It comes with just a touch of irony that quite possibly the worst team preview I've ever read resides on NFL.com. Nothing against the writer (Aron Angel, who I'm sure is a good person), but this preview is fraught with factual errors and just plain ole bad writing. To put it mildly, it reads as if Aron has no idea what he's writing about.

Here are the highlights:

Another playoff exit: With 13 wins in 2007, the Colts enjoyed their sixth straight season with 12 or more victories and a playoff berth. But playing against a Chargers team without the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers in the fourth quarter, the Colts came up short of the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Uh, gee. Thanks Aron. You make it sound like it was a waste to get there at all. And for the rest of you keeping score, the Pittsburgh Steelers and NY Giants are also teams that have only won one Super Bowl in the last five years. 28 other football teams have won ZERO Super Bowls the last five years. The only team to win multiple Super Bowls the last five years? The Patriots. But, they cheated to win them, so their 2 Super Bowls in 5 years don't really count.

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LB Tyjuan Hagler -- One of Dungy's success stories as a first-time starter last season -- is expected to miss camp with a torn bicep, opening the door for the likes of Clint Session and Rocky Boiman to take on a larger role.

Psst. Aron. Uh, sorry to inform you, but Rocky Boiman was not re-signed by the Colts this off-season. He signed with Philly way back in March. For a full list of Indy's depth chart, might I recommend visiting their official website. Also, NFL.com (you know, the site you work for) has a transactions area. Might want to check it out once and awhile, especially if you are doing, you know, team previews and such. Just a suggestion.

Oh, and Hagler tore his pectoral muscle, not his bicep. The details of his injury were first reports by (you guessed it) NFL.com.

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Rookie spotlight

OLB Marcus Howard: Howard was an undersized DE at Georgia, but the Colts are hoping to convert him to play OLB. With the loss of LB Rob Morris and the injury to Hagler, Howard could see a lot of action early on. He will be a critical piece to a front seven that makes up for its lack of size with speed and versatility.

When I first read this I was like Wow! Aron must know something the rest of us don't. Sadly, Aron doesn't. This is yet another factual error. The Colts haven no plans to move Howard to LBer, especially at strongside LBer. He was drafted to become a speed rushing DE in the mold of Robert Mathis. That's what everyone wrote about when he was drafted, and it's how the Colts used him during minicamps. Once again Aron, a quick glance over to the Colts official website would show you the Colts list Marcus Howard as a DE. He's even wearing #92, a number typically used by DEs. From Colts.com:

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Marvin Harrison has historically been Peyton Manning's most reliable target, but he's heading into his 13th season and coming off a knee injury that kept him out of all but five games last season. Add to that Harrison's yet to be resolved legal issues stemming from an incident outside a bar he owns in Philadelphia, and the situation is ripe for Gonzalez, a second-year receiver to fill a potential void.

Sigh! Yet another writer still doesn't get it. Marvin Harrison isn't even a suspect in the bar shooting in Philly reported several months ago. When one is not a suspect,  let alone charged with anything, it kinda goes without saying that the issue is pretty much dead and gone. Until something actually happens, it's stupid for writers to keep bringing this up. If you want to see real WR incidents with the law, visit Matt Jones in Jacksonville.

Obviously, not everything Aron Angel writes in this preview is bad, but the fact that this is an NFL.com article makes the amateurish errors in this piece stand out even more. It looks really bad when the NFL's own site has crappy team previews. 75% of the contributors here could have written a better Colts preview.

Look, we all make mistakes. I'm probably the worst speller on the Internet, but I bust my butt to proof my articles as best I can. I have no copy editor. But with NFL.com, I expect a better standard than this team preview. Next time NFL.com, it might help to actually have writers who know the team (and its players) before asking them to script a season preview about them.

via Washington Post

It's always fun to speculate which team has done the most to unseat the Colts overlords of the AFC South. The reason it's fun is because the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans often go to such lengths to strengthen their teams each and every year only to get smacked down again and again by the Indy machine. As a result of their efforts, the Colts have gotten better and the collective improvement has made the AFC South the best division in football. Yes, I know the Giants won the Super Bowl and Dallas was 13-3 in 2007. Dallas also hasn't won a playoff game in 15 years, and the other NFC East playoff team (Washington) would get smoked by anyone in the AFC South, including a Sage Rosenfels-led Texans team. So please, spare me the NFC East talk. Yes, it's a good division; a GREAT division. It isn't the South.

