Colts sign former-Redskins defensive tackle J.D. Skolnitsky

I know what you are thinking.

WHO?

The only J.D. I know was that dude who wrote that great book and used to drink his own urine.

Well, this J.D. is the newest addition to the Colts. Skolnitsky's signing comes on the heels of management signing former-Chiefs guard Andy Alleman and re-signing defensive captain Gary Brackett. I mean, with all these free agents getting signed, I hardly recognize the Colts anymore. Who is this person masquerading around the west 56th Street complex, and what has he done with the real Bill Polian?

Now, the cynics among you will scoff at the notion that guys like Skolnitsky and Alleman are "legit" free agents. It's not like the Colts are making moves for Julius Peppers or LaDainian Tomlinson. However, it is somewhat out-of-character to see Polian and company making moves like these during the first wave of free agency. Part of the reasoning is likely the current labor situation. Lots of players were not tendered by other teams, making them free agents available to sign. Many of these players are either busts who didn't work out or developmental players who did not fit a new coaching regime.

Skolnitsky is the latter.

At 6'4, 255 pounds, Skolnitsky is hardly the prototype defensive tackle. Maybe when Tony Dungy ran things in Indy, he'd be a candidate to hold up in the middle. But, with Jim Caldwell and Larry Coyer, DTs need to be 300 pounds. So, it seems Skolnitsky is likely here to work at defensive end, possibly as a replacement to Raheem Brock. During Skolnitsky's rookie season last year, he was well-liked and seemingly well-respected by coaches and teammates in Washington. The red flag on Skolnitsky is that he was declared ineligible for the 2009 NCAA football season for testing positive for a banned substance following his school's playoff game against Villanova. 

From The Breeze, a newspaper for James Madison University:

Skolnitsky ordered a supplement online that contained the banned substance and began taking it seven to 10 days before the random test, Matthews said. Matthews and his staff were unaware that Skolnitsky had been taking it, and are withholding the name of the supplement because of privacy concerns.

It would be worth keeping an eye on Skolnitsky to see if this kind of crap pops up again.

The Colts attended the Pro Day at James Madison University last year, and they probably liked what they saw out of Skolnitsky. Let's see if he can make through training camp without being cut.