Colts rookie camp starts today at West 56th Street:

The 22 rookies recently acquired by the Colts will report to the team's practice facility Friday for the first time, then will spend the weekend at a three-day rookie camp designed to allow them to acclimate, learn and prepare.

When it begins, Polian – in his 11th season as the Colts’ President – said they will receive two messages. One, that they will have every chance regardless of background or draft status to make the 53-man roster. The other, Polian said, is equally important:

College is over. The NFL Draft is over.

All that matters as far as the Colts are concerned is the future.

Starting right now.

“This is the real world,” Polian said, discussing what the rookies will be told at the beginning of the team’s 2008 rookie camp at the team’s practice facility Friday.

“All that took place on draft day, and before that, is the phony world of the draft. This is now the real world of the NFL. It doesn’t have to do with marketing and it doesn’t have to do with seminars on how to be a better person.

“All that stuff is fine and dandy at the appropriate time, but this is about competing for a job in the National Football League.”

The Colts made a conscious decision to improve the interior of their offensive line in the 2008 NFL Draft, taking OG Mike Pollak, OC Steve Justice and OG Jamey Richards. They also wanted to gain more depth at running back, drafting Michigan legend Mike Hart in round 6 and signing rookie free agent Chad Simpson out of Morgan State. Special teams, in particular the return game, were also a focus. Bill Polian drafted Mount Union standout Pierre Garcon to compete with current returner TJ Rushing. Simpson also has the skills to return kickoffs. Georgia standout DE Marcus Howard will likely play special teams and get acquainted with d-line coach John Teerlick.

When we get pics of the 22 rooks at camp, we will post them. Rookie camp runs through Sunday.

Mike Hart compares to Joseph Addai. Photo: via sportswrap.berecruited.com

Bill Polian let some of the air out of the Dom to Indy sails recently:

And the possibility of the Colts bringing back running back Dominic Rhodes, who was released by the Oakland Raiders on Monday, has also not been discussed as of yet.

"We didn’t discuss it [Tuesday]. [Head coach] Tony [Dungy] didn’t mention it. I think we’re pretty full at the position to be truthful with you," Polian said.

This leads me to believe the Colts plan to use newly drafted RB Mike Hart more than we expected, because I do not believe that Dungy or Polian feel Kenton Keith is better than Dominic Rhodes; because if they do they are dead wrong.

Of all the picks the Colts made over the weekend, the "sexiest" was Mike Hart. He's a name everyone in college football knows, and some were surprised he fell all the way to Indy in round 6. I'll be honest when I say I am a big Mike Hart fan. I thought he showed tremendous character after Michigan lost to Appalachia State. He seemed more in control of the Michigan team than his coach was. He carried the team on his back, and transformed the 2007 season for the Wolverines from utter disaster to one of respectability.

If you want to know why Mike Hart fell to the 6th round, the answer is simple: He's slow. He ran a 4.7 at the Combine. However, if you go to NFL.com's Combine site, guess who the scouts compare Hart to:

Compares To: JOSEPH ADDAI-Indianapolis...While Hart has a lot more mileage on his tires coming out of college than Addai did leaving LSU, both players are quick, darting runners with the ability to pound out the tough yardage up the middle or hit the cutback lanes. Addai is a better receiver than Hart, but the Michigan product protects the ball and is a physical blocker who plays with lots of aggression. He's shorter than ideal, but runs at a low pad level and has the leg drive to immediately break arm tackles. Had some injury problems as a senior, thanks to over 1,000 carries during his career, but until then, Hart proved very durable.

Hart is also a player who never fumbles. Ever. Despite all the pounding he took at Michigan, carrying that team on his back in 2007, he never gave up the football. Look for the Colts to use Hart near the goal line. His nasty attitude is something the running game has lacked a bit. While guys like Addai slide away from contact in order to gain extra yards, Hart initiates it, looking to punish anyone who tries to tackle him. This will add another element to the Colts running game, which must get better in the red zone.