Even with the South being so strong in 2007, I personally think most of the AFC South teams got better this off-season, with the exception of the Titans (more on them later). Aside from the AFC South having some of the best teams in football, they also have the best team bloggers in football. I'll freely admit that I am the agitator in our blogger division. Rarely do you see Jimmy writing articles about how Bob Sanders can't stay healthy, or Tim typing stories about how Indy's special teams play sucks. However, you are sure to see me writing a post either insulting Vince Young or criticizing the stupid draft moves of Gary Kubiak. I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel that guys like Tim, Chris, and Jimmy would not immediately call me "idiot" are debunk my claims with intelligent points with just a pinch of homerism. This is why we do what we do.

This is team blogging.

In this case, I think the Texans and Jaguars have bettered themselves since last season, with the Titans noticeably getting worse in the talent department. However, despite the changes (good or bad), none of these teams have done enough to unseat the Colts, who themselves have made great moves to shore up their weaknesses.

The off-season fad is to say the Jaguars have finally done enough to unseat Indy. Even AOL has found a writer who thinks the additions of WR Jerry Porter, CB Drayton Florence, WR Troy Williamson, and draft day additions like DE Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves are enough to knock off a Colts team that has beaten the Jaguars 5 of the last 6 times. Indeed, even the football guru himself, John Clayton, thought the Jaguars had an impressive run in free agency.

Did getting Drayton Florence (#29) help push the Jags over the Colts?

Photo via www.nctimes.com

While the Jaguars are much improved, it is important to note that so are the Colts. New Era Scouting's Dave Gardner has an article up talking about how the Colts are, quietly (per usual), shaping into the best team in football talent-wise.

The Colts could have kept the same roster from last season and still made it to the playoffs. With all the skill positions in place on offense (they’ll be fine with or without Marvin Harrison), and an excellent back seven on defense, they were in place to win at least ten games. However, as they prepare for the first season in a new stadium, it should be ready to host more than just the eight regular season games.

Not long ago, I wrote about how the Jaguars do not have a single area of their team that is better than Indy's. Chris at Big Cat responded, disagreeing with my take and offering little rebuttal in terms of substance.

I'll grant Quarterback, I'll even concede the offensive line and Tight Ends.  But to say that the Colts have better Linebackers, Defensive Line, and Secondary than the Jaguars is an ignorant statement.  The Jaguars use their linebackers a little differently than the Colts do in the "Dungy 2", and really can't be compared directly.  The combination of Durrant, Ingram, Peterson, and Smith give the Jaguars three guys who can play every combination of linebacker spots, the speed to play sideline to sideline, and a nasty hard hitting attitude.  I'd take our bench linebacker over any of the Colts starters.  Remember, the biggest knock on the Jaguars pass rushers is that they're young.  None of our guys are coming off of a Lis Franc, like Mr. Freeney.

I'm happy Chris thinks so much of his new secondary, but when the Jaguars have a Defensive Player of the Year-type guy in their defensive backfield, they can say their secondary is better than Indy's. Maybe. Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea are the best safety tandem in football. Sanders won the DPOY and Bethea went to the Pro Bowl (and unlike other Pro Bowl safeties, Bethea is pretty good). And the corners, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden, started every single game last season.

The result? The Colts had the #2 pass defense in football, allowing an average of 5.9 yards per competition with 16 TDs and 22 INTs. QB had an average rating of 73 against Indy. This entire DB unit will be back in 2008, and with the added depth of second year man Dante Hughes. Until the Jags have a secondary that produces like this, saying they are better is nonsense. Utter nonsense.

And they can say whatever they want about their LBers, but the fact is the Colts LBers define speed and hard hitting. They also have tremendous depth. 2007 rookie Clint Session was amazing, and with all three starting LBers coming back this unit is better than Jacksonville's. We also have yet to see what Philip Wheeler will bring to the equation. Indy's linebackers do an excellent job dropping into zones and making plays, and are very active in stopping the run.

The DE argument is silly. Freeney is recovering extremely well from his foot surgery and Robert Mathis is better than both Harvey and Groves. The younger guys may one day develop into great rushers, but we're not talking about two or three years from now. We're talking 2008, and the Colts will get even better in that area if they sign Rosevelt Colvin. Indy also drafted Marcus Howard, who is faster than both Freeney and Mathis.

So, I see little change in the AFC South. The Colts are still the most talented team in the division with the best coaches and front office personnel. I recognize that AFC South teams like the Jags have made significant moves to get better, and better they are. But it isn't enough. The Colts did not just sit ideally by. I realize this is boring to media hacks who are desperate for a story line, but the bottom line is Indy is still great, and the other AFC South teams still have not caught up.

