Wayne is hurt.

It's not just your perceptions that can be wrong. Even your memory is often incomplete or possibly flat out wrong.

by shake n bake on Sep 3, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Ok

Thanks. Great blog by the way.

by Brendan Scolari on Sep 3, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions

The depth chart does not have a designated “slot receiver” spot. It only has 2 WR (outside) spots. Since Collie probably won’t play on the outside, he is very low on that chart.

Collie and Garcon will probably share the 3 wide packages (with Wayne or Gonzo in the slot when Garcon is in), I assume.

As a Colts fan, I would go with Collie, but I think him and Butler are pretty even.

"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 Sep 3, 2009 7:26 AM EDT reply actions