If you want a theme for the 2008 draft, it seem pretty clear that Polian and Dungy wanted to get better running the ball in the red zone. Thus, they draft three interior linemen and a RB like Mike Hart. One early thing about Hart: The guy has stones. Check out what number he selected for his Colts jersey:

Rosevelt Colvin would add more depth to the d-line, if he is healthy. Photo: via www.projo.com

Even though the Colts spent much of Saturday and Sunday adding excellent depth to the roster, that does not mean the Colts should turn a blind eye to cheap, talented, free agent talent especially when that talent is proven. I understand people think Dom Rhodes might have "character issues," but the reality is he was a pretty stand up guy when he played in Indy for years. Yes, he had his run-ins with the law. No, Dom Rhodes is not a saint. However, unlike Kenton Keith, Dom Rhodes is a proven RB. When Kenton Keith runs for 113 yards and a TD with only 21 carries in the Super Bowl, then I'll call him proven. When Kenton Keith decimates the best defense in football (Baltimore) in their house (Baltimore) keeping the football away from their offense for over 7 minutes to seal an amazing and improbable playoff game (Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore!) then I will call him proven.

My own personal annoyance with Kenton Keith has more to do with his on-the-field screw-ups that have cost us games rather than his one run-in with local police. The police thing was an annoying screw-up that just adds more to fans not liking him. I have ZERO tolerance for anyone who has trouble catching friggin' screen passes, dump offs, or check downs. This is not rocket science. Catch. The. F&%king. Ball. Even worse, K2 lets it get batted in the air against the Chargers, and you've got another turnover.

Now, is Dom guilty of doing similar things? Yes. Remember Tedy Bruschi ripping the football from him in the 2004 playoff game? Remember Dom fumbling in the 2006 AFC Championship Game near the goal line? Jeff Saturday did recover it for a TD, but Dom did fumble in crunch time. Remember my post about Dom not playing hard in 2005? Dom is no saint, but, unlike Kenton Keith, Dom is proven.

And, quite frankly, Dom is just better.

Unlike Keith, Dom can actually catch the ball. He is an excellent blocker. I personally think that the more RBs you have, the better; especially if they can produce for you and not kill your cap. Add to this mix a solid draft pick like Mike Hart, and the Colts would have four excellent RB options, including Keith (who Indy should really keep because he is so good punching it in along the goal line). Again, the more the merrier.

The same holds true for DEs. Freeney is recovering from foot surgery and Robert Mathis has knee problems last year. Both are expected back 100%, but that doesn't comfort me. Drafting Marcus Howard was smart, but if the Colts can add a healthy Rosey Colvin to the mix (and play him down on the line as a DE), it just adds more depth and more options to level opposing QBs. Tom Brady was killed in the Super Bowl because the Giants never let up, and the reason the Patriots beat Indy in the regular season last year is because the Colts did.

The reason? Indy ran out of healthy bodies. New York didn't.

Both Colvin and Rhodes will likely not cost much. Colvin is injury prone, and is looking to prove he can still play. Dom was just cut by the Raiders, which is like wearing a scarlet letter on your forehead. I mean, if the friggin' Raiders think he suck, you must really be at the bottom of the talent barrel. Dom recently spoke about the wacky goings on in Raiders Land (from AOL Fanhouse):

I don't see the reason why the Raiders needed to draft a running back, you know what I'm saying? I mean, we have a stable full of running backs, that ran for 100 yards every one of them. And then we went and drafted a guy -- he's a great runner, don't get me wrong -- but, I don't understand the logic, everybody wanted to do this or that; it was never saying, "Okay, we're all going to do this together." I mean, there were just a whole bunch of fires everywhere, and ... then they seemed to blaze out of control.

I don't really think Lane Kiffin wanted to take a running back in the first round, let's just put it like that ... he has to deal with it now, but I don't think that's what he wanted to do.

The point of all this is we know Dom can still play, and if he can it is so obvious the Colts should sign him it isn't even funny. And if Colvin is healthy, he should get signed as well. Even though he has acted like a jerk as a Patriot, the guy used to sell concessions at the RCA Dome when he was a kid. He grew up a Colts fan. I'm sure it is a dream of his to play for the Colts before he retires.

With the news that Dom Rhodes was cut by Oakland yesterday, it seems logical to assume the Colts will look into bringing him back into the fold. Rhodes was a very popular member of the team. Despite his arrest last year for getting drunk and peeing in his pants, Dom is not known as a trouble maker or a jackhole. I will always remember Dom for how he took Joseph Addai under his wing when Addai was a rookie. Also, Dom did not complain, whine cry, or moan when he was benched in favor of Addai later in the 2006 season. In fact, Dom actually got better, and really dominated in the 2006 playoffs. Dom and Addai are fast friends, and guys like Peyton and Saturday also speak well of Dom.