From PFW's The Way We Hear It:

May 30, 2008

Tony Dungy’s Tampa-2 defense isn’t among the more complicated schemes in the NFL, but word out of Indianapolis is that Dungy is planning on adding a smattering of defensive wrinkles that he abstained from dabbling with last season. The rationale is twofold: (1) An inability to generate a consistent pass rush when DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were banged up underscored just how reliant the team was on those two, and how badly it needs to find alternative pass-rushing possibilities should the starting duo be slowed again. (2) Indy was breaking in a host of new starters in ’07, and Dungy’s more willing to trust his now well-seasoned crew to handle greater responsibilities. So, just what does Dungy have in store? It’s difficult to know exactly, but employing more DL stunts and turning loose S Bob Sanders to attack opposing backfields appear to be likely options. Dungy will never be keen on relying on LB blitzes to pressure the passer, and the increased confidence he has in CBs Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden has him even more eager to allow Sanders — the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year — to do what he does best.

With more faith in the young guys on his defense, Dungy looks like he wants to add some things that will turn opposing offenses on their heads. Last year, despite injuries and a pretty vanilla Cover 2 scheme, the Colts were the #1 scoring defense in football. Now, Dungy wants to take the Bob Sanders Beatdown Defense to another level.

Colts DT Quinn Pitcock made minimal impact in his rookie season of ’07, but we hear that was mostly because he never fully recovered from a hamstring ailment he had suffered early on. He should be a fixture in the DT rotation this season.

I wouldn't say Pitcock's contributions were "minimal." He did a fine job in the DT rotation, especially stopping the run.

When I click on Bleacher Report's NFL link, I am greeted with tons of articles about teams that have not won anything in recent history or have no chance of winning anything.

Articles about the Raiders, Vikings, Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Packers, and a few other have-nots flood this site daily.

I, of course, attempt to read objectively, post my comments or suggestions and move on.

What disappoints me is the lack of articles on the one team that is still—in mine and many other's opinion—the best team in the NFL.

The Indianapolis Colts.

I know what you're thinking. Why would anyone waste their time writing about a team that's won 12 or more games in each of the past fives seasons?

Why would anyone want to write about Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, or Joseph Addai?

Beats me.

We've had a couple weeks now to digest the draft, and the Colts have now finished both its Rookie Camp, as well as the full team Mini-Camp, and BBS has done a great job keeping us updated on all the goings-on from the weekend.  I thought I'd take a look at how in the world Mike Hart dropped as far as he did, luckily, right into the Colts lap at the end of the 6th Round.  The main reason, I believe, is that every GM in the league, save the very best, are always interested in finding "the hidden gem" of the draft.

I was reading through a Sports Illustrated from a couple weeks ago, and the back cover article by Selena Roberts was on a guy named Drew Boylhart, who is a contributor on The Huddle Report, which specializes in the draft.  His quote at the end of the article is spot on.  He says:

"I'm very surprised - and annoyed - at the number of small-college players picked ahead of good talent from larger schools.  It's almost as if scouts are saying, 'I can find this sleeper pick' and trying to make a name for themselves.  Such b.s."

This quote has Mike Hart's name all over it.  He is Michigan's all time leading rusher with over 5000 yards rushing, was a 4 year starter, and was UM's vocal leader, on and off the field.  He also was passed by multiple times by different teams who drafted RBs in the 5th and 6th round from much smaller schools.  Here's a list:

• Timothy Hightower - Richmond, 149 overall to Arizona:  ESPN thought he'd be a late round or undrafted pick, yet he goes halfway through Round 5.  Only started 20/35 games, averaging 4.7 yards/carry (less than Hart's 5.0 for his career).
• Marcus Thomas - UTEP, 166 overall to San Diego:  Scout had him rated as the #30 RB in the draft class, and he was the 14th one picked.  I see Hart being very comparable to Michael Turner, who just left the Chargers.  A.J. Smith trying to show off his "genius" with this one, as it doesn't look very good.
• Xavier Omon - NW Missouri St., 179 overall to Buffalo:  Offensive Player of the Year in DII, and the first RB to run for 1500 yards in each of his 4 years.  I can't argue with this pick too much.  He may end up being very good.

Two of these picks seem like the GM is trying to find the "hidden gem", rather than taking the proven back, Hart.  This phenomenon is not limited to RB.  Take Tennessee's pick of William Hayes, DE from Winston Salem St., with pick 103 in the 4th Round.  While watching the draft on the NFL Network, they had absolutely no information on this guy, and they traded up to draft him in the 4th round.  Jeff Fisher was interviewed later on, and he said, paraphrasing here, that some other team called him afterward and told him they were going to take Hayes in the next round.  I can't remember the team, but I'm thinking it was either the Chiefs or the Saints.  I'm wondering if he wasn't trying to save face with his fans, since clearly they could have gotten this guy much later in the draft.

I'm clearly not saying that taking a guy from a big school is much better than taking a guy from a small school.  There are clearly some great NFL players that come from small schools.  Mathis and Bethea are two examples from the Colts.  They were taken in the later rounds, and turned out to be Pro Bowl players.  I would only say this occurs in the 5, 6, and 7th rounds.  You don't see too many teams taking chances on guys earlier than that, so if a player is taken from a small school, chances are they could have played at a big time school.  However, there are many times that teams take flyers on the small school guys, and pass on proven players that have played against top level competition in college.  Take T.J Houshmanzedah for example.  He was a 7th round pick from Oregon State, the same year his OSU teammate Chad Johnson was drafted in the 2nd Round.  Here's a list of small school WRs taken before Houshmanzadeh in 2001 (All in the 5th Round):

I've only heard of one of these guys: McCants.  Teams were trying to find the "gem", when they could have had a proven WR, who ended up being an All-Pro player.  I hope Mike Hart ends up being for the Colts what Houshmanzadeh is for the Bengals.

via i.usatoday.net

I saw this over at Pats Pulpit regarding the two teams "better" than the Patriots in 2007, and nearly peed my pants:

The New York Giants earned bragging rights and will forever be known as the team that stopped the juggernaut from New England.  The second team is an unhealthy Colts.  I hate winning in that situation because there's always a question mark in my mind.

This is the first time I've seen a Pats fan acknowledge something we talked about here all throughout 2007: If Indy were healthy in 2007, they would have made New England 17-1, and not 18-1. But, like anything else, injuries are what they are. New England kept their guys healthy and Indy didn't. Them's the breaks. The Pats had the same injury problem in 2005, and got as far into the playoffs as the Colts did in 2007.

This brings me to the all important question: Did Indy do enough to get better?

NFL.com has a fan ranking up, allowing you to rank all 32 teams. NFL Network had some writers on recently, and each listed their top 5 teams right now. What was interesting is each had the same teams n the top 5 (Indianapolis, New England, NY Giants, San Diego, and Dallas). Of course, this means absolutely nothing, but it is interesting to see how teams view the Colts. Remember, last season everyone anointed the Patriots world champs before nary a game was played because the Patriots had made several player moves to get Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Sammy Morris. Meanwhile, the Colts kept on the same path they always do, brought back the same playmakers that dominated the 2006 playoffs, and most ranked New England ahead.

This year, the Patriots have done very little to improve their roster. They've lost most of their secondary to free agency, including (arguably) their best player on defense, Assante Samuel. Dante Stallworth is gone, and Sammy Morris' health is in doubt. The Colts, meanwhile, have gotten healthy, added pass rushing depth through the draft, and signed Dominic Rhodes.

It seems that Indy has improved itself while teams like New England haven't. Even the Chargers, who beat the Colts twice last season in close games, have done little in free agency and have significant injury concerns of their own (Philip Rivers, LT, Antonio Gates). San Diego also lost the "Colts Killer" (Michael Turner) to free agency.

The Colts sport one of the youngest teams in football. Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark are in the primes of their careers. Tony Ugoh, Anthony Gonzalez, Freddie Keiaho, and Quinn Pitcock look poised to make big leaps in 2008 after strong 2007 seasons. Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, and Robert Mathis are expected back 100%. With Dom Rhodes, Joseph Addai, and rookie Mike Hart, Indy has a very potent running back group, and with the draft they beefed up the o-line.

It seems, in mid-May, that this team is ready to make another run. Then again, championships are not won in mid-May. Just ask that Patriots.

Jamie Silva was a serious playmaker in college. Photo: Scouts.com

I'm taking a break from bashing Mike Florio to actually talk about something important: Free agent rookies!

Now, I know some of you out there are scoffing, making fun of the fact that I care about who the Colts sign as rookie free agents. The truth is rookie free agents as important, if not more important, than the draft. Don't believe me? Ok then, who had a bigger impact on the Colts in 2007: Anthony Gonzalez, or Ed Johnson? You can make a strong argument for both, but I personally think Johnson edges out Gonzo because without big Ed the Colts defense reverts back to the regular season defense we all were tortured with in 2006. Remember when we all stated that the Colts could not afford to lose Booger McFarland, and then two days into training camp they did... for the season! McFarland was quickly replaced by an undrafted, free agent rookie named Ed Johnson. Johnson started every single game at DT for the 2007, and the Colts defense became the #2 defense in football.