The bottom line is if Dom wants to come back here, the team would love to have him. But, the price must be right.

The other possible addition, one that Bill Polian has said the Colts are looking into, is acquiring former Patriots LB Rosevelt Colvin. Colvin visited Indy this past Saturday. The concern on Colvin is his health. All throughout his career, he's been hurt. One of the reasons for this is Colvin just isn't very durable. He could stay healthy if he were a part-time pass rush specialist, which the Colts will likely use him as if they sign him. The other issue with Colvin is he's kind of acted like a jerk when he's played the Colts. Remember, he was the jerk who spiked the football on the mid-field Horse Shoe after New England beat Indy in the regular season last year. Shortly afterwards, Colvin got hurt hurt (again), was placed on IR, and, at the end of the season, got cut.

Note: Never, ever, mess with The Shoe.

Still, despite all that, if Colvin is healthy he would make a great addition. Colvin and recently drafted DE Marcus Howard would solidify the Colts' pass rush. Should Dominic Rhodes return, it will provide Indy with the same RB depth they had when they won it all in 2006. Add to this Mike Hart, and the Colts have three quality backs (and likely Kenton Keith will be looking for residence again in Canada). If Colvin and Rhodes are signed, it would add the finishing touch on a very strong draft for the Colts.

There have been some great analysis stories done already by BBS and by Bullard47 on the draft, so I'll try to touch on some things these guys didn't talk about.  By the way, you'll notice my new avatar next to my name.  It was submitted by the aforementioned Bullard47 here.  He'll get to give us his excellent opinion on the main page for a day.  The picture is fantastic, as I wasn't expecting the Golden Dome to be worked in.

Back to the draft...I think we got excellent value for almost every pick we made.  Pollak seems to be a great steal for Polian and Co. at #59.  The crop of Interior Lineman wasn't very good up top this year, with Brandon Albert and Chilo Rachal as the only 2 Interior Lineman to get picked before Pollak.  He seems very excited to be joining the Colts (who wouldn't?), and said this yesterday:

"I couldn't have asked for a better way for it to work out," said Pollak, who has a chance at the first string because Indianapolis lost Jake Scott in free agency. "I'll get to learn from all of the older guys. When I spoke with coach (Tony) Dungy and (general manager Bill Polian), they told me they felt that my game was perfect for what they have there."

We picked 2 Tight Ends, and 1 WR, which I thought we'd do.  We really only had 2 TE in Clark and Fletcher, and we are dangerously thin at WR, especially with the health of Harrison still up in the air.  I think the thought is that if either Marvin isn't back yet, or one of the main 3 WR gets hurt, Clark can step in and play the slot receiver.  I'm also really excited to have a speedster to return punts and kicks in Pierre Garcon.  Watching the video posted below gets me excited.  I really can't remember the last guy the Colts had that, when he caught the ball on a return, you expected him to take it to the house.  I hope Garcon makes me feel that way. 

As much as it pains me to say as an ND grad, I'm very glad Mike Hart fell into our laps at pick 202.  Running backs always seem to make an immediate impact in the NFL, and I definitely see Hart playing a big role in 2008.  He NEVER fumbles the ball .  Maybe he can teach KK how to hold onto it.  Michigan has always loved running the slow progressin g, off tackle run, and Hart always seemed to find a sliver of daylight and burst through, just like Addai does now.  This will be a great asset running the stretch play.  He's used to long handoffs and running outside off-tackle, or further.  He's a great fit.

We all loved the Marcus Howard  pick.  We all know everything about him.  Great pick, especially for the 5th round.  I also liked the Philip Wheeler selection.  He is a head hunter, much like #21.  Some people mentioned we may move him to DE, which makes some sense, although he's never played on the DL before.  For right now, he seems like a 3rd down pass rusher, most likely as a 5th DL.  We'll have to see what happens in training camp.

I have to confess:  in the poll below, I gave the Colts a C, but only because Polian loves those C grades.  Overall I give the Colts a B+.  They back filled areas of need, but seemed to go too heavy at one certain position.  Also, without a first round pick, there doesn't seem to be, for this moment in time, that superstar pick.  Hopefully one of these guys becomes that.  Great job by the Polian, Coach Dungy, and the rest of the staff!