So, when I say undrafted free agents are important, I damn well mean it! Oh, and nobody finds diamond-in-the-rough rookies via free agency like Bill Polian. No one.

Today, we'll focus a bit on two gents the Colts signed as rookie free agents: DE Curtis Johnson out of Clark Atlanta and SS Jamie Silva out of BC.

Both Curtis Johnson and Jamie Silva were Scouting Combine invites, and both have very strong scouting reports available at NFL.com. Both fit the bill for a Cover 2-style defense. Both are high character individuals with speed, explosiveness, and a knack for getting the football.

Starting with Silva, NFL.com compares him to Arizona's Corey Chavous:

Few safeties in the professional ranks have the instinctive feel for the ball and knowledge of the action in front of him that Chavous displays. Silva plays with the same field vision, ball anticipation and determination. He is a physical tackler who excels in run support and does a nice job of impeding the ballcarrier's forward progress with his hard-hitting wrap-up tackling skills. He has small, yet natural hands to make the interception and is very good at gaining placement in attempts to reroute the receiver. What he lacks in hip fluidness and explosive second gear, he makes up for with solid tackling skills, taking proper angles and great anticipation skills. Toss in his total disregard for his own well-being, determination to make the play and an added bonus with his kamikaze-style of play on special teams and you have player who is certain to be a fan favorite.

The Colts have some excellent depth at safety with Bob, Antoine, Giordano, and Melvin Bullitt. However, if a player like Bullitt is to retain his job in Indy, he needs to prove that he can become an excellent special teams player. With Silva, he seems to have the speed and ballhawking ability needed to play safety in Dungy's Cover 2, but it is not another safety Indy needs.

Indy needs a special teams ace, and if Silva can play the kind of special teams that the Scouting Combine people think he can play, he could beat out Bullitt. Small side note, Silva could have played college ball at IU, but rejected their offer.

Curtis Johnson Photo: Patsy Collier

With Curtis Johnson, the Colts have another speed rusher off the edge similar to 5th round pick Marcus Howard. Scouts compare Johnson to Joey Porter, who played DE in college, but was transitioned to LBer in the Pittsburgh 3-4 package.

Johnson is not as instinctive as Porter in locating the ball and will need to totally revamp his pass drop and coverage skills, but he has a violent hand punch to overpower big blockers and a good burst off the edge to be a superb edge rusher. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long. He was tried at both inside and outside linebacker in postseason all-star action and held up very well on the edge. The mental aspect of playing inside will be too much for him to grasp at this early stage of his possible shift to a stand-up defender from one with his hand on the ground. Look for Johnson to become the first noteworthy CAU product since former NFL fullback Chuck Evans (1993-2000), who was drafted in the 11th round in 1992.

Like with Silva, Johnson could find his niche on the team as a special teams gunner. However, I'm of the mindset that the more pass rushers Indy has, the better. Losing Freeney, Mathis, and Brock killed Indy's chances of repeating last year. I do not want that to happen again, especially with excellent secondary Indy has. Johnson's one problem is his lack of bulk. He's taller than Robert Mathis and Marcus Howard, but weighs less. He will need to add some muscle in order to stay healthy in the NFL. Johnson was considered on of the "best kept secrets" in college football after he impressed many during his last year in college.

If Curtis Johnson displays the same knack at getting to the QB as he did in college, adding him (along with Howard and potentially Rosevelt Colvin) would make Indy's pass rush even more deadly.

I'm doing an ongoing series over at Mocking the Draft on which teams improved themselves enough in the draft to move up to the top or stay on top, and which teams didn't. Here's what I said about the Colts and Titans:

AFC South

Yin:

  Indianapolis Colts

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go ahead and say it. The Colts blogger gives his favorite team props. Oh, who didn't see that coming. I'm sure some of you think that, but if you take the tin foil hat off for a sec you'll notice that many people thought the Colts did well with this draft. OG Mike Pollak, OC Steve Justice, and OL Jamey Richard give them excellent depth on the o-line. DE Marcus Howard will spell Freeney and Mathis as a pass rusher, and RB Mike Hart will help spell Joseph Addai. Colts addressed all their off-season needs in one draft. Solid, all around.

Yang:

  Tennessee Titans

The Titans reached big time for RB Chris Johnson in the 1st round despite having significant holes in their secondary and at DE. Jason Jones helps but he is not enough to stem the loses of both Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy to free agency. They didn't draft a DB until round 7 despite having horrid safeties and an aging Nick Harper.