What did we learn about the 2008 NFL Draft and all those mocks that I showed you over a two month period? Well, that I'm a lot better at picking who the Denver Broncos wanted in the draft than the Indianapolis Colts. DT Carlton Powell, CB Jack Williams, and OC Kory Litchensteiger were all drafted by the Broncos from rounds 4-6. While sitting in Radio City as round 5 was winding down, TheSportsGuru was lamenting the Broncos had not drafted a DT. With both Williams and Lichtensteiger taken, I joked that Carlton Powell would get drafted next by Denver.

Sure enough, he was.

So now I am convinced Mike Shannahan reads this blog, and is getting scouting advice from it. This means I have helped a rival team get better. I'm sorry, Mr. Polian. I'm so, so sorry.

Back to reality, it is no surprise that people are already giving the Colts a "C" grade for the draft? But, regardless of the silly and useless "grade," everyone seems to believe that taking Mike Pollack was a coup at pick #59:

BEST MOVE

There's a reason why coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian have had such a successful tenure in Indianapolis. They're always thinking one, maybe even two, steps ahead of everyone else. Without a first-round pick (they traded it to San Francisco last year to get tackle Tony Ugoh), Dungy and Polian didn't try to make up for it by reaching for an immediate need in the second round.

With the No. 59 overall pick, they drafted Arizona State center Mike Pollack, who really was the best player on the Colts' draft board. The Colts already have a very solid center in Jeff Saturday, but he is getting older.

The beauty of this move is Pollack will get to spend a season learning from Saturday and the Colts won't have to draft a center next year.

Already on the Colts website, Pollack is listed as a OG. Jamey Richard out of Buffalo, who also played OC and was drafted in the 7th round, is listed as a general o-lineman, and may get moved to OT, OG, or whatever. Only Steve Justice, OC out of Wake Forest, is listed as a back-up center.

Going into the draft, we identified several specific needs the team had to address before the start of the 2008 season. It seems that in this draft, Bill Polian also saw those needs and did his best to address them. Those needs were:

• Back-up running back (Mike Hart, Round 6, Michigan)
• Pass rushers (Marcus Howard, Round 5, Georgia)
• Wide receiver and returner (Pierre Garcon, Round 6, Mount Union)
• Solid #2 tight end (Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi, Rounds 4 and 6, Kentucky and Virginia)
• Depth on the offensive line (they drafted three friggin' lineman, including one with their firstpick in the draft)

So, just like that, the Colts have addressed pretty much every need they had going into the 2008 season. The question now is can these guys come through. The Colts are also doing their normal thing post-draft, signing several rookie free agents. They recently signed Rudy Burgess, WR out of Arizona State.

So, while our team didn't quite get the flashy Chris Johnson or the explosive Matt Forte', they did what they always seem to do: Quietly OWN the draft, filling needs and stocking up on quality players. More fallout on the 2008 draft throughout the day.

So, with their last pick in the draft in the 7th round, with guys like DE Rudolph Hardie still on the board, Bill Polian drafted... another center?

In general, the 2008 draft will be remembered as the "trade draft." 33 trades were conducted during this draft, which is a record. However, for Colts fans, this draft will be remembered as the year of the center. In round 2, Indy took OC Mike Pollack out of Arizona State. In in the 6th round, they took Steve Justice, OC out of Wake Forest. And now, in the 7th round, the Colts have taken another OC: Jamey Richard out of Buffalo.

However, love for centers aside, the Colts addressed several key needs in this draft and got some great value late in the draft. DE Marcus Howard fell to the late 5th round, and the Colts snatched up LB Phillip Wheeler (who they may convert to DE) in round 3. Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi will provide depth at TE now that Ben Utecht is gone, and they managed to get a WR late in the 6th round.

All in all, the Colts addressed several key needs in the draft. They got their back-up, pass rushing DEs, addressed the interior of their o-line, and found a solid back-up RB. Per usual, Bill Polian delivers. More fall out from draft day coming your way as the 2008 NFL comes to a close.

So, in the 4th round, the Colts took TE Jacob Tamme. Now, in the 6th round, where the Colts have four picks, they take TE Tom Santi. Santi is a better blocker than Tamme.

Good effort as an inline and second-level blocker. ... Good use of hands and fights to sustain. ... Can track defenders at the second level and works to keep his man from making the play.

UPDATE: Colts draft another OC, Steve Justice, and Michigan RB Mike Hart.